Rick Burnett
Section Moderator
This weekend I got the opportunity to use my AF100 on the biggest production I have ever worked on. I was the second camera unit. I'll be honest that I was only worried that I still didn't *know* the AF100 well enough to do the shoot, but, after talking with the director, we decided to go it anyways as he likes my work.
It should be noted that I spent a year using the 7D and know that camera HANDS DOWN when it comes to shooting. So much so that I left it home so I couldn't touch it in a moment of weakness. After investing in the AF100, it was time to put it to the test. If you are used to shooting with a DSLR, some of these thoughts might really help you. So, no particular order:
* Having an over 3 hour battery was awesome. The battery that came with the AF100 worked substantially better than the aftermarket batteries I bought. While they initially came up at 3 hours 30 minutes, they lasted only about two hours. While I am glad I had them, as I used both extras I had, I will be investing in the Panasonic batteries in the future because they last as long as they say they will. In addition, I think a 4x battery charger is essential. These batteries take a lot longer to charge, and if you are working 12-15 hour shoots like we did, you'd much rather be sleeping than waiting for the charger to swap batteries.
* I used a Transend class-6 16Gb card through the whole weekend. No problems with it shooting 24 or 60p. The only strange thing I noticed is that the time left displayed on the OSD was not right. When I dumped my card, it only had 8Gb on it, yet, the display said it only had 30 minutes of room. I also noticed that even if I shot 5 minutes more, it only dropped to 29 minutes left. Something very strange there.
* The shutter/framerate dial in the back is easy to hit sometimes when holding the camera in strange positions. (Like the back of it against your body when hand held). I got in the habit of locking the dial which prevented any problems. I was glad those features were so easily accessible though as I was needing to switch between 60p and 24p and 1/48 and 1/120 very quickly.
* The film was being shot at 1:2.35 (I think it was) aspect (or whatever is close to that) which I was happy the AF100 had, however, it would be REALLY nice if the areas above and below that were darkened like they do on the RED camera. Given the white line was so thin, it was often hard for me to really judge the framing. In the future I'd probably use some black strips across the LCD for me to really make sure I am framing right. I am always so used to shooting 16x9. Being at 50% opacity would have really helped.
* The LCD on the AF100 is definitely useless if you are in sunlight. Most LCD screens are this way, although compared to my 7D, I don't know why, but it is harder to see. It would glare really bad and totally washed out. The reason this is important is because if I am using my waveform monitor, I really need a hood or something over the LCD to see it. If you are going to use that LCD screen, make sure you have something that can help you see it. During the morning and night shots, it worked great.
* The waveform monitor is absolutely amazing. While there are other tools as well to help you with exposure in the AF100, NONE of them were as AMAZING as the waveform monitor. I cannot stress this enough. It really helps you see what is over exposing and where your relative exposure is for the whole frame. Having not used one, it took me a bit to get the relationship to the exposure and what I wanted. Now, I cannot image not having this tool. It was ALWAYS on my LCD.
* I didn't see a way to turn on the EVF and the SDI out, while leaving the LCD open but off. I would have used the EVF for checking the WFM if I could do this. I realize I could shut the LCD screen, but I was using the controls under it. I really think that the edge detail enhance, zebra, and WFM buttons should NOT be on the inside. It means I have to leave the LCD open to get to them, and if I want to use the EVF and the SDI, it became a pain to me, so I stopped.
* Edge focus assist was not very useful to me. Without the edge enhancement, it would not get focus on many scenes I was shooting. The edges had decent contrast yet I could NOT get red there, on any of the lenses I was using. With the extra edge detail on, I found that the range was too big and it was hard to nail the perfect focus. The edge focus assist on the smallHD DP6 was MUCH better, although not perfect. This made using the LCD or EVF for focus useless for me. Believe me, I tried. I ended up using the smallHD in 1:1 mode which was perfect. In the future I am just going to use the DP6 always so I am not wasting a lot of time hunting for focus. I know there is a lot of varying opinion on the red focus detect, and I seriously have tried to use it since I got the camera, I am just not a fan of it. Also, being able to see that red assist on the SDI port might have made it more useful on the DP6 at a higher resolution.
