Hey Doug,
I checked out the Vimeo footage, this looks great and the footage is so clean. With that lens where does the f stop like to be set to? I know this is loaded question but my lens on my F350 when shooting outdoors in the Aussie sun sits @ filter 3 @ f5 to f11 which I hate but going to filter 4 just kills any extra light that I need.

Thanks

Hey Theirry, you know I love your stuff no matter what lens you choose. "Monster Fish of the Congo" for NatGeo had some fantastic footage and I'm looking forward to your Afghanistan project.

I just personally hate the look of a WA lens. Nothing, except shooting interlaced, kills the "film look" more than a super wide lens with a lot of barrell distortion. I won't shoot with anything under 6mm and my 7.6mm lens is perfert.

Simon, thanks for the compliemnt. The F800 looks good at a much wider f-stop range than my F350, EX1, and EX3. With those 1/2" cameras I would NEVER shoot smaller than f/5.6, and I use f/4 - f/2.8 as my target zone.

With the F800 I still use f/4 as my target f-stop, but I have no qualms about using the full range when necessary. I have to admit it has been great to get back to a 2/3" camera after shooting 100% 1/2" since March of 2006.

Thanks Doug,
I'm always trying to get my f stop around f4 but sometimes I have to much light here in Aus and I'm forced to use filter 4 which seems to under expose for some reason.
Just a thought do you shoot with the shutter on, on the 800?

Thanks

I have set my gain to -3db and that helps with filter3 and the australian sun

Note to self: Trim all nose hairs before stepping in front of Jensen's HD camera lens.

On a more serious note, I like long lenses too, but I ometimes find myself wanting just a little bit wider lens for handheld stuff. But I'm with you on the barrel distortion. Not a look that I like to see. And without the benefit of ALAC, the CA on long HD lenses does tend to rear its ugly head.

-gb-

I'll get a new camera when I know that it will make me money. Steadicams and lighting will do far more for you than a big camera. My back says to get new lighting. My brain tells me a Steadicam, as long as I take extra care over skeletal structure while using it. My woman says that my lower regions say to get a new camera.

That's the choice hierarchy. Don't choose or speak with your dick is what I'm sayin'.

but that's where 75% of the brain is located:)

Ah yes, -3db, I always forget to switch this back when I go to shooting outdoors again. It's one of those things you mentally tell yourself as your shooting indoors to change when you get back outside.


Thanks

Hmmmm.... -3db to deal with too much light. Not sure about that as while it does reduce the cameras sensitivity by about a stop it also reduces the dynamic range by a similar amount reducing the ability to handle highlights.

A better answer is to get some extra ND filters.

Agree with Alister on this. When I shoot full backlit which some producers ask for at times I keep -3db. If the cameras ND won't put me in the 5.6 sweet spot I add a ND filter on the lens. You might have to buy a few ND filters to have the different range you need. B+W filters have given me the best results so far.

The PMW-350 is even worse in this respect as it is more sensitive than the 700/F800 by another stop!

How times have changed, now we are complaining that the cameras are too sensitive!

I think the real answer would be to put slightly darker ND's in positions 3 and 4 of the wheel. It's easy enough when your on a controlled shoot to screw on an additional ND or drop another in the matte box but for run and gun such as news you really just want to be able to swing in a darker ND on the filter wheel.

Darker 3 and 4 on the filters would be very nice option. Too sensitive not complaining here.

I have always advocated shooting at -3db most the time with the EX1, EX3, and PDW-3xx cameras. The purpose is not to adust the exposure in bright light (in fact that's the worst time to use it!). The purpose of -3db is to reduce noise in the blacks and shadows. Sure, you give up some dynamic range, but the trade off is worth it to shoot cleaner video.

The F800 is the first camera I've owned in 20 years that I'm not advocating shooting with negative gain. The camera is clean enough without it, so it would not be a woth the trade off to give up dynamic range just to shoot at -3db or -6db.

As for exposure in bright conditions, I find the built-in ND filters are adequate. Of course, with that said, I must admit that if I'm shooting outdoors there's a 99% chance I've got a polarizer and/or a .6 1/2 grad filter in place for aesthetic reasons. Any help they give with exposure is just a bonus. With those two filters in place on the lens, it is very rare that I can even use Filter 4 on the wheel.

In regard to the F800, it may be time for Sony to reconsider the cheesy star filter and swap it for an additional level of ND instead.

T.