Why I dumped my Sony ZV-E10 for the Fujifilm X-M5

[@Mraz75]

That is why i dumped my ZVE10.. i realized there is not much button and had to resort into the menu which is so cumbersome. I didn’t realize about once reset the memory card you reset everything. That is aweful. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

The memory recall (MR) custom modes being saved to the SD card is really a deal breaker, especially when there isn't an easy "delete all" function to get rid of obsolete images. I spent a couple of hours working through that cumbersome menu to lock in video and photo MR functions, only to lose them on a card reformat. Not a happy camper is an understatement. What's worse, we're very dependent on the MR custom modes as any kind of manual control with that camera is such a pain. Flipping to a pre-saved MR mode saves a lot of frustration - then we lose them on a reformat or card swap. The vast majority of camera manufacturers save their custom modes to internal flash memory, which is retained even after removing the battery. We have to do a complete system reset to wipe them out. Sony cut too many corners with the ZV-E10. It would be interesting to see a comparison between a ZV-E10 mark I and mark II, to see how many issues have been addressed or left unaddressed. The body seems physically the same, so the button issue will remain.

[@Mraz75]

@ yes i would like to know also how is ZVE10 mark II? Are there any improvement on that?

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

@@Mraz75 Apart from relocating the On-Off switch, the Mark I and II appear to be physically identical with all of the faults I've listed: no mode dial, no joystick, only one command dial, etc. The sensor, processor and video suite has been upgraded to where the Mark I should've been before its release. It's still lagging behind the X-M5 video specs. The X-M5 can handle 6.2K open gate at a much higher bit rate. You want video quality? X-M5 is it. For photography, it still sucks. The basic flaws that make it a poor stills camera still remain.

[@Mraz75]

@ thank you so much for the info. That is the reason why XM5 has a long queue to buy it in my country. People love its video spec plus it requires UHS 1 type memory card but still can record 6.2K.

[@BlackburnZ_INDIA]

I love how xm 5 shoots bmraw 12 bit open gate no camera in this price range can so this ❤ this cam is amazing ....

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

It has the same guts as the X-S20.

[@thedexterbros]

That was my one gripe with the previous Fuji models. The 4K DCI excited me but it turns out it's just crapped on the top and bottom and the pixels are more concentrated. Which I guess is nice as it's higher resolution but put on at least a couple of the Panasonic models, due to the censorship and the way they configured their signals, you actually got extra footage on the sides of the frame in DCI mode. And the open gate on this XM 5 and I hope future models takes care of that! Edit: wait wait did the excess 20 have open gate 6k!?

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

@@thedexterbros Yes, the X-S20 does 6.2K open gate 3:2 recording. The X-M5 has all of the X-S20 video specs plus 9:16 phone format recording.

[@BlackburnZ_INDIA]

@ yes it did

[@aga7423]

I have zv-e10 and, generally, don't like it for the same reasons. But, as far as i know, both of these cameras don't have builtin decent video stabilization, but sony does incorporate gyroscopic data into videoflow. It makes it possible to very effectively stabilize video in software like Gyroflow (or Catalyst Browse) before editing. Fuji doesn't(?) provide such an ability. I believe, it is important difference.

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

Out of all of the major consumer camera manufacturers, Sony is the only one with gyroscopic data. However, with OIS+DIS, plus stabilization within our editing software, I'm not convinced that it's a necessity. I highly doubt that the average content creator has any idea that it is there and what it does. If I was a pro videographer, then ya, it would be a good thing.

[@MariusMocan-mn4do]

Shooting Fuji since 2013. My biggest issue when I got a Sony A6400 along side my Fuji cameras like 5 years ago was: the awful color science, menu, jello shutter effect while walking and shooting video, much more noise in the image than Fuji and the lack of software update support once the new Sony camera models come out. I will always stick with Fuji exclusively.

[@akushon_kamen]

the new zve10ii fix most of your problem mentioned. better autofocus and color science, added lut and s-cineton, fixed the rolling shutter, it now have 3 internal memory recalls, but yeah still no stabilisation and still the same dials on top.

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

I've gone through the specs of the Mark II before I shot the video and it does resolve some of the issues, but the overall functionality of the camera really hasn't changed. Bottom line, if we want to control the camera, the X-M5 is still a better choice.

[@yashnexie5324]

Hi Charles, what video camera would you suggest to a vloger in India to buy within a budget of 1k USD. My shooting is mostly indoor and in low light.

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

Unfortunately a 1K USD budget and good low light performance don't usually go hand-in-hand. A fast zoom good for low light will be north of $1K just for the lens. Slow kit lenses which come with inexpensive cameras, tend to push up the ISO which increases noise levels in our low light photos. The best low light setup at that price point that I can think of offhand, would be the Fujifilm X-M5 coupled with the Fujifilm XC 35mm f2. lens together for $998.00. It's a prime lens, not a zoom, so there's that limitation, but the f2 max aperture will perform better in low light.

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

I should add that a 35mm focal length will be very poor as a selfie lens. We need something along the lines of a 14-16mm lens. Finding a fast, cheap, AF lens at these wide focal lengths is going to be difficult. In the end you may have to settle for the a slow kit lens and live with the image noise.

[@yashnexie5324]

@@photographybypetercharles9939 xm-5 is not available here in Delhi (India), I saw one Fujifilm xt-100 online. Is this good enough to begin with? If yes then pls advise me the lenses I should also buy. Really appreciate your replies.

[@yashnexie5324]

@@photographybypetercharles9939 oh I just saw that it’s a 2018 model, very old. We don’t have much options of Fujifilm cameras under 1k here. I’ll try to push my budget, pls advise me a decent camera setup and lenses.

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

@@yashnexie5324 The X100 cameras are great for street photography, but not vlogging. I'd suggest try finding a used X-S10 and make sure the firmware is up to date. The 15-45mm PZ lens is very cheap so you should be able to get both for under $1K. The PZ lens is slow and not the best indoors, but it"ll get you started.

[@motionoftheocean7524]

Hi....first time here. Stumbled while looking for zv e1 reviews.... Totally a newbie.... Could i ask you if you can suggest yesteryears dslr cameras on budget that can take good potraits and landscapes?... You seem to me like you kniw what you're talking about...😊

[@photographybypetercharles9939]

The last DSLR I owned was 12 years ago so I'm not the best person to ask. If I were to buy one today for landscape and portrait, I'd be more concerned about the sensor resolution and less concerned about autofocus and stabilization.

[@motionoftheocean7524]

@photographybypetercharles9939 Thanks for your response young man.

[@MariusMocan-mn4do]

Get the Fuji!

[@motionoftheocean7524]

@@MariusMocan-mn4do ok. Thank you....