* Because I was using the DP6 to monitor, the zebras weren't used very much since again I cannot see them in the SDI signal. I'd really like them to be there too. Given the OSD information is all over the SDI if I want it to be there, I see no reason zebras and red focus assist aren't there too. I had my zebras set at 80% and 100% but found myself just using the 100% as a safeguard if I wasn't using the waveforms at the time.
* Both the LCD and the DP6 when shooting at ISO800 a dark scene lit by a lighter and then a lamp had shown banding. However, I checked the footage on a computer and it looks perfect. I found this very strange that I saw it in BOTH displays. In fact, the computer image looks AMAZINGLY better that what I monitored in camera or on the DP6. Yes, strange I know given the questions about viewing footage on computers, but it is what it is. I have no clue why the DP6 and the LCD created those artifacts. I did not test the EVF.
* Both the LCD and DP6 had shown these strange patterns in the dark grays and blacks that had me really worried. However, when played back on the computer were absolutely fine. It was as if the image was dithered in those areas in the displays. Here it was making me think that the ISO800 was really noisy, but it wasn't, not at all. It was moreso pronounced on the DP6. I had heard mention of someone talking about this so I am going to bring my camera over to smallHD if they'd like so I can show them what is happening in the blacks. I never noticed this with the 7D attached to it, but then again, the 7D crushes all the blacks.
* The DP6 with the AF100 is absolutely great. I found that now having watched the footage on my editing station, I was VERY VERY happy with how accurate I found the DP6s image and my exposure with it. It was MUCH closer than the internal LCD (which I am sure everyone expects). That said, I'd also say that the LCD though on the AF100 was much more accurate than the 7D display. Most people agree, the LCD is a bit darker on the 7D and if you exposure to it exactly right, it's going to end up lighter. Not so with the AF100.
* 60P looked absolutely great. It absolutely blows the socks off 720p60 on the 7D. I was filming people shooting blanks out of assault rifles and seeing the shells kick out of the weapons. Even with a lot of detail in the background, the trees kept the detail I wanted. VERY impressed with the quality.
* I know I've already discussed this previously, however, I am going to bring it up again. The AF100 really needs to have ISO control on a dial, and, I'd like to see more ISO settings. Having spent two full days shooting, with a bigger sensor, it just makes sense to get your hands on those controls more easily. Once my shutter speed is locked in, and my aperture for the DoF I want, the only other variable is ISO setting. I understand how film cameras didn't have the option of ISO without changing film. That said, smaller sensor cameras always had a deeper DoF so I can see why people would most likely change iris for that. But with the smaller sensor, iris is crucial for me. Given the HUGE step in ND values, I was always fighting with trying to nail the exposure I wanted. Often times I would go in and change all the ISO values over and over in the 3 slots trying to get exactly what I wanted. This is even MORE the case when the sun is coming in and out on a cloudy day and I need to make smaller changes in my exposure. With fast paced shooting in challenging scenes, which I was encountering, I was having trouble. Yes, I know adding more light to the scene helps, but it's not always practical. Especially in a movie where there is no power in the story, so everything has to look naturally lit. On the 7D this was beautiful. I'd love to see this in the future.
* The AF100 is knowingly heavier than the 7D by quite a bit. I am going to try and remove the top bar and side handle and see what the weight is on that. This is purely for testing the AF100 with the Blackbird Stabilizer. Right now, I would say you cannot float it very easily with those on it. I doubt the side handle is going to help much, but the top handle being SO INCREDIBLY sturdy might help.
* The difference between m4/3 and APS-C was hardly noticeable AT ALL. This is important to state I feel because everyone has that worry no matter what comparisons they see. I had TONS of shallow DoF when needed, and never felt like I couldn't shoot a scene with the m4/3 that the APS-C would have been able too.
