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I'm actually still a bit irked by Canon's marketing of "15-stops" of DR with the C300 Mk2, and then it was shown repeatedly that others were unable to duplicate their numbers even under the most optimistic counting. Then Canon made a statement to someone/somewhere (can't recall who) than Canon was counting in a way that was basically meaningless to their customers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0-qoXOCOow
In reference to filters and bloomy highlights. Here are a series of images with the canon Compact Cinema Zooms paired with various strengths of black promist or HBM.
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Here's a good examples: First two images, 1/4 black promist shot in Log2/Production camera.
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These below, nearly same setup, but shot WIDE DR without filtration.
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Here are some images with a much cheaper lens (24mm pancake)and no filtration:
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Specs are rather irrelevant if the image itself isn't as good.
Maybe specs show the Varicam having more color information than the Alexa, but I still find the Alexa's colors a good step better than the Varicam. And the F65 looks better than the Varicam to my eye as well.
Varicam has a pretty comparable image to the C300 Mark II to my eye, perhaps slightly better, but I prefer the C300 Mark II's feature set, work-ability, and ergonomics better than the Varicam LT.
Amira is also a way better camera than the Varicam LT (perhaps aside from low light), of course at a much higher price.
In my limited (judging by the viewfinder and LCD image) testing of the Varicam at B&H Photo, I found 5000 ISO to be pretty noisy, perhaps worse than the C300 Mark II's 5000 ISO. It's kind of a gimmick how they market 5000 ISO to be about as clean as 800 ISO when it's actually a lot noisier. Sure, you can add noise reduction, but that doesn't change how much noisier it is to start with, and a lot of quick turn around productions don't have time to add noise reduction in post.
I'd also say that one of the biggest issues with the Varicam LT at least for now, from an owner/op standpoint, is that it's not a proven and popular camera, so it'd likely be a more difficult sell to producers as an owner/op. Of course if you're producing your own content, then this aspect wouldn't matter nearly as much.
The C300 Mark II, on the other hand, is the step up from the very proven and popular camera, the C300 Mark I. Arri Amira is the step down from the very popular Arri Alexa. FS7 is a step up from the FS700, and step down from the F5/F55, both popular cameras. Varicam LT is the new kid on the block, a step down from the also pretty new and never popular Varicam 35. That makes it a tougher sell as it has no popular camera from which it is following up.
Producers are often a good 2-4 years behind the current tech, so often aren't familiar with newer cameras, hence why some producers still ask for 5D's even though there are now better cameras than the 5D at a similar price point. Thus, when a new camera is a followup to an older camera, such as a producer who likes the C300 Mark I, as many have, then having a C300 Mark II will generally make those producers happy, as well as other producers who are more up-to-date on current tech.
Was it shown repeatedly? All I remember was one source (Cinema5D) stating a lower dynamic range than advertised, everybody made a big hullabaloo about that one source, which in my opinion and many others' opinions had very flawed methods for testing, while several other reputable sources (such as Geoff Boyle, Alan Roberts, and Philip Bloom) agreed it was pretty much as advertised, at 15 stops.
thinking the camera was overpriced and them being annoyed they couldn't afford it, so they were overly eager to accept the idea that the camera they wanted but couldn't afford was not as great as advertised.
Originally Posted by Eric Coughlin
"Was it shown repeatedly? All I remember was one source (Cinema5D) stating a lower dynamic range than advertised, everybody made a big hullabaloo about that one source, which in my opinion and many others' opinions had very flawed methods for testing, while several other reputable sources (such as Geoff Boyle, Alan Roberts, and Philip Bloom) agreed it was pretty much as advertised, at 15 stops".
It was.
I said I prefer the ergonomics of the C300 Mark II. You can't really disagree with what I personally prefer.We disagree here. Ergonomically the LT is a home run, work-ability is directly related and it's a breeze to use. The LT has more frame rates including 60FPS 4K, it's not a porcupine with buttons, has a real EVF, user changeable PL/EF, I can go on but I think you get the point.
This depends on what it is that you are doing. I love the Amira, but the Amira is also larger, more expensive, and can't be used for Netflix produced original series so it is by no means a one-size fits all.
Well that's not my market. My market is doc, corporate, event, and lower budget narrative and commercial. The higher end market is a smaller niche, the mid-range and lower end market has more work, more rent-ability, etc. Often at the top end they rent the best that is available, which often doesn't coincide with what an own/op owns, so they get it from an rental agency instead. Look at Charles Pappert on DVXuser, doing high end work, but he doesn't own a high end camera. One shoot he's using an Alexa, the next a Varicam, and so on and so forth. Owning makes less sense in the high end. In the mid-range and lower end they're more willing to go with the camera package that you happen to have, even if it's not the best there is for the shoot, because they'll save money by going with your package and saving a little money on gear rental is more important when the budget is smaller. So to say the Varicam LT is successful in the high end but not as successful in the mid-range and lower end, is not assuring for an owner/op looking for the next camera to purchase. It may be assuring if you're a rental agency.One thing you missed is that LT is also an easier sale to bigger budget broadcast/cable/streaming production standpoint, far more than the C300 Mark 2. There's more Varicams in the high-end professional rental market than the C300 Mark 2, with something like 14 series now calling it their A-camera. I believe Panavision owns well over 30x V35 cameras alone. There may very well be more C300 Mark 2 at lower end rental facilities and the ShareGrid services, but these are not the same folk generally providing the primary camera package to major productions.
