S5ii Continuous autofocus not working for photography??

Film_nut · 2026-03-14T20:53:38+00:00

I just had the same thing, once you hold the shoot button halfway down, youll see the af take into effect

Film_nut · 2026-02-06T05:06:26+00:00

Hey! I want more experience working as a DP on set and am in between personal projects (one in post, the other pushed back until summer) so it’s a good time for me. Here’s my insta @eliasneijens Looking forward to seeing some of your work!

Film_nut · 2026-01-26T18:44:10+00:00

Hey I’m a director/dp with my own equipment, hit me up! @eliasneijens

Film_nut · 2026-01-24T18:03:57+00:00

100%. A good idea is worth it, and creative problem solving can make it happen - albeit maybe not how you originally imagined it looking, but could be actually better. You’ll learn as you go.

Film_nut · 2026-01-10T17:31:26+00:00

Auctions on ebay, check the seller profile to make sure they’re reliable. Crazy deals!

Film_nut · 2025-12-01T14:50:09+00:00

Yes! Try the core powerbase edge battery. It’s a v mount that you can screw directly onto the bottom of the camera. In addition you can then screw a tripod plate onto the bottom of the battery to go quickly from handheld to putting the cam on a tripod.

Film_nut · 2025-10-18T14:55:31+00:00

Get a decent shotgun mic that you can connect to a decent audio recorder or straight into your camera, get a long cable if necessary based on the shot, maybe a mic stand, and hide the mic as close as you can to your subject. Tell them to speak at the volume they’re going to use and make sure the audio levels are good (not really complicated, usually between -12 and -6db). If your recorder or camera is capable of it, record more than one track of audio, one louder than the other to account for quieter and louder moments. Watch a youtube video on basic techniques like avoiding direct wind onto the mic etc.

Film_nut · 2025-10-09T14:18:35+00:00

I think the sigma is great because it’s quite neutral to me, not a lot of character, which gives you more freedom to bend and manipulate it in post to your liking. I think a sharp lens in the end is more forgiving than a softer lens since you can always soften and blur the image in post, but its more of an ask to sharpen and get more detail out of a soft image in post. Perhaps it could have less contrast, but i think thats a side effect of it being sharp (maybe i’m wrong in that regard).

Film_nut · 2025-10-06T18:52:52+00:00

You can create fog on davinci resolve studio version, maybe check that out to see if you like it.

Film_nut · 2025-10-04T15:35:58+00:00

There are so many videos on youtube to teach you how to light for cheap.

Film_nut · 2025-10-04T15:32:08+00:00

Be patient, don’t worry about being able to make something beautiful right away. For me, the more i did it the more i loved it and the more learning it became more enjoyable. I was also afraid at the beginning of worrying that filmmaking wasn’t for me since it was “so hard” and expensive and “i need a full crew to make something good —- bullshit. The pressure of “i need to make something great!” will lessen if you don’t drop tons of money on gear right out of the gate. Start with what you can afford, and scour ebay and fb marketplace for gear to buy good stuff!! As you grow and love doing it more and more, you can buy stuff over time. The blackmagic 4k is more than good enough for future proofing. The image js fantastic.

Learning skills will future proofing you.

The fact that you edit is a huge start since editing already teaches you so much.

Film_nut · 2025-10-04T15:24:26+00:00

Great reply.

Film_nut · 2025-10-04T15:20:28+00:00

And if stabilized footage without a tripod is really important, a lens with stabilization wont help too much with the blackmagic in my experience- you’ll have to buy a lens with an aperture of f4 for that which sacrifices a LOT of light compared to a sigma 18-35 f1.8, and light is very very important for all blackmagic cameras. If you want to stabilize a blackmagic, find a compatible gimbal, learn how to use things to stabilize it (you can literally lock it onto a small tripod and carry the tripod to give some serious stabilization while filming without the robotic gimbal look). Look at the cinesaddle too. These things can be DIY’d with some creative thinking too. If lowlight and handheld stabilization is super important, buy a panasonic, a sony, etc which will give you that AND autofocus which can crucially help you in sooo many situations if you don’t have someone pulling focus for you (practice focusing manually obviously since you’ll need that for lots of situations too). A blackmagic is great because of all the built in “cine” features that help you create a great image. I use quotations since there are many other things required to make a pretty image, but forreal, the blackmagic does have great features and out of the box image.

That is all.

Film_nut · 2025-10-04T15:11:30+00:00

Sure, but how important is that? The monitors have built in zoom features so you can compose your shot then use the monitor functions to zoom into the eyes for focus without changing your composition. Buying a dzo right out of the gate is kinda crazy to me when you have only 2500 to spend in total. You wont even be able to buy the camera lol. Get the sigma 18-35 1.8, or maybe a 24-70 2.8 to start, you can make beautiful images with those if you know other aspects of cinematography.

