F3: Best recorder for S-Log

S

Scott A. Thompson

New member
So I am finally pulling the trigger on S-Log for my F3 and I want some opinions on recorders to buy. I would love to record 4444 and 10bit, but the Sound Devices one is the only one I found. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all
 
For the money and value I honestly don't think you will find anything better than a PIX240i. Others here who actually are using one can chime in and tell you all about it.

There is also the blackmagic hyperdeck shuttle 2 which does 10-bit in 422 (not 444) and records in DNX, ProRes and uncompressed. It's $300-$400 plus the cost of an SSD hard drive.

I don't think you will see much of a difference recording 444 over 422 but others might disagree. Technically 444 is "better" but how much you will see is very speculative. Especially on a camera with a bayer pattern sensor which can not see 444 to begin with.
 
The other options for 10 bit 444 are:

AJA Ki Pro Quad
Cinedeck EX
and the about to be released
Convergent Design Odyssey Q

The Sound Devices unit is good on several counts. Cost is relatively low. If you get the newer version, the Pix 240i, the screen is excellent in terms of colour rendition and off axis viewability. However, it is a power gobbler, relatively heavy and has only one mounting point. Given it's weight, you may have to add more weight with rails gadgetry to make it secure on your rig. A Noga arm, in my view, is a poor way of attaching anything of any heft to a camera rig.

The Cinedeck is versitile but at the expense of weight, power consumption and cost. It is by far the heaviest of the bunch. Used mostly on film sets and by a few freelancers.

The AJA Ki Pro Quad is largely untested in these circles here on the F3/F5/F55 forum. Not sure what to make of it although many shooters here use it's sibling, the Ki Pro Mini, with good success. Those with them like them. You will see them used on professional shoots but the Ki Pro Mini only does 10 bit 422 which is good for many but not in your spec.

The Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q, quite a few people are waiting for. It fills your specifications although it is going to sell for $3995 with media included. This is the price of the AJA Ki Pro Quad without media. The Odyssey is going to have an OLED monitor with a scopes package with it as well. This alone is worth $2,000 to $3000 dollars when you stack it up against a Transvideo or higher end Marshall Monitor. The unit is light at 1.2 pounds and uses only 6 watts in monitor mode and 12 watts in record mode, as opposed to the PIX 240i which uses almost 30 watts in record mode. This spec alone is of significant note.

Convergent Design has a stellar track record with it's previous recorders, the Gemini 444 and the more widely used nanoFlash unit. Convergent Design were constantly adding significant functionality to the nanoFlash throughout it's lifecycle and it's construction is first rate and designed to withstand the tests of time and production.
 
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I have been using a Samurai from Atomos which is about 1K or the new version with a much better screen is $1295. It is light, does not use much power, and records in 10 bit 422HQ ProRes to inexpensive SSD (or HDD) media. I have used it for over 1 year and it has been very reliable. Of course, if you want 444 this is not the solution for you.
 
The latest firmware update to the Pix240 will now record the full range of ProRes 4444 so it is an ideal companion for the F3 with SLog.

Once we start seeing Odessey in the wild, I think that is going to be the recorder to beat.

Ned
 
Recorder Highest Quality Format

Pix240i compressed Prores444
Odyssey 7 compressed Prores422 and DNxHD. Prores444 may follow?
Samurai Blade compressed Prores422 / DNxHD
Samurai Ninja 2 compressed Prores422 / DNxHD
Hyperdeck Shuttle2 compressed Prores422 / DNxHD

Gemini 444 Uncompressed 10bit slog 444 RGB
Odyssey 7Q Uncompressed 10bit slog 444 RGB

Hyperdeck Shuttle2 Uncompressed 10bit slog 422 RGB

I think the Cinedeck will also record uncompressed 10bit slog 444 RGB


The Hyperdeck is the cheapest uncompressed option (422).
Overall the Odyssey 7Q offers the biggest bang for the buck and you also get a killer 7 inch OLED.
I really wish the Samurai Blade supported Prores444, but at the moment it's only Prores422.
 
The Pix240 still reads 12-bit ProRes 4444 despite the 10 bit signal from the F3.

I cannot speak to the other devices since I've not tested them in 4444 (those that support it, of course) but I do own a Pix240 and can say for certain that the clipping issue has been addressed.

Ned
 
My two picks for the F3 would be the PIX240(i) and the Odyssey 7.

Price-wise the 7 has a clear advantage and will also offer 1080p60 recording, so there's a strong argument for that. The PIX however has brilliant built-in audio recording features that can SIGNIFICANTLY streamline your shoot-edit process.

The PIX also features 12-step false colour - which is, to my mind at least, the handiest exposure tool there is.

