C100: A7s vs C100 real world (wedding) thoughts and footage!

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draculr

Well-known member
We usually film Sydney Wedding Videos but this one is from down in Canberra. I'm an absolute geek so I'm always testing cameras against each other during weddings. Especially when I know my videography pal is there using something "safe" like a C100, I personally love to experiment with new gear.

I've been waiting for this edit to get out of Mr Editors hands and online so I can discuss my thoughts on these two cameras!!

Here is it:

http://dreamsinmotion.com.au/nicholas-alice

So firstly the GREAT things about the A7s. It's just so damned small and light. I'm handholding it all the time, it's really changed my filming game when it comes to this style of shooting (or even filming some artsy flick out in the town at night). I know the C100 isn't exactly huge, but the A7s is just tiny. I feel invisible when filming and that's a good thing when it comes to capturing candid moments. The footage is also super crisp, full frame is nice, having a crisp crop punch in is doubly nice (makes my primes have much more flexibility).

But there's a but!

The colours out of the C100 are just much, much better.

I don't know if it's enough for me to let go of the practical aspects of the A7s, but whenever I look at footage of PEOPLE back to back, the C100 just makes everyone look good whereas the A7s loves to create that dull, greenish tinted skin tone.

It's the reason I still shoot stills with a 5D3 actually! Out of the box people just look good and for weddings it matters.

Has anyone else used these two cameras? I'd be curious as to what others think. Anyway, I think my editor did a great job on the edit so have a watch and let me know what you guys think!
 
Nice film! Was this all shot with the A7s?

I think perhaps the question might be between the 5D3 and the Sony. The colors of the the 5D3 are very nice as well. I understand the low light thing with the A7s, but yea the Sony's have an unreal look to them....... good for a Zombie film, but perhaps not so good for glamour shots. Personally, I think nothing beats the 5D3 for flattering close-ups..... saves you the additional cost of buying softening filters!

Also, walking around hand held with the "tiny" A7s with primes with no IS seems challenging! Personally, if I were shooting hand held I would not be using primes, but a zoom with IS. The whole reason for getting a small camera is to use it hand held, otherwise, you are using a tripod or mono pod and it kind a defeats the purpose. Stick a lens on the A7s with IS and you are not quite so stealthy anymore. The C100 gets pretty small if you don't need the XLR handle for audio. It's hard to see much of a difference between the 5D3 with a battery grip verse the C100 with out the handle.

I have both a 5D3 and the C100. I have noticed an obvious difference in detail in the C100 over the 5D3 without the need to pixel peep. Is the A7s really more detailed than the C100 for "crop punching"? I'm asking because I don't know really.

Lastly, I'm one of those insane people who like a slightly larger camera, but if I need to go light and stealthy I still have the 5D3. The only other camera I want to get is another C100.
 
Here's a link to Joe Simon Weddings.....
http://joesimonweddingfilms.com/
He's one of the top wedding shooters in the country and is often flown around the world to shoot weddings. He exclusively shoots on the C100s (used C300s but the economics of the C100 enabled him to have more cameras shooting)......

Jim Martin
 
first ill say thats a really nice edit!.

ill agree with michael about the A7s color. its hard to get excited about skin rendition. I've never owned anything sony except an EX1 and i have to work to get it to where my canon 5DmkIII or C100 is with ease. still i use the EX1 for some jobs because it has other strengths.

the only thing about the A7s that is appealing is extreme low light shooting. the C100 shoots in low light very well also although not to the extent if your looking to shoot @ 25,600 and upwards. still on the C100, 12,800 and even 16,000 if i don't under expose looks good in obvious low light scenarios like a wedding reception. i don't mind a little grain when it looks like the grain on the C100.

good luck deciding.

david
 
Michael Thames said:
Nice film! Was this all shot with the A7s?

I think perhaps the question might be between the 5D3 and the Sony. The colors of the the 5D3 are very nice as well. I understand the low light thing with the A7s, but yea the Sony's have an unreal look to them....... good for a Zombie film, but perhaps not so good for glamour shots. Personally, I think nothing beats the 5D3 for flattering close-ups..... saves you the additional cost of buying softening filters!

Also, walking around hand held with the "tiny" A7s with primes with no IS seems challenging! Personally, if I were shooting hand held I would not be using primes, but a zoom with IS. The whole reason for getting a small camera is to use it hand held, otherwise, you are using a tripod or mono pod and it kind a defeats the purpose. Stick a lens on the A7s with IS and you are not quite so stealthy anymore. The C100 gets pretty small if you don't need the XLR handle for audio. It's hard to see much of a difference between the 5D3 with a battery grip verse the C100 with out the handle.

