AF100 No ND Cleaning/changing trumps Vari-NDs + step rings. PERIOD. I'm not responding to anymore comments about ND filters, either you get it or you don't. it's called practicality and efficiency. www.mediahalo.com
Wanna know what camera to buy and make a decision? My advise is... 1.) If you are a photographer buy a DSLR. 2.) If you are into filming, get this camera or black magic cinema camera. (Theres no best camera, both have disadvantages.) 3.) If you can't afford them and you wanna make films buy a panasonic GH3 or if you prefer a full frame sensor go for the 5D Mark III or Nikon D800. Panasonic GH3 has smaller sensor and is a cheaper solution but actually GH3 does a pretty good video.
Hi, I just bought one for an amazing £225 and using a vintage Tamron 28mm f2.5 that makes a nice standard lens. I have paired this up with a high-quality K%F concept dumb adapter. I bought this primarily for my RU-vid church channel. Hopefully, it will be better than using a stills camera that does video! Before the AG-AF101E I had a Canon 7d mk2, but we would sit in front of this camera, and it would stop filming after 29 minutes, plus the screen was fixed. So I couldn't tell when it had stopped recording. Really exited about using the Panasonic, because the last time I used something similar to this was in my television broadcasting days with umatic tape. Great channel and subscribed.
Thank you for this video. 100 % agree with you. Myself owner of Canon 60D, 6D, and quality EF L lenses. For video making its not great, DSLR's were built fro photography. Thats why i bought this weekend proper videocamera, AG-AF100. Made for video. If i had enough money, i bought Canon EOS C100. Maybe in future. Aloha.
I was lucky enough to use the AF100 a few weeks ago on a music video. never used it before that but learned it in 5 minutes. Fantastic camera, I was very impressed with the quality of the footage
This was a really nicely made and informative video. You don't ramble to this video is very watchable and the dolly is a great idea to show the camera. Thanks for uploading.
Thanks for your very on target easy to follow critique on the AF-100. I'm a 25 year independent shooter with about 4,000 aired TV credits. been shooting with the HVX-200AP P-2 card. Wonderful camera but I'm looking for a camera i can get more depth of field from. been looking at the AF-100 for a year now. Need to bone up on what lenses I would need to do basic shooting. retired but still highly motivated in the video world. Thanks again for your great video on this camera. Have a great time shooting my friend. Chuck
Audio is pretty good. Is around 48000Khz at 16 Bit. if you want 96000Khz at 24 bit stick to the zoom. Monitor is a bit crappy but there is an internal wave form and the usual stuff a camera has. But it is a good camera. Has sharp picture and can pay off if you use external SSD recorder you can get 422 color sub-sampling
Darren, Thank you for the review. I just got a AF100"A" and chose it over the GH4 for many reasons. Very happy with the 100. Like to ask you what bag or case do you use. There are several on the market but like to know your opinion. I like quick draw with a shot gun mic ready to go. Thanks again!
@altoso99 Your DSLR is 8 bit as well. the difference is that the AF100 has complete profile control, you can eliminate banding if you know proper settings, as with many other situations. And wide angles are another red herring. get a 17-50 or 11-16, both under $700.
Hey Darren, thanks for this review. I like the video, and I like your attitude. It's an attitude of one who ACTUALLY HAS EXPERIENCE running a business making video - and that seems to be the target market for this awesome camera. These things are going to be gainfully employed for many years to come. For me they are the ideal hybrid ubiquitous camera. Good review. People who don't understand this camera never will.
The part about the crop factor is wrong. When you buy a 17mm crop sensor lens.. it's NOT 17mms on a crop sensor body. All focal lengths written on ALL lenses are their length on a full frame body. Agan, great video:)
Great information! I've been shooting with a hacked gh2. This makes a lot of sense. I don't have the money for this camera but usually I buy 2 of each camera so it's out of range for now but once again great info!
From my experience the Af100 can make videos that look like that. also, the main thing about the af100 is not to have better images than a dslr but to have images equal to a dslr without a lot of the work arounds in DSLRs like external audio, ND faders, handles, etc.
