F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Sony XAVC / XDCAM / NXCAM / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Sony Digital Cinema Camera Systems > Sony XAVC PMW-F5 / F55 CineAlta

Sony XAVC PMW-F5 / F55 CineAlta
35mm CMOS Sensor / 4K Ultra-HD Camcorders

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old November 20th, 2013, 05:58 AM   #1
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nieuw-Vossemeer, The Netherlands
Posts: 455
F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Pulled the trigger and ordered an F55, which I will use for wildlife productions. Read a lot about the advantages of SLog2. But still wonder what would be wise to do for me, since doing proper exposure seems more crucial when shooting SLog2. Shooting wildlife means that I hardly ever have the chance to do exposure measurements with grey/white card etc. My only tool will be the lcd viewfinder. I will shoot 4K XAVC.

Any wildlife filmers out there with good advise?
__________________
Cees van Kempen
www.iwp-wildlife.com
Cees van Kempen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 20th, 2013, 09:32 AM   #2
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK
Posts: 4,957
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

You just have to remember that white should be 59%, so just try to keep you whites etc about 1.5 to 2 stops under where you would expose with a conventional gamma and you should be OK. By the end of the year we should have LUT's available in all modes, not just CineEI.

Also remember that if you are going to shoot log that the grading side of your post workflow should have log based correction tools to get the best results. Grading log with an NLE often results in less than optimum pictures.

If you don't shoot log then you do also have a couple of 800% range hypergammas that give a big dynamic range boost without the post production log requirements. However again due to the large amount of dynamic range squeezed into the top end of the gamma curve you still need to reduce your exposure levels by a stop or more for best results.
__________________
Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com
Alister Chapman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 20th, 2013, 09:40 AM   #3
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nieuw-Vossemeer, The Netherlands
Posts: 455
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Thanks Alister.

Post will be done by a professional colorist in DaVinci Resolve. Do I understand well that in that case, and with using the expected LUT for the viewfinder, SLog2 will give me the best results?

Am I correct that the workflow should then be:
- film in SLog2, using a LUT for the viewfinder, but not to be backed into the footage.
- using a LUT in the NLE in order to have a decent looking picture for editing purposes, but exporting without the LUT to Resolve.
- Doing the proper color grading in Resolve to make the final export.
__________________
Cees van Kempen
www.iwp-wildlife.com
Cees van Kempen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 20th, 2013, 01:27 PM   #4
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Texel, the Netherlands
Posts: 42
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Hi Cees,
congrat with your new camera,
please can you give your resons why you chose a F55 above a Red Epic?
__________________
regards,
Marc Plomp
www.natuurdigitaal.nl
the Netherlands
Marc Plomp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 20th, 2013, 02:12 PM   #5
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nieuw-Vossemeer, The Netherlands
Posts: 455
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Hi Marc,

It was a close call. But the main reasons are:
- lower power consumption
- ND filters
- decent mic in (xlr)
- option to shoot 4K in a new codec (xavc). Don't fancy the size of raw files.
- local distribitor and local back up in case something is wrong

My concern was the absence of cache record, but that will be solved in a future upgrade.

The announcement of Red's Dragon sensor made me doubt, but I still believe the Sony is a more complete video camera for a lower price (compared to an Epic Dragon with all additional stuff).
__________________
Cees van Kempen
www.iwp-wildlife.com
Cees van Kempen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 20th, 2013, 02:42 PM   #6
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK
Posts: 4,957
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Yes Cees, your workflow sounds about right once we get non baked in MLUT's in custom mode and it will give you maximum dynamic range.

Important to remember not to use the LUT in the grade, unless it's in the very last node.

Sony's 4K raw is compressed 3:1 losslessly and comes out around 1Gb/s at 24/25fps. 4K XAVC is 240Mb/s so the XAVC files are pretty compact.
__________________
Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com
Alister Chapman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 21st, 2013, 08:00 AM   #7
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 4,048
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Hi Cees,

Congratulations, I have now had my F55 for two months and have worked if very hard shooting all the formats for a big range of clients. The best camera I have ever owned it is so versatile that all my customers benefit, and I have owned a lot of great cameras. I am sure you will use great lens, which in my opinion is needed to really make the F55 shine.

Make sure you sign up to the Sony Professional forum, great info from owner operators.
__________________
Paul Cronin
www.paulcroninstudios.com
Paul Cronin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 22nd, 2013, 09:23 AM   #8
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nieuw-Vossemeer, The Netherlands
Posts: 455
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Thanks Paul. I have signed up.
__________________
Cees van Kempen
www.iwp-wildlife.com
Cees van Kempen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 24th, 2013, 02:09 PM   #9
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nieuw-Vossemeer, The Netherlands
Posts: 455
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alister Chapman View Post
Yes Cees, your workflow sounds about right once we get non baked in MLUT's in custom mode and it will give you maximum dynamic range.

Important to remember not to use the LUT in the grade, unless it's in the very last node.

Sony's 4K raw is compressed 3:1 losslessly and comes out around 1Gb/s at 24/25fps. 4K XAVC is 240Mb/s so the XAVC files are pretty compact.
While awaiting my F55 to arrive I take the risk of asking a potentially stupid question: but what is the differerence between a LUT and a MLUT?
__________________
Cees van Kempen
www.iwp-wildlife.com
Cees van Kempen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 25th, 2013, 01:14 AM   #10
Major Player
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 470
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

Cees, the F55 also now has false colour metering I believe, which should make life easier exposure wise.
Mark Kenfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 25th, 2013, 08:53 AM   #11
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 4,048
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

False Color is only with OLED VF or 7" monitor not with the LCD which has become the popular VF.
__________________
Paul Cronin
www.paulcroninstudios.com
Paul Cronin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 29th, 2013, 04:40 PM   #12
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK
Posts: 4,957
Re: F55, SLog2 and wildlife filming

A LUT can be many things, it's a generic term for any kind of Look Up Table.

An MLUT is specifically a look up table designed to allow you to view what you are shooting in one standard/colour space using a different standard/colorspace. In F5/F55 terms that means taking SLog2 or Raw and converting it to 709 for the viewfinder or monitor. An MLUT my not comply to any specific standard, it's just there to make the pictures better for monitoring.

Other types of LUT include a "look" LUT, designed to give images a specific look within a single colour space.

An Output LUT would take the output from a device or software and convert it from the input colour space to a suitable colour space for display or distribution. Typically used on the output of grading software to convert to the chosen output format such as 709 for TV or DCI-XYZ of cinema.

An Input LUT or Input Transform would be used to bring footage in to an edit or grading application so that various input formats can be converted to a single common standard for grading so that all the same grade can be used on the footage from any camera (ACES etc).
__________________
Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com
Alister Chapman is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Sony XAVC / XDCAM / NXCAM / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Sony Digital Cinema Camera Systems > Sony XAVC PMW-F5 / F55 CineAlta

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:15 PM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network