Behind the scenes of ABROAD IN JAPAN - camera gear & tips

[@AbroadinJapan]

Thanks for stopping by man! Always fun to have a rare chance to talk equipment. You're one of my few friends who actually cares about cameras haha.

[@joeallam]

Of course! Thanks for having us and looking forward to catching up in the new year and tackling some other hike/cycle/unknown strenuous sporting activity 🤘 Maybe we can put the Komodo to good use along the way too!

[@GxAce]

Loved the chat and it’s cool to hear you are a camera nerd ;)

[@colinjudge1261]

What’s really impressive is that in all the years I’ve been watching your videos Chris, I never would have thought you were a gear head! You don’t mention your equipment at all (except when you bought a drone), and so it never becomes the focus. Instead, it’s about the subject of the video, not the process. With so many KZbinrs making a big deal of what brands they use, and pushing affiliate marketing, it’s honestly super refreshing. But at the end of the day, I love talking about cameras and lenses too, so of course I clicked on this video 😂

[@shoyu8335]

Legit, watching even a silent walk through the woods would not only make incredible content, but if it’s at some point worth recording instead of walking in proper peace, you’d get to also maybe use some of the gear you’ve accumulated! Love the content no matter what👌 Cheers

[@surft]

@@colinjudge1261 probably gets it from his dad.

[@antnguyen]

To witness Chris out of character and geeking out about cameras is such a rare opportunity for his regular viewers. Fun video, Joe, appreciate both of your channels.

[@justincosplay]

This is so great. Chris never speaks about camera stuff much but it’s so evident by how well his videos are edited and how effortless they feel how much time and effort it takes to make them as well as how much technical knowledge he has. Love to see you guys colab.

[@joeallam]

Absolutely! I’d love to see in person how they’re all put together and definitely how they’re edited down. Even the “simple” videos have levelled up significantly in the last couple of years!

[@sirBrouwer]

Chris does talk about his camara's a bit in his livestream's he does every now and then. but it is indeed often quite brief.

[@GxAce]

Very cool collab! Awesome to see you two together!

[@joeallam]

Cheers man! It’s been a LONG time coming but glad we finally got to hang out this year!

[@TheIppoippo]

Wait. GxAce commenting in a Joe and Chris video. Improving an already great cross-over video 😂👍🏻👍🏻

[@nilanjandas6908]

Great to see the two of you together in a chill atmosphere. I'm impressed by Chris's camera knowledge.

[@TheDiabloMadness]

Right?? It's so weird hearing Chris talking about cams (but the nerd in me gets excited)

[@joeallam]

Cheers! Chris and I have been chatting cameras for years now, and have wanted to do this video for most of that time haha! I’ve always felt like he has a lot of knowledge and experience to share, but this topic perhaps wouldn’t always fit comfortably on his channel, or be able to ever prioritise it over other videos.

[@nilanjandas6908]

@@joeallam Loved it. Hope to see you two together again during your time in Japan.

[@Paperfiasco]

A lot of people definitely can see that he loves to film stuff just from the results he gets and the times he mentions his loves for movies, but I think this was the rare opportunity to see him actually show that this really is the aspect of content creation that he enjoys most.

[@goodidea3970]

Yesssss! Chris the affable talking camera nerd stuff 😍. I loooove it!

[@joeallam]

Haha! Nerds unite 🤓

[@tombuck]

This is such a treat! Chris is incredible and the production quality of his videos is always top notch.

[@joeallam]

Cheers Tom! Definitely a big fan of his production quality and of course the comical timing both in person and in the edit is 👌

[@rafiboy05]

Great interview here, fantastic seeing you together. Chris rarely or never talks about his gears that much so this is really nice getting an up close behind the scene on what he uses to film on his channel.

[@joeallam]

Thanks! This is exactly why I wanted to make this video. I could tell he had a lot of thoughts and experience to share, but didn’t necessarily have a place to put it.

