You know, if Panasonic would release an HDMI/SDI P2 AVC-Intra recorder that could easily be mountable on the AF-100, I bet that would a) solve a lot of complaints and b) breathe new life into the P2 market outside of broadcast. Maybe we'll see something along those lines at NAB?
One Year With The AF100
- Thread starter Hywel
- Start date
You know, if Panasonic would release an HDMI/SDI P2 AVC-Intra recorder that could easily be mountable on the AF-100, I bet that would a) solve a lot of complaints and b) breathe new life into the P2 market outside of broadcast. Maybe we'll see something along those lines at NAB?
Mike Harvey
Veteran
Frankly, I like MFT and DON'T want an S35 sensor. That's part of the reason I went with the AF100... I want shallow DoF, but not ridiculously so. I was shooting interviews all day today with it, and the DoF was perfect. I was using a borrowed f/1.8 Nikkor 50mm, and rarely even used it at f/2.8, mostly f/4. S35 might be great for some, but it might be more pain in the rear for others.
Mark Smith
Veteran
I was just taliking about this with another DP friend of mine. Honestly I think the camera world was stampeded in a certain direction by the emergence of the 5d. When that camera came out everyone ran over to the shallow end of the DOF pool and wanted to live there. We saw tons of great looking video on Vimeo and YouTube shot with the 5d . The trouble was the dof was so shallow on most of that stuff interview subjects would go in and out of focus with normal head movements while talking half the time. And you could forget about following any action with reasonable focus or having a couple of characters in focus at the same time in the same frame unless you were shooting f8.I saw the micro 4/3 sensor as the option that was big enough to give shallow dof when you wanted it and greater dof when you needed it. I still think the sensor size is in the sweet spot, but what might be missing is ultra sensitivity/ low noise of the newer Sony and canon sensors. Sensor technology seems to be gathering some steam so perhaps Panasonic might be able to fill in the sensitivity weak spot with future sensors very soon.
Erik Naso
Veteran
I agree with both you guys. However more shallow depth of field isn’t what makes me want the S35 size sensor. its about lenses.
http://www.abelcine.com/fov/
I know MFT is pretty close to S35, but to get back about 15mm on a 50mm lens is significant to me on what I shoot and how I work. I like many Lumix lenses but they don’t work well with a matte box and follow focus so I have to re-setup the camera to use them with non MFT lenses. It worries me to spend to much on them.
Tonight I’m getting my gear ready for a two day shoot all over town. Mostly outside. I need the 7-14 and the Voigtlander to work with a set of Zeiss CP.2’s and the Red 17-40. I made a good choice with the Vocus PL (Thanks to DVXusers on this choice) The support doesn’t need to be taken off to use the other lenses I own like Nikon mount and some Lumix. This is great. Pancakes don’t work with the support on. The Hot Rod is a little more work to get off but the base plate is nice.
I like the AF-100 a bunch but in the future a larger sensor would work better for me.
Now I hope I have enough batteries to get through the day tomorrow.
http://www.abelcine.com/fov/
I know MFT is pretty close to S35, but to get back about 15mm on a 50mm lens is significant to me on what I shoot and how I work. I like many Lumix lenses but they don’t work well with a matte box and follow focus so I have to re-setup the camera to use them with non MFT lenses. It worries me to spend to much on them.
Tonight I’m getting my gear ready for a two day shoot all over town. Mostly outside. I need the 7-14 and the Voigtlander to work with a set of Zeiss CP.2’s and the Red 17-40. I made a good choice with the Vocus PL (Thanks to DVXusers on this choice) The support doesn’t need to be taken off to use the other lenses I own like Nikon mount and some Lumix. This is great. Pancakes don’t work with the support on. The Hot Rod is a little more work to get off but the base plate is nice.
I like the AF-100 a bunch but in the future a larger sensor would work better for me.
Now I hope I have enough batteries to get through the day tomorrow.
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Bern Caughey
Veteran
I mostly pull my own focus so see a benefit to the smaller than S35 format.
And as I mostly shoot people the softer image is beneficial too. As my friend Melvin Sokolsky is fond of saying, "Sharpness is overrated". A trip to most museums, & galleries, will confirm this.
Letzring
Active member
Now that everyone has a clear view of the playing field (after recent price announcements) how could anyone fault the AF100 for what it offers at the price to play? Even after adding on a Samurai you could buy two units and have budget to spare before reaching the C300 price point. So yeah, I'm a big fan of this camera even though I haven't had mine for a year yet.
Rolf Silber
Veteran
This is exactly what befuddles me in those discussion: An AF 1xx + Samurai is still distinctively cheaper than almost anything around ... and it really delivers. Unless someone expects Panasonic to be a miracle company that somehow can overcome the rules of economy, physics, logic and else I just don't get it. Having said this, one still can wish for a "bonsai" S3-Log that would give the camera a bit more punch here and there ... but for what it is, this camera is very, very much okay.