I have both a 5D3 and the C100. I have noticed an obvious difference in detail in the C100 over the 5D3 without the need to pixel peep. Is the A7s really more detailed than the C100 for "crop punching"? I'm asking because I don't know really.

Lastly, I'm one of those insane people who like a slightly larger camera, but if I need to go light and stealthy I still have the 5D3. The only other camera I want to get is another C100.
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Hey, this film was an almost 50/50 mix of C100 and A7s. You can tell the differences between the A7s and C100 when you see the same scene and one of them just has nicer colours :)

My filming partner always mentions that zombie film line when it comes to some of these cameras!

In terms of primes, I'm actually using the Canon 35mm f2 IS. It's just brilliant on the A7s and I get a "bonus" 50mm f2.8 IS out of it when going to crop mode. The rolling shutter means anything hand held with no IS has a weird jitter/wobble.
 
You can tell the differences between the A7s and C100 when you see the same scene and one of them just has nicer colours
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I think a7s has less saturation , mid tones should be fix , and maybe highlights should go in warm color too ( just little bit ) .a7s midtone.jpga7s org.jpg
 
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Yeah, post color correction can go a long way. It gives the edge over other shooters if you can shoot well and grade well. But straight out of the camera, it is hard to beat the Canons in good light. Most of the footage I am seeing from the Sony's is pretty cold, but that can be adjusted fairly easy in post with the right tools. But if a camera doesn't give you what you want, at least there are options. Nothing wrong with being a fan of one color science over the other.
 
James0b57 said:
Yeah, post color correction can go a long way. It gives the edge over other shooters if you can shoot well and grade well. But straight out of the camera, it is hard to beat the Canons in good light. Most of the footage I am seeing from the Sony's is pretty cold, but that can be adjusted fairly easy in post with the right tools. But if a camera doesn't give you what you want, at least there are options. Nothing wrong with being a fan of one color science over the other.
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I find it's easier to get a more filmic look with the A7s which is great in it's own right. There's a certain warmth and glow in the skin to the Canons that I've not been able to replicate with a grade however.
 
I shoot with a mix of 5D mark 3's and Sony FS700 for wedding, grading was fine. I sold my FS700 in saving for the new Sony FS7 with the 28-135 kit lens. Since then I dont have a main camera, been borrow other friends to use their bigger rig. Got a hold of the C100 this pass weekend. As much as I like the slo mo on the Sony FS, C100 colors and footage just changed my mind. And how easy it was for me to pull focus on the steadicam and gimbal with the C100 AF, I called the dealer and deposited money for the C100 Mark2 when they ship end of dec.
 
Orguss said:
I shoot with a mix of 5D mark 3's and Sony FS700 for wedding, grading was fine. I sold my FS700 in saving for the new Sony FS7 with the 28-135 kit lens. Since then I dont have a main camera, been borrow other friends to use their bigger rig. Got a hold of the C100 this pass weekend. As much as I like the slo mo on the Sony FS, C100 colors and footage just changed my mind. And how easy it was for me to pull focus on the steadicam and gimbal with the C100 AF, I called the dealer and deposited money for the C100 Mark2 when they ship end of dec.
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Well...... HAPPY NEW YEAR! Your post kind a says it all.
 
^^...lol thanks, I still might changed my mind if new information about the auto focus works on sony FS7. If it works like the c100, i'm in. Mostly for the steadicam and gimbal.
 
I have fs100 , I wonder how much better AF is in c100 ? Fs100 does not have reliable , but I saw some samples how AF works in c100 and it was nothing special , AF jumps , sometimes search subject too long . It seems not reliable too . Is anyone compare how works AF in both camera side by side ? I think FS7 , FS100,700 has the same AF , but I might be wrong .
 
Tom1, I borrowed my friend C100 with dual pixel AF, the AF works by keeping the subject in the box a pretty good size box. Yes it works just the same like the FS100 and FS700 but they both have a tiny little square box which jumps all over the places....I hated that, but I found the way to use it. switch it to manual once the stooopid little tiny box find the subject we one. At least the C100 AF is in the center and it's easy to get focus. In wedding having this feature is heaven. And an awesome feature when you use steadicam and gimbal.
IMG_4988.jpg
 
You should stop working out your non-glidecam arm, and then leave the glidecam one really big. That would rule!
 
Yea my filming buddy does exactly that with the C100. The AF apparently is perfect for glidecam. Of course, if your center point moves off your subject it ruins the shot.
 
You can lock the AF as well. I have programmed the button no 7 in the handgrip to AF. While panning it helps to lock focus.
 
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