sony rx10mk2 as interview camera

R

robfilms

Veteran
i do many doc-type shoots.

i was looking for a small non-intrusive camera for those very small interviews where some folks would truly be uncomfortable with a "real" rig.

i was looking at the sony rx10 mk2 as a possible solution.

i had also spent a week looking at the canon xc10.

much of the web chatter suggests that each camera has its charms but neither produces a very sharp, engaging image.

i wonder what other's experiences have been with the rx10mk2 as an interview camera.

thanks in advance for any info you care to share.

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions
 
Sharp?

The Sony RX10 produces a VERY sharp image. TOO sharp for my tastes.

Interviews can be handled by nearly any halfway decent camera because the viewers don't expect the image to look like a movie.
I've seen plenty on interview/biography type TV shows that were shot on "not very impressive" older ENG style video cameras. They look fine.

Honestly, to me - the big thing in these instances is to make the people look nice and appealing. Super pimple-revealing wrinkle-revealing sharpness and resolution are possible with new sharp high-res cameras. Make sure that's what you want.

I honestly prefer the slightly softer look of the Sony RX100 (mk ii, iii, or iV) to the RX10. But that's just my personal tastes.

I'm not sure about the RX10 - but make sure you can put screw-on diffusion filters on that lens. That's going to be a MUST.
 
Tons of videos on Vimeo and YouTube. The cameras are sharp.

And with the RX10II and RX100IV, you can dial in settings like detail, contrast, black level, etc. inside the camera to make it appear "sharper". (But sharpening in post is always better).

I've owned both - RX10II and RX100IV - and they should have an identical image if not very close. Canon XC10 can be sharp too.
 
I think it is a very capable camera as long as its DOF matches what you want for the interviews. You can always dial back or dumb down detail. Better to have a lot of detail and tone it down than have a soft image and try to spruce it up.
 
darren-

thanks for the link.

your footage looked good.

even managed some shallow depth of field interview head shots!

how much light did you need to add for the talking heads?

was this shot 4k and then down-rezzed to 1080p?

thanks for adding to the conversation.

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions
 
RX10 mk2 vs XC10 is no contest! Get the Sony.

RX10 mk2 has a waaaaay superior lens. And as a bonus is a lot cheaper too.

Plus the RX10 mk2 has juicy super slow motion as an option, often handy for many docos.
 
for sharper and shallower depth of field pick up a used Samsung NX1 with a kit lens and one interview prime lens
 
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