Panasonic AF100 in 2022 // "Film Look" and Camera Choice Rant 

There are hundreds of copies of my DSR-PD170 videos that kids have put VHS filters over! It blows my mind, but I am glad there is a new generation enjoying the videos I filmed. I loved that camera’s global shutter, impressive low light, and the lens, but wrestling with tapes and interlaced footage are things I definitely will not miss 480i is the devil

Very good. Another great thing about using older cameras like the AF100 - you can buy several of them for the same price as one new one, and shoot multi-camera, which in some situations is tons more valuable than just having one extremely expensive camera. I bought an af100 just because someone was selling it mad cheap. It's a fantastic piece of kit and the pictures look great.

I love the fact that you brought up the almost forgotten history of camera. I remember working on a feature where they used the Red Rock DOF adapter and they struggled with the light. I also remember shooting a low budget feature on the Canon HV20 having both 24p and HD when most consumer video cameras were either/or. And when I moved out of LA, my friend was telling me about he worked on a film using the 5D mark ii! I was like “what?!” Things have changed so much so fast! I personally love using older cameras that may have fallen out of favor as to chasing the latest and greatest new cameras. You can often get more bang for buck with the older cameras!!

I shot my feature on the AF100. The Raid Redemption was a good enough advertisement for me to see what it was capable of. (Great low rolling shutter.) We used it as a run and gun, 80% of the movie is at night, and the AF100 has great low light capabilities and texture. I liked how it didn't look like dslrs (which I hate) or other canon video systems. The Panasonic definitely has its own look and feel and texture. I keep researching other cameras for my next project, the Zcam E2, or the Cion AJA But I think I'm just going to stick with the AF100. I already know how to use it and what it's capable of. I know it like the back of my hand. And so I'll buy 1 or 2 more on ebay to make a 3 camera setup, and spend the majority of my money on Audio, lighting and ADR. Cheap lenses with the Panasonic still look better IMO than a 4k Alex or the like. Everything is just too smooth and crisp now. I don't like it. It has no soul.

Thanks you great vlog..I just got my first AF100

It's nice to know I'm not the only one that believes in these things :) It's wonderful to have access to "older "digital cameras at a budget. My next feature release is on a sony MC2500E which is... considered diabolical but so much fun to work with , light as hell as you say, and has given the whole thing a certain mood. Ironically, I only found out about the existence of the AF100 today ;)

I stumbled across your video and I think you're 100% right. Regarding the new kids and VHS, I grew up using a sharp slimcam that my parents owned and I tried filming short documentaries about abandoned buildings on them for a few years. Needless to say they looked awful. what I ended up doing was taking an array of old camcorders including the DVX100 and filmed my life throughout 4 years of college (I graduated last year). Now when I re-watch the footage it has this doubled nostalgic affect. Like I have snapchat memories and phone video of my time in college but the footage on the VHS makes it feel more real. It was an annoying, time-consuming experiment but I'm really glad I did it. Anyway, you make great content and explain things really well. Instant sub

movie "The Raid" 2011 was shoot on camcorder Panasonic AG-AF100 4/3- sensor that cant even do 1080p instead 1080i, and did 10mil in box office.

learned about the AF100 from other video at this morning, then found this video in the afternoon, and purchased the camera from an auction in my area this evening. Thank you!

Words of wisdom. Thank you

I still use the original canon c300 for tv work. Image is still so good and easy to use. Great points in this video

We still rent out some of the oldie but goodies for this exact reason. Some cameras just have their own look and fell that you gotta have. Nice !

wouldn't have thought that Wes Benton had under 5k subs

I just bought one. Waiting for it to come. I still have some old glass in mft. Looking forward to using it.

Fantastic video and content as always. I actually stumbled upon this a few months and since then I’ve been looking for a good deal on a af100 since I already have some micro 4/3 glass and adapters for my gh5. Well, today was the day and I got an af100 with the 60p upgrade, two batteries and chargers for 311 haha. Super excited to get to shoot with and I greatly appreciate the content you put out.

Great Video! I own 1 and it's giving a better feel when rigged out n i step into a room of people. I have lens adapters for canon which makes possibilities endless. Something i didnt quite hear you mention is how important Glass is. I consider the AF 100/ 101 a tool for a master, it's colors are great and will hold up in today's standards.

Love this video. 😀 I have pretty much every older format video camera. So handy for expressing your artistry. I shot a video in 2018 in a local pub using a hi8 camera. It was fancy dress and the video ended up looking like it was from the mid-90s. 😊 New Subscriber

Lol just picked up an AF100 last week. Got a couple lenses, the camera, dummy battery, and a couple accessories for under $600. Figured If I’m gonna give it a go, then I might as well start a touch cheaper. Lol

Great Video. I have always wanted to shoot on the Sony F23 since 2/3" cinema never really took off with the advent of Alexa.

Check out _The Angry Video Game Nerd Movie_ as a feature shot on the AF100. It's quite silly, but it looks fantastic. James Rolfe said the movie owes a lot of its look to the Zeiss prime kit he rented and adapted to the AF100. Good glass is probably more important than the camera itself. Of course, I would much rather adapt that glass to a GH6 than an AF100. You can always soften footage in post if it looks too crisp, but you can't add detail that doesn't exist.

Trying the anamorphic lens should go in there as well

5d Mk2, about the same time as the Nikon.

Great video. Do you hid your lav mic in your beard?

Man, the only reason I would ever imagine shooting VHS or Super 8 would be to mimic an old home video just for a brief clip to demonstrate how crappy things were or as some kind of flashback. I grew up in the '80s and '90s, and I'll say there's nothing appealing about VHS in terms of technology. It looked awful at the best of times, and it got worse as the tape degraded. VCRs always had tracking issues. We only used it because there were almost no other options. Hi8 was a little better, but it was still tape and very expensive. 35mm movie film was basically only for Hollywood. 8mm and 16mm film were so inconvenient that most people didn't even bother. Even DVD, which is still standard definition, was sooooo much better than VHS because it was at least digital and consistent.

@kenny - what do you think of the Varicam LT? Rented one out recently and the image surprised me - was print like in quality, very filmic.

Shallow depth of field has to be the most overrated aspect of "film look". High profile movies don't use it nearly as much as the online discourse would imply. Hell, some of the best cinematography in history is done with deep focus. That being said, I'm either getting an AF100 or a Canon C100 mk2. Not sure.