While it seems like it has been all Sony around here, it's really because the news and videos have been trickling out slowly, rather than in one burst after the recent presentation. We already saw what the Sony F55 with its global shutter could do with one crew, now we've got the opportunity to see it in the hands of another. Dig, written/directed by Martin Scanlan and shot by Steve Lawes, premiered at the Camerimage Film Festival in Poland, and was part of the European launch for the F55. Check out the full film below.
Thanks again to Cinester for finding this. Be sure to download the film from Vimeo to check out the full 1080p file in better quality:
Here is a frame grab that really gives you a sense of the depth of the image and the latitude (click for larger):
This is the kind of video I've been looking for as an example of what this camera can do. The other video we shared, Mahout, is great, no question, but with the deep depth of field, strong grade, and blurred motion, it was not the easiest sample to judge the camera by. Content aside, the grade that we're seeing in Dig is much closer to a traditional narrative film. We have rich colors at times, and more subdued tones when the scene calls for it. Even in a compressed web form, it's clear that the 4K image delivers a tremendous amount of clarity. I'm also extremely impressed with the dynamic range from this video. This shot in particular is one that stood out to me showing that Sony is not underestimating the 14 stops of latitude:
On the content side this film is more my style, but everyone has their preferences. I think the lack of dialogue actually drew me in more, and helped sell the payoff at the end. Cinematic is certainly an intangible word for most people when it relates to the image they can get out of a particular camera, but it's one of the reasons I have tended to prefer a lot of the material shot on RED or Alexa up until this point. This short gave me that same feeling, I'm sure in no small part to the excellent dynamic range.
I'm definitely curious to see more samples, especially some that are more flat in their grade, but I think this image is going to please lots of shooters. If the workflow is there, and the actual rigs end looking as simple has they have so far, I think this is going to be a real competitor for the productions that normally would have chosen EPIC or Alexa.
What do you think of the footage? How about the dynamic range? Did this impress you as much as it impressed me, or do you still feel that something is off with the footage?
Link: Dig - Sony F55 -- Vimeo