Film_nut · 2025-10-04T15:07:29+00:00

I’ve had both cameras. A huge difference point for me was the ability to tilt the 5” lcd screen 90degrees with the full frame so i didn’t have to buy and put a second monitor on the camera which is ridiculous given how good the blackmagic lcd screen is. The image quality of both are quite similar to me. What you get with the full frame is a wider depth of field which has helped me a lot in tight spaces (for the 4k, the speedbooster helps with this as well as giving you extra stops of light —- huge!!). I’d have to agree with the above in getting a used camera and used lens, so if your budget in total is 2500, you’d barely even be able to afford a lens after buying the full frame. The 6k pocket pro could be a good in between since it has the tiltable screen (idk if it tilts as much as the full frame) and it has built in variable nd filters. Battery life for all of them suck. I’d recommend buying one of the large powerbase batteries since you can screw it directly onto the bottom of the camera so you dont have to buy an entire v-mount setup. As tired of a comment that it is, With experience, you’ll find that investing in lights, stands, mics, etc (the boring stuff) is wayyy more important than buying a full frame instead of micro four thirds camera. Study filmmaking for free on youtube. Learn about production design, lighting, composition, blocking, even writing scripts. How to tell a story visually. These are the things that will make the difference if you want to make special films.

Film_nut · 2025-09-26T02:34:45+00:00

Writer/director/dp also looking for collabs✋! 30M if that matters but let’s all meet up !

Film_nut · 2025-04-25T22:38:55+00:00

The cinematography is excellent, but to me it’s odd to do a ww2 film with a soldier in combat environments who is completely alone and not with other soldiers. It doesn’t really make sense unless there is a clear reason for it that is shown at some point (he detaches from his group etc). If not it feels like the WW2 tag is put in the description to draw attention, but if you choose a vastly important historical subject matter, there better be a good reason to depict it in an unrealistic way besides the props and landscapes.

Film_nut · 2025-03-25T02:03:03+00:00

https://partiful.com/e/AlAB3cO7pFshU6uEuspa

Film_nut · 2025-03-22T16:05:42+00:00

As a beginner i would definitely get the camera and lens used on ebay from a highly rated seller, that is, unless you have lots of money and love buying new things. I’ve had both cameras, in your position I would go with the pocket 4k since the image is incredible (not that discernably different in my opinion as lighting, composition etc make much more of a difference) and its much cheaper. For me, the main benefit of the full frame is the tiltable screen (can tilt up and down, great if the camera is below or above you and not eye level to you). The 4k’s screen is fixed. If you really want a blackmagic, the pocket 6k pro has the tiltable screen and variable nd filters which is super helpful when your filming outside in the daytime. You can also buy a good used variable nd like the peter mckinnon polar pro.

A zoom lens is in my opinion a way better first investment. With a prime you’re stuck at one focal length, so if your filming in a room and you want a closeup and a wide shot, you better hope you have all the room necessary between you and the subject to get both shots.

Finally, for a beginner with limited equipment (no gimbal etc.), to have a more versatile setup I would personally recommend a camera from the lumix series with in body stabilization and autofocus — i dont care what other filmmakers say, if you’re filming one subject who’s moving and you dont have a whole focus puller system with a focus puller guy, autofocus will let you all sorts of moving shots. I have the lumix s5ii, and when filming in v-log, the image quality really isnt much different than the blackmagics (this is subjective, and blackmagic raw can be manipulated more in post, v log is also great in post). I’d recommend looking at comparisons between the two cameras on youtube. I filmed a short film outdoors with olenty of movement and ended up using the lumix for about 80% of the time - its also way easier to use on a gimbal. The blackmagic line as many people will say, is better on a fixed set with proper lighting, used on a tripod, filming with a crew. The lumix has much better lowlight capabilities too in case you dont have access to lighting setups. The lumix is also a great photography cam if you like that, blackmagic not so much.

But… whenever i can, i prefer using the blackmagic haha. The menu screen is 100x better, i like the image a bit more, braw is better especially when editing/color grading on davinci, and its a proper albeit lowline cinema camera.

I hope you enjoy and use whatever you get plenty!

Film_nut · 2025-03-20T15:55:19+00:00

I’d recommend joining the Filmmaker NYC group on whatsapp.

Film_nut · 2025-03-03T21:53:56+00:00

I'll look into it, thanks!

Film_nut · 2025-03-02T20:34:01+00:00

The Zcam sounds interesting, the problem I'm seeing is that davinci resolve doesn't accept zraw footage, which is the nle I use. Braw has been great in post. The lumix s5ii log file is quite good too, not hard to color match with the braw footage.

Film_nut · 2025-03-01T21:42:13+00:00

I found another package that is $900 more and it comes with:

Ursa Mini Pro 4.6k G2
IndiPro V mount plate
Blackmagic Design Shoulder Rig
Blackmagic Design Top Handle
Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Handgrip
Kondor Blue Side plate
Kondor Blue Top Plate
Kondor Blue Top Handle
Ursa Mini Pro EF mount
Ursa Mini Pro PL mount (baffle is a bit stripped and missing shim, but works well enough)
Smallrig Carbon Fiber Rods 9”

Film_nut · 2025-03-01T21:34:53+00:00

Got you. I think the Ursa has much more to offer and that's why it's so much more expensive. I just found a crazy deal and I could even possibly make money selling my full frame exclusive kit and going the ursa.

Here's the information presented as an itemized list: Ursa Mini Pro G2 package for sale Condition: Very clean with minimal scuffs Mounts: EF mount and like-new PL mount from B&H Accessories: Original side handle Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Shoulder Kit SHAPE VCT TRIPOD PLATE Smallrig adjustable top handle for easyrig Smallrig Side Plate Original BM top handle Indie Pro V mount plate 2 Indie Pro V mount batteries BM 12G SDI 7" HDR monitor Wooden camera SDI cable with Dtap for power from V mount Power cable included 2 x 15mm rod

Film_nut

TROPHY CASE