* Absolutely NO problems with moire and aliasing.
* Was able to shoot with an 85mm lens handy cam style and no jello on the shots. Skew yes if I pan too quickly, but the skew is NOTHING like what the 7D would produce. VERY happy with the read/reset times.
* I cannot stress enough, which is true of the 7D as well, that you REALLY need to nail your exposure in your shot. Trying to push the AF100 image too far revealed a lot of noise for me on underexposed areas. When in that zone you are golden. This too really goes without saying at this point, but I want to reiterate because knowing your bounds on how far you can push footage is important.
However, all these feeling, issues, and joys aside; when I looked at the footage all of it was great. I never saw anything that I thought was unacceptable. The director loved the results and if I had any problems with any video, it was my fault (like underexposing or just trying to shoot something impossible to shoot with ANY camera due to VERY bad lighting). I am convinced the camera shoots very well, and only have a few valid complaints that I hope go away even at least in a new camera model. When the Birger mount becomes available and I can use ALL my lenses, it will be very nice.
Because I believe in the Pros, Cons that I see on devices, I think it is only appropriate that I make my own lists. These do not rank severity or value, but at least something to think about. Before you start telling me how something is not important, remember, this is an opinion and it is important to me.
Pros: Image Quality, Rolling Shutter performance, Moire/Aliasing performance, Waveforms, Battery Life, Aspect Guides, Onscreen info VERY helpful, ND filters built in, 60p in 1080, Audio implementation, SDI.
Cons: No 1:1 Magnification, No easy full range ISO selection or large ISO range, Focus in Red not ideal, heavier than I'd like, would like zebras out SDI, cannot push very far into shadows, not a fan of file system structure on cards.
So there you have it, my feelings on the AF100 after two hard days of shooting. These opinions could change, so we'll see. It is a very capable camera and when used in getting exactly what you want when you get it, it really shines. Most of my concerns are just to make the camera easier to use and more helpful to speedy use. I do honestly believe it is a big step up from the 7D.
It should be noted that I spent a year using the 7D and know that camera HANDS DOWN when it comes to shooting. So much so that I left it home so I couldn't touch it in a moment of weakness. After investing in the AF100, it was time to put it to the test. If you are used to shooting with a DSLR, some of these thoughts might really help you. So, no particular order:
* Having an over 3 hour battery was awesome. The battery that came with the AF100 worked substantially better than the aftermarket batteries I bought. While they initially came up at 3 hours 30 minutes, they lasted only about two hours. While I am glad I had them, as I used both extras I had, I will be investing in the Panasonic batteries in the future because they last as long as they say they will. In addition, I think a 4x battery charger is essential. These batteries take a lot longer to charge, and if you are working 12-15 hour shoots like we did, you'd much rather be sleeping than waiting for the charger to swap batteries.
* I used a Transend class-6 16Gb card through the whole weekend. No problems with it shooting 24 or 60p. The only strange thing I noticed is that the time left displayed on the OSD was not right. When I dumped my card, it only had 8Gb on it, yet, the display said it only had 30 minutes of room. I also noticed that even if I shot 5 minutes more, it only dropped to 29 minutes left. Something very strange there.
* The shutter/framerate dial in the back is easy to hit sometimes when holding the camera in strange positions. (Like the back of it against your body when hand held). I got in the habit of locking the dial which prevented any problems. I was glad those features were so easily accessible though as I was needing to switch between 60p and 24p and 1/48 and 1/120 very quickly.
* The film was being shot at 1:2.35 (I think it was) aspect (or whatever is close to that) which I was happy the AF100 had, however, it would be REALLY nice if the areas above and below that were darkened like they do on the RED camera. Given the white line was so thin, it was often hard for me to really judge the framing. In the future I'd probably use some black strips across the LCD for me to really make sure I am framing right. I am always so used to shooting 16x9. Being at 50% opacity would have really helped.
