F5: Confused on Capabilities.

When I shoot with cameras that will allow it and especially those with lower bit-depths (like 7D, GH2, F3, EX1, etc..) I always dial in my white balance if I can. I rarely try to auto white balance to white or grey card, as I always find some insane crazy shift to reds on Sony, and green on the others. Also my daylight or tungsten balanced flos aren't exactly 5600k, 3200k, etc.. so again I dial in my temperature as much as I can.

That's changed since I started shooting s-log since on the F5/F55 you are locked to three color temperature settings. On the F3 if you use the s-log gamma through the picture profile you can still dial in your temperature so I always liked that function on the F3.

These guys talk about dialing in color temp on the GH2 and improving results; http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?278038-GH2-White-balancing

On another thread I quickly found on the Fs100/Fs700 it would seem the FS700 are infamous for green spikes even with tungsten lights. I would send that puppy back to Sony service for a look at. Some others have had a service of the FS700 update and say the colors improved.

Again maybe its just me but I wouldn't trust a camera's auto balance, plus with fixed prime lenses you have the problem of filling the frame with the gray card and the minute you take it out of your lighting and bring it closer to your camera you are asking for an inaccurate reading. Same reason I don't use my camera to determine exposure and use light meters instead... but that's another story all together.

I'd say go for a F5 if you can. You won't regret it and it offers far more than a pimped out F3.

Let us know what you finally decide, post some pics, we're all curious by now for sure!
 
White balance.

The thing is this. Many light situations are not on the kelvin scale with tint at zero.

-shooting in a car with tinted windows (they all have a mild tint)
-modern offices have a mild tint to the windows I guess to keep aircon costs down
-puke lights

Small locations I will turn the lights off where possible and use my tungstens but large locations its not possible.

So consider that office with tinted windows. you know that a kelvin scale setting wont work because you know there is a tint.
Thats why I use a grey card - and yep its annoying because filling the frame with it may not be easy.
Interestingly I lost my kodak gray card for yesterdays shoot and balanced of the walls - I think my results were better - so maybe sony cameras need a white card not a grey card.
If the camera AWB off a card does not produce grey (for example 100.100,100) then IMO it is faulty and should go back

Yesterdays shoot. https://vimeo.com/70546583 pwd bcu

Some of my skins are OK and some just clip into horror red - seems to be when the sun came out - im on stacked hard ND for all of it so maybe im getting IP polluition.

That shoot is OK, but not brilliant!

S
 
Ryan from the vimeo video has replied;

Ryan said:
"The only lighting source was the overheads already installed. I'm not too sure about how frequent the bulbs are replaced, but this was my second time shooting at this particular location, so I knew what to expect in terms of lighting - the room itself is very well lit, however I did some additional work in post production to achieve this look. Cheers Dennis, thanks for watching!"
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for following up on that video. I'm still amazed.

When I'm lighting, I do white balance with a card on every setup. Sometimes I'll see something wonky and go again but that has worked for me. The exception is when there is something to the color of the light I need to preserve. For instance, I shot a promo for a theater piece and the light on the stage was gelled somewhat amber or straw and of course the manual white balance negated that aesthetic. Add to it that I was covering it with someone who had a Canon and preset 3200 worked better.

Morgan, that office stuff looked good. (I know about the red ;) ) Do you use a slider for those architectural shots or is that a dolly or stabilizer?
 
I thought they had a little more on them then the usual slider. Thanks! The push in shot of the stairs is really beautiful.
 
Its on the 28-85 probably about 35 - which is long - I did it on the 18 too but actually preferred the longer lens although its kind of illogical as it compresses the move

S
 
Yow, something seriously wrong with those skin tones. The rest looks great.
I don't know if that's IR weirdness or what from the ND's. My advice...trade that box in for an F3 or F5. You'll never regret it.
Good Luck!
 
JCummings said:
Yow, something seriously wrong with those skin tones. The rest looks great.
I don't know if that's IR weirdness or what from the ND's. My advice...trade that box in for an F3 or F5. You'll never regret it.
Good Luck!
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So two pages ago you were saying not to moan about codecs and now "the camera must go" :)

it is strange my exposure changes half a stop and the look takes a nose dive!
 
I don't think that sunburn on your subjects is a codec issue. And I certainly wouldn't take another paying outdoor gig until I figured out what the problem is. Bad ND maybe?
The FS100 is a tool of the devil if you ask me. A nice used F3 might help you sleep better.
 
.. with an FS100 what am I supposed to do? I have minimum ISO, a 1.3 and a 0.9 stacked (formatt glass) and am still pushed into the F11 region.

With the f5 im really gonna test it out because I feel these cameras are a mine field, Im happy with the FS100 for the cost but the 5 is a different cost class..

And the grade of that vid... https://vimeo.com/70577896 pwd bcu I did manage to sort the skins a little given that I was on a hard dealine so had about an 30mins to run the whole edit through resolve.

S
 
Hey Sam,

We've all been through the red issues with the 100, the 700 doesn't suffer in the same way at all. Slog, even at 8 bit, helps a lot. For monitoring tools then the O7 solution would give you an enormous set of tools for waveform/exposure and focus. The 700 would mean you can still use all the same lenses. The F5 mount would need different adapters, more expensive and some of which aren't available too.

I seem to remember that you were ergonomically okay with the 100, so the 700 would follow suit.

I've priced up an F5 compared to 700 with O7 and for me, the 700 wins hands down. I don't rent kit out so that's not an issue. I don't see that much of a difference between a 700 and F5, the 55 on the other hand would be a lot more interesting...

cheers
Paul
 
Well Ive shot a bit of 700 and seen some work with it (shot by my chums so I know the shoot situation)

IMO just 8bit is thin and 8bit in a 10bit wrapper is.. just 8bit

Generally I find 80% of corporate video by everybody terrible - (C300, C100, EX F100/700 all of it - so im not singling out the 700)

Slog - im far from convinced http://www.fstopacademy.com/blog/s-log-2-graded-and-files-for-download/

Im not one for spaghetti junction offbrand recorders if it can be helped

I just think the 5 is a really tidy package - if the codecs are robust - as for cost - it seems to stack against the 700+sony recorder which is a total mess

and cost is relative - my most expensive ever camera was my 7d which I owned for maybe two months before the FS100 superceded it, meaning a huge monthly cost as I sold it and got the FS - which has cost what £1g per year?

Cost is not upfront cost but cost of life minus end sale price minus any rental fees/biillables.

As for lens adapters Im nikon manual all the way so a single adapter will see me good and be proper solid unlike the nex mount which is a little pony but not bad.

I spose I should have a go with it.

I think Ill test the F5 against my D3 stills camera - that should be fun :)

S
 
morgan_moore said:
Its on the 28-85 probably about 35 - which is long - I did it on the 18 too but actually preferred the longer lens although its kind of illogical as it compresses the move

S
Click to expand...

Yes, it does compress the move, for sure but it maintains the vertical aspects of the picture with less distortion so I think it works really well.

I'm hoping for you on the F5. I really want to pull the trigger on one before September and have benefitted from the conversation in this thread. We'll see. I have an AF100 so I know about working in that class regarding color clipping, etc. I've learned a ton and can still get some great images from it but the F5 is a big step up for me.
 
Doug Jensen said:
I can tell you that if I just blindly followed the advice I've been reading here and at other forums regarding best practices for exposure and other settings, I'd be dead wrong. Keep in mind that a lot of people offering advice have never actually taken the time to do their own testing, they are just repeating what they have heard or are assuming based on specifications.
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Any original F55 findings you'd care to share with us?
 
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