FS7: Shane Hurlbut weighs in on the FS7

mainstreetprod

mainstreetprod

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Was listening today to a podcast by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, a known fan of primarily Canon and Red, never much into Sony at all. Looks like the introduction of the FS7 to the line has altered his view a bit. Here is a transcript of his response when asked about the Sony line:


"The Sony F5- that was the one I tested for "Need for Speed"- that is the best Sony camera I've shot with. I thought it gave me the best skintones, the best quality- and I shot it at 1080. So the FS7 is that same sensor- just given updates and everything- so if there was any camera I would shoot by Sony, it would be this camera. It just seems the best of what they've cooked up. The F55 was bad, the F65, never been a fan of, never been a fan of any of the Sony color space, but this Sony seems like it has some legs and has potential. So I like the camera, I like it's abilities, I like everything it can do, it's high speed, what it's able to deliver in quality and ISO, yeah, it's a good camera, I like it."
 
Hmm... yeah, that's strange. Let's think of the reasons for that. Lower base iso cannot be one as it's only 2/3 of a stop lower, besides that he was shooting with BM cams. What else could it be?
 
I can only guess that with the million ways to set up the 5 and 55, a AC set something weird on the 55. It makes zero sense..
 
I laughed at liking the FS7 over the F5/F55/F65. I guess he does know the market he caters to. I also have a feeling he was using some Sony's older Sgamut when he ran thorough it. He has always been dismissive of Sony despite the great images they produce.

The only reason I have an FS7 instead of an F5/F55 is cost. They all make great pictures and the F65 is on another level completely.
 
Unfortunately, having dealt with a number camera operators and DOPs, i came to the only conclusion, that camera choice is based on subjective things like predefined camera image, operator preferences, rumours etc. I'd say 80% of the times it's not the camera image that makes them choose one or another camera. I had a number of arguments F55 vs Alexa. Guess what? Of course anyone chooses Alexa, but there those ,who would rather shoot on Red One Mx than F55 saying F55 has synthethic image. oh well.
 
Shane stuck his foot in his mouth several years ago when, at NAB he announced in front of 1100 other media production professionals that the soon to be released Canon C300 made the Red Epic and Alexa "look like sh$t".

Now, I have shot with all of them, and they each have their place. I even have a soft spot for the Canon C series too.

But this kind of unsubstantiated bloviating by him is not new and it is becoming, quite frankly, embarrassing.
 
I was a bit taken aback to hear the F55 described as "bad" in the podcast and had to rewind a bit to double check. After researching his prior statements, I think his main beef with the camera is that he feels it is too "video like". I've never shot with it so can't comment. Frankly the FS7 comment is the first time I've heard him give any love to a Sony product.
 
He has done a 100% about turn with regards Red since the Dragon too, despite it being operationally near enough identical to the epic he proclaimed to hate.

Has he parted company with Canon as a sponsor or something?
 
I do not know many (if any) working, A-list DPs (and by A-list, I mean guys doing Apple spots, car spots, 50M+ movies) that are really truly up on the tech on why each camera looks like it does. Usually these days it's Alexa, Dragon, or Phantom, end of story. Anything else is left to other folks, unless the issue is pressed.

To be brutally honest, the details we're talking about is the domain of people that have time to do endless research on the internet and testing. These guys are too busy working to really get into it, and frankly most of the jobs they work on they can spec whatever they like. If they need to know how to get the most out of the F5 (or C300, or Blackmagic Pocket, or xxx) for some reason, they lean on their DITs.

So he gets a little bit of a pass in my book, because he knows so very much more about lighting, running camera+G&E depts, and making things look great. I'd give my left you-know-what to be working that consistently and having that many resources on my jobs. He worked to get there, and his knowledge and experience keeps him there. All I know is that the few times I've been given the chance to steer a ship that big [edit: maybe a 1/3rd that size], I learned that it is NOT easy.

Shooting at that level is so much about everything else BESIDES the actual camera and codec and color science, it's impossible to overstate it.

But I'll probably take his camera comments with less than a grain of salt.
 
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What's the big deal? Can't a guy have personal preferences now without being an idiot?

I suspect there's a good chance Shane tested the F65/F55 with Sgamut/SLOG2 and the F5 with Sgamut3.cine/SLOG3. I can very easily see how the colour response and grading results from that comparison could VERY easily skew in favour of the camera shooting the newer gamut/gamma combination - Sgamut/SLOG2 is a dog to work with until you get your head around how to grade it effectively.
 
Grug said:
What's the big deal? Can't a guy have personal preferences now without being an idiot?

I suspect there's a good chance Shane tested the F65/F55 with Sgamut/SLOG2 and the F5 with Sgamut3.cine/SLOG3. I can very easily see how the colour response and grading results from that comparison could VERY easily skew in favour of the camera shooting the newer gamut/gamma combination - Sgamut/SLOG2 is a dog to work with until you get your head around how to grade it effectively.
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Anyone who says the FS7 is better than the F55 is an idiot. Period. I'm not saying that the F55 is in the same league as the Alexa, Amira, Red, or any other camera because I have not used those cameras myself. But I know for certain it exceeds the capabilities of the FS7.

And not understanding a camera, if that is the case here, is no excuse to make unjustified negative comments about it. By that logic, if I rent a Ferrari and drive it into a ditch because I can't handle it -- I guess I should blame the car. Regardless of his other skills and accomplishments, these are dumb statements that call into question everything he says about cameras.
 
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