F65 For 6k on eBay

No bids. the description was very vague about the condition.
 
 
If someone stretches their budget to get on of those cameras, and tries to pitch these cameras to the dslr/mirrorless centric world, they are going to run into all kinds of issues. the camera pulls a lot of power with the SR-R1 recorder, and the weight requires a different camera language and workflow than the free form that mirrorless cameras enjoy. $10K is an awkward price range for old Arri's and F65. too much money for the amateurs and not a top pick for the pros.

I really like the idea of the F65, but perhaps it was Sony's attempt at being Sony, rather than a photographer's camera. Sony has consistently put out some of the very best video since I can remember. Incredible brand and people behind what they do. But at the end of the day, if the images of people are not resonating, then the camera is going to fade away.

What the F65 can do is pretty awesome, but for the form factor and pulling 100WH with a recorder and offloading 20megapixel raw 16bit.... you would have to be very committed to the aesthetics this camera captures. Considering this camera never really took off as the "aesthetic" camera, maybe this is more a niche for art nature shooters (not docu nature) or green screen studios?
 
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mcgeedigital said:
Well that kind of explains the price.
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Interesting. Do you do your on-set monitoring in 4K? Most of the shows and commercials I know of still monitor in 2K on set. I would venture to say there are other things that contribute more to the low price and acceptability of the F65. But definitely low prices.
 
abreu-canedo said:
Interesting. Do you do your on-set monitoring in 4K? Most of the shows and commercials I know of still monitor in 2K on set. I would venture to say there are other things that contribute more to the low price and acceptability of the F65. But definitely low prices.
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I believe he is commenting on the fact that not having 4K out over sdi eliminates the ability to use external recorders for 4K acquisition. 4K using the SR-R1 recorder is very heavy on file size and the work flow is computationally intensive at least that is what I recall hearing from others. I have not first hand experience with the F65 though.
 
dhessel said:
I believe he is commenting on the fact that not having 4K out over sdi eliminates the ability to use external recorders for 4K acquisition. 4K using the SR-R1 recorder is very heavy on file size and the work flow is computationally intensive at least that is what I recall hearing from others. I have not first hand experience with the F65 though.
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I see. F65 is not compatible with SR-R1. Its built to work with the SR-R4. But neither here nor there.
 
You can spend more on SR memory than the price of the camera. Memory price I bet was more of an impediment to acceptance than image quality. Even used it's still too much and I bet it was seldom purchased in sufficient quantity needed for projects.
 
The image that comes out of the F65 is stunning. Simply gorgeous.
But the whole camera system is an absolute BEAST.
It's big. It's HEAVY. The SR-R4 is a PITA. The power draw is enormous. And the the file size and format is also a real challenge to deal with.

But the IQ is pure art. I absolutely love it. LOVE IT.
The only way to realistically shoot with this camera is if you have AT LEAST one very capable camera assistant. A DIT too preferably.

However, in an indy feature setting with a decently experienced full crew - buying one of these for ten grand could really up your production quality.

FWIW - this is the only (or at least the first) digital camera that Woody Allen ever agreed to shoot on. There is a pretty interesting article out there with his Cinematographer on how they made the choice over all the other digital cameras.

*Tomorrowland
*Ex Machina
*Oblivion
*Lucy
*No Good Deed
*The Dark Horse
*..and of course Cafe Society (DP'd by Vittorio Storaro)
These were all shot on the F65
 
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dhessel said:
I believe he is commenting on the fact that not having 4K out over sdi eliminates the ability to use external recorders for 4K acquisition. 4K using the SR-R1 recorder is very heavy on file size and the work flow is computationally intensive at least that is what I recall hearing from others. I have not first hand experience with the F65 though.
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Correct.

In the 2nd-hand market being able to go to say an Odyssey recorder would make the camera more valuable, IMO.
 
I used to shoot a lot of SR-Lite when I had my F65. When I needed to go up in quality I rented extra cards and added a DIT to the budget. Most clients couldn't see a difference in the finished product.
 
I shoot F65 on indies, usually only with one AC. Honestly, it's just like any camera, just much heavier. I usually get an AC, but that's with any camera, even with the FS700. Not so much based on camera, but workflow...getting lenses, pulling focus on some shots, and doubling as Dolly Grip.

All cameras have pluses and minuses. The weight of the F65 and Alexa (same weight) are downsides in some regards...although really nice for handheld motion. For the price, I have found it really a great deal. I haven't found the SR-R4 to be complicated. The high-speed card reader was not as intuitive as I would have liked, though. That said, like anything, you learn it and it becomes second nature.

The cards have really come down in price. I've gotten two 256GB black sr cards for $600 each. I have a total of 1.5TB, which at 6:1 compression lasts more than a full day at 2hrs per TB.

I can't do steadicam with it, but a Shuttle Dolly and a Jib gets good motion for the size. I then use my FS700 with O7Q for steadicam shots. Cuts relatively well using ACES, given the quality difference.

I was thinking of getting a used Alexa classic, but I actually prefer the look of the F65 and the mechanical shutter...plus the 120fps from the F65 is reeeeally robust.

It's definitely not for everyone. And plus, people don't hire me for my camera, they hire me for my work. And the F65 has helped my to step into the top tier of color and DR. The highlight roll off isn't as good as Alexa, so that was the trade off.

Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect by any means. But I do believe it has been written off as not a good camera by many people who have never taken the time to learn it and maybe have seen a movie that they didn't like. But even the Alexa and film require learning and testing, and movies have been poorly shot with both. All have their ups and downs, just choose what's important to you. But for $10k, if you shoot exclusively scripted, it's a really good deal. So is an Alexa classic.

For me, Ex Machina, Testament of Youth, Oblivion, Anihilation (although not the only camera used) and Wonder Wheel have been some of the better examples of the F65. Not everyone will like Wonder Wheel, but it is a very specific and stylized look that I can appreciate.
 
David W. Jones said:
I used to shoot a lot of SR-Lite when I had my F65. When I needed to go up in quality I rented extra cards and added a DIT to the budget. Most clients couldn't see a difference in the finished product.
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http://www.lemac.com.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/sony/F65_Camera_TVPDF.pdf

220Mps 10bit 422, that is quite appealing and makes the whole workflow more manageable for the run of the mill shooting.

Edit: wait a second.... that is for 1080! Does it also do SR-Lite for 4K as an option?
 
IronFilm said:
http://www.lemac.com.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/sony/F65_Camera_TVPDF.pdf

220Mps 10bit 422, that is quite appealing and makes the whole workflow more manageable for the run of the mill shooting.

Edit: wait a second.... that is for 1080! Does it also do SR-Lite for 4K as an option?
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Unfortunately the compressed codecs are only 1080p.

To be perfectly honest, I've had my F65 for over 2 years now, and have never shot compressed codecs. I've only shot RAW (3:1 or 6:1). But I know that 12bit 444 is a big plus for many people and unfortunately F65 won't do that at 4k, as weird as it may seem.
 
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