Rick Burnett
Section Moderator
This weekend we had two long shoots with the FS100. I've used it on a few short shoots before this, but never this many shots and for this many situations.
As some background history, my previous two cameras were an AF100 and before that a 7D (which I still own).
There has been a lot of posts recently about the FS100 and I felt that some first hand experience is always good because this is what people like to know. Here are my thoughts, in kind of a random order.
The FS100 is a really sensitive camera compared to the 7D and AF100. I had a LightWorks Fader ND and a Genus varND. Between the two, the Genus is a lot better. I feel like the colors change a bit with the LightWorks. The adapter I was using is a dumb adapter so I couldn't change my iris settings on 4 out of 5 lenses I was using. Instead, we just changed shutter. This affects the image as you all know, but, this is part of our style so we were okay with it. (If you've seen any of our work you'd know we use this). I really like fight sequences shot at a faster shutter speed.
I REALLY hope whatever comes after the FS100 has ND. There is another company working on an adapter for iris control with ND as well, and really, that would solve ALL my problems with that.
Almost all of the shots on day one were done using a blackbird stabilizer. The FS100 had only the handle and microphone attached. I want to get a smaller mic JUST for reference sound that is even lighter and less obtrusive, but haven't found anything yet. I think I am just going to build it. The next FS100 camera NEEDS an internal mic for reference sound. It makes it easier to line up when you are recording to a secondary device. The mic that came with it is overkill and adds weight I didn't want.
The blackbird works PERFECT in this configuration. I had about 2.0 pounds of extra crap on my camera that I just removed when floating it and it works amazingly well. It is NOT too heavy. Three different shooters used that setup with my camera and all agreed, once you go to a blackbird with the FS100, it's hard to shoot without it. It's an amazing stabilizer that seems too good to be true. I stand by my statement that for handheld stabilizers, it's the BEST one I have used. And compared to an arm/vest system, it is the most flexible because you aren't locked into the arm position.
Day two was hand held, going for more fast movements with the camera. The rolling shutter on the FS100 is fast enough for great fast movements. You just cannot do these types of shots with the 7D or the GH2. Too much jello. We all agreed after looking at the footage that this was one of the biggest positives of the FS100.
I've started using a white card with the FS100. This has been a tremendous help in getting the colors more correct. With the 7D I never white balanced. We've come to the conclusion that because the FS100 has so much more dynamic range (And it does without question), and the color performance is MUCH greater, you do have to be careful. For instance, shooting a dark scene with the 7D, where you use more gain, the colors desaturate. This is not the case with the FS100. The colors stay vibrant through the gain ranges.
Also, as others have observed, Red varies VERY much with the FS100. Using the default settings of the camera, the red is too saturated. The problem is, it's the curve of the red that matters. I do not have my FS100 with me at the moment, but I put together a new profile for the second day shooting using a color chart. I've looked through some of the footage, but not all of it. If I like the footage a lot, I will share the settings.
They aren't that far off of one of the default settings. I believe it is cinematone2 but I reduced saturation by to -2. I think the camera needs some fine tuning in the colors, and I am still working on that. I think once I can get that locked down, then I wont have to worry about it anymore. It's amazing how sensitive each of the channels are. I feel part of the tuning is going to be adjusting the saturation separately for each color using a color chart to really lock in what I want. I also think, having day/night profiles is going to be my next step.
The highlight blowouts did go to the complementary colors on a lot of shots where we blew out on purpose on day one with my over saturated profile. Given our film is VERY comical, very colorful, and based on a video game, we are fine with it. This is still something I want Sony to address. The new profile I shot on the second day, I think the highlights looked much better. Like the AF100, if you pull the saturation down a bit, you will give yourself more room before you blow out. But the original profile I shot on day one I am sure most people here would have not liked what happened in the highlights. Given all the pluses of the image outside of the highlight performance, I am fine with it. After showing non-technical people blown out images, none of them EVER commented on the complementary colors. I have come to the conclusion I pixel peep too much.
It's different, no doubt, and something I avoid, but again, I can live with it.
Additionally, I don't shoot flat. Coming from the 7D I just cannot shoot this way. I tried to shoot in rec709 when I first got the camera and I exposed too low always watching the blacks. Given the blacks were not compressed as much, it just made an image I felt fell apart quicker. It's 8-bit and I know I am going to crush the top and bottom anyways in post, I still prefer to do this in camera. It's gives you the most freedom. Shooting this way one this shoot and the codec to grading performance looks to be MUCH better.
