Just got a new camera - Sony F35

yachacha said:
2 things to check:

1. HDSDI monitor, if this doesn't have picture either I would bet it's the optical block connection.

2. Take off the body cap and look into the sensor with the camera turned on. When you press black balance do you see the little iris door snap shut? You should be able to see into the sensor or if the iris is somehow stuck shut.
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1. Dont have sdi monitor to test. But plugged to decklink card and media express sees no image. Don't know if it's suppose to see. But this is all I have sdi here now.

2. This was 1st thing I did. Cap off and turn camera on and shutter opens. Camera off and shutter closes. So don't think is shutter. But didn't black balance.
 
I'd test it with an SDI monitor out of either the IF box or monitor SDI outputs. Borrow or rent a monitor if you need to. If you see no image then you have a busted camera and should take it back to whomever rented/leased it to you.
Personally, I wouldn't go taking it apart unless you are the owner of the camera. You might end up in a "You broke it, you buy it" situation if you do.
 
Thanks for worry but I don't see harm in opening just to check if block is connected. I can't do more than this anyway. Also, how can you tell is been opened? Is old camera and no seal. Also the way I see is he should have give me working camera. Can't rent monitor before monday and want to use camera in weekend to test. If is just loose block connection then easy fix. Do you know how to open the side? Is only the 4 screws?
 
SJX said:
Thanks for worry but I don't see harm in opening just to check if block is connected. I can't do more than this anyway. Also, how can you tell is been opened? Is old camera and no seal. Also the way I see is he should have give me working camera. Can't rent monitor before monday and want to use camera in weekend to test. If is just loose block connection then easy fix. Do you know how to open the side? Is only the 4 screws?
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I would have to agree with Keith and strongly suggest caution here. Granted, I live in a different country than you, so the laws and common law practices may have some distinctions, but if in the USA I rented or leased a piece of equipment (camera or otherwise) I would generally be entitled to expect it to be in good working order, but were it not, I could return it or have it exchanged out for a piece of equipment that did function. Any vendor who failed to abide by such guidelines would generally find themselves in a lawsuit. However - if the renter or leasee were to have opened or serviced the equipment, the vendor could claim that they had delivered the item in good working order, but that the renter/leasee had caused the damage.

When you receive potentially damaged or defective goods, the appropriate course of action is to immediately notify the vendor of such defect and seek remedy. The longer you wait to inform the vendor, and the more unilateral repair action you take, the more limited the vendor's liability becomes.

If I were you I'd stick to buttons and switches and phone calls and emails.

If the camera was part of a lease agreement but is determined to have been defective upon receipt, you would generally not be held to the contract, as the vendor failed to keep their end of the bargain. (At least, in places like the USA it would work like that).
 
Don't touch any screws. Don't open it. Send it back. Sounds f£$%"£$ed to me.

Perhaps try the diagnostics menu? But, please, start a new thread for this.
 
JMtheDP said:
Don't touch any screws. Don't open it. Send it back. Sounds f£$%"£$ed to me.

Perhaps try the diagnostics menu? But, please, start a new thread for this.
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Where is diagnostics menu? Can't find in manual. What to look for there?
 
That camera + Fuji 19-90 Cabrio = Perfect doco camera for me

I might even buy one if I wind up with any spare cash, as I still adore tape and I am building a museum of unusual cameras here
 
Sub 1000 F35 auction day:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-F35-Di...D-AS-IS-/151370458290?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

I'm not sure, that's the main board under the damaged panel so this one might not be fixable. Usually when a seller says they can't test it is because it won't turn on. However it does have a lot of nice parts still, optical block most of all.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-F35-Ci...61285?pt=UK_Movie_Cameras&hash=item20e9ecc345

JM I wish you luck selling your F35


It's not cheap. It's not even an F35 but I can't get my mind off
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-F23-4-...599?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a946dac07

Does anyone have hands on experience with the F23? Basically I work as a jib operator for my "day job" a lot of jobs require B4 lenses to get the full control and zoom range of the lens on the jib. A F23 would be a lot more marketable to the people who ask me to bring a camera to a jib jib. Does the F23 have the same grain as the F35? Does it have the same highlights? I have already put a Canon 4.3 wide angle B4 lens on my F35 using a friend's Abelcine B4 to PL adapter. The results made the F35 look like a 2/3 inch sensor, but with the grain and highlights roll off that I love about the F35. The downside is that this combo of enlarging the eng lens causes 2.5 stops of light loss.

