I have been shooting with a Canon 7D since it came out, I make industrial films (corporate video) and thought I would just rent a 2/3 camera with a powered zoom when I needed it, I have not needed it. I started making films with a Bolex, a real one, not the "Digital Bolex" of rumor on the web. I am also thinking of what's next? Stick with DSLR's or move to something else? I have looked at everthing on the market, and soon to be on the market and have decided to wait, and continue with the 7D for now.
Perhaps not the solution you were looking for, but all the "large sensor" video cameras have some operational defect that has not made me jump yet. The BM camera looked good, but...small sensor, big mount, dumb idea. I have to have wide angle lenses for interiors. Most offices are small and I have to be able to get two people in a shot from a few feet away. I have an 11~16 and it works great on the APS-C sensor of the 7D.
Thought about the 5DIII, shallower depth of field is not an advantage for me. Full frame is out for now.
The M 4/3 is good, still much larger than S16 / 2/3 video, but the wide lens options are not great. I prefer working with zooms and Canon has fast (f2.8) wide lenses, constant aperture and stabilized! None of the M4/3 lenses have these specs.
Af100 No EF mount option with control, not viable. The GH2 with the hack is arguably a better camera, except for some of the "video" touches, on camera sound, etc, which are useful. A "hackable" AF100 would be very good, if Metabones made a working adapter for EF lenses, it would be amazing! HD-SDI out for a recorder, good, HDMI for monitoring, good. 8 bit, oh well.. Can it be hacked?
FS100 with adapter there is aperture control, possibly IS but no focus control! UGH! I have an OKI II, works great! Nice looking sensor, only one hdmi? stupid, need one for monitoring (better SD-HDI for signal out, and an HDMI for an EVF. On camera sound, useful, waveforms useful. This is the closest to meeting my needs so far, yet is it worth 3x the $$ of my 7D, no not really.
FS700, really not worth it for me.
Black Magic Camera, Weird looking, so what, so is a DSLR compared to a video camera. Great tech specs, LANC control of EF lenses, GOOD! Smaller sensor than M4/3!!! UGH. No adaptable lens mount to M4/3 lenses, EF or F only. Very dumb. A M4/3 or E mount would have enabled a wider lens choice made for the smaller sensor, which is actually smaller than the M4/3 standard. Canon does have an 8~15, but...how am I going to use ND filters on a lens that projects so far from the filter threads? I'm not. Not viable for my work. I wanted this to be the "answer" it's not, perhaps version 2.0 will be.
Digital Bolex: S16 sided sensor, so am I back to the bolex rex 5 for shooing after 30 years? Possibly. Good specs, but like the BMC, till I see some footage, I'll wait. No stabilized lenses, I like them, but not a complete disaster. I would prefer a larger sensor, but if this camera is a functional tool and not a poorly thought out toy, it's viable.
Raw workflow is not a "killer app" for me, it would be a nice option, but not the prime reason to buy a camera for me. I shoot for the "little" screen and those shooting for festivals or theatrical release will have different needs.
Very interesting things on the horizon, but for now, nothing to make me change just yet! Soon though, soon...
M
Malcolm
http://www.malcolmproductions.com
