Sony fs100 for theaters.. Any advice? 2k?

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nitrofrog

Member
Hello people... We have a fs100 and we are designed to film a documentary that go to be exposed in the independient theaters in latin america, i guess in 2k, do you have some advice to film it? Do you think the sony fs100 is the correct camera for that, or i got to go for another camera? We got a fs100 but another camera to get is expencive result.

Thanks for all
 
The difference between HD and 2k is minimal.
Rent or buy:
external recorder 4:2:2 (Ninja, Pix or BM). When converted from HD to 2K, the edges are ok (red or blue). Proress 422 HQ I love this.
To maintain clarity and detail rent PL lens primes (Zeiss, Cooke, Illumina). You'll see much difference with the naked eye.

I use the FS100 with:
Ninja
RED 18-50
Canon cine zoom K35 25-120 t2.8 PL Macro (I sell)
Nikon Samyang prime.

RED very sharp a razor blade
Samyang 14 2.8 35 1.4 84 1.4 big surprise, good quality. And very low price for the purchase
Nikon 50 1.4 28 1.8 ok
Canon cine zoom very heavy but comfortable for brightness and zoom.

good luck!!!!
 
if you can pay a sound engineer, zoom h4n, and you think only to shooting.
if it does all the cameraman The FS100 works well
 
Don't worry, if 5DII made to the theaters, FS100 would shine there. (but only in the technical side. storytelling it's a different aspect to look on)
 
I can see how the interviews and side stage shots can work with a larger format camera, but keep in mind the content. Depth of Field can be a real enemy in the theatre when light levels are low and subjects can often be moving very quickly. To select the most appropriate camera would need you to do a test - because there are fixed distance issues. If you are front of house, then you will have some great angles, but depending on the theatre, focus points can be very tricky.

Cancel that - I just realised I was using the British Theatre, rather than the US Theater - as in a Cinema release, and the topic is NOT about using cameras in theatres - as with actors on a stage.
Isn't language wonderful!
 
a couple of thoughts...
- DCi2K is 2048x1080, so your frame will be cropped top & bottom when you scale 1920 up to 2048, the v2 update gives you 1.85 markers, respect them.. that's what gets projected not 16x9
- An external recorder is well worth the cost to reduce compression artifacts that become very noticeable on a 10m+ screen
- Contunity and matching lenses is worth taking into account.. weak links will show more clearly
- Filters also can be quite noticable, grads and difusion mainly
- Sound is huge... have enough resources to cover that well.

Good luck!

d
 
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Just my two cents:

The FS100 is a great camera but I would be nervous about shooting a feature on it - unless you are absolutely maxed out on budget or you have an amazing DP/DIT/AC tea with a lot of patience.

First, be prepared to spend a lot of time on set diagnosing issues like weird reflections and "dancing mid tones" (looks like people's skin is crawling). External recorder or not.

Second, you have very little flexibility in post so make sure you get as close to "perfect" as you can in-camera on set. The 8 bit color space allows for a little bit of color tweaking but forget about major color grading - unless you're not bothered by banding and posterization (both of which get worse when you stretch your 1080 to 2K). This also means lightning everything perfectly. The Fs100 is not very forgiving so you'd better have a good selection of lights.

Third, never ever shoot anything important with this camera without a high-quality HD broadcast monitor on set. This camera has a tendency to surprise you in post with aforementioned anomalies (excessive banding, mid tone noise, sensor reflections, etc).

I've learned that spending a little more money on a higher end camera means less headaches on set and in post -- and more flexibility in your workflow. For example, the Red Scarlet rents for $900/week here plus lenses. It shoots 4K, gives you RAW 12-bit files, has more dynamic range, much more resolution and has higher quality components. This translates into more flexibility in post, less headaches on set, more attention you can focus on the actual content, and a much better end product.

And don't forget the fact that 4K is rescalable. Want to reframe something? No problem with 4K source material.

The EX1 is another great camera. Higher resolution, 12 bit color, more flexibility in post - and it rents for the same price.

Just my opinion.
 
danstone said:
Just my two cents:

The FS100 is a great camera but I would be nervous about shooting a feature on it - unless you are absolutely maxed out on budget or you have an amazing DP/DIT/AC tea with a lot of patience.

First, be prepared to spend a lot of time on set diagnosing issues like weird reflections and "dancing mid tones" (looks like people's skin is crawling). External recorder or not.

Second, you have very little flexibility in post so make sure you get as close to "perfect" as you can in-camera on set. The 8 bit color space allows for a little bit of color tweaking but forget about major color grading - unless you're not bothered by banding and posterization (both of which get worse when you stretch your 1080 to 2K). This also means lightning everything perfectly. The Fs100 is not very forgiving so you'd better have a good selection of lights.

Third, never ever shoot anything important with this camera without a high-quality HD broadcast monitor on set. This camera has a tendency to surprise you in post with aforementioned anomalies (excessive banding, mid tone noise, sensor reflections, etc).

