I've used this camera heavily for the past 6 months on professional video work and have had a very positive experience as well. Like many, I've read much about quality control problems (and the first camera we received had defective on board xlr recording) but once that was sorted with what was in our case pretty good customer service, using the camera has been a smooth process.

As far as the functionality I need it for, the price is hard to beat for this level of quality both in image and functionality. Definitely also worth looking at the total cost for one's particular package compared to other cameras one might be considering, as the shoulder mount and CFast 2.0 cards are essential and add to the costs quickly. I have to stop short of a ringing endorsement and I get how Blackmagic's past cameras and ongoing QC issues have burned some bridges, but I do love the camera now and have had no significant problems with it over months of heavy use, since getting the defect on our unit sorted out with customer service. That may be too big a caveat for some people.

Can't speak to every technique here, but the zoom in this case is inherently different from quick zooms by directors like Edgar Wright or Quentin Tarantino -- it refers to actively zooming the camera in or moving it in, by the person who is on camera visibly manipulating the camera. Which ties into the general self-referential / faux amateur nature of the structure of these videos that these essays touch on.

It looks like he posted this in the morning several hours before seeing/responding to the thread complaining about it.

I love the GH4. Right now, I can't see myself buying something more recent unless it were in a different class altogether (a full-fledged cinema camera like the Ursa Mini 4.6k or the RED Weapon) and at that point I'm more inclined to rent for a particular shoot, anyway.

Prices are so deeply discounted compared to when I bought my GH4, especially if you find one with a rebate or lightly used. You could afford to get a speed booster and rig it out pretty nicely for the price and I think that would have good longevity for the purposes of most kinds of video projects. And you could start using it now, instead of waiting who knows how long for cameras that haven't been announced yet.

There are certainly other options already out there, so as with any camera it depends on your needs. I personally have found the GH4 to be a more well-rounded camera for video than the A7S (1.0) and it's so much cheaper than the more recent cameras, meaning you can afford to spend some money on lenses and accessories.

Yep. The vehement denials from people falling in the majority demographic, whenever somebody dares to suggest there might be a problem here that is worth addressing, reinforces my belief that there is a problem worth addressing.

There's a blog on this subject that is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already: I discovered a lot of nice lenses through Vintage Lenses For Video. Your needs for Nikon F 50/85 are a bit more specific than mine; also it really depends if you're going for a lens that plays up the distortions or something a little more clinical and versatile. Still, a good resource if you're interested in learning about a variety of vintage lenses.

http://www.vintagelensesforvideo.com/