So, what do you all think of the venice?

SJX

SJX

Veteran
I was watching Unhinged with Russel Crowe the other day. Through whole film I was seeing things and thinking it didn't look very good. Some times a bit videoish and strange colors and gradation. After the movie ended I had to look what camera it was shot with. Sony venice. I was a bit disappointed. It was more varicam quality than alexa or F35. I'm not sure I have seen many other venice movies. But this somehow didn't look great. Anybody share this feeling? What F35 users here think of venice? To me it is looking like alexa and F35 is still more pleasing. But I must watch more.
 
SJX said:
I was watching Unhinged with Russel Crowe the other day. Through whole film I was seeing things and thinking it didn't look very good. Some times a bit videoish and strange colors and gradation. After the movie ended I had to look what camera it was shot with. Sony venice. I was a bit disappointed. It was more varicam quality than alexa or F35. I'm not sure I have seen many other venice movies. But this somehow didn't look great. Anybody share this feeling? What F35 users here think of venice? To me it is looking like alexa and F35 is still more pleasing. But I must watch more.
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I worked with the Venice quite a lot as a 1st, and done some lens testing with it. It must have been a very bad shoot then for Unhinged.

The Venice footage looks amazing. And to be honest, way ahead of the F35. I love our love for the F35, but we have to be honest about some things.

Look at the footage of the new Top Gun movie. It looks pretty darn great.

C
 
I'm not a Sony F35 user, but would like to chime in on this as I have strong appreciation for the unique images from the Sony F35. A few months ago I went down a rabbit hole of researching the Sony VENICE and the images it produced as I started to notice several shows or films that were shot with it that looked strikingly good. I would watch something that really impressed me and then go look it up and find out it was shot on the VENICE.

One other thing I noticed is that a lot of shows that were initially shot on the Panasonic Varicam were switching to the VENICE for the following seasons, “Snowfall” and “Ozark” to name a few. Most of the DP’s that made switch mainly attributed it to moving to a 6K full frame sensor that also had dual iso just like the Varicam did. The 8-stop mechanical filter and the VENICE Rialto Extension System were also other benefits as it allowed for placement in tight corners/spots.

As far as image, personally I think the images coming off the VENICE sensor are special. Maybe it is the 16-bit X-CON codec coupled with the new Sony color science, but I really like what I see.

The clip below shot by Khalid Mohtaseb is one of the first that really made me take notice.
https://vimeo.com/364054252

He discusses the video clip above and what led him to the Sony VENICE and eventually purchasing 2 camera bodies:
https://sonycine.com/articles/shot-on-venice----the-small-escape-/

The Sony Cine website has a section for “Shot on Venice” with links to several movies/shows:
https://sonycine.com/shot-on-venice/

There is also a "Shot on Venice" YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBMbWrCfXhaO87E4uw8uBXxOw3uNS9xSP
 
Ok, so nobody saw Unhinged? I'm wondering if it's just me. Based on it if I want a new camera, I have no reason not to go with alexas.
 
SJX said:
Ok, so nobody saw Unhinged? I'm wondering if it's just me. Based on it if I want a new camera, I have no reason not to go with alexas.
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I worked on the film but have not seen it.

Obviously one should not judge a model of camera by one film. No doubt there are films shot on Alexa that you would find visually ugly.

All that said, ARRI has the name prestige over Sony. And that is something to consider. It depends on what type of work you are seeking. If one is seeking, say, network news a Sony is going to get you more work than an Alexa.
 
Teddy_Dem said:
I'm not a Sony F35 user, but would like to chime in on this as I have strong appreciation for the unique images from the Sony F35. A few months ago I went down a rabbit hole of researching the Sony VENICE and the images it produced as I started to notice several shows or films that were shot with it that looked strikingly good. I would watch something that really impressed me and then go look it up and find out it was shot on the VENICE.

One other thing I noticed is that a lot of shows that were initially shot on the Panasonic Varicam were switching to the VENICE for the following seasons, “Snowfall” and “Ozark” to name a few. Most of the DP’s that made switch mainly attributed it to moving to a 6K full frame sensor that also had dual iso just like the Varicam did. The 8-stop mechanical filter and the VENICE Rialto Extension System were also other benefits as it allowed for placement in tight corners/spots.

As far as image, personally I think the images coming off the VENICE sensor are special. Maybe it is the 16-bit X-CON codec coupled with the new Sony color science, but I really like what I see.

The clip below shot by Khalid Mohtaseb is one of the first that really made me take notice.
https://vimeo.com/364054252

He discusses the video clip above and what led him to the Sony VENICE and eventually purchasing 2 camera bodies:
https://sonycine.com/articles/shot-on-venice----the-small-escape-/

The Sony Cine website has a section for “Shot on Venice” with links to several movies/shows:
https://sonycine.com/shot-on-venice/

There is also a "Shot on Venice" YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBMbWrCfXhaO87E4uw8uBXxOw3uNS9xSP
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The embedded clip looks like well graded "video". The motion isn't quite right. It looked good up until the first frenetic movement at the checkpoint, then I was totally pulled out of it and all I could see was the "video motion". Then going back and watching the begging again, I see the same "video motion".

