Recommend a camera for the wife?

[Peter Rush]

Hi all - I'm getting a few bookings now for both bride and groom prep which, as a solo shooter, can be a problem if all at different locations and the ceremony somewhere else. Most of these are for 2017 and my aim is to use my wife to cover the groom preps. I've had mixed problems with second shooters, mainly reliability so don't want to go down that road

Currently she helps out at bridal prep for the last hour while I leave for the church and she uses a cx730 in auto mode to get the bride getting dressed and leaving etc. She gets ok footage which I only really use a little of.

She's keen to progress and I'm keen to let her and hopefully she can contribute more. So I'm looking to buy her a camera which matches more my sony a7s and will give her a few creative options yet retaining some good auto functions, particularly autofocus. I'm also going to set her up on a monopod for stabilisation

Any thougths? I've discounted Canon as I shoot 50p and my trailers tend to be slowed down 50%

Cheers

Pete

[Steve Burkett]

I find myself always recommending either the Sony RX10 mark 2 or the Panasonic FZ1000. Greater cameras for newbies to develop their skills; not too complicated nor needing additional lenses. Great all rounder.

[John Nantz]

Way to go, Peter! Anytime someone can get their significant other on board that’s a winner!

This suggestion is under the heading of “your mileage may vary” and we all know everyone’s need is slightly different.

For hand-held use, what I’m looking at for my wife (and this is my suggestion) is the new AX53 because of it’s B.O.SS stabilization system and 1/2” sensor. (I’ve also got an ulterior motive that I’ll get to at the end :-) A downside to the AX53 suggestion is that I’ve never used a cam with the B.O.SS system so I don’t know how well it really does, however, the footage that’s on line looks pretty good. By comparison, I’ve got two cams with O.SS and, for my needs, it dosen’t quite make it.

I’ve done stabilization in post with other cams and the results “really depend.” Depend on what was shot and what was moving in the foreground, and if something crosses the plane that shows the area that wasn’t moving, etc. Anyway, the BOSS system, hopefully, will help in this regard. The other part is I’ve already got the AX100 so I’m hoping the bokeh looks more akin to one another when one is used as a B-cam.

Another thought is that while a monopod is really helpful, I use one myself, there are times when it can be a drag, such as when things are moving fast or if you want that shot from a different angle, like an up close and personal type of angle. If one can cultivate some skill about how to hold a cam reasonably steady (I try to tell my wife to look in the corner of the frame to pin it on something then watch it out of the corner of the eye to keep it there). With it’s stabilization system and smooth hand holding, hopefully there would be some good footage you can use.

Okay, my ulterior motive, because it is compact, is to use the cam on the boat in lieu of the Glidecam.

That’s great that she’s enthused and you’ve got a winner. Get her whatever she wants!

[Chris Harding]

Hi Pete

Although I use two FZ1000's I think the RX10 will match your A7S footage a lot better .. Although the Panny's have Sony 1" sensors anyway their "look" is a lot different to Sony. When I changed over from the EA-50's I did a hybrid wedding with both brands and struggled to match both sharpness and colour!

[Dave Blackhurst]

I tried the Panasonic (FZ1000 and LX100), as I'm cheap and Sony products are typically not... I'm back to all Sony, as the look is just too different, and doesn't quite look the way I want..... Still nice products and I like quite a few of the design elements!



You didn't say if 4K is a "feature", I personally wouldn't buy a camera without it, BUT since you're (like many of us!) probably still delivering in SD/DVD... well, there are bargains for "Full HD"... one of those being the RX10 (mark1), which can produce pretty sharp video, but didn't get the 4K capability (just high bitrate XAVCS 1080p). Add a grip and it's pretty easy to get OK stable shots, a monopod (splurge for a footed one?) or support rod would also be an option.

The AX53 looks promising (need to see more samples....), BOSS is actually pretty "boss" for handheld use, and aside from small sensor 4K not having quite the same "pop" you get from the larger sensor offerings, it'd probably be worth consideration for your needs.