[@xianritchie]

I know this is a bit odd, but the takeaway that I got is that I'm happy that Chris is doing so well for himself. As a videographer myself (Fuji!), I know the cost of the gear, especially in Japan, and it makes me happy that his hard work puts him in the position to support himself and his channel with incredible production values and equipment.

[@inoob26]

It's really nice seeing Chris talking about the "boring stuff", really shows how much effort goes into every video.

[@justusfire2873]

The effort Chris put into the flying car sketch was absolutely 💯 worth it!

[@ViciousTNT]

This exactly what I needed, thank you so much. I'm traveling through Japan and got into recording the experience and realized my phone will just not cut it. What better choice than than from THE Mr Affable himself.

[@DestructivePixels]

Finally, the video PhotoTube has been waiting for! 👏👏👏

[@joeallam]

Haha! I feel you’ve been holding for this one for quite a while!

[@MirorImage]

Been a fan of Abroad in Japan videos for a long time. Really helped me plan my trip to Japan coming up soon. I hope Chris talks more about cameras and his gear, because this was great to watch! If I run into either one of you out and about, I hope you guys wouldn't mind sparing a few minutes talking about gear!

[@jamesbooker6284]

Fantastic seeing you two together!

[@carlosvanvegas]

That was one of the best video's I've seen, great interaction, felt so honest and flowed really well, hope you'll both do more of these, great!! 👍

[@joeallam]

Cheers Carl, wasn’t a lot cut from this one to be honest! We literally setup and filmed us chatting for about 30 minutes and it came out great

[@autohmae]

I've knew about his love of making videos and everything which comes with it. And I'm always amazed how much time he spent on editing.

[@sirBrouwer]

me two. with that in mind. I always wonder what Chris might be able to do if he would get the full reign of a BBC style full production team. (lights, camera, sound, pre, post and active support) That includes a insane budget of a few milione pound.

[@stevendalt]

Exciting collab. Love the content both channels upload!

[@joeallam]

Much appreciated! Chris’s channel is a massive operation these days, but very aspirational to see behind the scenes for sure!

[@alanjones4333]

Wow one of the first ! Thank you. Love your work ! Hopefully japan 🇯🇵 2023 for me!

[@joeallam]

Cheers! Fingers crossed for a Japan trip for you!

[@rick-deckard]

I hope this brings a ton of well deserved traffic to this great channel. Maybe more new Fuji fans too 😀

[@AndyLifeInVideo]

So glad we finally got a gear rundown from Chris! Been wondering what his new setup post-GH5 has been for awhile now.

[@LeeHerbet]

Happy to start a support group for all of us about having "too many" lenses. Don't tell my wife I said I have too many lenses. 🤣

[@TheRealMarxz]

Me looking at my Oly/Pano, Canon EF, Mamiya, Pentax, Leica, 4x5, Contax, Nikon, lens cupboard... not lens shelf, lens CUPBOARD... yeh that's a thing we need.... can you wait until after I get my RF lens collection built up a bit before I attend my first meeting though

[@jeffsimone]

What a nice collab! Would be cool to see a Sony vs. Fujifilm video from you guys in this style

[@joeallam]

Yeah that could be fun! Throw in the Red Komodo and Blackmagic cam too and we’ve got a huge variety!

[@MWFE]

Way better gear than I expected.

[@MrSociofobs]

20:58 Imo, photography is about capturing moments in their best light (pun intended), not about capturing only unique stuff that others haven't captured before. There can be thousands of photos of the same exact subject, but a few will still stand out more than the rest. Everyone's view is different.

[@nickpitsasphoto]

Great video, Joe. Thank you. And thank you Chris, for you generosity in sharing your knowledge and experience. I love the Zoom F2-BT too - so inconspicuous but great quality audio.

