My thoughts of Sony A7III

I haven't had my hands on camera yet. Video above is best review I have seen yet. Max usually does best reviews when cameras are released. Philip Bloom's reviews take much more time.

I didn't have any plans to go full frame but this camera has almost everything I want for reasonable price. 50/60fps 4K video is only thing missing but 1080P slow motion looks really good. Low light is really good. IBIS looks usable. I am looking for camera with usable IBIS. I don't think A6500 has good enough IBIS. That is why I still have A6300 and not A6500.

At the moment this is not on my shopping list. I will wait for A6700/A7000 for little bit longer. Both names have been in rumors. That camera will probably be close to what A7III is in APS-C format. I have almost every lens I need in APS-C format. Getting similar set for full frame would cost at least 4000 euros. Even with that my APS-C set would be better for gimbal and probably few other uses too. I could use them with A7III on crop mode but I would lose some picture quality. Not much but some.

If A6700/A7000 isn't announced this summer or earlier I might have to consider A7III. It is really good camera not only for the price. It is really good camera. If I didn't need to buy another set of lenses I would be really tempted to buy it.

Merihaka and Hakaniemi from frozen sea

I went back to frozen sea yesterday. It was really cold and windy. Today should be even colder. After tomorrow it should get bit warmer. Not to normal temperatures of this time of the year but warmer. I don't remember walking on ice after I moved to Helsinki before Saturday. When I moved here I didn't live close to see. When I moved closer to sea there haven't been real winters.

Here are some photos I took yesterday evening.

Next phase of my video production is taking shape

It is interesting how you start to get good ideas when you stop grinding weekly videos. Not sure if those ideas are good before seeing one video based on them but I have exiting ideas where to take my videos. I have been shooting introductory video for couple days. It was meant to be some kind of teaser of things to come. Only couple minutes long. Shooting video was so fun and it seemed like good idea to shoot more since I got to places where I don't usually get. When sea freezes you can walk on it.

We haven't had this long cold period for years. I had to take advantage of it. So I ended up having much more footage than I needed for original idea. I probably make short movie style video with little hint of things to come at the end. Same thing as planned originally but having few minutes of video before it with regular introduction at the beginning.

You can expect that video within few weeks. I am not sure if I take my videos to planned direction. I have written script for pilot video: I will make audio version of it and decide if the idea is good enough. It depends on if new technology works well enough. I am using old idea I have had for years which I haven't had means to do until now. I have many ideas but technology to do them is not there when I have idea. Or it is not cheap enough at the time.

I won't reveal plans yet. This post was to inform you I haven't given up on this blog or making videos.

I am taking a break from Youtube

Usually I tell something about Thursday's video on Wednesday's post. Tomorrow's video will be less than minute long video telling I will take a break from Youtube. I use this post to explain why I will do it. Short answer is I have lost motivation to make weekly videos. I try to get away from videos where I watch camera at home. It is time when those are almost everything I can shoot at the moment. It is cold and dark outside due winter. Too cold to record audio with lavalier microphone and sit on something.

I am still motivated to make videos. Just not every week. I have little to learn from making video every week after over 170 videos.  Weekly videos have too little time to try something more ambitious if you need to learn something same time. I am probably good enough shooting videos from technical side. I need to learn more about story telling. Weekly videos come too often to learn that. At least when you have full time day job and make videos as hobby.

I made weekly videos to learn video production and because it was told to give better exposure. Exposure hasn't been too good lately. I haven't been too happy with some videos I have made only to fill weekly quota. I rather make videos I can be proud of than put something there only to have something there every week. Some of my favorite channels seem to do that. Each time they make video I will watch it. Some channels with weekly or daily content start to feel like content dumps.

I have vague idea where to take channel. Channel won't be there for some time. I need to get better to get there. This break is for planning next steps to get there. The break will last until Easter. It might go for longer. I won't go back to weekly videos then just get some kind of plan what to do with the channel. Until that I do other things and try to get motivation back.

Myrkur: Folkesange live at Helsinki

Expectations before I realized it will be acoustic set.

Myrkur played Folkesange set last Saturday in Helsinki. I realized hour before the show it will be acoustic set. I bought ticket to see normal set. It was always told to be special acoustic set but I didn't read the descriptions. I just wondered why it was told to be quiet set and why opening act was folk artist. It was because Myrkur played folk set. They played her songs and folk songs with acoustic instruments.

Acoustic set from black metal artist or band might sound really bad idea. For most bands it is. It took me a while to think other bands who could pull this off. But I can't think any of them pulling it of as well as Myrkur did. Her music is dream like and based on her singing. It doesn't matter what instruments are used as long they support her singing. I would like to see her set with synths.

I was bit disappointed after learning it was acoustic set. Disappointment disappeared when the set started. It was really fun and intimate event. I got quite close to stage where people sat on ground and listened the music. Kind of weird on metal band's gig but audience knew what kind of show this was. Most kept their mobile phones in their pocket and enjoyed the show. To be honest I liked this more than their first gig I saw. I prefer her quiet side over her extreme side. This was all about the quiet side. We got one of a kind experience when opening artist joined Myrkur for few songs. It was first time they played together. Myrkur playing old folk songs made that possible.

It was amazing event. Others seem to enjoy it too. It is always nice to see something different when it is this well performed. Here is something from other Folkesange show from Myrkur's own channel.

This is not from Helsinki and Helsinki show didn't have cellist. But it was bit like this there too.

Altered Carbon review

Here it is. Spoiler free Altered Carbon review. I wasn't feeling too well when I shot this and it shows.