DSLR's big weakness is their video. That's why hacks are always being developed for their video. Even with those addon hacks they still don't look as good as the video from this camera, in fact, they don't even look as good as the GH2 Hacked and GH3. One thing you didn't mention in this video is the color this camera makes. AF100 color is beautiful. As Philip Bloom puts it, "Looks like a million bucks". Yes, he literally did say that about the picture of the AF100. :-)
The GH2 is a great solution if you want amazing video but a DSLR form factor. Sure it doesn't have XLR's or SDI out but it does have audio levels, manual audio/video, histogram, peaking and of course the 4/3 sensor which can be used with almost any lens. Not to mention that if you hack it you can record 176mb/s video that looks beautiful! The AF100 is great too but its 5x the cost and personally its too large and unwieldy for the things I shoot. I like being able to whip out the GH2 and shoot!
If I put a 17mm lens with an image circle that covers a aps-c sensor onto a 5d, the framing will be the same as a 17mm lens with an image circle designed for full frame, you'll just have a huge vignette around the edge. a 17mm lens is a 17mm lens is a 17mm lens. Markings for focal length are derived mathematically by the length of the lens and the way the light refracts though the lens. the way you say it, It sounds like a lens with aps-c coverange marked 17mm would look exactly the same(Cont)
I really like that camera. I do agree with most people that it is a little too pricey though. "Built in value," is relative to ones own perceptions. Its a great piece of kit. You can however do much more with dslr video for that money. Like, for example, multiple cameras. That seals it in my opinion. Its still just an opinion though. You make some good points.
Thanks for the video review Darren. Ok, I need some advice please. I am am not a pro so excuse my ignorance. Does this camera have the ability to continuously autofocus on the person being filmed even if he or she is moving? I understand the Sony F100 can but doesn't have an ND filter which puts me off. Thanks in advance.
As a lens designed for a full frame body marked 17mm. Also, Mpeg-2 is a crappy format for acquisition, editing, and release. There's a reason that people record in high bit rate, well compressed formats like DVCproHD or AVC-Intra. Mpeg formats are good for putting on DVDs, and that's about it. Sony uses a variant of mpeg2 compression for their ex series camera, and you know what, that format takes a long time to transcode into an editable format. I've had to edit footage shot on a crummy (cont)
@altoso99 You missed the point of the video, that the AF100 has that extra value built into it and hence justified the higher price. And the codec is more efficient. not to say that it's better than any DSLR overall, but it is more efficient
The af100 also wins in Bit Depth and Color Space. While recording in camera you get 8 Bit and 4.2.0. which is DSLR equivalent, you get 10 bit 4.2.2. out of that HD-SDI. Sure it costs about 1500 to get a recorder that uses HD-SDI but the possibility isn't even there on DSLRs.
i know this video is old, but if you still have this camera have you used it with a speed booster? i have been thinking about picking one up, to go with my Gh2.
Well now i can see how you got to there. but no i didn't mean to imply that real storytelling was connected to any camera, just that two of the aspects that DSLRs lead to are ultra shallow DOF and not using any lights, those are the things i was targeting as not being real storytelling when used with reckless abandon and/or in lieu of making logical imagery decisions. prime example being when certain DSLR shooters say that they don't need lights.
@altoso99 Bit rate is not as relevant as you think. 21/24Mb/s is ample! AVCHD is a very efficient codec and it's build especially to record long videos (in more than proper quality) without flooding memory cards. Long recording times require a minor trade off. Your DSLR will not work in narrative documentaries or capturing live events lasting for more than 20 minutes (probably 12).
Agreed, but I would question the math about the ND filters - surely it's best to buy a matte box (or a Cokin or Lee filter holder) and then one set of ND's, Grad ND's, polariser etc will match all your lenses! Agreed? Yes the MFT format is plenty big enough to achieve the same DoF effect that's familiar from 35mm movies, and allows users to exploit a wide range of lenses from purpose build MFT's through to vintage 16mm 'c' mount and 35mm PL mount. It's the answer to a low budget DP's dreams
Darren can you post info about the trigger you added? Where do I get it ? Radio Shack? Amazon? I need to add one there's no "NATURAL TRIGGER" on my new AF100A need one on the handle like yours or one in the back. Current 2 triggers have terrible positions.
