F55: New firmware and features Now version 2.0 and 3.0 Big news indeed

I'm happy about interval recording and the ability to shoot center crop 2k on the F55.

But I'd still like to see some basic stuff fixed like some actual exposure tools, Monitoring LUTs for shooting SLOG, and they really should fix the lack of support for 24p and 60p out HDMI (and the test/monitor output port).
 
Funkycoldg said:
What will the F55 shoot internally come this update S&Q wise? What is the highest frame rate it will shoot?
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On F5/F55
HD XAVC 422 will go up to 120fps
2k RAW becomes available up to HFR120fps, 180p and 240p
4k RAW 24p is added (was 23.98, 25p, 29.97p, 50p, 59.94p prior to this upgrade)

The timeline actually does say "User Gamma" so I'm hoping by that they mean Monitoring LUT for shooting slog2.

S&Q-wise: we will get up to 180fps for HD XAVC in December. 1 to 24p in 2k RAW. 1 to 60p in 4k RAW, and on the F55 only 1 to 60p 4k XAVC.
 
starcentral said:
The timeline actually does say "User Gamma" so I'm hoping by that they mean Monitoring LUT for shooting slog2.
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As much as I need monitoring LUTs (like anybody else), I think "User Gamma" is going to mean user created gamma curves for regular gamma modes (paint menu).

The best thing I'm seeing so far in my book is that when we finally do get monitoring LUTs, we'll have some flexibility (carrying over how the 65 does things).

I shot a short with an Alexa in June, had a scene that was going to be higher contrast B&W. It was great to make a .look file and load it into the Alexa and monitor on set with a finished looking B&W image.
 
..seriously still unclear why they waited 9 months for this mluts and exposure tools.

Oh well at least we can start and stop recording from an iphone via wi-fi, that's important.
 
starcentral said:
..seriously still unclear why they waited 9 months for this mluts and exposure tools.
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Me too. My guess is that that they needed to get the core running fast enough so they could add the more demanding features on top of it.

At NAB, SmallHD had waveform and other tools running on the DP7, but updating at about 4fps. Those features are no good unless they can get them running fast, it takes time and revisions to get code running fast.

I wish I had saved the one log file I had from my F3, it documented just how much was going on inside these cameras at every moment. It was insane.
 
Wow. That's a pretty impressive list of updates. I'm starting to feel the new camera itch now.
Now if they can only come up with some magic firmware that moves that damned headphone jack somewhere else....
 
Nate Weaver said:
Me too. My guess is that that they needed to get the core running fast enough so they could add the more demanding features on top of it.

At NAB, SmallHD had waveform and other tools running on the DP7, but updating at about 4fps. Those features are no good unless they can get them running fast, it takes time and revisions to get code running fast.

I wish I had saved the one log file I had from my F3, it documented just how much was going on inside these cameras at every moment. It was insane.
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Nate, how do you imagine the new internal exposure tools (namely waveform and histogram since that's what Sony acknowledged would be coming) will function? With slog2 in particular, to me it would make sense that I see 50% grey at 50%, not 32%IRE where slog maps it. Same with 90% white reflectance. I prefer to see that at 90% IRE on my waveform monitor, not down near 60%. Otherwise you're losing 40% of the visibility on the screen since slog2 squeezes much of the signal.
 
Why on earth would you want exposure tools after (non baked) lut?

surely you want to know what you are actually recording but can't see on the monitor
 
morgan_moore said:
Why on earth would you want exposure tools after (non baked) lut?

surely you want to know what you are actually recording but can't see on the monitor
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Because that way you can turn off the LUT, and then get it both ways. A user button toggles the LUT on and off (again, like Alexa), and the exposure tool immediately reflects that change.

I think Arri got it right, because when you play with the buttons and toggle things on and off, it becomes clear what you're looking at and there's no question.
 
Makes sense as long as the toggle is right at the finger tip - if you are 'stuck' with the lut (ie turning it on/off is more than 2 clicks) then IMO you want to see the lut but the log wawaveform
.
Sony really have to work that knob!
 
morgan_moore said:
Why on earth would you want exposure tools after (non baked) lut?

surely you want to know what you are actually recording but can't see on the monitor
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Because with log based gammas (slog2) the entire signal is squeezed down from 0-110% IRE to around 0-60% IRE. I would want to utilize the full scale of the waveform monitor to see my exposure, not the bottom half of it. Also for external monitors with false color - the full scale 0-100 works a lot better with it then again only around half the actual IRE scale.
 
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Surely not - the top 40% is not dumped it is used for the highlights and a lut will typically blow them - recoverable in post - and that is exactly what you need the wfm for - to evaluate what you cannot see.

Certainly with raw you want to know what is outside the range of the monitor .. Not just guess you have a couple of extra stops headroom

This enables you to fully use your dr and keep off the noise floor without having to look at an 'overexposed' image
 
.. Even with a log recording the wfm could be displayed in a inverse log manner - ie with changing increments so that 30 sits half way up the scale that would get around the info being crushed into the bottom half of the graph - even more confusing but simpler to read!
 
morgan_moore said:
Makes sense as long as the toggle is right at the finger tip - if you are 'stuck' with the lut (ie turning it on/off is more than 2 clicks) then IMO you want to see the lut but the log wawaveform
.
Sony really have to work that knob!
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All they have to do is copy the Alexa.

Alexa is not perfect, but they've got 99% of it right compared to the 55 at this stage.

I wish Sony had Arri's coding team.
 
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