[@TheRealMarxz]

Awesome, been following Chris for years and apart from the occasional action cams you'd see in videos like Ride Across Japan the camera and audio tech is always "invisible" which is great as far too many vloggers seem to want to brag about their tech, but it's cool to see Chris talk about his tech

[@bubbag3332]

quite enjoyed this, i love photograpghy and filmography myself so was really interested about this

[@RetroBreak]

Love this video so much! Watched it 3 times now. Always amazed at the quality of Abroad in Japans videos so this was really fascinating! Hope to see more in the future!

[@JayColor]

HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS VIDEO EXISTED?? Abroad has some of the best production value on KZbin, I always wanted to hear him talk more about his gear!

[@susums1117]

This is great video, and all equipment in description.

[@RadicalLiving]

Really enjoyed this behind the scenes, thanks Joe!

[@CHEFPKR]

Love the behind the scenes stuff. Thanks for this, it really is eye opening.

[@robert_may]

I have the Zoom F2-BT and it's weirdly excellent. There's something very liberating about such a simple recording device where you don't even have to pay attention to the levels. The lav it came with is pretty nice too, and I use that with the Rode Wireless Go II modules too 😀

[@DanThomasUK]

Love the WG2… using them as lavs themselves works too

[@waynesworldtravels7450]

I've honestly wanted to know what he uses for a while so this is awesome! Also a Sony shooter here but haven't upgraded from my a7iii

[@sheld0n]

Chris's flying car gag made me subscribe to his channel and now I've seen neatly all of his videos!

[@StephanieLin]

Love this! Thanks so much for sharing

[@elwick_photo]

Chris not getting enough Photography done, Looking forward to the abroad in japan POV street photography video in tokyo.

[@cvgreko]

Happy to see this video! I've been following your channel ever since you came to Malta, been loving your content ever since. This is one video I was always curious about, cheers!

[@gil4242]

This is a great video! Super interesting to see the tech behind the videos. I'd love to see a follow up that talks about the less spoken about gear too. I always wonder how Chris shoots driving videos (where he positions the cameras, what he uses to mount to the car, how many are shooting at once, etc.). Also why does no one ever speak about post production. Vloggers have so much B-roll - how does it get stored safely in a way that doesn't break the bank, for example?

[@rick-deckard]

On the statement about the world moving away from still photography... I think the statement needs qualifiers. Audience reception is part of photography, videography, or any artform, but it's not its only or even its main purpose. There is social importance, personal importance, expression, documentation, therapeutic value, etc etc. But I get that this is just a fun cozy video and I doubt it was meant to be dismissive.

[@KillerTacos54]

Fantastic video!! These videos have been such a treat

[@mrclueuin]

This is great! You guys should teach a class! No lie!

[@silverian]

Great to see camera and gear info behind Abroad in Japan!

[@SamFournier]

Loved seeing you two chat! Sooo many lenses 😂 I’m envious. I have one of the rode microphones and I’ve sadly filmed when it’s not switched on so I definitely need to upgrade mine to the one Chris is using. Happy new Year to you guys!

[@joeallam]

Always love seeing an investment in lenses! The auto-on features of the new mics has been a game-changer. They’ve actually had the successor to this particular mic out for a couple years now. I’ve had all models of the VideoMic and the latest NTG has had the most significant upgrade in terms of sound signature, features and profile: allam.co/vmntg

[@enriquedominguez3963]

Great interview. Peace.

[@uss_04]

I was literally about to post about the camera gear the other day. Thanks for making a video on the subject

[@cliveeariss880]

Great video, and I really enjoyed this, and plenty of food for thought, well done .

[@TimoVarakas]

"Haven't done photography as much as I'd like to". How about a video of a photowalk with Chris!! That would be so awesome. See Chrisis' photo side.

[@cindyrosen8170]

Love the collaboration!

[@joeallam]

We actually planned to do this almost 3 years ago in April 2020, ha! Glad we finally got together to make it happen!

[@cindyrosen8170]

@@joeallam I really love your videos, photography, and authenticity. Your photos stand out from others because you’re not just capturing an image. Your photos capture the culture of each place you visit. They chronicle a moment, a place, and it’s people as they may never be again in the future. While your photos are artistic, they’re also journalistic.