I won't be selling the PIX any time soon, as the sync-sound ProRes files it gives me have revolutionised my post workflow, improving both its speed and quality. However I will almost certainly add an Odyssey 7 recorder in order to open up full 1080p slowmotion from my F3 and to act as a client monitor when it's not being recorded with.
 
Grug brings up some good points about having additional exposure tools., ie. the F3 only has spot meter and zebra stripes.. so it could be a good consideration to get a recorder with monitor and some good exposure tools. As for the Odyssey I think its a great product and will be replacing my current monitor with one at the end of this year which will also allow me to record RAW from the F55.

FYI: The 12-bit 444 codec is 50% bigger than 10-bit 422: http://documentation.apple.com/en/f...sandworkflows/index.html#chapter=10&section=4 I guess for select work it might not be an issue but overall I think 50% can add up quickly.
 
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The other things to keep in mind, depending on the type of work you do, is power consumption and the cost of media. On those two counts the Samurai is extremely good. It's 10bit and 422.


The KPM, when I had one, recorded to CF cards which at the time were both expensive and had short recording times. I haven't looked to see if CF cards have come down in price or up in capacity very much.

For 8 bit, but extremely long battery life and recording times the Nanoflash beats them all. That's what I'd get for live events.

I'm watching to see when Dan tells us of their release date. I figure that's going to be the device for the future, especially if I upgrade to an F55 later.
 
I own all of them except the Odyssey, of course. I find myself going for the Pix240 most of the time for my F3 and F35. It's a brilliant device, never missed a beat and is engineered to work logically.
Cinedeck is a bit temperamental, but has every option you'd want for Codecs.
Samurai battery consumption is awesome. The pair of supplied batteries will last almost all day.

The Odyssey looks good, but don't hold your breath. Did they ever give Gemini users compressed option as promised to be released a year ago?
 
Have to disagree on the BMD Shuttle - where to begin - mini bnc connectors a very bad idea - delicate and temperamental. External power essential. Controls make mounting on an F3 difficult - I put velcro on the opposite side from their mounting plate so I could sandwich in between my AB plate and still see the controls. Record success even with their certified SSD's about 80%. No monitor. No audio meters. You have to take it out of pause every time the unit is powered up even with the camera trigger enabled. The wide open SSD port invites dirt and moisture. The only amazing thing is the price. Not a unit I would depend on for anything important. The Gemini is the perfect size, the monitor excellent and the single Sony LUT available gives a great de-logged image, controls intuitive, extremely efficient on power, and the unit rock solid. Obvious downside is the missing compressed codecs. When I got the F3 I was about to order the Pix until I physically saw one - it's very heavy, is power hungry, runs hot, has a complex menu system, and has had picture problems - uncharacteristic for Sound Devices. The Pix (and Codex) are simply to big for the F3 and diminish the small form factor advantage of the camera. Pix has great audio features which the F3 desperately needs. Atomos Blade sounds like the best option right now, although I haven't seen one. Since they went to real bnc connectors, I might buy one. Odyssey release date uncertain.
 
Pix 240 has no picture problems now of which I am aware. I have personally had no issues with the size of the Pix on the F3. I can likewise contend that Atomos has had problems in the past, but again as far as I know they have resolved those issues. Pix has the audio going for it. Blade has the WFM and Vectorscope as well as compact size. Pix 240i has ProRes 4444 which is really significant with the F3. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either. To me, the requirements of uncompressed combined with that miniature connector on the Shuttle places the Shuttle lower on my list. And I own one.

Ned
 
The BM definitely has its cons. I remember spending DAYS trying to trigger the deck from the camera after learning that like Barons says when you first turn it on, it is in "display playback mode" and you have to press "stop" on it before it will ever listen for the trigger from the camera.

But you get what you pay for and if its just for select jobs i'm sure it would get you by. In general I don't like any add-on because it always seems to either loosen or break on me.

Where is Scott by the way, he hasn't been back since he first posted his one and only post on DVX. Where's my tin foil hat?
 
On a budget I would jump at the Samurai which is so simple a baby can run it and its lightweight and reliable. I looked at the Blade and was a bit disappointed in the monitor. It had the features right but no control of the basic color on the monitor - contrast- sat - etc or deeper color controls. For me if it wants to act as a monitor it needs to be as good as my TV -logic and the Blade doesn't cut it yet. I haven't seen the Pix yet or obviously the Odyssey, but putting a good monitor in this recorders is a tall order . Even the TV Logic doesn't have completely reliable color but its pretty decent. Would be nice to have it all in one unit though wouldn't it.
 
PIX240 = all terrain environmental
peaking, false color, monochrome, zoom display
sturdy and reliable BNC SDI conectors,
paired with d-tap + dionic90 counterbalance for handheld and no timeframe power issues.
+ pristine audio meters and signal
4444 or 422 ProRes and all DNxHD flavors.
 
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