* The LCD on the AF100 is definitely useless if you are in sunlight. Most LCD screens are this way, although compared to my 7D, I don't know why, but it is harder to see. It would glare really bad and totally washed out. The reason this is important is because if I am using my waveform monitor, I really need a hood or something over the LCD to see it. If you are going to use that LCD screen, make sure you have something that can help you see it. During the morning and night shots, it worked great.
* The waveform monitor is absolutely amazing. While there are other tools as well to help you with exposure in the AF100, NONE of them were as AMAZING as the waveform monitor. I cannot stress this enough. It really helps you see what is over exposing and where your relative exposure is for the whole frame. Having not used one, it took me a bit to get the relationship to the exposure and what I wanted. Now, I cannot image not having this tool. It was ALWAYS on my LCD.
* I didn't see a way to turn on the EVF and the SDI out, while leaving the LCD open but off. I would have used the EVF for checking the WFM if I could do this. I realize I could shut the LCD screen, but I was using the controls under it. I really think that the edge detail enhance, zebra, and WFM buttons should NOT be on the inside. It means I have to leave the LCD open to get to them, and if I want to use the EVF and the SDI, it became a pain to me, so I stopped.
* Edge focus assist was not very useful to me. Without the edge enhancement, it would not get focus on many scenes I was shooting. The edges had decent contrast yet I could NOT get red there, on any of the lenses I was using. With the extra edge detail on, I found that the range was too big and it was hard to nail the perfect focus. The edge focus assist on the smallHD DP6 was MUCH better, although not perfect. This made using the LCD or EVF for focus useless for me. Believe me, I tried. I ended up using the smallHD in 1:1 mode which was perfect. In the future I am just going to use the DP6 always so I am not wasting a lot of time hunting for focus. I know there is a lot of varying opinion on the red focus detect, and I seriously have tried to use it since I got the camera, I am just not a fan of it. Also, being able to see that red assist on the SDI port might have made it more useful on the DP6 at a higher resolution.
* Because I was using the DP6 to monitor, the zebras weren't used very much since again I cannot see them in the SDI signal. I'd really like them to be there too. Given the OSD information is all over the SDI if I want it to be there, I see no reason zebras and red focus assist aren't there too. I had my zebras set at 80% and 100% but found myself just using the 100% as a safeguard if I wasn't using the waveforms at the time.
* Both the LCD and the DP6 when shooting at ISO800 a dark scene lit by a lighter and then a lamp had shown banding. However, I checked the footage on a computer and it looks perfect. I found this very strange that I saw it in BOTH displays. In fact, the computer image looks AMAZINGLY better that what I monitored in camera or on the DP6. Yes, strange I know given the questions about viewing footage on computers, but it is what it is. I have no clue why the DP6 and the LCD created those artifacts. I did not test the EVF.
* Both the LCD and DP6 had shown these strange patterns in the dark grays and blacks that had me really worried. However, when played back on the computer were absolutely fine. It was as if the image was dithered in those areas in the displays. Here it was making me think that the ISO800 was really noisy, but it wasn't, not at all. It was moreso pronounced on the DP6. I had heard mention of someone talking about this so I am going to bring my camera over to smallHD if they'd like so I can show them what is happening in the blacks. I never noticed this with the 7D attached to it, but then again, the 7D crushes all the blacks.
* The DP6 with the AF100 is absolutely great. I found that now having watched the footage on my editing station, I was VERY VERY happy with how accurate I found the DP6s image and my exposure with it. It was MUCH closer than the internal LCD (which I am sure everyone expects). That said, I'd also say that the LCD though on the AF100 was much more accurate than the 7D display. Most people agree, the LCD is a bit darker on the 7D and if you exposure to it exactly right, it's going to end up lighter. Not so with the AF100.
