Sony F900 Detail settings help

Mike Krumlauf

Mike Krumlauf

Award Winning Filmmaker
I am having a hard time finding the sweet spot for the detail settings on the 900. I am using an HD Cinema grade zoom lens so my optical quality is just fine.. if i leave the detail settings on at default it looks to sharp around the edges and screams "video". If i turn detail off, it looks just a tad too soft, not a lot though. I am trying to get the detail that RR got on Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Any suggestions? I know most detail settings in sony cameras of this class are the same so...

Ive posted some examples of the detail below from the mexico film. its obvious that he had detail on, but its nowhere near as intense as what im getting on default values.

3692_9_large.jpg
3692_10_large.jpg
3692_14_large.jpg
 
On the movie, they may have been using some light grade of diffusion filters to 'knock the edge off'. It's also possible they may have done something in post instead or in addition to.

It's been my experience on most all cameras, if you turn the detail OFF(or don't run either detail or aperture at some level) it will look way too soft and out-of-focus, even when the image is perfectly in-focus. It's been a very long time since I've shot with an F900, so I don't remember all of the menu and paint settings, but I went with a suggestion from Doug Jenson's book on the F55, with my F55 and use the Aperture setting and not the Detail in my custom(non-Cine EI) scene file settings.
 
Run&Gun said:
. . . but I went with a suggestion from Doug Jenson's book on the F55, with my F55 and use the Aperture setting and not the Detail in my custom(non-Cine EI) scene file settings.
Click to expand...

I was just about to suggest that myself! You beat me to it. Assuming, of course, that the F900 has an Aperture menu. I cannot recall.

A little diffusion can be nice too. Back in my Betacam days I had the Detail turned up a little bit and a Tiffen Soft/FX 1 screwed onto the front of my lens 100% of the time. I never took it off and other people could never figure out why my camera looked so much better on multi-cam interviews.
 
The F900 does have the Aperture menu.. so would i keep detail on and adjust the aperture function only or turn detail off and adjust aperture. Also, i believe RR only used NDs in his mattebox if memory serves me.
 
On my 55, I have the Detail OFF and am only using the Aperture settings. But these are two very different cameras. I'd recommend doing some testing yourself and see what you like. Preferably on a quality (calibrated) monitor, both with the live image and playing back a recorded image. "Look" is obviously very subjective, and what one person likes another may not.

And apologies to Doug for misspelling your last name.
 
I came across the 300+ page manual for the Panavised F900 and they recommend that both the detail and knee settings remain off completely. The multi matrix as well. I plugged in the default panavision settings into my 900 to do some tests tomorrow.
 
Here is a one shot test with the Panavision settings for the F900. Knee was on here (unlike what they said), Slope was -99 and Point was 30. The highlights seem to be pleasing to my eye with this. Still testing and experimenting. I've also come to realize just leaving detail off is best, for sure when you are using HD glass.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top