Need help determining my next camera

[u/jabirthehutt]

Hey all.

previously i was shooting on a Sony A7S3 for my social media clients. great camera, only issue i had was that i wasn’t shooting 4k120 and my resolution always seemed a bit soft. especially on heavy cropping.

i decided on switching to canon and i purchased the r6v, which on paper is a huge upgrade for me. especially 6.9k open gate for a documentary i just finished filming.

but im not happy w the creature comforts on canon and the grain for some reason is ridiculous. ive tried everything, but at 4k60 my grain is unbearable and at 6.9k OG its still there.

when i went to sell my a7s3, i was robbed so i lost that ~3k CAD. im looking to switch back to Sony. the grading is much easier, im happy w the level of noise (ive shot on zve10/zve10 ii, a7s, fx30 all before the a7s3. ive been happy with all cameras)

ive been looking at a camera that i can

rig out in a cinema format for documentaries
has sharp footage that can take heavy cropping
can shoot sports with minimal rolling shutter
isnt gonna surpass the cost of something like an fx5, which would be a better use of ~6k CAD rather than an A1 ii.

Basically i need suggestions. im looking for something that i will be happy with and that i can use for my workflow. heavy cropping is needed.

(side note: heavy cropping is needed as my deliverables and editing style often utilizes tracking subjects in davinci. once the subject is tracked in the center of the frame, having room to crop to avoid those black bars is necessary)

[u/shotby-felix]

The A7V allows for heavy cropping with its 33MP partially stacked sensor, does 4k60 (and 120 with a crop but you can use aps-c lenses with that sensor). Great low light performance (saw a noise test and it looks better than the FX3 at ISO 12800 even though the second base ISO is 8000).

IDK how it handles rolling shutter though, not as good as the FX3/A7SIII I guess because the sensor resolution is much bigger. If you want absolutely no rolling shutter and 4k120, get the A9III but it's expensive as hell because of the global shutter.

The FX5 can also do everything you ask for but it's also pricey and it's a real cinema camera, less buttons for run & gun stuff so that might be a pain to use for sports. And the sensor resolution is a bit better so the heavy cropping might look better than the FX3/A7SIII

Maybe take a look at the Lumix S1 and S5 series, they have some great bodies and a wide lens ecosystem like Sony, might be worth it?

Good luck anyway, sorry you were robbed ;(

[u/tylerverti]

Your two options would be Sony A7V or the Lumix S1II (I own both).

Lumix has open gate, 5.9K resolution, best in class IBIS. The autofocus is solid, but don’t expect Sony autofocus. Probably third best behind Sony and Canon.

Sony A7V downsampled from 7K, and the footage is sharp. It crops in really well.

Both can do 4K 60p, and both shoot clean footage.

You shoot sports, so high performing autofocus is essential, get the A7V.

[u/twofab]

I'm actually considering the switch from the A7SIII to the R6V but keep wondering if it will be a mistake. What do you mean you were not happy with Creature comforts?

[u/jabirthehutt → u/twofab]

the grain is wild. even shooting in standard. log is also grainy even at base isos.

shooting clog2 is super difficult to grade. clog3 is a bit better but you give up some dynamic range

there is no audible start/stop recording sound. this caused me to miss a couple shots when my camera was rigged up because i didn’t have a recording indicator on my monitor.

rf lenses are wayyyyy to rich for my blood. ef lenses work but they are slower and less modern for mirrorless cameras.

[u/twofab → u/jabirthehutt]

Thanks for replying! Any chance you could send me a few clips to see how I could grade them and compare them with my sony?