And about DOF: I doubt an audience could really see any difference between something shot with a m4/3 sensor and a 35mm movie gate sensor. And I absolutely doubt an audience will care a flies flatulence if something is shot professionally and aesthetically good.
I think some do. Look at what they want: DVX100 body with S35 (or Photographic Full Frame-sized sensor) shooting to AVC-Intra (but P2 is too expensive) with perfect highlight processing for under $5k.
An update… my Scarlet arrived a couple of months ago. We've shot one feature and 4 shorts with it so far.
I don't want to do down the AF100 any more than I did in the original posts. I'm still keeping it as B/backup camera, and for the newly-reduced price it is a GREAT camera. Although if I'd kept using it as my A cam any longer I'd have had to try an external recorder because grading the footage always drives me mad.
I have to say the footage out of Scarlet is in a totally different league. It's look with RedColor 3 has lovely skin tones especially, is a PLEASURE to grade, never shows any banding, gracefully supports pushing the look you intended right to maximum impact without falling apart or getting weird colour casts, and while there is a bit of noise it has a very organic character which I'm absolutely fine with.
We find the Scarlet about as easy to use as the AF100 was, on balance. It has well known weaknesses (no built-in ND, no XLR unless you buy an extra module which isn't out yet, it weighs a ton, it chuffs through batteries like no-one's business, and the footage takes an age to transcode). But it also has major strengths. The main one is that it behaves and monitors like a RAW stills camera, showing you if any individual channel is clipping and if pixels are in danger of getting noisy. And it has 1:1 magnification for getting focus, hooray!
As we all come from a stills background, this is sweet. So we found it substantially easier to light and shoot with the Scarlet in the end. We're used to shooting RAW for the grade, rather than shooting for the look or walking the tightrope between both that the AF100 often seemed to require.
I know the Scarlet is a much more expensive camera, but for us it has already been worth it. The ease with which we are getting footage everyone ooohs and aaahs over at the dailies is a major advance. The AF100 is good value, but if you can afford it, I think the Scarlet is astonishing. If I'd known about the Black Magic, I might have held off on the Scarlet, but I'm very glad that I didn't. I am confident that we'll be using it for many years to come. It'll take a while to pay off the investment, but I'm confident it will.
Cheers, Hywel.
I don't want to do down the AF100 any more than I did in the original posts. I'm still keeping it as B/backup camera, and for the newly-reduced price it is a GREAT camera. Although if I'd kept using it as my A cam any longer I'd have had to try an external recorder because grading the footage always drives me mad.
I have to say the footage out of Scarlet is in a totally different league. It's look with RedColor 3 has lovely skin tones especially, is a PLEASURE to grade, never shows any banding, gracefully supports pushing the look you intended right to maximum impact without falling apart or getting weird colour casts, and while there is a bit of noise it has a very organic character which I'm absolutely fine with.
We find the Scarlet about as easy to use as the AF100 was, on balance. It has well known weaknesses (no built-in ND, no XLR unless you buy an extra module which isn't out yet, it weighs a ton, it chuffs through batteries like no-one's business, and the footage takes an age to transcode). But it also has major strengths. The main one is that it behaves and monitors like a RAW stills camera, showing you if any individual channel is clipping and if pixels are in danger of getting noisy. And it has 1:1 magnification for getting focus, hooray!
As we all come from a stills background, this is sweet. So we found it substantially easier to light and shoot with the Scarlet in the end. We're used to shooting RAW for the grade, rather than shooting for the look or walking the tightrope between both that the AF100 often seemed to require.
I know the Scarlet is a much more expensive camera, but for us it has already been worth it. The ease with which we are getting footage everyone ooohs and aaahs over at the dailies is a major advance. The AF100 is good value, but if you can afford it, I think the Scarlet is astonishing. If I'd known about the Black Magic, I might have held off on the Scarlet, but I'm very glad that I didn't. I am confident that we'll be using it for many years to come. It'll take a while to pay off the investment, but I'm confident it will.
Cheers, Hywel.
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Our experience is very similar Hywel. The AF100 makes an excellent B-cam for the Scarlet.
And, yes, the Scarlet has its shortcomings .. battery life, transcode, and expensive media.
The BMC is certainly a dark-horse .. and I hope one that doesn't stumble.
If it doesn't stumble, it will most likely replace the AF100 in the B-cam market
across-the-board in the cinematic space. Wish it weren't so DSLR .. but that's
the kicks.
jeff
And, yes, the Scarlet has its shortcomings .. battery life, transcode, and expensive media.
The BMC is certainly a dark-horse .. and I hope one that doesn't stumble.
If it doesn't stumble, it will most likely replace the AF100 in the B-cam market
across-the-board in the cinematic space. Wish it weren't so DSLR .. but that's
the kicks.
jeff
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