F55: Highlights of the F5 & F55 Launch Event

Adamsenoj said:
To be fair, the Alexa is not really self contained either, neither is the Genesis, F35, F65 or a film camera for that matter. It has worked this far.
I agree with HDMI, which is just horrible. You need SDI. But I have never ever had a problem with an external recorder.
But yes, the frankenrigs do get ridiculous. But nothing wrong with a shoulder pad and handle bars. Arricams have been that way for decades.
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All of the cameras you listed were released with components such as side viewfinders, top handles, bases that conformed to existing iris rod standards, external battery mounts etc. as part of the standard package. The trend with cameras like the F3 and the recent Canons to forego this was incomprehensible to me. There's a difference between being able to strip a camera down to its basic components and not having been furnished those basics by the manufacturer in the first place.

I would disagree about the shoulder pad and handle rigs. Yes, Arri has made a variety of versions of this but many operators chose to forego those, preferring more minimal padding to keep the CG of the camera lower and holding onto the mattebox (not a clip-on, obviously). The Panavision shoulder pad that velcroed onto the body is about 1/3 the thickness of what I see in a lot of DSLR-sized shoulder mounts, somewhat hilarious considering that the payload is far less.

I do wonder about the trends I see in these rigs, such as handles that get longer and longer--how exactly does one tilt down when the handles project two feet below the camera body? when did this become necessary for the first time in cinema history?

And regarding external recorders--I've rarely NOT had a problem with them, across at least four manufacturers. I may be cursed on this but knock on wood, my track record is far better with internal recording and that's how I pick my cameras now.
 
Like Charles, I've also often wondered about the use of long handles and counterweights. I blame zacuto for all of it. It seems like the other manufacturers just copied what they were doing and people bought these components without thinking. I get the feeling that after the initial "rig" photos, none of this gear ever really works again.
I'm tired of seeing shoulder "rigs" with the evf up in the air and the camera sitting high above the shoulder, my neck hurts just looking at these pictures. All of this gear is trying to fix a problem that shouldn't really exist in the first place - the ergonomics of the camera. Red is as guilty of this as anyone - doesn't anyone talk to seasoned camera operators when they are building a camera?
I recently bought a solid camera evf mount for my fs700 and epic and know that when/if I buy a f55, it'll be all solid camera gear. Finally, a manufacturer that thinks about how equipment is used in the field. I'd put element-technica in this category as well.
 
I can't believe that Sony actually released the 4k option for the fs700. They should have just killed it. It's kinda embarrassing.... : )
 
Adamsenoj said:
To be fair, the Alexa is not really self contained either, neither is the Genesis, F35, F65 or a film camera for that matter. It has worked this far.
I agree with HDMI, which is just horrible. You need SDI. But I have never ever had a problem with an external recorder.
But yes, the frankenrigs do get ridiculous. But nothing wrong with a shoulder pad and handle bars. Arricams have been that way for decades.
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Yeah, I know, I was an AC for a while (90s). But when I put my F3 package together, I needed handheld right away and there were no SDI EVFs. Some on the horizon, but that didn't help me for what I needed to do right then.

And I would argue that the cameras you mention are a SYSTEM made by folks that understand how things need to work.

I admit I'm becoming a bit of a purist on the point...I'm willing to spend lots of money on a 5 or 55 mainly just because I can't deal with that stuff anymore. The actual picture/IQ parts of it are maybe only 33% of my goals.
 
Nate Weaver said:
I admit I'm becoming a bit of a purist on the point...I'm willing to spend lots of money on a 5 or 55 mainly just because I can't deal with that stuff anymore. The actual picture/IQ parts of it are maybe only 33% of my goals.
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I'm with Nate on that one, I am tired of the whole frankenrig stuff.
 
Oh, I'm definitely with you guys on the frankenrigs thing. Don't get me wrong. I hate the complex rigs. I just happen to find that handle bars, not long ones but the ones that connect straight to rods, without an extension arm, and a shoulder pad are very useful. The little strap on shoulder pad doesn't fly for me because I have a sloped down shoulder and it keeps sliding off and I have to keep adjusting it. I need a pad that stays on the camera.

I also totally agree with the "system" idea. It would be great if when these manufacturers put out cameras that clearly will need add-ons to be "operatable", that they would offer the add-ons themselves. I particular hate the C-300 shape because it's so useless. I much prefer a shape like the F3 or AF100, which are close to what an Alexa or real camera is shaped like.
 
LowDown said:
\ Red is as guilty of this as anyone - doesn't anyone talk to seasoned camera operators when they are building a camera?
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i was invited down to meet with the RED team while they were building the R1. Gave them a lot of insights on handheld ergonomics, including suggesting that the body be rotated sideways to make it low and wide (they showed me a prototype that did just that). I didn't see any of what we discussed show up on the finished body.

I also met with the Sony team and gave them my suggestions on the F3 successor, they seemed to have listened to us on that one!
 
I think Sony did listen. It seems that they have taken the best of Alexa and the best of Epic and made a camera that threatens both of them. I'm waiting to see some more footage to finally make my decision on buying one but I like the form factor already.
As for Red, I'll give them a pass on the Red one but some of the ergonomic decisions with the Epic are mind-boggling - the placement of the bnc, sync and power connectors for one, the fact that right out of the box, it needs a riser to get to standard lens height, the audio input placement and on and on. It does make a really pretty image though and the 55 needs to at least match it before sony gets my money.
The modularity of the f5/f55body is a huge step in the right direction.
 
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