nofilmschool » sonyf3

Choosing Neutral Density Filters with Infrared Protection: Necessary or Overboard?

Dave Kendricken — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:30:19 +0000

At this point, solid state image sensors have matched or exceeded film in a lot of ways, including light sensitivity, responsiveness to shadow detail, and overall dynamic range — but that doesn’t mean our chips aren’t susceptible to certain problems previously avoided by the nature of emulsion. Indeed, ‘sensitivity’ nowadays means something different altogether — and with the virtual necessity of neutral density filters as a result, this often means vulnerability to infrared pollution. Unless you like shooting at f/22 or you’re already using the Aaton Penelope Delta, you may also require an IR filter with your ND. AbelCine has recently shared a great rundown of which cameras suffer the most from IR pollution — and what filters work best to correct each. (more…)

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Details Revealed About Possible New Sony F5 and F55 Digital Cinema Cameras, and 4K Recorder

Joe Marine — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:52:18 +0000

We already discussed XAVC, which will likely be a new codec that Sony will be introducing when they announce new cameras on October 30th, but now it seems the details for their upcoming cameras have been outed. Nothing is concrete until the cameras are released (of course), but Matt Ryan on the REDUser forum reportedly attended a Sony Demo Focus Group where the new F5 and F55 cameras, as well as a 4K recorder, were all introduced. He not only mentions many of the specs, but the current pricing information as well. Read on for more details. (more…)

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Sony F5 Digital Cinema Camera May Get a Newly Developed Codec Called XAVC

Joe Marine — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:00:59 +0000

We’ve already speculated a little bit about the possible new camera Sony will be announcing October 30, which may be the long-rumored F5 camera. Sony may be releasing an additional camera on that day, but it’s likely that whatever is announced will be 4K compatible, and that may also include a new 4K recorder that would work with the FS700 as well as any other Sony 4K cameras (besides the F65). Now Sony has reportedly been developing a brand new codec to replace or augment the XDCAM codec, called XAVC. (more…)

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Is Sony Announcing an F5 Digital Cinema Camera, 4K Recorder, or Both on October 30?

Joe Marine — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:36:07 +0000

Just before NAB this year, there were plenty of rumors that Sony would be introducing a higher-end Sony F3 with the potential for 4K. That camera, dubbed the F5 by many, never materialized, quite possibly because they wanted some space for their newly announced FS700, which took everything the FS100 already did, and added ND filters, slow motion, and a 4K upgrade path. Now it looks like Sony will be announcing a brand new camera on October 30th according to some recent Tweets and a Facebook posting. (more…)

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Sony Adds Free S-Log to All F3 Cameras in New Firmware Update

Joe Marine — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 01:37:14 +0000

Sony, in a move that will either please or anger some F3 owners, is releasing S-Log for free in a new firmware update. While they had decided to make it free with all new F3 cameras back in March, it still cost money for those who hadn’t purchased it yet. Now it’s going to be free to anyone that wants it. Before you send angry emails to Sony, they’ve limited the free S-Log to 4:2:2, so you’ll still need to purchase it if you want the full 4:4:4. If you’ve been thinking about an F3 purchase, there has never been a better time than the present. Here is AbelCine’s Andy Shipsides with a video discussing the new update and how it affects the overall camera system: (more…)

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So Many New Camera Tests it's Hard to Keep Track: Phantom Miro, RED SCARLET, Sony F3, and Canon C300

Ryan Koo — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:56:43 +0000

We’re trying to share more actual shorts and not just camera tests here, as a difference of one stop in dynamic range from one camera to the next is not going to make or break your narrative or doc. From DSLRs costing hundreds to 4K cameras costing tens of thousands, there is a great camera out there for your budget. Still, one question all filmmakers will be asked is, “what do you want to shoot on?” and so it’s still handy to keep tabs on what’s available. Here are several new tests of some of the latest large-sensor imagers: (more…)

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The RED SCARLET and Sony F3 Trade Blows in a Head-to-Head Test and... Both Look Good