@Aristotlcrates i've been trying out the konova, if you get an extremely low profile mount for it, it should work fine, but with my bogan 501 head and af100 on the konova it is top heavy and has a wobble. i'm currently looking for an alternative
I have my FS100 and I love it, but I which they had include the ND filter changing filters is a hassle and I hate that monitor on the top, great for mid and low filiming but when trying to shoot high you'll need a extra flied monitor that add weight and cost. The new Fs700 at a higher price fixed most of the issues as SDI ND goes but the still have that wrong placed LCD screen. Other than that the AVCHD coded is awesome, I stop using an external recorder because the difference is minimum.
I agree with you, but at this moment i only have 3000$ to spend on a camera, so for me the best option is a dslr. And I like doing photography so I will use them also for what they are made for in the first place. But if I had enough money I would buy at least FS100, and keep my crappy 550d for photography.
1.) Canon 5dII is over 3 years old and was released before the AF100 2.)None of those cameras come close to the low light performance and noise supression of the 5d3 or 6d.... 3.)A larger sensor means larger area for light to be absorbed....
hi, would you use a camera like this for documentary shooting where conditions may change fast or for example shooting someone walking or things like that?
Lots of things this review didn't have time to mention, not the least of which is timecode. The Panasonic Lumix 7-14mm lens is also a great lens. Even though I already have the 14-140, I actually find situations where I need to employ the 7-14mm. I shot and edited this video ... vimeo slash terencekearns slash mp-l3-promo
@altoso99 BTW I am not saying your dSLR is bad -- personally don't use them often and perfer AVCHD vidcams. I use a VG10 and MC2000E and want to add the AF10x mainly because I do a lot of event recording. Though when I do a short film I either use my VG10 (love the ergonomics of that thing) or use in my case a Nikon D7000 because which movie has a 12 minute (or in Nikon's case 20 minute) scene? A DSLR is not designed for long shoots as is a videocamera that's the whole point.
@Imdjay That's the main point: "built in value". Couldn't have said it better. Still feel like DSLR fanatics will stil bash this video despite your disclaimer.
While I believe the reviewer brings valid points, an honest comparison would highlight advantages and drawbacks to both cameras. This was very one sided, and DSLRs do have their place. Is the AF100 a better video camera? For 5 times the money, it better be. Still, you get the shallow DOF and lowlight. The Blackmagic Camera at $3000 would be an interesting comparison.
How is the sound quality? I recorded a small sketch on a Canon 5D MkII, and even with renting a mic (that sat on the camera), there was so much noise, we had to ADR. Would I still need to ADR with the Panasonic?
now is this camera good to shoot music videos on or would it better for documentary types or both?? cause my band has decided we want to shoot a documentary and a music video while we tour this coming summer and it would be most cost efficient if we had one that did both recommendations ?
One thing I'm worried about is being able to handle/store the footage. I have a 13' macbook pro (pretty much the most basic kind-originally got it for school use only) and I'm worried it will not be able to handle the footage properly. I looked into getting the BMCC but found that it would be too expensive to handle the footage. Any thoughts?
Hi! I love this video! A good majority of these videos are too long and lack detailed information, so I thank you! I am in the process of purchasing a camera, and have a few more questions. Do you have an email I could contact?
I did watch your entire video. It's not a question of whether or not a DSLR has different strengths then a video camera. That's obviously not the point your making, as it's an ridiculously obvious point, that don't think anyone is refuting. My comment was in regards to your reply to BrianFlippinMisakian, where you actually do say "it's not real storytelling or professional work..." perhaps you didn't really mean what you said, I don't know. But that was the statement that I was commenting on.
The 1D costs up to $12,000.00. That's almost triple what this camera costs. What I will find amusing is when the GH4 comes out and makes better video than the 1D. That will make a second camera that Canon users can feel insecure about beside the 5D3.