I've learned that spending a little more money on a higher end camera means less headaches on set and in post -- and more flexibility in your workflow. For example, the Red Scarlet rents for $900/week here plus lenses. It shoots 4K, gives you RAW 12-bit files, has more dynamic range, much more resolution and has higher quality components. This translates into more flexibility in post, less headaches on set, more attention you can focus on the actual content, and a much better end product.

And don't forget the fact that 4K is rescalable. Want to reframe something? No problem with 4K source material.

The EX1 is another great camera. Higher resolution, 12 bit color, more flexibility in post - and it rents for the same price.

Just my opinion.
Click to expand...



Do you think is better option go to buy Blackmagic cinema camera and use it whit standar lenses or just buy cinema mount lens for fs100 to work whit 2k
 
It all depends on the look you are going for. But the BlackMagic would technically have a higher resolution than the FS100. As far as lenses go, I wouldn't worry about cinema v. photo lenses. If it's high quality glass, it should look great on either camera. Even $200 high-quality, old canon fd or nikon glass won't be a huge dropoff from PL's, IMO.
 
nitrofrog said:
Do you think is better option go to buy Blackmagic cinema camera and use it whit standar lenses or just buy cinema mount lens for fs100 to work whit 2k
Click to expand...

I agree with Kyle and would spend my money on the front end (lenses) good quality glass. While the FS100 only shoots 1080p, the small amount of quality loss from stretching it to 2K would be less distracting than shooting true 2.5K through a lower-end lens. And I wouldn't sweat cinema vs. still lenses.

My DP always says, "I would rather shoot with a Handycam through good glass than a Phantom through crappy glass." That's an exaggeration, of course, but you get the point.
 
If the BMD camera does what it is supposed to I think it is a better camera for feature work because of the flexibility of the files in post

You will need to source some pretty bizarre glass for the BMD, power it with V-lock, (maybe $2k) and ideally use a sound recorder too - so the cost could rise

It is also less light sensitive so could have an implication on your lighting budget and doesnt do 60p if you care

I guess the BMD is more ideal but will actually be a lot more expensive...

S
 
@danstone, can I just ask where you heard that the EX1 has 12-bit color?? this is i'm assuming the EX1r... please elaborate.
 
People have been screening stuff shot on the 5d and 7d on the big screen and they look good. I find it really odd that the FS100 wouldn't fit the bill. I also find it really odd that someone would categorize the material as "very little flexibility in post". In my humble opinion, that is just completely wrong. You can screw up RED shootings too, and if you don't know how to shoot, no amount of 12-bit material will save it.

It continues to baffle me how people are watching and grading this material if they can't get anything out of them. Are you actually shooting and grading or just saying so because I don't see it? And then claiming that EX1 is a better option? That makes no sense on a multitude of levels.
 
I have a RED ONE MX with PL lens, and FS100 with Metabones and Canon L Lens, Ninja recorder.
I deliver video in 2K, most clients do not recognize the differences; What not are after the post.
Do not create problems, The FS100 is a big camera.
It is you who make a difference!!!!
 
I'm in a pretty good situation for looking at this.. i am primarily a grader and sometimes shoot my own stuff, hence the FS...

but in my day job i sit in front of a 16 foot screen hit by a Christe2200 and make things look good... in the last year or so i have graded features in DCi2K@P3 shot on;
5/7D
EX
F3/Slog/444
Alexa
MX
Epic
35mm Film

For all of them the key is to stay with one camera, and they all cut together well

They are listed in the inverse order of what i would prefer to have as the starting point tho ;-)

Scaleing from HD to DCi2K is not a huge deal as long as you use high quality tools. What you gain from scaleing down from 5K to Dci2K is remarkable on a big screen tho...

Diffrences in glass and esp differnces in diffusion/filtration can be very noticable on a big screen, while almost unnoticable on a 24" or smaller, the same with noise and sharpening.

I'm doing tests for two diffrent feature's this coming weekend, one show is being shot on F3, one on Epic - diffrent Pord co's - it's something i offer as a courtsey, most facilities will..

I would realy encourage you to talk to the facility that will be preparing the DCP and gradeing the DCi2K master, run some tests that will show the weakest point of the tools - then have them pull up footage from other camera's to screen for you if relevant.

My take is the FS with the right profiles will wallop the 5/7D & EX in this venue, and not hit the DR that F3 & Alexa will... for DCi2K tho, Epic is the winner as long as you have the time & skills to do a great job in finishing, otherwise the Alexa & F3 are much more user friendly in finishing, i can get through a show shot on them MUCH faster than an Epic show... but the Epci show has crystal clear sharpeness to even the most softly lit scenes that is awesome...

again, good luck, and test test test.. on a BIG screen... do not expect that decisions made on a 24" 709 mon are going to track through to a 16' XYZ screen... some will , but only some..

d
 
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