Is the camera viable for weddings/run and gun?

P

Phil1076

Well-known member
I've been reading up on this new cam and the low light sensitivity has really sparked my interest. Is this camera a viable solution for weddings? Are there any lenses out there for this cam which have full time auto focus?

Thanks
 
The lenses that will give you auto focus are the e-mount lenses. Any other lens with an adapter will limit your auto functions. The camera is good in low light, but you may want to get a lens that is faster than the e-mount lenses currently offered. If you get a faster (wider aperture) lens and use the Sony adapter, you'll have manual iris control with the wheel on the camera, but you won't be able to use it live, because the aperture will flicker and you'll get a loud clicking noise while adjusting the iris. There are adapters out there that have their own manual aperture control ring, but I haven't checked their quality yet, or how quiet they are and whether they will cause vignetting. If you're using good lighting, the e-mount lenses may be good, though be aware that the zooms do not offer constant aperture as far as I know.
 
The aperture flash / click is nasty, but using the Heliopan Variable ND fader solves both of these issues. As sensitive as the camera is I was using the fader on a f1.4 lens indoors with available light , and it made everything smooth and quiet.
 
So Matteo, did you keep the lens wide open at 1.4 and adjust with the ND, then ? What kind of lens are you using, btw. and are you happy with it ? I'm using the Tamron 28-75. It seems sharp, but there is a strange "image shift" when I rack focus somtimes.

PS. What kind of adapter are you using ?
 
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I just stepped out of the office to go play with this camera at the local dealer...it looked impressive and I was relieved to see autofocus on the kit lens. I wonder if the sensor size and overall low light sensitivity of the camera will make up for the slowness of the lense....after thinking about it, though, I think the lack of ND filters may be a deal breaker.

I've searched for variable ND filters but do you guys have an extra model number or link to B&H? Am I correct in believing that I can just screw in the ND filter and leave it on all the time...does it have a clear pass-thru as well as ND?
 
The lack of ND filters and the placement of the EVF are more of a hindrance than autofocus. You shouldn't trust robots to do your job for you.
 
I actually bought this camera because a client hired me to shoot a wedding and they wanted a Blu ray deliverable. It worked
just great! I have also shot some sports with it which worked well. If you want to use it in a run and gun type shoot, you
will probably want to buy the kit lens. The kit lens is slow, but has auto focus and auto iris. The manual iris wheel also
works smoothly with no clicks or 'steps' in the iris, so you can 'ride' the iris without the audience knowing it.
It's a nice combination for this type of shooting.

There are a couple issues however. The first thing, is that this is a 'slow' lens. This isn't much of a problem in shooting
low light though (well, it is in REALLY low light, but even with a 'slow' lens it will be better than most other cameras.)
This super 35 chip is so sensitive that you will need ND outdoors anyways (more on this in a sec). The gain is REALLY clean
as well, so you can gain up and shoot in low light and it actually still looks really good, even with +18 or +21 of gain.
You can go all the way up to +30 and even there it isn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be, just a really clean
looking image even at high gain levels.

The biggest issue here, is that you may not get the shallow depth of field you are thinking you will get, as you will
need a faster lens for that. Still, at the longer focal lengths, you do get some pretty shallow depth of field, so it's a
compromise obviously....kind of like the lens itself....kind of 'good' overall but not 'GREAT' at anything.

The second issue is the ND. You WILL need some ND for shooting outdoors. If you have the money, I will tell you right now,
buy the Heliopan variable ND filter. It is absolutely awesome! Put it on the kit lens, and you now have a absolutely GREAT
run and gun camera. As usual, the tradeoff here is the cost, the Heliopan costs about $400. However, I will tell you,
it is worth every single penny. It does NOT have a clear pass through either, you are getting ND 0.3 - ND 2.0. In
other words, from 1 to 6.6 stops of ND. If you are outdoors, you will ALWAYS want to have the ND on, as it will be
needed. If you are indoors, you may run into situations with the slow kit lens where you wish it wasn't on.
You then either have to screw it off, or increase the (very clean) gain. It is a compromise like many things about
this camera.

You may want to look at the AF-100 as it has built in ND's. I bought this camera because of the absolutely STUNNING
images it puts out. But it has more 'issues/workarounds' than the AF-100. However, I knew this going in, and was
prepared/willing to deal with them....because I liked the image a bit better than the image from the AF-100. That being
said, the AF-100 looks really good as well, and you don't have to deal with external ND. I do think the Sony kit lens is
better than anything offered for the AF 100 for run and gun, as it 'talks' with the camera and works really well. Neither
one of these cameras is 'great' for run and gun, in the same way something like the EX-1 or HMC-150 would be. But you can
make them work, just have to know going in what the issues might be. With the FS-100, the kit lens, and the Heliopan
variable ND, you have a pretty good camera for doing 'quick & dirty' shooting where you don't have time to script and set
up everything.
 
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AndyInBuffalo said:
I'm using the Tamron 28-75. It seems sharp, but there is a strange "image shift" when I rack focus somtimes.
Click to expand...

That's whats know as your lens breathing. Most lenses with have this unless they are a cinema lens, even tv shows/movies will have a lens that breathes, its just kinda how it is.
 
Only reason to get the kit lens IMO is to run and gun or do weddings... which it should work fine for.

Guys are shooting wedding a 7D's, so this camera - whatever it's weaknesses might be - has got to be better then using a DSLR.

