F5: Sony F5 Rugged enough for documentary work?

I think the F5 will be excellent for doco work. Not all docs look like the news, some demand cinematic style images and great looking interviews - the F5 should excel at that. Indeed, large sensor cameras are used all the time for documentary and run and gun shoots. I've used the C300 and 5Ds successfully a lot for this type of work. Yes, it's more demanding than standing there and hitting a zoom rocker, but if you want to create standout imagery then you sometimes have to work a bit harder. No way I'm I going back to smaller sensors. The fun is just beginning;)
 
Last edited:
I have heard the same from an engineer who said that the camera is far from weather sealed and that it is very easy to get dirt and dust inside.
 
mcgeedigital said:
I have heard the same from an engineer who said that the camera is far from weather sealed and that it is very easy to get dirt and dust inside.
Click to expand...

It is true and some of the plastic parts including the plastic hinged flip out monitor tends to break easily. Great camera but ours spent more time on the bench than on the job. Maybe it is not suited for a rental invironment.
 
Paul Hudson said:
It is true and some of the plastic parts including the plastic hinged flip out monitor tends to break easily. Great camera but ours spent more time on the bench than on the job. Maybe it is not suited for a rental invironment.
Click to expand...


Well, I would say otherwise. I travelled the globe with F3, and been in most demanding conditions from hot and dusty Africa to cold Canadian North and never head an issue... Mine was never "on the bench"" (except for firmware upgrade, and my mandatory cleaning after every big trip)... I would always get the answer from the tech in the service: did you take this camera out of the bag at all?
Yes, I would have her covered with towels in the sun, and wrapped in the same when windy and I would have pocket warmers when in cold, cold environment... But, the camera always delivered. The same goes for my previous ex1, that ended up being splashed by sea water in India, and continued working with no issues...
It is true, that the camera is not " full proof" and might not be ideal for rental. But, once your camera goes out for rental you have no control over how it is used and abused... That is why I am the only operator of the one I own...
 
the penultimate? so, not the ultimate, then?

what makes it better for documentary work?
 
Well,

High Frame Rate,
HDCAM SR Master codec,
Flexible lens mount system,
10 bit processing
2k recording
RAW capability.

Canon C300 has non of that...
 
Viddovation said:
Well,

High Frame Rate,
HDCAM SR Master codec,
Flexible lens mount system,
10 bit processing
2k recording
RAW capability.

Canon C300 has non of that...
Click to expand...

Those are nice bits, & bobs, but I'd still choose the C300 for documentary work. It's just more rugged, compact, & easier to support in the field.
 
i suppose if you prefer a handheld form factor over shoulder mount (and many do), that would make the c300 the better choice. that wouldn't be my preference, though.
 
MPB said:
i suppose if you prefer a handheld form factor over shoulder mount (and many do), that would make the c300 the better choice.
Click to expand...

Correct.

I don't want to give the wrong impression. As a purely docu cam I'd choose a C300, but that's not all that I do, & am interested in the new Sony's for broader usage. Have they gotten around to announcing actual pricing, & availability yet?
 
when i think of doc work, i think of interviews, or 12+ hour long days of verité. to hold a camera that long, i want to be able to put it on my shoulder if i hope to get up and do it all again the next day. and the next.

i know people who feel differently, they'd rather hold an hvx200 all day than put a camera on their shoulder. but that's a preference. a fairly light weight shoulder mount camera can't be said to be ill-suited to doc work. the issue most folks find against the s35 cameras for doc work is the shallow dof, but that's easily addressed.

i think prices are official now, at $16,500 and $29,000. i never believe release dates.
 
FilmDude said:
Thought you were still waiting for yours for a year now??
Click to expand...

No, maybe you were thinking of another post elsewhere where I was talking about a Cooke 135mm prime? I've been waiting for that for over a year now. That is going to be ready in January. The Cabrio I got active reserving a day or two after it was announced at NAB and I should have by the end of January, what is that? 9 months?. I was told it's basically next up. It's going to be an expensive and glassy january for me.

Viddovation said:
Well,

High Frame Rate,
HDCAM SR Master codec,
Flexible lens mount system,
10 bit processing
2k recording
RAW capability.

Canon C300 has non of that...
Click to expand...

C300 is a great camera, and I'm not trying to jump on the beat down gang, but this list a good point worth noting. I'd also like to add that the new-F cameras have some decent EVF options that, for once, aren't stuck in the wrong place, like AF100 did, C300 did, F3 did, etc. I know many people here get by with 3rd party EVF's like cineroid or zacuto. But I'm celebrating Sony's good work by making the EVF go where it should. NOT on the back of the camera.

Don't we all know how lame shoulder shooting can be when the EVF is always on the furthest back of the camera? Useless.
 
Last edited:
Ryan Patrick O'Hara said:
Don't we all know how lame shoulder shooting can be when the EVF is always on the furthest back of the camera? Useless.
Click to expand...