Other possibles, an RX10M2 (better sensor and 4K), the now "old" but still quite capable AX100. Both have decent "auto" and can be used in manual modes as desired, so there's room to learn the traditional functions. In fact because of the 4K 30p limitation, you need to run manual shutter at a minimum for best results.

[Chris Harding]

Hey Dave

Yes the FZ1000 is incredibly sharp with a lot of colour depth which doesn't suit matching with Sony .. I struggled with Sony profiles a lot to try and get the look I wanted but never found it ! Panasonic had the exact look I needed (more importantly what bride's expected) which is why I changed (apart from being a Panny user for 25 years)

I am a firm believer in not mixing cameras for a shoot so Pete would be wise to stick with a Sony that works in well with the A7S cameras ... otherwise you spend hours in post trying to get a match ... as a wifey camera however a full auto mode that gets nice results is also a pre-requisite I feel ..Do the RX series behave fairly well at weddings when running in full auto?? I find that spouses tend to favour the "let the camera decide on the technical stuff so I can stick with the creative shots"

[John Nantz]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

She's keen to progress and I'm keen to let her and hopefully she can contribute more.

Here’s another thought, and with some questions.

With myself, I’m a very “camcorder” oriented shooter and I have a hard time dealing with getting my head around a DSLR format for video. However, not everybody has the same problem, so a question would be, what cam style does she prefer, feel comfortable with, or maybe not like? Or does it even matter?

Not intending to make the selection process more complicated and difficult, but women, (at least based on my sample of one), tend to be less into pixels and bytes and more into the shape of things and where the buttons and controls are and how they work. Ergo, finding something that they feel comfortable holding and using in order to keep this “keen to progress” thing moving is an important part of the selection process.

Weight and size might be a consideration too. Being an old Nikon user, heft is not a concern to me, but for my better half it is.

Findng something that would both meet your picture requirements and her usability wishes will probably up the ante in making the decision more difficult.

Comment about the AX100, AX33, and the AX53: The ‘100 is a couple years old now and Sony’s lens and sensor technology on the AX53 has improved in the meantime so that even though the 53’s sensor is slightly smaller than the AX33, it is supposed to be better.

[Dave Blackhurst]

I've been reasonably happy with auto overall, the RX series generally give me nice results.

@John - even though the AX100 is aging, it is aging well... the image quality still holds up, as they got the sensor right, and it's a good design - it has happened more than once that Sony "breaks ground" with a model that later issue cameras fail to compare well to. I'd like to see an AX100m2 with the newer sensor that the RX10m2 (and possibly the just announced M3?) and RX100m4 have, but who knows what Sony will do?.

I've looked at a fair amount of 4K "small sensor" vs. "larger sensor", and at least thus far, sensor size matters when they are cramming so many pixels into a chip. The AX33 was later than the AX100, and well, it wasn't that impressive, to be polite. My RX10 in 1080p looked better, as did the AX100.


I found an 3 way comparison of the AX33, AX100 and an "AX55", which I presume to be a non US model #, but the same camera as the AX53. The AX55 looked a lot better than the almost painfully soft 33, and was "closer" to the AX100, but still lacked the "pop" that seems to come from the larger sensor - it's subtle, and was only really noticeable on my 42" 4K monitor, not so much on a smaller 15.6" 4K laptop monitor.

As more video from the AX53 comes around, I'm sure there will be more comparison videos, but I'm still skeptical of "small sensor" 4K.... compare favorably to larger sensors maybe, but "better", not really likely - the physics is against it.

Then again I just got a smartphone with a 4K Sony camera module... and so far it looks OK, need to shoot some samples and see if it really holds up... low light is good, noise seems well controlled, and detail looks pretty good (though I doubt it will "pop"). not likely to replace an RX100M4 for everything, and certainly not an RX10, but it fits in my pocket, makes calls, and tells me where to go, among a lot of other things, not bad considering the price!

[Daniel James]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

Any thougths? I've discounted Canon as I shoot 50p and my trailers tend to be slowed down 50%

Cheers

Pete

My answer is simple, the exact same camera as you.. for a number of reasons:

1, You know how to use it, so training her on the same will be easier
2, You have a spare camera in case of any issues, you can share lenses batteries and other bits and pieces.
3, You are treating her the same as you, i.e. psychologically on the same footing.