[@mb-watches]

Awesome Joe, fun to watch as usual, thanks mate, a happy, prosper and great new year for you, cheers 😊🙏🏻

[@nelsonmartins2574]

Thanks for the cool video, super interesting to dive into this topic and know a bit more about Chris equipment. Cheers!

[@davemorrison3705]

An a1 as a B-cam!!? Though maybe the a7R5 might be better suited for somethings, multi directional screen, 7 stops of ibis, 8k and that new auto focus.

[@TheSakuraGumiLTD]

Audio is one of the main things that make or breaks a video, a image being a bit messed up isn't as intolerable as audio. Good to hear of the 32-bit zoom wireless mic system. The Rode Go 2 I've like for the internal recording the second it switches on in case audio is loss going into the camera... as a safe guard for audio loss.

[@TheIppoippo]

A "gear video" that I enjoyed, a rarity. 👏🏻 That said, what really caught my attention was that small little diversion of conversation near the end though. The bit about "stills vs video", and how "stills photography" will become more of a specialised thing done by a smaller pool of experts. When you throw in AI into the mix too, feels like stills photography is heading down the same path as painting did.

[@benforwho]

Oh wow no nod to Canon! To each his own, I've learned a lot already. ❤

[@JeppPadilla]

2 of my favorite KZbinrs!

[@SolamenteTavo]

Chris vs MKBHD: the battle for the most one use lenses

[@viva2archive]

Has Chris ever talked about frame rate? He did produce in 1080p60 for a while, but went back to 30 when he upgraded to 4K. I've seen the same move (experimenting with high frame rate for a while, then back to standard) from other creators, so I'm curious to know whether there are mostly aesthetic or practical reasons behind this.

[@paulfournierphoto]

So cool you got to see his studio! Love your vids together. I’d love for you to do a Whats in my bag video since you changed it all! I know you probably dont enjoy filming those too much 😢

[@joeallam]

It’s a great space! I really need to do an updated bag video. I actually filmed one before New York, but couldn’t edit it in time and missed a lot of extra shots and then my whole setup changed during that trip anyway haha! Now is probably the best time for me to film one though given that it’s all new and the start of a new year!

[@kausthita11]

I just found this channel and I'm just happy they speak well of Fujifilm All of my photographer friends clown on me for using Fujifilm xpro2

[@jake_lawrenson]

Would have watched another hour of this!

[@futc.photography]

Crazy the amount of gear this guy has 😂 But absolutely loved this video, super interesting 😊

[@brynking2527]

OW, that mics nearly 300 smackers!

[@RicMansur]

Great video opportunity to make that affiliate cash! 🎉

[@TheTeaLetter]

Thanks for doing this, Chris and Joe! I'm astonished Chris vlogs with the 16-35. How does he do it? I have the A7C with the f 2.8 16-35 G Master and it is a beast. Trying to haul that thing around for vlogging feels like a real slog, not only due to weight but also its size. I went down to a ZV-E10 with a f4 10-20 G (I meant to buy the 10-18 OSS but got talked out of it at the camera shop and I think I regret not having the OSS) and it's...fine. The one vlog I have edited and posted on my channel so far was done with that + a Rode VideoMic Pro. Overall, the setup is great for wide angles but I really missed the closer shots I could have gotten out of the 16-35. I'm still a newb so I'm figuring all this out for the first time. It's so helpful to hear pros talk through this stuff!

[@lacuswongq7839]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@KantoCafe715]

Chris the Beer Pusher 😅

[@Whatmobiledeal]

Is the friend that’s has your camera on loan, Ryotaro? I’d put money on it that it is 😂

[@JDMism]

3:25 The 14 and 16-35 are convenient, especially in cars, but they do make everything look very GoPro. It would be nice to use 50mm+ but isn’t fun leaving your camera out of reach while filming yourself.