I've worked with Ryan a handful of times, & hope to continue. He's fantastic & fanatic. One of the few who's likely forgotten more than most DPs will ever know.

But I disagree about the C300's EVF with one caveat. I like it's placement, but only when used with lightweight lenses, especially stabilized zooms. I can handhold a 17-55/2.8 IS all week, but slap on a typical cine zoom & the stock C300 becomes an ergomomic nightmare for handheld.
 
Bern Caughey said:
I've worked with Ryan a handful of times, & hope to continue. He's fantastic & fanatic. One of the few who's likely forgotten more than most DPs will ever know.

But I disagree about the C300's EVF with one caveat. I like it's placement, but only when used with lightweight lenses, especially stabilized zooms. I can handhold a 17-55/2.8 IS all week, but slap on a typical cine zoom & the stock C300 becomes an ergomomic nightmare for handheld.
Click to expand...

Haha, thanks Bern!

The rear placement of EVF's can be great for handheld, if shooting that particular way of handheld. I can see how rear mounted EVF can work, but only when incredibly fast and light. I was on a feature film as a 1st AC with C300's and Zeiss SuperSpeeds mk.1's, and the entire film was hand-held, (supposed to be like Cloverfield-esque POV of a characters camcorder.) Because of how the camera work was supposed to feel (camcorder handheld) and the small/tight spaces we were working in (ever get an entire film crew on an RV?!), we ran the camera completely naked with just a lens on the front. Weighing so little, the dp could operate via the EVF or the 'laptop' LCD. Most of the time, to be even lighter we shed the LCD. So I can definately understand that approach, as I worked that way for weeks.

I guess most of the time, from my other experiences, (I or whomever is operating) is almost always on a mantis rig when handheld. When going that route, in order to balance the camera, I typically need to scoot the body pretty far back, leaving my aforementioned issue at hand. This is more prevalent when using 4lbs lenses with MB's and FF's, etc... the front really bulks up fast and I find myself off balance.

But yes, I can definately agree that when running almost completely naked, the camera is so light you can just throw it up to the ol' face and start shooting.

Happy Holidays Bern!
 
Why can't the Japanese designers get their head out of their a$$ and build a S35 camera on the time tested ergonomic format of the "Handy Cam"? Sony's F-700/800, Panasonic's VAricams, and even the Alexa got it right...a balanced shoulder camera with a front mounted EVF that allows the center of weight to be near the camera/lens mount. And for the waist level shots that a rear mounted EVF affords, there was always a big handle on the top with that articulating EVF to allow you the lower perspective. Damn the box camera! (save for the ability to make 3-D rigs) The Japanese designers must be in bed with all the third party companies enjoying the ridiculous parade of desperately needed products they develop to make a box camera usable.
 
boghav said:
Why can't the Japanese designers get their head out of their a$$ and build a S35 camera on the time tested ergonomic format of the "Handy Cam"? Sony's F-700/800, Panasonic's VAricams, and even the Alexa got it right...a balanced shoulder camera with a front mounted EVF that allows the center of weight to be near the camera/lens mount. And for the waist level shots that a rear mounted EVF affords, there was always a big handle on the top with that articulating EVF to allow you the lower perspective. Damn the box camera! (save for the ability to make 3-D rigs) The Japanese designers must be in bed with all the third party companies enjoying the ridiculous parade of desperately needed products they develop to make a box camera usable.
Click to expand...

Not sure who has their head in their ass, but those "Japanese" engineers have designed a shoulder mount for the F5/55. You can choose to have it attached or not. It's called flexibility.
 
As someone who's shot quite a few docs over 30 years with 2/3" cameras, I would say the problem isn't whether the F5 is tough enough, but rather is it efficient enough?
On a 2/3" camera using a 13X 4.5-59 wide zoom with a doubler, I can easily knock off 3-4 good, usable shots per setup in a minute or two without changing a lens or moving an inch. Multiply that by dozens of setups in a busy day and then multiply that by 7-10 days on a whirlwind trip and you begin to see what a penalty an S35 camera can impose on productivity. Then you add in the hassle of carrying a few lenses around and the time to change them, it all adds up. Of course frequent lens changes in hostile environments invite dust trouble in the camera, so I would try to exercise common sense in that regard.

Having said all that, I would have killed to have had my F3 on my last big project, just for the look. If I were to do it again with that camera, I'd certainly rent a Cabrio lens, which would be my main lens for broll, and stuff a couple of primes in a fanny pack. The trade off would be worth the pain to me. I've done some reality shoots and even news features with the F3 and find it's plenty tough--if properly configured and used with reasonable care. I would expect the F5 to be even better.

Anyone advocating a DSLR as an A camera for a doc has a much higher pain threshold than I do. But to each his own...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top