The best we could do with AF100

Steve Kahn said:
I have a degree in physics from UCLA. I know the science world and believe me NO ONE takes anyone at their word in science. It is just not done and just not good enough. And these guys aren't "geeks". They're full Ph.Ds and often times come up with contrary - opposite findings.
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All the more reason for an artist to trust his eyes and not someone else's.

Which is why the OP prolly ought to rent whatever rig he's thinking of buying first (which I'd say is some of the most often repeated advice on this forum) to see if, in his eyes, it's worth the extra dough.
 
I second TheDingo's opinion and screenshots. I think with this particular spot, the "perceived resolution" would greatly increase with a decent color grade. That grade looks extremely soft, and often overexposed to my eye, which will kill the AF100's detail, without even factoring in that you were using an old Nikon 35. Transcode through 5DtoRGB, use a waveform monitor when grading and make sure the blacks are black, the highlights aren't blown, and the middle of the curve pleases your eye. Then re-evaluate the camera's "sharpness." Just shot an interview with three DSLR's, out of the camera the AF100 was incredibly softer on the details, after proper grading the DSLR's look blurry... but to echo the sentiment above, you know what they say about opinions.
 
Another factor in the perceived sharpness of your AF100 footage could be the Scene File that was used. There are several settings that can interact to soften image details (or conversely, overemphasize latent aliasing artifacts). Can you post the Scene File used at the shoot?
 
lpowell said:
Another factor in the perceived sharpness of your AF100 footage could be the Scene File that was used. There are several settings that can interact to soften image details (or conversely, overemphasize latent aliasing artifacts). Can you post the Scene File used at the shoot?
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Too right! This is the deciding factor... your settings would be very useful to clarify!
 
We used this one:

Marvels Film cine-style profile for AF100/101, post #112:

  • Operation type:FILM CAM
  • Rec. Format:1080/24P
  • Synchro Scan:180.0d
  • Detail level:-6
  • Vertical detail level:-6
  • Detail coring:-4
  • Chroma level:-4
  • Chroma phase:-2
  • Master ped:-2
  • Gamma:Cine-Like-D
  • Matrix:Norm2
 
gustavo_viral said:
We used this one:


  • Detail level:-6
  • Vertical detail level:-6
  • Detail coring:-4
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Although I've seen recommendations like these online, I've found that in practice, detail levels this low produce very soft images. Here's a comparison of the AF100 (left side) with sharper settings: Detail -3, V Detail 0, Coring -4, in Cine-V/Norm2, next to the GH2 (right side):


While I wasn't expecting the AF100 to look as sharp as the GH2, I was looking for more sharpness than this example shows. Could my esthetic preferences be that different from those of most AF100 shooters?
 
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I found this to be interesting pertaining to old and modern lens performance. Older lenses seem to be less sharp when wide open.
 
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