Sony recently dropped off the FS700 for us to do some tests. At AbelCine, we’re always trying to see how a camera performs so we can give the best recommendations to our clients. We reached out via Twitter to see what you all wanted to know, and I tried to get in as many tests as I could in the short period of time we had the camera in-house. 

With so much to cover, we broke down our tests in to three different sections – Low Light Performance, Dynamic Range, and Slow-Motion. Each piece includes some video from the camera, which also gives you some idea of its performance. Check out the videos in the full FS700 article, over on the Resource section of our website. Make sure to scroll to the bottom, where I answer more questions about the camera. 

We hope you found these useful. Were there other tests that you wanted to see? Let us know in the comments!

AbelCine worked with cinematographer Jim Geduldick to test and collect footage using the new, ultra-compact Phantom Miro high-speed camera.

Jim’s passion for extreme sports led him to produce and direct a test shoot at Camp Woodward. This unique camp focuses on action sports and digital media, making it a natural choice for the project. The shoot really put the Miro to the test with many shots requiring handheld work, tight spaces and low light setups. The Miro’s ISO rating of 1100 allowed Jim to shoot a night scene with all LED lighting – five Lightpanels 1×1 kits and five Switronix TorchLED Bolts. Jim used the AbelCine PCU, a simple, no fuss solution for controlling all the main camera settings such as black balance, white balance, playback, trim, trigger and save. On set, Jim switched between an EF mount and a PL mount on the Miro, which meant a lot of choice when it came to glass. The newly released Canon EF Cinema 14.5-60mm T2.6 Zoom in EF, Canon L Series Set and Arri / Zeiss Ultra Primes were all used on the shoot. Jim told us that he thought Canon did an excellent job with their new Cine zoom, and he was impressed by the great fall off, sharpness and minimal breathing of the lens.

The new Miro M320S made its debut at NAB in April. The camera can capture over 1500fps at 1920×1080. Its low light capability (1100 ISO) allows it to produce very high quality images at these extraordinary frame rates.

To learn more about Jim Geduldick’s experience with the Phantom Miro and watch behind-the-scenes video and teaser footage, check out this article in the Resource section of our website.

Last year, MYT Works introduced several slider systems, which are also convertible into small camera dollies or hi-hats. At NAB 2012, they expanded their offerings with a range of camera motion and positioning tools. An adjustable leg support system allows placement almost anywhere and new supports allow for under-slinging. A motorized motion control system can be added to any MYT Works slider system. Additionally, a unique expanding plate allows for fine-tuned height adjustment. Watch the video to learn more about what is coming soon from MYT Works.

Today, Convergent Design’s Gemini 4:4:4 has been officially certified as an ARRIRAW recorder. In a previous blog back in February, we mentioned that a unit with the ARRIRAW option was at ARRI in Munich awaiting approval – now the Gemini has officially passed ARRI’s tough certification process. This is big news for the small, low-cost recorder. The update is available via a simple firmware upgrade and key purchase. In the upcoming firmware, the ARRIRAW recording mode will be available, but images will have a watermark until a key is purchased for $2,995. The key will be available from AbelCine in the near future.

Additionally, the Gemini has several free updates coming that many people have been waiting for:

• The ability to trigger the Gemini via the HD-SDI Record Trigger Packet

This allows you to press the record button on a camera, such as the ALEXA, Sony F3 (along with some other Sony cameras) and Canon C300/C500, to start or stop the Gemini. Importantly, this allows the camera to be in 24/hour timecode or continuously running timecode, while still triggering the Gemini from the camera.

• The ability to record 1080p23.976 (23.98), 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, and 60, all in 4:4:4, even from a 4:2:2 camera. 

1080p29.97 and higher requires two SSDs to be inserted in the Gemini. 1080p59.94 and 60 will be recorded in DPX, but will use a special format due to SSD speed limitations. This enables slow-mo while remaining in 1080p, as opposed to using 720p. Convergent Design will provide a special utility to convert the special-format DPX to regular DPX. This utility can be used as part of the transfer/download process. 

You can find more information on the ARRIRAW certification on Convergent Design’s site. 

Sony has been working hard on the F65 and has now announced some major updates to the camera. In the current beta version of the F65 firmware, SR Codec (HDCAM SR format) recording has been enabled in addition to F65RAW.  The current firmware has some limitations and a few fixes were requested, so this is definitely a welcome update. Sony also announced a new download option for SR Memory cards – the SR-D1 is a small card reader which gives direct access to the cards via eSata or USB 3.0. This is a great, less expensive option for anyone using SR Memory cards. Going back to the firmware now, here is a quick run down of what is coming in the new 1.5 firmware:

• Improved fan control (low fan mode improved during recording)
• Shutter motor now powers down completely when using electronic shutter

Some initial comments about the camera mentioned its noise level during recording; these two updates address this issue. 

• Playback without reboot
• SStP (HDCAM SR) Recording at 440 & 220 (880 to come in summer)
• RAW Lite (an alternative, slightly more compressed RAW which gets 50 minutes of 24p at 512GB vs 30 minutes for regular RAW)

On the current version of the SR-R4 recorder which mounts to the camera, the unit needs to reboot when switching between playback and recording. The new update addresses this issue and also adds some key recording formats. 440 & 220 Mbps SR Recording give you long record times in a high quality HD format; SR compression will no doubt be popular for television work. F65 RAW Lite is a major addition with around 6:1 compression. This will speed up download time and save hard drive space with only a limited effect on the overall quality.

