F5: I have approx £20k to spend on a F5/F55 kit - advice needed!

Sparky874

Sparky874

Well-known member
Hi guys. I have about £20k to invest in some new kit. I am looking at either a Sony F5 and VF with some bits - or a F55 with VF only. I am going to go with the LCD viewfinder. I currently have a RED 17-50mm PL lens which I have used well with my F3 in the past. I do quite a bit of event work within sport so would need an longer option with glass. I can't afford a Cabrio 19-90mm but could maybe stretch to the canon 30-105mm lens which looks lovely. I am not sure how it would cut with the RED 17-50mm I currently have, so I could sell my RED, and just use my Tokina 11-16mm with adaptor for the wide angle work - missing out on the 16mm-30mm but you could live with this.

Any suggestions would be greatly fully received. Would love to get the kit by a week Friday to take out on a shoot in Singapore. The slow motion option would be lovely for this as its a ladies golf event.

What would you opt for - an F5 with lens etc / or an F55 with VF - and a workaround with other lens options.

Thanks, Sparky :tongue:
 
Do you want to spend £20g on a camera that cant film a lightshow, helicopter blades and cant even whip pan?

To me the 55 has to be the camera that will last you for years, GlobalShutter, 4k* compressed.

I think you are IN or you are OUT. If you are iN get right IN and build up the accs over time.

BTW I dont think you need a viewfinder, seems like an offbrand may work as well or better.

S


*intelligent or not 4k will be asked for soon, even today Im negotiating a shoot where they want to zoom/pan in post and I suggested 4k.
 
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yeah i have a f55 and would strongly advise to go that route...
f5 is great, no doubt, but f55 will last longer and have a better resale value. (even when i gets UHD internally which i strongly suspect...)
i use an Alphatron viewfinder on a Solidcamera Support with full Movcam Rig plus Movcam power distribution box... amazing value - is about the same price of the Sony Viewfinder alone...

i use mostly samyang primes... great value for money...
cheers
 
Do all the menu items come up on the Viewfinder if it is a third party one? I know at the launch of the new "F" series cameras this was a big issue.
 
krost-audiovisual said:
yeah i have a f55 and would strongly advise to go that route...
f5 is great, no doubt, but f55 will last longer and have a better resale value. (even when i gets UHD internally which i strongly suspect...)
i use an Alphatron viewfinder on a Solidcamera Support with full Movcam Rig plus Movcam power distribution box... amazing value - is about the same price of the Sony Viewfinder alone...

i use mostly samyang primes... great value for money...
cheers
Click to expand...

Thanks Stefan - what lenses are you using with what adapters for the longer shots please?
 
Andrew,
yes they do apart from waveform afaik (which is way better in the alphatron anyway) an 1:1 Pixel (which is a bit of a bummer really)...

Sparky
i have the 16mm, 24mm,35mm,85mm on an MTF adapter (also had for my F3 a chinese version which was actually good)
i also have some older nikon manual lenses 135mm f4 and 70-200mm f4, but they're not so great...
85mm is handheld already tricky, but with the Movcam Rig and my Wooden Cinegrips (the Aaton copies - don't know the name any more) very manageable...
i'd love to have the RED zooms, or a wonderful GL Cinemod 18-35 1.8 Sigma Converted lens that i tested at IBC.
but as always, i have to save up - and then i'd probably save some longer to get an Arri LWZ, Alura 28-80 or Angenieuxs or whatever ;-))
 
F55 all the way.

4k live out over SDI, global shutter, CFA, 4k XAVC, simultaneous 4k XAVC and HD MPEG proxy, 4k fibre option, and lastly cool silver FZ mount.

I would just add the Canon lens and keep the RED which would be handy for work where you might have 1st AC, etc...

If you sell the RED lens you can add a Tokina 16-50 to your set as well.
 
Andrew Stone said:
Do all the menu items come up on the Viewfinder if it is a third party one? I know at the launch of the new "F" series cameras this was a big issue.
Click to expand...

Waveform, Vector scope and histogram ALL come up on my Small DP6 monitor being fed by the sub-SDI. I'd imagine they'd be active with the HDMI as well. You have to select it specifically for it to come up on your various outputs. I dont own either of the Sony EVFs and the only thing Im really missing is the camera's peaking feature. My monitor has it's own though. One thing to watch out for; once I switched the camera to 60p base frame rate and my DP6 couldnt handle it. Needless to say thank god I wasnt on a job.