The 5D is nice with it's larger sensor, but the 3 ND filters/ 2 uncompressed XLR with Phantom inputs/ Very little or no aliasing/ moire and rolling shutter/ Very clear flip out HD LCD/ view finder/ 2 card slots/ Really long battery life/ 12 hour recording limit/ HD-SDI out for 4:2:2 10 bit footage and a better compression made me decide to buy the AF100! Not to mention being able to shoot 60frames a second in full 1080p! Check out my channel for some AF100 footage!
for the price DSLR's are a FAR better option, of course there is a ton of draw backs but there is solutions for all of them, in the end shooting with DSLR's will only make you a better camera operator because of its limitations. I've watched quite a few AF100 vs 5D videos and the 5D defiantly looks better in my opinion. I honestly don't think this camera is that good but I think for documentary type stuff this camera would be perfect.
Yes, it sucks hard to buy all the crap needed to make a DSLR into a video camera, but once you are invested, you can upgrade each part independently instead of buying a whole new camera. If I could sell all my DSLR gear just under retail, I'd probably look into something new, but I feel this DSLR-like video camera thing needs another generation or two to surpass the DSLR image quality, sensor size and most importantly, PRICE! A simple T2i can make some killer video!
Not at all. By the time you add the cost of solid state drives, external power options, and the additional cost of dealing with the huge raw or ProRes HQ files in post, it's nowhere near its $3000 price tag. You can get most DSLR bodies for under $2000 now and spend the rest on lenses. If I had a $6,000 budget for a camera package, I'd never get a DSLR, but for $3000, DSLR's are really the only option.
A tiny bit smaller? You mean I have to find a 12mm size lense to get a 24mm. It's already outdated thanks to the fs100. Its already outdated thanks to the hacked micro 4/3 GH2 $899 $500 dollars for all the features of the monitor you mentioned, if you don't decide to go with the free magic lantern software. The toaster ergonomics of panasonics cameras makes it harder to shoot without permits.
Well you need a full frame sensor if you do a lot with wide angle lenses. a 16-35 on a 5d is an amazing wide angle lens! it's 32-70 on this camera. pretty useless for a lot of crane a steadicam shots.
I have gh3 and i did not buy the gh4 and I bought a second hand af100 about same price as new gh4 now. It is just me. I know some people doing opposite. They sell their af100 and bought gh4. I just need one proper video camera format. I know what I need and my style is. So think about what you need and choose the right one.
I have a Af 100 I still do commercial shoots and independent jobs its still a beast in today's market we still use 422 color today the image at times is kinda soft but that's not always a bad thing I talked about getting rid of it so many times but every time I use it I change my mind great camera
However it is indeed an old sensor now. Image quality really do look old. Most DSLR nowdays outperform it. But again most client use video for web and they do not really notice. What they notice is that you have a big camera, that will impress client much more than a DSLR.
I have been using AF101 for a year and a half now. I love it but more importantly, so do my customers. Along with good lights and creativity it brings me more work. Some arseholes on this thread just don't get it.
AF100 and to convert 4 hours of it's overly compress, long-gop footage took over 48 hours running nonstop on a 6 core macpro with 64GB of ram. I'd consider that a pretty crappy format, wouldn't you? The Panasonic Hvx200, while low res, noise, and not very sharp on the sensor size, came out over 4 years before the af100, cost about the same, and recorded into a format that I can do almost anything to in post. AVCHD, Mpeg2, and Mpeg4 are all crappy acquisition formats and have no place(cont)
GREAT ARGUMENTS mate... how many you know DSLR are overheating and it's not meant to record more then 30min. (new models) they didn't put that limit for nothing.. and those that use Green Lantern, well it's at their own risk
Funny how folk keep slagging off DSLRS. I shoot filmstock & on ALL digital cameras & I have to say despite the shortcomings, the Canon 5D images are the BEST of all of them IMHO. But ask Phillip Bloom one of the most respected digital shooters. He owns most of these cameras & at the end of his review of the F3, FS 100 & AF 100 he says: 'The best images I get are stil off my Canon 5D period." I agree. So does Shane Hurlbutt ASC. Look at ACT OF VALOR & DARK SIDE OF THE LENS Mickey Smith. .
