Just got a new camera - Sony F35
- Thread starter macgregor
- Start date
Viddovation
Veteran
So, some of you might find this interesting, particularly those still looking to join the club... https://vimeo.com/99784406
The black backdrop interviews in the piece were shot by me on the Sony F35 for the client production company who edited the piece. The other content is not F35, not shot by me. The video plays in 720p on Vimeo, but I was able to download a compressed 1080p version.
The style my client wanted was very specific - the lack of a fill light is completely intentional. The lights were a Arri L7-C set at 3.2k and a softbox for key, and a Diva Lite 200w with 3.2k tubes for a backlight. The camera was shot in S-Log and graded in post. My client mirrored (flopped) some of the interview subjects in post - there's an error with one who has backwards lettering showing!
If you pixel peep, you may spot a hot pixel. I need to correct it in the maintenance menu, but didn't catch it on set.
Why you might find this useful: In my opinion this footage shows excellent detail and sharpness, while rending natural skin tones. Further, the interview subjects had chosen their own wardrobes with no professional consideration of camera. Several have shirts with tight patterns that are traditionally difficult to resolve with moire.
The black backdrop interviews in the piece were shot by me on the Sony F35 for the client production company who edited the piece. The other content is not F35, not shot by me. The video plays in 720p on Vimeo, but I was able to download a compressed 1080p version.
The style my client wanted was very specific - the lack of a fill light is completely intentional. The lights were a Arri L7-C set at 3.2k and a softbox for key, and a Diva Lite 200w with 3.2k tubes for a backlight. The camera was shot in S-Log and graded in post. My client mirrored (flopped) some of the interview subjects in post - there's an error with one who has backwards lettering showing!
If you pixel peep, you may spot a hot pixel. I need to correct it in the maintenance menu, but didn't catch it on set.
Why you might find this useful: In my opinion this footage shows excellent detail and sharpness, while rending natural skin tones. Further, the interview subjects had chosen their own wardrobes with no professional consideration of camera. Several have shirts with tight patterns that are traditionally difficult to resolve with moire.
ajhill
Member
The Dana Dolly is the gold standard that everyone else has tried (unsucessfully) to copy. I used one on my last shoot. They sell special track for even smoother moves. It features offset seams so you get smooth long moves (offset seams mean both sides don't hit a seem at the same moment). The triangular shaped rail makes sure there are no dips in the path. As another option you can run the trolly down speedrail or similarly sized pipe. Good for traveling, as you just need to find, or buy standard pipe (1.25" to 1.5" dia at a local hardware store.) The Dana Dolly is available for a very fair price. You get what you pay for, but in this case the their overhead is low and the quality is definitely there. And they don't make them in China! They make them here in the U.S.A.
I met the couple at the Cinegear expo here in L.A. Very nice people, who have been making it for the last 18 years. So the Dana dolly predates all this recent DSLR craze. I Don't remember the names, but I'd be willing to bet that one of them is "Dana"
I met the couple at the Cinegear expo here in L.A. Very nice people, who have been making it for the last 18 years. So the Dana dolly predates all this recent DSLR craze. I Don't remember the names, but I'd be willing to bet that one of them is "Dana"
JMtheDP
Veteran
Keep an eye out for mine potnetially going up soon, will be a similar package with some tasty extras. Most notable my custom cinedeck combo.
My favourite thing about the F35 for people used to DSLRs etc... is how quick it is to set up - no mucking about for half an hour with handheld rigs and off-board recorders (at least not for me anymore)
Hunter Hampton
Carbonite Member
Looks awesome Mac.
SJX
Veteran
This dolly looks really useful.
I understand sun is hot but black cotton is also hot. Why not a bigger one like sombrero. :grin:
SJX
Veteran
Price the same? This $8300 kit you see is camera and viewfinder only. You need recorder, media and lenses. Can't find lenses for $100 like you can for DSLR. Battery is also expensive. If you buy hungry recorder power is even more. Not same price as DSLR at all. More important quality is not comparable. F35 beats even F55. DSLR it smashes.