I'll say this though - the AF100 seems much more appropriate for weddings - it just seems like faster, more practical camera -while the FS100 seems to be the better bet for narratives.
 
alaskacameradude said:
I actually bought this camera because a client hired me to shoot a wedding and they wanted a Blu ray deliverable. It worked just great!
I have also shot some sports with it which worked well. If you want to use it in a run and gun type shoot, you will probably want to buy
the kit lens. The kit lens is slow, but has auto focus and auto iris. The manual iris wheel also works smoothly with no clicks or 'steps'
in the iris, so you can 'ride' the iris without the audience knowing it. It's a nice combination for this type of shooting. There are a
couple issues however. The first thing, is that this is a 'slow' lens. This isn't much of a problem in shooting low light though....
this super 35 chip is so sensitive that you will need ND outdoors anyways (more on this in a sec). The gain is REALLY clean as well,
so you can gain up and shoot in low light and it actually still looks really good, even with +18 or +21 of gain. You can go all the
way up to +30 and even there it isn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be, just a really clean looking image even at high
gain levels. The biggest issue here, is that you may not get the shallow depth of field you are thinking you will get, as you will
need a faster lens for that. Still, at the longer focal lengths, you do get some pretty shallow depth of field, so it's a compromise
obviously....kind of like the lens itself....kind of 'good' overall but not 'GREAT' at anything. The second issue is the ND. You WILL
need some ND for shooting outdoors. If you have the money, I will tell you right now, buy the Heliopan variable ND filter. It is absolutely
awesome! Put it on the kit lens, and you now have a absolutely GREAT run and gun camera. The biggest issue here is the cost, the Heliopan
costs about $400. However, I will tell you, it is worth every single penny. It does NOT have a clear pass through either, you are getting
ND 0.3 - ND 2.0. In other words, from 1 to 6.6 stops of ND. If you are outdoors, you will ALWAYS want to have the ND on, as it will be needed.
If you are indoors, you may run into situations with the slow kit lens where you wish it wasn't on. You either have to screw it off, or increase
the (very clean) gain. It is a compromise like many things about this camera. You may want to look at the AF-100 as it has built in ND's.
I bought this camera because of the absolutely STUNNING images it puts out. But it has more 'issues/workarounds' than the AF-100. However,
I knew this going in, and was prepared/willing to deal with them....because I liked the image a bit better than the image from the AF-100.
That being said, the AF-100 looks really good as well, and you don't have to deal with external ND. I do think the Sony kit lens is better
than anything offered for the AF 100 for run and gun, as it 'talks' with the camera and works really well. Neither one of these cameras is
'great' for run and gun, in the same way something like the EX-1 or HMC-150 would be. But you can make them work, just have to know going
in what the issues might be. With the FS-100, the kit lens, and the Heliopan variable ND, you have a pretty good camera for doing
'quick & dirty' shooting where you don't have time to script and set up everything.
Click to expand...

My eyes.... my eyes....
 
I do stuff that needs Run and Gun, mostly corporate events and jollies. The EX1s have ruled supreme in this sector. Half inch chips are just about enough to offer good low light performance and background separation using a bit of selective focus for voxpops and ad-hoc interviews. Take one camera, add two batteries, enough cards and a monopod, and you can cover just about all the R&G you need and bring back great images.

The FS100 has been the consumate Interview Machine, Beauty Shot Magnet, General View Acquisitor and Closeup Queen. Having done tests comparing the FS100, EX1 and 5D in interview tests, whilst I love a couple of the 5D shots, the FS100 muscles in and is a contender in so many ways. It really is a DSLR replacement.

But it is NOT an EX1 replacement.

You'll be futzing over lenses - some go this way, others go that way to infinity... and some go beyond if your adaptor isn't perfect.

The Sony lens gives you Image Stabilisation and Autofocus, but I found the AF too slow and inaccurate, AND there's no manual override. The lens actuation has a latency to it, as does the zoom. The f-stop of the lens, even 'wide' open, brings it inline with 2/3" chips and even 1/2" chips if you judge harshly. I did side by sides with the EX1 and FS100 to check this out.

If I had to take 1 camera to a big event to shoot R&G, I'm still taking my EX1R.

But on almost every other shoot, I'll be packing an FS100.

The 5D is still an awesome camera, the FS100 is close to doing what it does a little better and with 'video' controls and no limitations. It can do Run & Gun, but only if you're willing to dress up like Rambo with lenses in pockets, pouches for viewfinders and a rig of some sorts to help you shoot handheld without IS.

PS: EX1s and DSLRs do killer timelapse, FS100 does not. Good and bad about that. You may consider an FS100 with DSLR (stills and timelapse on DSLR whilst you pick up on FS100) or FS100 and EX1R (Travel around with handheld EX1 whilst FS100 takes care of interviews, GVs and beauty shots on a tripod - where it's very happy, to be honest). FS100 is a team camera, not a primadonna.
 
IMO its almost perfect wedding camera - with the kit lens its very EX1 ish and you can slap on a small simple prime when you have a moment for some bokeh porn

Matt - you can try the kit lens in manual mode and keep a finger near the AF button - basically keep it down and you are in AF mode - let go and you are manually over riding it !

S
 
MattDavis said:
The Sony lens gives you Image Stabilisation and Autofocus, but I found the AF too slow and inaccurate, AND there's no manual override. The lens actuation has a latency to it, as does the zoom. The f-stop of the lens, even 'wide' open, brings it inline with 2/3" chips and even 1/2" chips if you judge harshly. I did side by sides with the EX1 and FS100 to check this out.
Click to expand...

That said Matt, would you still buy it knowing what you know now? I've some wildly varying reviews - some swear by it, others pretty well trash it.

It's a pretty expensive lens, esp you have to by it by itself.
 
Matt, thanks SO much for your analysis of the EX1 and the FS100. I've been struggling with how I'll integrate the '100 into my workflow alongside my EX1. I kept trying figure out if the '100 was going to be the "b-roll" camera to my EX1 or the other way around. I think you really summed it up very well. Thank you!
 
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