Sure, a camera with no past camera to build on can become popular. Every camera system has to start somewhere. I was just saying that without a past it would probably take more to build up in popularity. More time to prove itself. And more of a risk for early adopters.I'm going to disagree with this thoery. I believe that cameras find their own strata and would argue that a camera will find a home where they are meant to, rather than because they are a step above or below another product.
I've been involved with the launch of 8-different cameras systems and I can tell you with some authority that it take about a year for a brand new camera format to penetrate the market at the high end. Varicams are higher-end cameras and the rental rates reflect that. It's really unfair to say that the Varicam was "never" popular when the V35 is still quite young and already has far more A-camera broadcast shows using it than Canon does with the Mark 2.
Hey, I'm all for the Arri Amira which I do not own but am a fan of. The Varicam LT, I was more of a fan of until I got my hands on it in person. Then I decided I didn't like it for many different reasons. I did a topic on the Varicam here: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?347533-Varicam-LT-First-ImpressionsYou know I think this sort of thing goes on all the time. It's been proven that there are many folks who personally associate themselves with the brands they purchase and treat criticism of the brand as a personal attack.
I also think that there are others who feel like they are being told they are somehow "less than" because they are working with lower end equipment, or just starting out in the business. This insecurity has always puzzled me. I see it somewhat more often in millennials, but really I think it's not so much generational as it is that the person offended sees themself as an professional imposter and they are worried about being exposed. These people pretend to be professionals and their ego takes a brusing when actual professional filmmakers and camera folk have a contrary (and a generally correct) point of view based on experience. Camera people and filmmakers get a bad rap from people who have never worked in the industry, but in my experience they are some of the nicest, kindest, most humble people you'll ever meet. I think that why even today the idea of mentorship hasn't gone away in the camera crafts and that for those who are "doing it right" there are always people further up the skyscraper sending the elevator back down to help out.
I said I prefer the ergonomics of the C300 Mark II. You can't really disagree with what I personally prefer.
The Varicam LT does not have a proper LCD screen
The control module on the Varicam LT is a joke. I hate it. From what I gathered it can't even be well secured (without gaff tape) for Steadicam use
I often prefer the more stable look of monopod shots over shoulder mounted shots
The Varicam LT's viewfinder does not position far from the body of the camera, which can make for difficult placement of fitting your eye inbetween the camera and the viewfinder.
Even so, on the shoulder, the Varicam LT didn't feel great. The balance just wasn't quite there. The Amira was much better balanced.
Netflix is a pretty small percentage of TV productions.
Look at Charles Pappert on DVXuser, doing high end work, but he doesn't own a high end camera. One shoot he's using an Alexa, the next a Varicam, and so on and so forth. Owning makes less sense in the high end.
I'd say the camera failed to sell, and thus why they released the Varicam LT at a much lower price point, which can do most of what the Varicam 35 could do. Because the Varicam 35 failed to sell well.
Well that's not my market. My market is doc, corporate, event, and lower budget narrative and commercial.
Because I work primarily in the lower end and mid-range markets doesn't make my opinion on mid-range to high end cameras invalid.
The first thing Canon says is that the C300 Mark II is for "Cinema," not the last. So I don't buy this argument at all.The C300 Mark II is not marketed as a high end camera.
I'd either get an Amira or C700.
Haven't seen what you saw in any of the V35 or LT stuff I've shot. At 5000 it's beautiful, quieter than any camera at that ISO, and I believe I've seen them all. I've rated the V35 up at 30,000 ISO and was ending up with noise pattern similar to other cameras shooting at 2000 ISO.
Where do they differ the most, with respect to image, in your opinion?
Then Canon made a statement to someone/somewhere (can't recall who) than Canon was counting in a way that was basically meaningless to their customers.
Now that the embargo is lifted I can share this shot from our Amira. Sorry I don't have a side by side with the Canon to compare.
There's a lot of dynamic range in the explosion, and note the detail in the vapor from the combustion of the gas bomb. Very impressed overall.
https://vimeo.com/174626728
Illya Friedman, Hot Rod Cameras, a Panasonic seller.
You have been exposed already, would you go away from Canon forum, please.
I can't even read you're latest messages anymore, you are getting embarrassing.
The biggest hacks, they end up selling the gear?
Embarrassing, not only for you and your company, but you are making bad name for Panasonic users also.
I can't even read you're latest messages anymore, you are getting embarrassing.
The biggest hacks, they end up selling the gear?