View Full Version : VG10, T2i and F3 Compared (Video Clips)


Alister Chapman
May 5th, 2011, 08:25 AM
See this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-f3-cinealta/495462-f3-vg10-t2i-side-side-shots.html#post1645916

Jonathan W. Hickman
May 5th, 2011, 08:58 AM
Gosh, while the test is hardly scientific, it's sure shows that for a landscape shot, the cameras compare well.

I own the Nex-5 and the T2i. The T2i looks better to me with my 50mm, but I'm learning to control the settings on the Nex-5.

Jonathan W. Hickman
May 5th, 2011, 09:05 AM
The VG10 and the F3 would be better for my documentary and TV work, but the cost difference puts the F3 out of reach.

My experience with the T2i and the 7D have been good, but shoot times in hot weather present problems. So far, I've not had trouble with the Nex-5 overheating.

Steve Mullen
May 6th, 2011, 01:11 AM
it's sure shows that for a landscape shot, the cameras compare well. ... I own the Nex-5 and the T2i. The T2i looks better to me with my 50mm, but I'm learning to control the settings on the Nex-5.

Considering the nex-5 costs about $800 and the F3 costs $13,000-- it is very strange and wonderful that one can spend $800 and, as the demo shows, get the same image quality if one spent $13,000. The only visible difference was that the F3 was exposed slightly brighter.

Aliasing wasn't visible on any of the cameras until the images were blown 200%. And, we are comparing Sony's 2011 F3 sensor with their 14MP 2010 sensor. When the vg10/nex-5 get the 16MP chip -- as the nex-3 re-spin already has -- one hopes image quality will improve even farther. (Even the T2i isn't the latest Canon T2.)

The key to solving the 200ASA verses 800ASA difference for the vg10/nex-5 is to buy a set of very fast Canon or Nikon lenses. The Sony F1.8 50mm was fine with 120 watts of room lighting, but an F1.4 would be even better.

Alister Chapman
May 6th, 2011, 01:39 AM
Look at the original files or the frame grabs on my blog before making a true image assessment. There is a a very clear difference between the cameras.

Jonathan W. Hickman
May 7th, 2011, 09:33 AM
I'm still learning to use an old Pentax prime 50mm, 1.4, with the Nex-5. On one interview it looked awesome but on another I couldn't get it to look right. My main problem is time. Most of the time, the subject wants to sit down and say their piece and leave. Therefore, the time crunch hurts my setup.

With the T2i, I used the cheap Canon 1.8 50mm, and it spoke so well with the camera, that setup was easy. I'm just not completely comfortable with the Nex-5 yet. But for interviews, the Nex-5 will be the winner. My interviews usually go longer than 12 minutes. Therefore, I need the extra shoot time and flexibility. And the Canon kept overheating on me all the time, which was unacceptable. I was constantly thinking about the heat issue and it usually crept up.

For shooting a feature film or a short dramatic narrative film, I understand that the Canon might be better (because you can shoot in 24p as well). But that is not always the case. I spoke with a filmmaker at the Atlanta Film Festival last week who made a wonderful film in a Louisiana swamp with the 7D and they had heat problems naturally. I wonder if the Sony F3 would have such problems in those hot conditions.