* 60P looked absolutely great. It absolutely blows the socks off 720p60 on the 7D. I was filming people shooting blanks out of assault rifles and seeing the shells kick out of the weapons. Even with a lot of detail in the background, the trees kept the detail I wanted. VERY impressed with the quality.
* I know I've already discussed this previously, however, I am going to bring it up again. The AF100 really needs to have ISO control on a dial, and, I'd like to see more ISO settings. Having spent two full days shooting, with a bigger sensor, it just makes sense to get your hands on those controls more easily. Once my shutter speed is locked in, and my aperture for the DoF I want, the only other variable is ISO setting. I understand how film cameras didn't have the option of ISO without changing film. That said, smaller sensor cameras always had a deeper DoF so I can see why people would most likely change iris for that. But with the smaller sensor, iris is crucial for me. Given the HUGE step in ND values, I was always fighting with trying to nail the exposure I wanted. Often times I would go in and change all the ISO values over and over in the 3 slots trying to get exactly what I wanted. This is even MORE the case when the sun is coming in and out on a cloudy day and I need to make smaller changes in my exposure. With fast paced shooting in challenging scenes, which I was encountering, I was having trouble. Yes, I know adding more light to the scene helps, but it's not always practical. Especially in a movie where there is no power in the story, so everything has to look naturally lit. On the 7D this was beautiful. I'd love to see this in the future.
* The AF100 is knowingly heavier than the 7D by quite a bit. I am going to try and remove the top bar and side handle and see what the weight is on that. This is purely for testing the AF100 with the Blackbird Stabilizer. Right now, I would say you cannot float it very easily with those on it. I doubt the side handle is going to help much, but the top handle being SO INCREDIBLY sturdy might help.
* The difference between m4/3 and APS-C was hardly noticeable AT ALL. This is important to state I feel because everyone has that worry no matter what comparisons they see. I had TONS of shallow DoF when needed, and never felt like I couldn't shoot a scene with the m4/3 that the APS-C would have been able too.
* Absolutely NO problems with moire and aliasing.
* Was able to shoot with an 85mm lens handy cam style and no jello on the shots. Skew yes if I pan too quickly, but the skew is NOTHING like what the 7D would produce. VERY happy with the read/reset times.
* I cannot stress enough, which is true of the 7D as well, that you REALLY need to nail your exposure in your shot. Trying to push the AF100 image too far revealed a lot of noise for me on underexposed areas. When in that zone you are golden. This too really goes without saying at this point, but I want to reiterate because knowing your bounds on how far you can push footage is important.
However, all these feeling, issues, and joys aside; when I looked at the footage all of it was great. I never saw anything that I thought was unacceptable. The director loved the results and if I had any problems with any video, it was my fault (like underexposing or just trying to shoot something impossible to shoot with ANY camera due to VERY bad lighting). I am convinced the camera shoots very well, and only have a few valid complaints that I hope go away even at least in a new camera model. When the Birger mount becomes available and I can use ALL my lenses, it will be very nice.
Because I believe in the Pros, Cons that I see on devices, I think it is only appropriate that I make my own lists. These do not rank severity or value, but at least something to think about. Before you start telling me how something is not important, remember, this is an opinion and it is important to me.
Pros: Image Quality, Rolling Shutter performance, Moire/Aliasing performance, Waveforms, Battery Life, Aspect Guides, Onscreen info VERY helpful, ND filters built in, 60p in 1080, Audio implementation, SDI.
Cons: No 1:1 Magnification, No easy full range ISO selection or large ISO range, Focus in Red not ideal, heavier than I'd like, would like zebras out SDI, cannot push very far into shadows, not a fan of file system structure on cards.
So there you have it, my feelings on the AF100 after two hard days of shooting. These opinions could change, so we'll see. It is a very capable camera and when used in getting exactly what you want when you get it, it really shines. Most of my concerns are just to make the camera easier to use and more helpful to speedy use. I do honestly believe it is a big step up from the 7D.