I hear some complains about motion in the footage, I just don't see this. Everything I shot at 24p at 1/48 looked like what I would expect. I am very happy with that performance. Looking at the same scenes with the 7D, they look the same. I really don't know what people are talking about with this. Maybe I just can't see it. I think the codec in the FS100 in motion holds up WAY better than the 7D. In fact, looking at a frame with motion on both cameras, it's even more night and day than what you perceive while watching in motion.
There is also a lot of talk about sensor reflection. I did not see this more than once where I was pointed AT the sun (with ND). I shot with the Tokina 11-16 F2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4, Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 and Bower 85mm F1.4. I've looked at this footage quite a bit and don't see the problem. I have seen it before, so I know it happens, I am still trying to figure out what the combination is that causes it. It is something I think needs addressing.
All in all the shoot was great. The FS100 shined in every way I had hoped. Shooting a few hours on the 7D on the second day was a HUGE wakeup call of why I love the FS100. It's not a perfect camera, but looking at the footage in post, it is CLEAR it is superior. When you shoot the EXACT same shots with both cameras, it will REALLY wake you up. Having 1080p60 and how clean the image was is amazing.
So, a quick list of what I'd like better (and please tell me if there is a way):
(1) ND in camera
(2) Easier gain adjustments than just 4 (and 4 is using the autogain setting only allowing it to go to 0 gain).
(3) Iris control of my EOS lenses
(4) Highlight performance better
(5) when recording clear the display of information
(6) Reduce sensor reflection to like the 7D where I never saw it ever
(7) smoother red performance in color spectrum
Things that were great:
(1) Rolling shutter
(2) Dynamic range
(3) noise perfomance.
(4) weight (especially on the blackbird)
(5) battery life
(6) focus assist in conjunction with zoom assist (can't wait for firmware update)
(7) RESOLUTION
For under $10k this is still the best performance/value camera for large sensor. I have ZERO regrets for investing in it. Hopefully the firmware will address a lot of the things brought up that could be better.
And, the big thing, we like it so much, we are considering now a second one.
PS for those asking about my lens mount, it looks like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-l...ltDomain_0&hash=item20b1f6ad22#ht_3151wt_1208
It has the foot underneath. Although I paid $35 for mine I believe. Nothing special about it but it does hold the lenses firm. I think the internals are more reflective than I would like though.
As some background history, my previous two cameras were an AF100 and before that a 7D (which I still own).
There has been a lot of posts recently about the FS100 and I felt that some first hand experience is always good because this is what people like to know. Here are my thoughts, in kind of a random order.
The FS100 is a really sensitive camera compared to the 7D and AF100. I had a LightWorks Fader ND and a Genus varND. Between the two, the Genus is a lot better. I feel like the colors change a bit with the LightWorks. The adapter I was using is a dumb adapter so I couldn't change my iris settings on 4 out of 5 lenses I was using. Instead, we just changed shutter. This affects the image as you all know, but, this is part of our style so we were okay with it. (If you've seen any of our work you'd know we use this). I really like fight sequences shot at a faster shutter speed.
I REALLY hope whatever comes after the FS100 has ND. There is another company working on an adapter for iris control with ND as well, and really, that would solve ALL my problems with that.
Almost all of the shots on day one were done using a blackbird stabilizer. The FS100 had only the handle and microphone attached. I want to get a smaller mic JUST for reference sound that is even lighter and less obtrusive, but haven't found anything yet. I think I am just going to build it. The next FS100 camera NEEDS an internal mic for reference sound. It makes it easier to line up when you are recording to a secondary device. The mic that came with it is overkill and adds weight I didn't want.
The blackbird works PERFECT in this configuration. I had about 2.0 pounds of extra crap on my camera that I just removed when floating it and it works amazingly well. It is NOT too heavy. Three different shooters used that setup with my camera and all agreed, once you go to a blackbird with the FS100, it's hard to shoot without it. It's an amazing stabilizer that seems too good to be true. I stand by my statement that for handheld stabilizers, it's the BEST one I have used. And compared to an arm/vest system, it is the most flexible because you aren't locked into the arm position.
Day two was hand held, going for more fast movements with the camera. The rolling shutter on the FS100 is fast enough for great fast movements. You just cannot do these types of shots with the 7D or the GH2. Too much jello. We all agreed after looking at the footage that this was one of the biggest positives of the FS100.