I think part of it is a lot of these newer cameras are just so clean and high rez(NOT advocating for old dirty lenses) that it looks like "clean video" that I've been shooting for decades.
 
That particular embedded video for the venice looks really good, but im sure there are some that look terrible thats just the way it goes sometimes. If you didnt say Venice I probably wouldn't have guessed. So does it matter haha?

Unless you have a bajillion dollars the F35 and OG alexa are still king and prob will be for sometime.

Personally, I think that embedded video looks really good and I can see why a lot of people like that look but its not my cup of tea.
 
Venice makes gorgeous images. Like any camera, you're always going to be limited by your colourist's ability to grade the pictures. It's not just a question of the camera and acquisition, but of the whole imaging chain.

I've certainly seen a few things shot on Venice, that look like they were graded by someone unfamiliar with wrangling its particular colour science - they just looked a little coarser than you'd expect.

But the Venice itself certainly isn't going to limit you in any way - it's rolling shutter is as fast as they come, so "weird video motion cadences" aren't a thing with it.
 
Off YouTube compilation clips, the "Fran Leibovitz" clips by Martin Scorsese look gorgeous.

The trailer with Anthony Hopkins is probably a bit too stylized due to its subject/plot.
 
RayZan said:
The fact that it's a different look from the Alexa is a bit refreshing frankly.
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agreed. Alexa is not perfect, so it is nice when another camera competes at that technical level. it certainly have a more video look bias, but as others have said, cinema cameras are more about the grade for that final texture and colour.

this was a recent music video shot on Venice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJdlgKzVsnI

i think the Venice handles some of these lighting situations better than a Red would. A show on Amzon Prime “The Boys” has season 1 shot on Monstro and season 2 shot on Venice. something about the Venice seems to hold together better than a Red does. “The Crown Seasons 1-3 are F55, and the season 4 is Venice. again, i think the Venice holds together better than the F55, and you see more creamy highlights, and almost as if all the cast gets a slight muted bronzed hint added to their skintone? (Venice Brown, lol)

season3 - F55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzEeSncKs0M

season 4 - Venice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiXEpminPms


The F55 was alrady better than the F35 in some specs. more DR for one. and the Venice pushes past the F55 and F65.

But at the end of the day, Arri is still better.

Where i think the Venice lags, is the skin rendering is more smooth plastic, and video. they haven’t got the tone curve perfectly right. That is where the F35 still wins. The F35 beats the Alexa in that regard, imho. But i’d still rather shoot on a Venice or Arri than the F35, because the highlights go a little too quickly, and that is the weak point for the F35, as those digital highlights sort of kill the rest of the good about it. Though, people who like to light shouldn’t be too bothered by the F35’s short comings.
 
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Run&Gun said:
I have a couple of friends with Venice’s and they’re not big cameras, but that backpack rig, while a great idea, looked huge.
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the Venice gets hefty in a hurry. but at least it can slim down, and has operator controls, as well as the tether thing you mentioned. but it gets hefty, similar to the Mini. Red Ranger can be built out lighter and smaller than either the Mini or Venice. something to like about each of the cameras though. the Arri EVF oh yeah
 
James0b57 said:
the Venice gets hefty in a hurry. but at least it can slim down, and has operator controls, as well as the tether thing you mentioned. but it gets hefty, similar to the Mini. Red Ranger can be built out lighter and smaller than either the Mini or Venice. something to like about each of the cameras though. the Arri EVF oh yeah
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Yeah, all of them can get heavy(and unwieldy) FAST. The F55 is pretty small and light. But once it has a shoulder mount, top plate/handle, brick and 17-120 on it, it weighs at least as much as one of my 2/3" broadcast cams, in a similar shooting state. But with lesser ergonomics.

I'm sure someone can figure out a more compact back pack style solution for a separated Venice. Because I can see that being a fun and freeing way to work, in certain situations.

Talking to a friend shooting on a mini LF last month for a Netflix Doc and he said the new VF is incredible.
 
Run&Gun said:
Yeah, all of them can get heavy(and unwieldy) FAST. The F55 is pretty small and light. But once it has a shoulder mount, top plate/handle, brick and 17-120 on it, it weighs at least as much as one of my 2/3" broadcast cams, in a similar shooting state. But with lesser ergonomics.

I'm sure someone can figure out a more compact back pack style solution for a separated Venice. Because I can see that being a fun and freeing way to work, in certain situations.

Talking to a friend shooting on a mini LF last month for a Netflix Doc and he said the new VF is incredible.
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The EVF is amazing.

But I would take the large LF over the mini any day.

It's the only recent camera I have just heard HEAPS of trouble about. All. The. TIME.

C
 
Archduk3 said:
The EVF is amazing.

But I would take the large LF over the mini any day.

It's the only recent camera I have just heard HEAPS of trouble about. All. The. TIME.

C
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I'm generally a 'big camera' guy. I don't do any gimbal work and rarely need a really compact camera. I'm usually either on stix or the shoulder, so I'd rather have a "big camera" that is always a big camera, than a little camera built-up to a big camera.
 
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