Color Matching FX6 with FX9 (and FS7)

[JimmyMcV]

I really wish I had attended this seminar on color-matching the FX6 and FX9. https://eu.info.pro.sony/WN-ColourMa...ration_EN.html

I'm supposed to shoot a stage show with the FX6 and FX9 and could use any tips. We will be color-correcting in post so I imagine we can shoot both in their log modes? But do we need to tweak things in-camera before the shoot?

[scorsesefan]

I don't have these cameras, but the protocol is usually shoot both in log and make sure you manual white balance.

[markfpv]

It gets a bit trickier when you introduce the FS7 with the newer models... but not much. To be clear, I haven't done exactly what you will be doing (with those 3 exact models). But I still think shooting in S-Log is the way to go. Since there are only 3 choices of WB on the FS7 - I would try to stick with one of those presets for the 6 and the 9. In other words, dial in 4500 - so each cam will have same WB. You'll still need to tweak the 7 to look like the others, but it's pretty close - and depending upon the shot (I'd use the 7 for wide and the other two for CU's), you may only need to slightly adjust the 7 to match. Test in advance for sure! That way, you can create your own transform LUT and be done.

[drboffa]

FWIW: I found matching my FX6 and Fs5 surprisingly easy when shooting in slog3. I matched color temperature on the FX6 to the appropriate preset on the Fs5 and then just did a little additional white balance correction in post. I'm sure it wasn't a perfect match but it looked great to my eye with minimal work.

[thirdyearff]

I match the 9 & 7 routinely as they are my A & B cams. I shoot Slog3, match camera settings as best i can and i've found it quite easy to match them. I just took delivery of the 6 but i haven't had time to take it out of the box yet but i'd be shocked if the match to the 9 isn't almost seamless.

[OnSet]

Seems like most of my FX9/FX6 combo jobs have live streaming components in addition to being edited later. For the last couple we've been using 2 - FX9's and 2 - FX6's simultaneously, set the cameras to S-cinetone, and then did a unified white balance. This seemed to get the cameras pretty close. Then checked things with ScopeBox and made some minor adjustments to get things a little closer if one or another of the cameras didn't exactly line up. Not a standard adjustment between cameras - so we would adjust slightly for each setup. (We weren't satisfied with the matching on preset WB, so went with doing the unified WB)
Also - we were running through an ATEM mini so were able to check camera matching both switching and seeing together on multiview screen.

[JimmyMcV]

Seems like most of my FX9/FX6 combo jobs have live streaming components in addition to being edited later. For the last couple we've been using 2 - FX9's and 2 - FX6's simultaneously, set the cameras to S-cinetone, and then did a unified white balance. This seemed to get the cameras pretty close. Then checked things with ScopeBox and made some minor adjustments to get things a little closer if one or another of the cameras didn't exactly line up. Not a standard adjustment between cameras - so we would adjust slightly for each setup. (We weren't satisfied with the matching on preset WB, so went with doing the unified WB)
Also - we were running through an ATEM mini so were able to check camera matching both switching and seeing together on multiview screen.

So it sounds like it shouldn't be a big deal. I don't have a scope box but it sounds like we should just put the camera next to each other and white balance off the same card (that's what you mean by unified white balance?).

[scorsesefan]

I match the 9 & 7 routinely as they are my A & B cams. I shoot Slog3, match camera settings as best i can and i've found it quite easy to match them. I just took delivery of the 6 but i haven't had time to take it out of the box yet but i'd be shocked if the match to the 9 isn't almost seamless.

Where did you order your fx6? Mine has been on order at BH for almost 2 mos and I still haven't received it. It's in stock at Adorama, which is kind of annoying and confusing...

[thirdyearff]

Directly from Sony...but even that took 2 months.

[scorsesefan]

Interesting. I didn't know you could order directly from them...

[thirdyearff]

The general consumer can't...as far as i know. My situation is a little different.

[NorBro]

You can normally purchase a lot of related products from Sony's online shop (lenses, camcorders), but the FX6 isn't one of them (as mentioned), at least currently.

However, you can be emailed if and when they decide to: https://electronics.sony.com/imaging...ras/p/ilmefx6v

[markfpv]

The general consumer can't...as far as i know. My situation is a little different.

Hmmm... Can you elaborate? I'm just curious - are you shooting something directly for them?

[scorsesefan]

You can normally purchase a lot of related products from Sony's online shop (lenses, camcorders), but the FX6 isn't one of them (as mentioned), at least currently.

However, you can be emailed if and when they decide to: https://electronics.sony.com/imaging...ras/p/ilmefx6v

Thanks, Norbro

[Grug]

Shoot charts beforehand, so you can build a transform to match them. That's the proper way to do it.

That aside, I'd suggest running (not walking) to your local internet browser and purchasing a copy of Cinematch regardless. It just takes all of the stress out of shooting disparate cameras.

A few clicks and you're within striking distance of your A-camera. And a few small manual tweaks beyond that, will get you close-enough to perceptually-indistinguishable. I just had a shoot yesteday with a talking head element, and had to use one of my little Fuji XT3s alongside my FX6 as a B-cam. Trying to match the Fuji's to Sony colour science manually is absoltely brutal (LOTS of tiny hue adjustment all along the colour spectrum). But with Cinematch, it really becomes fairly painless.

Highly recommended.