• Improvement of the VF delay (now .5 frame faster)
• S-LOG2 for HD-SDI output (which covers full 1300% of range instead of 900%)
• Improved VF markers
    – Modified aspect ratios (fixed some issues found in early productions)
    – Variable markers (also control of  thickness and brightness)
• HD-SDI Embedded TC, Audio,  & Rec Trigger (RAW Mode only, but SStP ability in early June)

All of these updates improve the output of the camera in some way. S-Log2 is a new log curve that is designed to get as much information off the F65 sensor as possible, pushing the range up to 1300%. The viewfinder improvements, including faster response and more frame line adjustments, are also welcome. The embedded TC and audio in the HD-SDI output is a big benefit for anyone shooting Raw but wanting to record externally as well for offline use.

• RPN detect at power-on

RPN is a process run in the camera for automatic hot pixel compensation. This can still be run manually but will now also be completed on boot up of the camera.

• Improvements to iPad connection and interface (more status info)
• iPad application type control available via web interface of camera, which will work with iPhone and Android phones/tablets (device must be capable of peer to peer connections or use an Access Point)

The F65 has an iPad controller which can be found on the App store. The new firmware will improve connection options and also open web browser control over the camera.

• Fix for bug with the VCLX battery which caused 24v ports to shutdown at battery startup

A small update, but important for anyone using Anton Bauer VCLX batteries.

Towards the end of summer, more updates will become available, including one that adds 120fps recording. This will be a free update, and give the F65 even more functionality. Additional updates will include 880 Mbps (10 or 12-bit) SR recording, TC over HD-SDI in SR mode, elimination of the ND filter wheel sound, and other updates that have been requested. The F65 is looking better and better, and we are looking forward to testing out the new firmware, which should be available in a couple weeks. Camera owners should contact AbelCine for details on this latest update.

Here’s something for you to try out over the weekend: our popular Field of View comparison tool has been updated with the latest cameras from this year’s NAB show.

I’ve added the latest Canon cameras including the C300, C500, and 1DC. The C300 and C500′s sensor is almost exactly the same size as Super 35mm film; at 24.6×13.8mm it has a 28.2mm diagonal. The 1DC can record in both HD modes and in a 4K mode. The HD mode uses the full frame sensor area just like the 5D Mark III, however the 4K mode uses a smaller APS-H mode, like the 1D Mark 4. All these options are now available in our tool. 

Additionally, I’ve added the Blackmagic Digital Cinema camera to the list, which has a sensor size somewhere between Super 16mm film and a 4/3rd sensor like on the AF100. At 15.8×8.9mm it has a 18.14 mm diagonal, which leads to a fair bit of cropping when compared to Super 35mm and full frame sensors. The Blackmagic Camera can record in both HD (ProRes, DNxHD, and uncompressed) as well a full 2.5K 12-bit Raw format. The Raw data is captured in Cinema DNG format at a resolution of 2432×1366, however the captured image area is the same, so you should get the same field of view in either mode. The Blackmagic camera is now available for preorder from AbelCine. 

Adding to the list of updates from Sony, the NEX-FS100 has also been granted new functionality via firmware version 2.0, available directly from Sony. The much-anticipated update includes the ability to switch between NTSC and PAL recording, saving and loading Picture Profiles, and full support for the Sony LA-EA2 E-mount to Alpha mount adapter. 

Although you cannot save or load individual Picture Profiles from the FS100, you can now save all of your profiles to an SDHC card or Memory Stick via the Camera Profile option in the Others menu. This will also allow you to save or load other camera settings, including all menu settings and assignable button options. This is especially useful in a multicamera environment, as you can quickly ensure each camera is configured identically with one menu setting. 

Other updates include:

•  Additional 4x and 8x Expanded Focus magnification: (with user selectable focus area)
•  Selectable ISO or GAIN sensitivity display
•  Selectable Focus indication in FEET or METERS (E-mount lens only)
•  Selectable Shutter indication as EXPOSURE TIME or SHUTTER ANGLE
•  Adds the following Aspect-Ratio markers: 2.35:1, 1.85:1 and 1.66:1
•  Display ON/OFF button enables Zebra and/or Histogram overlay onto video output

Previously, Andy created a series of custom Scene Files for the FS100. With the new firmware installed, you can simply download all these files and load them directly into your camera. 

Sony has released new Mac drivers for their SxS cards, which enable mounting the cards via a Thunderbolt device. This is very big news, because now you can use the Sonnet Echo, an inexpensive ExpressCard to Thunderbolt adapter, to read and download the cards. This greatly speeds up download time for anyone with a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac. Combine the Sonnet Echo with the Sonnet Qio or Qio E3 (3x Expresscard slots), and you can download a number of SxS cards at once. I did a quick test with the Echo and the new drivers, and I was impressed with the download speeds – no doubt this will become the standard for SxS downloading on set. Download the new drivers now from Sony’s website. 

Have you ever wondered how a digital camera actually “sees” color and translates it into information that can be recorded? A Color Matrix describes the balancing of different parts of the color spectrum in order to create an accurate representation for capture. It describes not only the three primary colors, but their relationships to one another. By adjusting the properties of the Color Matrix, you can do things like: shift the white balance of a camera, change the sensitivity, alter the color pallet, adjust for color anomalies in the lens, or flaring on the sensor. Adjusting the Color Matrix is commonly referred to as “painting” a camera, an indication of how much control over the image these settings allow.

So how does it work? Art Adams has written an excellent article describing the process in his column at Pro Video Coalition.

We stopped by the OConnor booth to check out their latest products, including their updated 1030D head. The 1030D has an impressive counterbalance system that gives accurate balance at any point of the tilt range. It will also counterbalance down to zero, which is great when working with lighter-weight camera systems. The 1030D also features a new crank-style counterbalance control and an action brake that unlocks the pan and tilt with a single-handed squeeze. OConnor has been impressing all of us with their accessories, including the OBox mattebox. Now they’ve won a Black Diamond award for their OFocus DM follow focus, so congratulations to OConnor. Watch my video to learn more.