My wife and I work together, and it works well, however I have standardised everything, so we have a common set of kit, it save a lot of headaches, and has increased her confidence with the kit.

[Peter Rush]

Thanks Guys for your tips - my budget is sub-£1,000 and as the wife wants to help out 'to make things easier for me' rather than wanting to improve as a film maker I am now leaning more towards a trad camcorder rather than DSLR - I will keep it in the Sony camp and did consider the RX10 II but have seen a few negative reviews regarding autofocus. As capturing guests arriving is something she occasionally does then good AF is a must for this part of the day.

I am considering the AX53 as the BOSS on the CX730 is really really good! I just find the footage from the CX730 looks more 'camcorder' than the filmic look from my A7s. For bridal prep however I only use a half dozen of her shots compared to the 40 or 50 shots that I filmed.

I think I may have to compromise here. I can't be in 2 places at once, I have had bad experiences with second shooters and yet I don't want to turn work down because of this. This is an issue for one wedding in November and small group next year and so I do have a little breathing space.

[Ron Evans]

My wife uses an AX100 on a tripod in my theatre shoots for closeups rather than me trying to get everything with my NX5U. I have it set up fixed shutter and in AE shift that she knows how to make brighter or darker based on zebras. Use touch focus which works really well and peaking so that she can confirm focus on the little LCD. I also have a NX30U with BOSS that I use as our family camera as the BOSS really works very well. I am thinking of replacing this NX30U with the AX53 that looks like a really nice camera with new sensor that will be sharper. AX53 would be my vote. You can set it up with " my buttons " on the LCD to quickly get to menu items you use a lot. My AX100 and NX30U are set with manual focus, zebra and peaking for the 3 buttons. AX53 will give you UHD if you want to shoot in 30P. It will also take 16M pixel still too.

Ron Evans

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

I've looked at a fair amount of 4K "small sensor" vs. "larger sensor", and at least thus far, sensor size matters when they are cramming so many pixels into a chip. The AX33 was later than the AX100, and well, it wasn't that impressive, to be polite.

This was my experience too. I have an AX100 & bought an AX33 but sent it back after I compared footage side by side. The image was OK & if I was a Soccer Mom who didn't know any better I would probably have been happy with the AX33 4K footage especially as the camera is half the price but it just wouldn't have worked intercut with AX100 4K footage.

BTW I just looked up the prices of these cameras & see that the RX10M3 is now available for pre-order at about £1200 compared to the £1000 of the RX10M2. Apparently it has a newly-developed 25x super-telephoto zoom f2.4-4.4 lens covering 24-600mm FF equivalent. While I like the constant F/2.8 of the RX10M2 the 25x zoom sounds interesting especially if the lens quality is as good as the Zeiss on the RX10M2 (& original RX10). http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-s...amera/p1595182

[Phil Stanley]

I was in the same situation and bought an AX100 and an AX33.

The AX100 is so easy to use for my wife that I am considering another one. I have taught my wife how to use auto, semi auto and full manual. Touch focus works well and with zebras she does well on exposure. It is however in my opinion overpriced in the UK at around £1350

The AX33 on the other hand we hated, sub par quality and more fiddly to use manually

[Dave Blackhurst]

@Nigel - I see the smaller size and weight of the M2 to be advantageous "sometimes", and the longer lens of the M3 to have it's own virtues (along with a larger and heavier package). Probably sell my "M1" I kept as a backup to have two comparable 4K cams.

The AX33 was pretty disappointing, but the side by side video I mentioned seems to suggest the AX53 may be a lot closer to the AX100 - on a smaller screen, it looked very close, and still pretty good on a larger screen. Tempted to at least give one a shot and see, as I miss my old PJ7xx "Handy"cams - the AX100 handles so very well, yet is a tad big for lugging along on casual trips - a small camera that could also be a second angle or backup might be nice - though the RX10 2 or 3 can also serve that capacity!