[@Craig-lk1sp]

I don't know shit about camera's, but man I do love hearing some nerds talking about stuff they're interested in.

[@mmughal]

Can you explore Startup scene in japan / setting up etc like moving to japan series and ways to move

[@markingham4340]

Cool

[@stelioshz]

Really loved it!! I also love talking about cameras and lenses and it was really such a treat listening to you!! Happy New Year everyone!!

[@snarkylive]

I want to you know this video was watched on a PC monitor, with the clip in the corner of 1x 1080 screen in a 3 monitor setup. And I was looking at it, and it was in 480p, so I set it to 1080, and it looked exactly the same because I almost never watch youtube videos in full screen, even if I have the option. Honestly, my setup is probably as much hardware as many videos get, because most people watch videos on their phones that are often downscaled by cellular networks anyways.

[@TechnoBabble]

As a photographer and videographer I'm honestly surprised by Chris' knowledge on camera gear. There are a significant number of content creators on KZbin that just buy whatever someone else recommends and that's where their research ends.

[@dreadsupreme]

Funny enough im surprised Chris didn’t mention his dad worked in television, im sure hes been exposed to cameras since a young age cause hes so bloody good at what he does 😂

[@DanThomasUK]

Thank you for explaining this. What was the Japanese issue with shotgun mics?

[@VictorMura]

Hello Joe ! I just discovered your youtube channel which is so cool, I love all your videos! I wanted to know if it was possible to use your title packs for davinci resolve or is it only for premier pro?

[@Dan_Mirai]

I do love the image quality of the Panasonic system. But I do wish they would move on from their contrast based auto focus and move on to a phase detect. Also an f/2.8 16-35 mm lens is missing from from their lineup. During my solo trip to Japan this past November with my Panasonic S5 and f4 16-35 mm in tote I was able to get some shots that I was happy with. But I did wish I had a little more reach and have a shallowier depth of field. After I got back went and got myself a Sony a7 IV with the f/2.8 24-70 mm II and overall I feel happier because of the auto focus ability. But I do still prefer the image out of the Panasonic a little more. Now I am hoping that I can get back over to Japan before the summer.

[@joeallam]

Panasonic make the most reliable cameras I’ve ever used. The usability for video and features available are excellent. I do find the image/lenses to be very technical in their result, which also means I find them to be lacking a bit of soul compared to others. Also hoping they improve their focus system once and for all!

[@timm1589]

@rurouniboi check out the new panasonic s5ii, it has phase detect now and the tests look promising. I have an S5 myself but I will probably not be upgrading due to me using manual lenses most of the time

[@grad-dd9zj]

interesting to see how the tables have turned ...a few years back it would have been unimaginable to have an entire video gear video without a single mentioning of canon.

[@foreigndaruma9825]

Ah, yes, the soulless Sony...Jokes aside, wonderful insights and good on-the-job tips that we don't get from the "filmmakers" of youtube because they have to have a new video about everything, which is achieved through overly complicating matters. Lovely work!

[@ruff1draft]

I think.a friend of mine named Paul works for him behind the scenes

[@curiousnomadic]

Strange how when digital cameras fist came out they were going to make cameras more compact. But cameras are still enormous.

[@scottvogel8477]

10:35 I am interested in knowing why a shotgun mic bothers Japanese people yet the lav mic doesn't? Is it a cultural thing I'm not aware of?

[@ToadyEN]

Great content! Jealous you got to experience God’s studio!

[@toni-kaku]

This feels a bit like chefs talking about knives.

[@yatsenkoanton]

The thumbnail is so affable that I chose this one instead of a sexy woman in a frivolous outfit

[@aipepero8090]

First!

[@corrado]

expensive-ass lenses... YOU'VE GOT TO PAY THE COST, TO BE THE BOSS

[@jeremygarretson5482]

He looks like a Elon Musk and Mr Beast had a man child.

[@imakefilms123]

Too much money, not enough sense