Ryan Koo — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 22:03:38 +0000

DP Timur Civan, who lensed my RED SCARLET test short and now has a SCARLET of his own, has done an apples-to-apples comparison with two of the top similarly-priced Super35 motion picture cameras currently on the market: the Sony F3 and the RED SCARLET. Timur has the luxury of owning both — and some flawless Cooke Panchro primes — and has set up a nice skin tone and still life test. Here it is: (more…)

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The $4500 Sony PMW-100: a Sign of Codecs to Come on the 4k Sony F5 (And Why Canon Should Be Worried)

Joe Marine — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:15:16 +0000

The powerhouse FS700 wasn’t the only new camera that Sony recently announced. Another camera was quietly (at least to this community) introduced that packs a punch and has its sights square on Canon’s event/doc cameras: the XF100 and XF300 series. The real announcement behind the announcement is the way that Sony is positioning its separate camera models and features. Sony has a clear idea about where specific cameras should stand in terms of features and price, and it seems we might get a more powerful F3 sooner rather than later. (more…)

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An Informative Guide to Using the S-Log Upgrade on Your Sony F3

E.M. Taboada — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:08:09 +0000

With Sony’s recent decision to make the S-Log upgrade standard on new F3′s, and some current owners wondering whether they should shell out $900 for it, there are a lot of folks wondering about just what they’re getting with the upgrade. With that in mind, Andy Shipsides, the Camera Technology Specialist at AbelCine, has wrapped up a 4-part series that goes over many of the upgrade’s features — including footage comparisons: (more…)

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Sony Adds S-Log for Free on the F3 (Unless You Already Bought S-Log or Own an F3)

Joe Marine — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:59:34 +0000

Sony, likely fearing the growing competition from the C300 and all of the new DSLRs coming out, has decided to make S-Log a standard option on all new F3 purchases. It would have made a lot of sense to offer this feature as standard in the first place, but Sony decided to charge $3000 for what amounts to little more than a firmware upgrade. What should be great news is terrible news for those who already own an F3. (more…)

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One Reason to Get a Sony F3 Instead of the Canon C300: Flexibility

Ryan Koo — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:23:00 +0000

I’m not here to start a camera flame war between the Canon C300, Sony F3, and RED SCARLET. The fact is, with any of these new large-sensor camcorders, you can tell your story effectively, and that’s what’s important. However… these cameras are an investment. And a much more serious investment than a DSLR at that — $15k does not come easily, and that’ll just get you started with each. So I thought I’d share a thought I had the other day when watching Philip Bloom’s latest camera shootout. Bloom didn’t include the RED and I’ll have plenty of thoughts to share on RED going forward (to the chagrin of some of you!), but if I hadn’t gone the RED route I would go with an F3 over the C300. Why? (more…)

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Philip Bloom's Camera Shootout Features the Latest Large Sensor DSLRs and Camcorders

Ryan Koo — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:19:29 +0000

I was waiting for part two to post this, so now that it’s live, here is Philip Bloom’s latest camera shootout pitting the Canon C300, Sony NEX5N, Panasonic AF100, Panasonic GH2, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 7D, Sony FS100, Sony F3, and Nikon D7000 against each other in a variety of real-world situations: (more…)

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How Do the Canon C300 and Sony F3 Compare in Low Light?

Ryan Koo — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:43:20 +0000

Cameras have been getting more and more sensitive, so it follows that low light tests are a nice showcase of the latest in camera technology. Here, Sebastian Wiegärtner pits the Canon C300 against the Sony F3 (with S-Log) and Canon 7D: (more…)

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Sony F3 and Canon C300 Footage Side-by-Side (and Some C300 Ungraded Files to Download)

Ryan Koo — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:40:14 +0000

How do the Canon C300 and Sony F3, pictured respectively at left, compare? Mario Feil, director of the just-posted C300 short, has released the following comparison video. There’s also a Canon 1D Mark IV thrown in, which quite frankly looks awful at these high ISO levels: (more…)