I wouldnt buy the F55 for just 4K XAVC alone unless your clients are really asking for it. I have no first hand inside info but I along with others have a sneaking suspicion 4K or UHD XAVC might be coming to the F5 as a paid option in the future. However if the 55 doesnt break your bank, go for it!
 
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Speaking of exposure tools, incase folks aren't aware, even though Sony did implement some exposure tool options i have to say they are an absolute joke and I continue to have to rely on external monitor exposure tools. Mainly I'm referring to the waveform monitor which comes up as a tiny thumbnail without any markings whatsoever. Good luck finding 32% for slog2 , etc.. Having said that they did implement "false color" but this exposure tool is done by the VF not the camera body, so you won't get it with a 3rd party monitor. (but probably your 3rd party monitor has it's own false color anyway)
 
Would I be able to use my TVLogic monitor VFM-056W as a VF mounted on a noga arm? Are there mount holes on the F5 or F55's body I could use - or do I have to buy armor to mount it? This seems like a potential way forward. I have to say that I won't really need to shoot 4k for a while, and global shutter aside, the F5 looks very interesting. Lots of bang for the buck. I could probably afford that and the canon 30-105mm zoom, which would be a very versatile combination. I have read some very positive reviews of this lens and it would allow you to cover more ENG type jobs too. Thanks as ever, Sparky
 
I've never been a VF fan even though I have the Sony OLED. I typically mount my 7" ext LCD to the top of the camera handle using a tiny ball head or use a noga arm and have it out front and to one side.

Works like a charm.
 
Here are two photos of how I mount my DP6 monitor. I use Zacuto male & female 15mm bits to either under mount the monitor when on sticks or over mount it when going hand held. I have a Cine-Lock on the most forward part of my handle so the monitor will extend as far forward as necessary for hand held. This is a old photo I shot to remind myself of a mic mounting solution and doesnt show the whole set up or the monitor extended all the way forward. FYI

I've since bought a Vocas top plate that works with both the Sony handle or their own. It has way more 1/4-20 and 3/8th holes in it, also have some tapped on the side of the plate which proved great for mounting shotgun and audio pack.

photo 2.jpgphoto.jpg

vocas-0350-1300-cheese-plate-for-pmw-f5-f55.jpg
 
Thanks so much for taking time to post those great pictures. Can you go handheld with that set up and with the Canon 15-47mm lens? Looks like a lovely piece of glass - I was looking at the Canon 30-105 mm, have you used one?
 
Here is a pic of a similar ball head I use to mount my monitor on the handle. All you need to do is get a 1/4"-20 threaded rod 1" long and you can then screw the ball head right onto your handle.

394669.jpg
 
I havent used the 30-105 yet, this one was a rental and the whole shoot was on sticks. Im sure it would be fine hand held, wasnt that heavy really. It might not work for you as you need a longer focal length but with the new center scan feature, the 15.5-47 becomes a 31-94 so to speak. Two lenses for the price of one! I was really impressed with the lens; from image quality, lack of breathing, par-focal and smooth as butter mechanics. I'd still buy the Angenieux Optimo DP 16-42mm if I was buying for no other reason then to hate on Canon. Haha..
 
I forgot about the center scan mode - that would make the Canon 30-105 : a 60-210mm lens - very handy!
 
I don't really get a 30-xx lens - it is not wide - I suppose mixed with an 18 prime it makes a nice set - but I have a 18 and 35-70 manual photo lenses at a fraction of the cost.

I think the red lens + centre scan would be basically perfect
 
Sony F55.jpg

Here's our config for the show I'm on. As you can see the TV Logic plays nicely with the F55. Improvements going forward will include better hand grips (rosette bridge with arms, this rig is heavy), offset some weight behind the camera with rods and A/B plate, and Odyssey 7Q for monitoring and focus pulling. Also adding Bartech and Terradek.

I'm new to the F55 but I feel it offers so many options and functionality that it's easy to admire. Especially those high frame rates. Coming from the F3, the F55 feels like a natural progression. Actually my F3 is working as "B" cam on this show and mixing nicely.
 
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