Halloween 2013: putting the NEX-5N codec to the test

Samuel H

Samuel H

Major Contributor
Shot with Flaat settings, at ISO between 200 and 1600, and then very heavily graded: I added tons of contrast (seriously, I had never used this kind of curves before), and very aggressive color casts (blue shadows, green midtones, yellow highlights).

My conclusion: the codec does break down with very fast motion and things like a foliage pan, but for regular stuff it's ok.



SpeedBooster, Leitz Elmarit-R 24mm f/2.8 wide open, Flycam Nano (which I'm still learning to operate, as you'll notice).




edit: just so you get an idea of how strong the grade is... this is the image right out of the camera:
00019.MTS_snapshot_00.12_[2013.11.27_20.19.10].jpg
 
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that was really nice !
I just got myself a nex-6 to have fun with all the lenses i use with my FS100s, i wonder if your flaat setting apply as well.
I'll do some test this week end ;)
 
I'm guessing they will work just as well. A simple thing to check is whether at ISO 100 my settings give you considerably more headroom in the shadows than the usual dialed-down Neutral.

Also: remember that footage from these cameras is recorded as 0-109 range, you'll probably have to add 16-235 output levels to get good highlights.
 
It is a very capable little toy indeed!
And cheap too. I bought mine second-hand a year ago for next to nothing. For people starting out on a tight budget, it's a no-brainer.
 
5N is discontinued, 5R is the newer model. I think there's not much difference, but I'm not sure if some important details have changed. In particular, it's the same image sensor, and the same processor. The 5R has hybrid AF (only with supported lenses), and two dials (the 5N has only one) that's about it.

The NEX-6 seems to be the same again, but with an EVF, a decent interface for the tripod (the 5N shape sucks big time in this respect), and a hot shoe.
 
Wow.....it's shocking that such a small camera can output stuff that looks that good. Great job on the grading!

Dave
 
Thanks!

I cheated a bit with the grading: I went there with my photography club, they posted their images much faster than I edited my video, I took their best image and used it as reference :)

Just so you get an idea of how strong the grade is, I've posted an original image in the first post
 
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