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1080P Camera Shootout: ARRI ALEXA vs Sony F3 (S-Log) vs Canon 7D

Ryan Koo — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:59:49 +0000

I’m always up for a demo of the Sony F3′s S-Log mode, especially when compared to the much more expensive but similar ARRI ALEXA. The F3 has been called a “mini ALEXA” in S-Log mode, and I suppose you could call the Canon 7D a “mini F3,” though no one’s claiming the 7D can hold up to the big boys — it’s here as a reference for HDSLR shooters. Here’s the test, carried out by Hello World Communications using Cooke Panchro lenses: (more…)

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The Sony F3 Gets New Zoom Lenses and Another Stop of Exposure with Firmware Update

Ryan Koo — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:02:08 +0000

Has anyone done an official dynamic range test of the Sony F3 with its amazing S-Log firmware enabled? I heard it was 13.5 stops, but now Sony is claiming firmware version 1.20 will add another stop by utilizing Exposure Index S-Log mode (more on this after the jump). Also, Sony will be coming out with two zoom lenses for the F3, making use of the camera’s zoom rocker. Plus, the CBK-3DL01 3D Link option will add the ability to link two F3s together for 3D use, but will apparently cost $5,500. While the F3 is a hell of camera, something tells me that if Sony wants to remain competitive in terms of pricing, after November 3rd they might want to think about their firmware pricing. If you want S-Log and 3D, that’s a total of $9,000 in upgrades on top of the camera’s $14,000 price tag. Then again, if the new S-Log mode does add another stop of exposure, that would put it even with the ARRI ALEXA — and that camera is $75k. (more…)

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More Tests Reveal Sony F3 to be an Entirely Different Camera with S-Log Upgrade

Ryan Koo — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:49:27 +0000

There are a number of slow motion sequences in my script for Man-child (only 8 days left… !), which makes a RED appropriate. Otherwise I would probably try to shoot it on a Sony F3 with the S-Log firmware (if the campaign is successful, that is… ). All the footage I’ve seen to date shot in S-Log has been beautiful, with very film-like highlight renditions and gorgeous colors. A common misperception with S-Log is that you need an uncompressed recorder to take advantage of it. Not true! DP Timur Civan recently ran some tests with a Ki Pro Mini: (more…)

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The Numbers Are In: the Sony F3 S-Log Firmware Upgrades its Dynamic Range to 13.5 Stops

Ryan Koo — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:40:39 +0000

Sony’s paid S-Log upgrade for its F3 camcorder has been out in the wild for a while now, but to date no one has released a scientific test of how much extra dynamic range the $3,600 upgrade adds to the camera. Abel Cine has just done so, and they find the firmware takes the camcorder from from 12 to 13.5 stops (which is awfully close to ARRI ALEXA territory — and that camera costs $75k). Here’s the test: (more…)

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Cine Gear Roundup: Lights, Cameras, Sliders, and Follow Focuses (Focusi?)

Ryan Koo — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:27:35 +0000

I was supposed to post this a week ago, but you know how Real Life can be. So here, better late than never, is my second (and final) roundup of all the filmmaking gadgetry shown at Cine Gear 2011 (part one is here). This time, let’s check out a whole bunch of stuff from Cinevate, D | Focus, Sekonic, and more. (more…)

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Zacuto's 'Great Camera Shootout 2011' Evaluates Dynamic Range of Eleven Cameras

Ryan Koo — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:52:03 +0000

The first episode of Zacuto’s anticipated sequel to the Emmy award-winning Great Camera Shootout 2010 is now available. This year’s installment is a bit different than last year’s, as it’s actually a documentary on the Single Chip Camera Evaluation conducted by Robert Primes, ASC. The cameras tested include 35mm film (Kodak 5213 and 5219 stock), the Arri Alexa, RED ONE M-X, Weisscam HS-2, Phantom Flex, Sony F35, Sony F3, Panasonic AF100, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D7000. (more…)

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