LA-EA1 and Sal1650 lens

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Chris Joy

What about auto ISO?

Hush :) Most of us FS100 users use it in auto mode sometimes, but few are ready to admit :)

[Derran Rootring]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

Hush :) Most of us FS100 users use it in auto mode sometimes, but few are ready to admit :)

Haha, I'm ready to admit I've tried it when using the Tokina lens and Novoflex adapter on the Steadicam, but somehow it doesn't feel right. :)

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Well, I guess that while making their decision on ND filtering NOT to be built-in the FS100 camera, Sony's engineers assumed two things:

- many of FS100 users would be coming from the DSLR market
- most of non-NEX lenses to be used with the FS100 would be photo lenses

Now - in still photography, ISO (gain) just like shutter speed are as good exposure-controlling tools as the aperture and external ND filters are. It's only video which - especially when made with the elusive "cinematic look" in mind - requires constant (manually set) shutter speed, and (to a lesser degree) ISO/gain. The reason being obvious: when making 24-60 frames per seconds, and for a huge number of seconds in a row, we should make the "look" of all those consecutive frames as consistent as only possible, as well as the cadence (or movement sensation) pretty constant.

But, let's face it: with the FS100 camera which is virtually noise-free even at high gain/ISO settings, fixed gain within a take is not such an important factor any more. And as for the shutter speed, well...this is even more embarrassing to admit than auto-ISO, but many of us do compensate for the lack of internal ND-filtering with the shutter speed varying considerably from scene to scene, or even used in auto mode :)

And I must tell you that - as much a pixel-peeping measurebator as I am - I found I can get away with it more often than not... Of course, in a fully controlled environment I will always go with the 180 deg shutter as per the book, using the arsenal of my matte box/screwed-on fixed or variable types of ND filters. Similarly, I'll use lighting to avoid using gain at all...

But in run&gun, or stabilizer, kind of shooting? Yes - I do admit: it often happens that I'm using the ISO and/or shutter speed in auto mode! So far, none of my clients ever noticed :)

PS. I'd add that even in some controlled circumstances, e.g. when I'm after those "beauty shots" with shallow DOF, I'd open up and fix the aperture rather than anything else!

[Chris Joy]

The ISO levels on the FS are so clean throughout most of the range, I don't have any problem using auto ISO and a vari-ND filter to control exposure as much as aperture. Unless going for a specific look I usually don't mess with the shutter speed. I shoot 30 & 60p because I haven't been able to get 24p looking smooth enough on the FS, it also helps to lower the exposure a bit when shooting at large apertures since the base ISO is so stinkin' high on the FS.