My point was that most of those extras are being used with DSLRs aswell to overcome the limitations those cameras have as stand-alone bodies. I see pimped up DSLRs all the time and because of the peculiarity of IQ coming from these cameras alot of people have more than one body to accomodate different situations. So in this perspective the economic gap between the F35 and DSLR is not that huge and as you say the IQ is not in the same league. Of course there are many other factors that make this camera very different from DSLRs but when the price is in comparable levels at least it offers the choice for people who might be more intrigued by something like the F35 and its workflow.
mlysbakken
Well-known member
To be fair SJX, there is nothing wrong with comparing things even though one option clearly trumps the other. After all, that is how you find out that one thing is better than the other in the first place. And the point of Stokstad's comparison was clearly to make a point of how good the deals on F35s have gotten, not to spit on the camera. Let's not make this subforum into a new Reduser 
Watch out, even though the price is dropping, you're not going to see another sub 4k F35 body show up on ebay. Hopefully the value will hold for a while, but if it doesn't I will outbid anyone trying to get a F35 under 5k.
Also be prepared that learning the F35 is not a DSLR, my experience shooting 16mm and 35mm and even ENG applied a lot more to the F35 than shooting on my GH2 did.
Not sure if my F35 is worth anything anymore, I just finished giving it a "haircut" and dremeled off the ridge of the top dock. I am waiting for a engineer friend to help design the new top cover, I am on the fence between making a metal cheese plate or trying to get a carbon fiber piece made to fill the hole. In any case, the camera has a lot more of the Alexa look once the tall top dock is removed. I am still determined to hold the smallest F35 record.
Sorry mac I never got those pictures out of the hyper deck mod, I have been too busy to finish the project. I was able to solder the cables to power the hyper deck and camera all internally and I was about to finish by connecting the dock to the back when I knocked a capacitor off of the hyper deck. I ordered another hyper deck but I didn't get to finishing the photos of what I did yet.
Also be prepared that learning the F35 is not a DSLR, my experience shooting 16mm and 35mm and even ENG applied a lot more to the F35 than shooting on my GH2 did.
Not sure if my F35 is worth anything anymore, I just finished giving it a "haircut" and dremeled off the ridge of the top dock. I am waiting for a engineer friend to help design the new top cover, I am on the fence between making a metal cheese plate or trying to get a carbon fiber piece made to fill the hole. In any case, the camera has a lot more of the Alexa look once the tall top dock is removed. I am still determined to hold the smallest F35 record.
Sorry mac I never got those pictures out of the hyper deck mod, I have been too busy to finish the project. I was able to solder the cables to power the hyper deck and camera all internally and I was about to finish by connecting the dock to the back when I knocked a capacitor off of the hyper deck. I ordered another hyper deck but I didn't get to finishing the photos of what I did yet.
Hunter Hampton
Carbonite Member
Just finished another F35 shoot, used Matt Urhy's Elite spherical primes- super awesome glass. Also got to try the 7Q to get some 50P.
For the record the Hoya Pro ND's work MIRACLES for IR pollution, 6 stops of ND in the Full noon sun here: (image straight out of camera)
Still loving the f35 filmic mojo!
For the record the Hoya Pro ND's work MIRACLES for IR pollution, 6 stops of ND in the Full noon sun here: (image straight out of camera)
Still loving the f35 filmic mojo!
Hunter Hampton
Carbonite Member
one more uncorrected f35 grab for fun:
keithlango
Well-known member
Great looking stuff, Hunter.
And a definite +1 on the Hoya ProNDs.
And a definite +1 on the Hoya ProNDs.
Viddovation
Veteran
I use the Schneider Platinum IRND series filters. They work great.
Been getting weird on my f35 for a documentary recently. Maybe not as crazy as Africa. It's sad how much more I like images from this camera than ANYTHING else that I shoot now.... We've been doing B-cam as fs700 and epic on and off and it's just not the same!
These are some rough corrections as well as some slog stuff.
And obviously looking amazing as always Hunter and Macgregor - you guys definitely inspire me to be better. Sorry if this post ends up HUGE from stills
These are some rough corrections as well as some slog stuff.
And obviously looking amazing as always Hunter and Macgregor - you guys definitely inspire me to be better. Sorry if this post ends up HUGE from stills
Attachments
SJX
Veteran
Great images too Hunter. You and Mac always good images.
So Hoya ProND is the way for F35 and not Tiffen? You need no extra IR? The Blackmagic fans also like Hoya better than Tiffen.
But can't find 4x4 Hoyas only screw on.
So Hoya ProND is the way for F35 and not Tiffen? You need no extra IR? The Blackmagic fans also like Hoya better than Tiffen.
But can't find 4x4 Hoyas only screw on.
SJX
Veteran
Better than Tiffen?
Viddovation
Veteran
I haven't tested personally against Tiffen. There seeme to be mixed opinions over the various manufacture. I know the Tiffens push green. Some people claim the Schneiders are hard on skin tones, tested with Alexa. I haven't seen that issue on the F35, but I wasn't doing a comparison test either.