Some months ago, I posted Part 1 of my PMW-F3 S-Log video series, and now, after waiting for the new 1.2 firmware to be released, Part 2 is here. In this video, I explain the new Exposure Index mode in the F3 and what it does for the camera. Watch my video above to learn more, and look for future segments coming soon.
We have had a number of different events over the last few months featuring Sony’s F65 camera. The F65 offers unparallelled 8k resolution and produces stunning 4k imagery. We’ve done a lot of testing with it, and found both the resolution and dynamic range to be off the charts. For all of you that were not able to attend our events, I put together this short video covering some of the big features of the camera; stay tuned for future videos on workflow and data management. The F65 has a special package price offer through Dec 26th, so make sure to speak with our sales team if you are interested.
Sony is constantly updating their F3 camera with new accessories, and we were able to get our hands on their new lens and recorder. The Sony 14-252mm lens (SCL-Z18X140) is designed specifically for the F3, and if you’ve been following our blog you probably already know a lot about it. This is the first powered zoom for a Super-35 camera and has a very interesting design. The lens attaches directly to the F3′s native mount, allowing for power and communication. The zoom lens offers auto focus (and push auto focus), auto iris and optical stabilization. The zoom motor is controlled by the F3 rocker, which I found to be very smooth. You’ll find controls for all of these features on the lens itself, in addition to a Flange Focal depth adjustment option, which can be activated by holding down a special button combination.
On the back of the camera, I connected the SR-R1 portable recorder. This is the first of Sony’s SR Memory recording options, which utilizes the high-quality SR Codecs found previously on HDCAM SR tape. This devices is perfect for anyone working in the SR world, and is basically a much less expensive and more portable version of the SRW1 deck. It records in 220Mbps, 440 Mpbs and 880 Mbps (coming in a future firmware) in either 422, 444 RGB or 3D (future firmware also). The compression format is what Sony calls Simple Studio Profile (SStP), which already has support in FCP and AVID. Learn more about SR-R1 with the F3 on Sony’s site here. An optional DPX Uncompressed recording option will come in the future. Downloading of the cards can be accomplished with the SR-PC4 or SR-PC5 data transfer units, which will be available early next year.
Watch my video above to learn more about both of these new products.
Today, Canon announced their new, much-anticipated Cinema EOS C300 video camera. Not long ago, we got a sneak peek; some of its key features are a Super 35mm size sensor, 12-stops of dynamic range, on-board 50 Mbps recording to CF cards and HD-SDI outputs. The camera comes in two versions, one with a Canon EF mount and the other with a PL mount. The sensor is 4K (3840 x 2160) in resolution, with a unique color pattern that produces a very clean 1920×1080 signal. From our brief testing of the camera, we could find no rolling shutter artifacts, moire issues, or other problems found on HDSLR camera sensors. The sensor has a native ISO of 850 and produces a clean signal all the way up to 20,000 ISO, giving amazing low light performance. And in the case that you have too much light, the camera also has built in ND filters.
…continue reading Canon Announces New C300 HD Camera
Sony has put a lot of effort into bringing OLED displays to the production business. Their PVM-740 monitor has had great success, and they followed it up with a 17″ (PVM-1741) and 25″ (PVM-2541) version as well. On the high end, Sony has released their BVM-E and BVM-F series of monitors in the same 17″ and 25″ sizes. The difference between the monitors can be a bit confusing; watch my video above to learn more, and see the chart below for more specifics.
…continue reading Sony’s OLED Displays and the Decimator MD-DUCC
Sony has just announced details on their upcoming zoom lenses for the F3. The new SCL-Z18X140 lens is a 14x powered zoom in the native Sony F3 mount. It will ship in November with a list price of $12,200, but will likely retail for less. This zoom is the first servo driven lens designed to cover the Super-35 sensor found in the F3. It features full auto iris, auto focus and stabilization. At the wide end of the lens, it has an aperture of T3.9, which drops to around T6.8 at the end. However, the image stabilization and other functions add up to make it quite an amazing lens. Firmware version 1.20, which enables the use of the zoom rocker found on the side of the camera, is required to use the lens. The firmware will also be released in November; see yesterday’s blog for details. View the bottom of the post to see the full specs of the new lens.
Along with the 14x lens announcement comes a bit more information on Sony’s new wide angle 11-16mm zoom. This is a PL mount zoom lens, which is designed to match the 35, 50 and 85mm lenses that come with the PMW-F3K model. It will be available around the end of the year.
…continue reading Sony’s New Zoom Lenses for the PMW-F3
Sony recently announced firmware version 1.20 for the PMW-F3. The new firmware, which will be released in November, will enable the use of the zoom rocker found on the F3, as well as some other very cool features. The first is the ability to turn on the 3D Link function in the camera with a new add-on key called CBK-3DLO1. On the back of the camera you’ll find the 3D link port, which will enable two F3s to be linked together for 3D. When combined with a Sony paintbox, both cameras can be controlled at the same time. Additionally, if Sony’s upcoming 14x lens is used on both cameras, a matching zoom, focus and iris can be achieved at the same time. (Read more about this new lens on our blog tomorrow.) This makes the F3 very straightforward to set up for 3D use. The CBK-3DL01 option key has a list price of $5,500 and includes the cable needed to connect both cameras.
Perhaps the most significant addition of all is Exposure Index S-Log mode. You will still need the S-Log option installed to make this work, but if you already have the S-Log option on, this will be enabled right away. The Exposure Index mode works differently than the standard S-Log mode – it sets the camera at an optimal ISO (800) and maximizes the sensor output, giving a full extra stop of exposure. Then when the gain switch is adjusted, instead of adding gain it adjusts the exposure index. A practical explanation of this is that when gain is increased the camera will push up the exposure values, and when it is decreased it will pull down those values. Because the ISO is set to get the most out of the sensor, the exposure index change works more like an adjustment in post. The extra stop in exposure is big news though, and I can’t wait to try it out.
We also learned about another firmware update coming out at the end of the year. Version 1.30 of the F3 firmware will be available around the end of December or January 2012, and will coincide with the release of Sony’s wide angle 11-16mm PL mount lens. The firmware will add one really important feature, which is the ability to output S-Log in 422. When S-Log is enabled (with the optional key), you will be able to send a 422 signal out of the Dual-Link ‘A’ output. Right now S-Log can only be sent out via the regular SDI output, by turning off the output LUT. With the new firmware, we will be able to send out S-Log over the ‘A’ output, while sending out another signal with the LUT applied over the regular SDI. This is a great feature for anyone using a Ki Pro Mini, PIX240 or other external recorder.