I've started using a white card with the FS100. This has been a tremendous help in getting the colors more correct. With the 7D I never white balanced. We've come to the conclusion that because the FS100 has so much more dynamic range (And it does without question), and the color performance is MUCH greater, you do have to be careful. For instance, shooting a dark scene with the 7D, where you use more gain, the colors desaturate. This is not the case with the FS100. The colors stay vibrant through the gain ranges.
Also, as others have observed, Red varies VERY much with the FS100. Using the default settings of the camera, the red is too saturated. The problem is, it's the curve of the red that matters. I do not have my FS100 with me at the moment, but I put together a new profile for the second day shooting using a color chart. I've looked through some of the footage, but not all of it. If I like the footage a lot, I will share the settings.
They aren't that far off of one of the default settings. I believe it is cinematone2 but I reduced saturation by to -2. I think the camera needs some fine tuning in the colors, and I am still working on that. I think once I can get that locked down, then I wont have to worry about it anymore. It's amazing how sensitive each of the channels are. I feel part of the tuning is going to be adjusting the saturation separately for each color using a color chart to really lock in what I want. I also think, having day/night profiles is going to be my next step.
The highlight blowouts did go to the complementary colors on a lot of shots where we blew out on purpose on day one with my over saturated profile. Given our film is VERY comical, very colorful, and based on a video game, we are fine with it. This is still something I want Sony to address. The new profile I shot on the second day, I think the highlights looked much better. Like the AF100, if you pull the saturation down a bit, you will give yourself more room before you blow out. But the original profile I shot on day one I am sure most people here would have not liked what happened in the highlights. Given all the pluses of the image outside of the highlight performance, I am fine with it. After showing non-technical people blown out images, none of them EVER commented on the complementary colors. I have come to the conclusion I pixel peep too much.
It's different, no doubt, and something I avoid, but again, I can live with it.Additionally, I don't shoot flat. Coming from the 7D I just cannot shoot this way. I tried to shoot in rec709 when I first got the camera and I exposed too low always watching the blacks. Given the blacks were not compressed as much, it just made an image I felt fell apart quicker. It's 8-bit and I know I am going to crush the top and bottom anyways in post, I still prefer to do this in camera. It's gives you the most freedom. Shooting this way one this shoot and the codec to grading performance looks to be MUCH better.
I hear some complains about motion in the footage, I just don't see this. Everything I shot at 24p at 1/48 looked like what I would expect. I am very happy with that performance. Looking at the same scenes with the 7D, they look the same. I really don't know what people are talking about with this. Maybe I just can't see it. I think the codec in the FS100 in motion holds up WAY better than the 7D. In fact, looking at a frame with motion on both cameras, it's even more night and day than what you perceive while watching in motion.
There is also a lot of talk about sensor reflection. I did not see this more than once where I was pointed AT the sun (with ND). I shot with the Tokina 11-16 F2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4, Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 and Bower 85mm F1.4. I've looked at this footage quite a bit and don't see the problem. I have seen it before, so I know it happens, I am still trying to figure out what the combination is that causes it. It is something I think needs addressing.
All in all the shoot was great. The FS100 shined in every way I had hoped. Shooting a few hours on the 7D on the second day was a HUGE wakeup call of why I love the FS100. It's not a perfect camera, but looking at the footage in post, it is CLEAR it is superior. When you shoot the EXACT same shots with both cameras, it will REALLY wake you up. Having 1080p60 and how clean the image was is amazing.
So, a quick list of what I'd like better (and please tell me if there is a way):
(1) ND in camera
(2) Easier gain adjustments than just 4 (and 4 is using the autogain setting only allowing it to go to 0 gain).
(3) Iris control of my EOS lenses
(4) Highlight performance better
(5) when recording clear the display of information
(6) Reduce sensor reflection to like the 7D where I never saw it ever
(7) smoother red performance in color spectrum
Things that were great:
(1) Rolling shutter
(2) Dynamic range
(3) noise perfomance.
(4) weight (especially on the blackbird)
(5) battery life
(6) focus assist in conjunction with zoom assist (can't wait for firmware update)
(7) RESOLUTION
For under $10k this is still the best performance/value camera for large sensor. I have ZERO regrets for investing in it. Hopefully the firmware will address a lot of the things brought up that could be better.
And, the big thing, we like it so much, we are considering now a second one.
PS for those asking about my lens mount, it looks like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-l...ltDomain_0&hash=item20b1f6ad22#ht_3151wt_1208
It has the foot underneath. Although I paid $35 for mine I believe. Nothing special about it but it does hold the lenses firm. I think the internals are more reflective than I would like though.