I know many F35 users are true cinematic filmmakers by heart and "run and gun" isn't as important to them. However the F23 with a zoom lens can give you a run and gun combo that the F35 can't compete with. First advantage is an ENG lens can be up to 25x zoom, hell even a 40x is smaller than some PL lenses. Even a 25-250 is only a 10x zoom, ENG lenses and s16mm lenses need to cover a smaller sensor and so had the advantage of being able to cover a huge zoom range.

I have seen a few different ESPN shows shooting on Sony F5's and F55's. For events and sports, many seem to have figured out the combo using Super 16mm lenses with center scan mode. The advantage is obviously they don't need to swap lenses, zoom further and have an easier time with focus. The F23 interests me not necessarily for feature films, but more for documentary covering where there is no time to change lenses but I still want the same filmic image back that the F35 creates but with the look of a 2/3 inch lens.

Maybe some blocks will show up for sale and make it feasible. I would like to have a PL, Nikon and F23 optical block as a set for my one F35 camera. Does anyone know the process of switching a F23 to a F35? I know the ebay seller selling the F35 blocks had told me it was a very easy process.
 
Mannnn good find on that sub 1k one. I"m going to try and get it for the pieces as mine was rather incomplete. I'd love the VF and assistants panel and extra block and front plate... hell I'd definitely try to fix it as well....

Good luck if anyone else wants it!
 
The cheaper circuit boards on the F35 run for prices like $300. $1,000 for a parts machine would be a steal. That said, the seller has a reserve, so it's not really being offered for $1,000. Wonder what the real minimum is?
 
Thanks Yachacha :)

Hopefully someone will have my F35 at a price that won't make me cry... much.

The F23 will have a nice grain pattern, similar to the F35, because it is also a Sony CCD from their top end. I believe highlight performance is almost as good, maybe not quite.

Also, you can pick up a set of Digiprimes for silly money and they are amazing!
 
Hi Leteeci

From memory, the CD Gemini does 4:4:4 10-Bit @ up to 30P, 4:2:2 10-bit at up to 50P.

It does not do 12-bit I think.

James
 
And Built-in ND Too!

And Built-in ND Too!

JMtheDP said:
Thanks Yachacha :)

Hopefully someone will have my F35 at a price that won't make me cry... much.

The F23 will have a nice grain pattern, similar to the F35, because it is also a Sony CCD from their top end. I believe highlight performance is almost as good, maybe not quite.

Also, you can pick up a set of Digiprimes for silly money and they are amazing!
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Jim,

I downloaded the F23 manual from SONY and found an interesting. The F23 has built-in ND filters. 8 levels of ND if you're shooting in 3200K and 4 ND levels if you're shooting at either 4300K, 5600K, or 6300K. Let me explain, because it's pretty damn clever... There are two filter "wheels" inside the F23. One does ND in two stop increments, clear, .6, 1.2, 1.8. The other "wheel" is a CC filter, which has clear (3200K ), 4300K (like a 1/2 85b filter), 5600K (like an 85b filter), 6300K and .3 ND. Wait, what's a .3 ND doing in the color temperature wheel you ask? Well, if you're shooting in 3200K you can choose .3 (1 stop)ND off the color temp wheel and mix that with one (2 stop, 4 stop, or 6 stop) from the ND wheel for a total of eight possibilities - none, .3, .6, .9, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1 Not bad. All available on demand, immediately!

If you have to use the Color temp wheel to shift away from 3200K, you still have none, .6, 1.2, and 1.8 available from the ND wheel. And that ain't bad.

Now, I'll add that this info comes from the SONY manual for the camera, (1st edition) so I haven't verified this with anyone who has shot with the camera. But the ND arrangement sounds pretty cool to me.

In a perfect world...they would have left it alone for the F35.
 
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Yeah, the filter wheel was something people came to expect from 2/3" cameras. My F900 had a very similar one.

The F35's lack of a filter wheel I believe comes partly from Sony's work with Panavision on the Genesis and they decided that the camera should be as totally like film as possible - including the omission of filter wheels.

To be honest, it was probably a wise move because I can imagine a lot of time and effort being spent putting those in only to find big name DoPs won't trust a filter unless it has "tiffen" stamped on it...
 
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