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A very simple and quick test. Details in the YouTube description.

Clearly the Canon looked better and had far superior skin tones and was the champ for AF. Good lord if my wife came home and saw me watch that video of a guy filming himself in side-by-side mode she'd really start to wonder about me. On a side note - I'd rather have 5x the camera angles with 5 A7sII's than a single C300 - would be much more interesting viewing no matter how you pan and punch in the 4k image. Wait, I have to buy glass and 1000 batteries for those other 4 bodies? Hmmm...

Yeah, if pros pick up NX1, they will do wonders, as this video shows. Its quality is so good, it comes down more to skills, techniques, and support equipment. Glad NX1 is finally getting the attention it deserves and not being dismissed as prosumer stuff. I'm sure we'll see more examples, which can only help adoption.

Started with some colour curves to balance the NX1 shot more towards blue, getting rid of the green cast. Then I just shifted the cool end of the blue spectrum further toward blue with a hue shift, and the warmer end of the green spectrum I shifted towards red with the same method. There were a few other tweaks to the saturation of different hues, but that was pretty much it. Could probably get it closer if I had access to the original files, but it's not bad. I guess it would be possible to make a '1D C' colour profile preset that could be applied to NX1 (or any other camera) if you wanted that particular look. Will post a sony vegas preset if there's demand.

Hi Everyone, I'm new to this forum but figured I'd make this post because I've scoured the internet for information on what I'm experiencing and have yet to find anything similar. I know 99% of the time hardware issues are user error so I'm hoping someone can give me some "forehead slapping" advice here. In a nut shell I'm experiencing 2 problems with my A7Sii and I'm trying to figure out if I should send the camera back and claim it as defective. There's a lot I like about this camera aside from these issues so hopefully there are some easy fixes. The 2 problems are. 1. The LCD screen on the back randomly shuts off frequently for various amounts of time. This may be due to the fact that I'm shooting with canon EF glass via a Metabones T Smart Adapter Mark IV for Canon EF lenses. I've heard of issues with these adaptors but I'd thought that the Mark IV had solved this problem. On a side note I've done the most recent firmware upgrade but it has not helped. Also when recording and experiencing this issues the clip recorded is not effected. 2. The second and more concerning issues is the noise I'm seeing in the different ISO levels. The image is clean until around 3200iso then it becomes pretty bad as you can see from the untreated clips I've posted. Oddly the signal becomes very clean again at 10,000iso as well as 12,800iso but after that the noise starts to comes back. Now I know even this camera for all it's hype will experience some noise in the higher levels but from what I've seen online people are producing pretty good results even at iso's up to 51,000 and certainly at 3200. My real concern is from iso 3200 to 8000. I've played with some of the footage in different color grading programs to clean it up but with so much noise at certain levels I've not been very successful. Why my camera has noise at lower levels (3200) then cleans back about around 10,000iso makes me think something is wrong. I'd love to get others advice or opinions on this as well as questions and or suggestions that may help me get to the bottom of the issues. CLIP SPECS: - 23.976 fps - 4K - Lens: Canon 24-105mm f/4 - Adaptor: Metabones T Smart Adapter Mark IV for Canon EF lens to Sony E-mount camera. A7Sii_ISO_TEST.mp4

I agree. I always overcompensate (in post) magentas on my Sony cams, stills and video, Log or no Log. I've always personally felt that Canon has nice color science, but not accurate, especially in stills. Sony sensors, especially on Nikon cameras, produce color more accurate to what my eye sees, but not as flattering or punchy. I prefer to have accurate but less sexy color, and then work it in post, but I can see how sexy color out of camera is appealing. I think that explains especially the predominance of Canon on the studio photography side (when not using medium format). I've noticed Fashion and commercial photographers in NYC prefer the 'Canon look,' despite the files being significantly less flexible. I've only once seen a Nikon in a studio environment, and Sony never. But I think it's also inertia, as pro photographers have invested in the system and glass and know how to work with it.

Exactly. Sony's S-Log2 is flatter than the clog and the s-gamut3.cine is larger than the P3. So effectively sony has to put more colors in a smaller tonal range with limited number of samples (8 bit). A better test for skin colors would be with Cine2/Cine4 and Pro/Cinema colors on the A7Sii side. Add proper WB and slight adjustments of the color channels and it will be hard to see a difference.

The Canon's are going nowhere anytime soon. Some of the stuff you hear about Canon on this forum is far from reality. I wrapped a shoot yesterday as part of a big team of camera operators, all of which were hired for a project for a big major football team and their sponsor. We prepped all the gear - and there were 5 C300's, 6 5D Mk. III's and a ton of EF lenses. (there were also 20 GoPro's). I setup a bunch of C300's but was tasked to operate a 5D Mk. III. Every single camera operator knew exactly what to do with these cameras, no questions asked. A few of us brought our own cameras as backups. The A7S and RX10 II popped up, but nobody would use them because they were like some kind of foreign objects. When I said to someone I could operate the Sony's, one of the camera assistants looked at me like I was insane. Because of the Canon's, the process was smooth and reliable as everyone knew the brand and know they work well. Canon have a major presence in big commercial work. People who say they are "toast" because of Sony's spec sheet monster products don't know what they are talking about. Canon know this, and if they didn't, we'd be seeing 4k and 120fps in all their DSLR's very, very soon. (won't happen). In credit to Sony - there was an FS7 on set capturing behind the scenes footage. It was the most talked about gadget on set. They've done a great job of that camera.

saw this picture on cinema5d and wow, im really surprised Sony managed to get the lowlight so much better than the original a7s.

I agree with the Canon 8 bit codecs in the Cx00 line. They're pretty amazing.

Wait, I thought MatthewP pretty much debunked the "1Dc sees better color than NX1" conclusion in the shootout thread with his grade comparisons (see Page 3)? That would discredit the premise of this new article about technical vs. artistic view of color and 1Dc being better than NX1 that way. I.e., if you have good color info (technically speaking), you should always be able to tweak the image to fit your artistic preferences.

Or maybe they haven't a clue!

I have not looked for that function ... I just drop both on the timeline in Premiere and it is seamless... It does error correction sampling and has the ability to offload to more than one drive as a backup ... very fast. If I get a chance I will dig into it a bit more to look at whether I can discern a way to enable it. Bob

Nice test. The skin texture is just flat out better on the C300.

Clearly the Canon wins. Would like to see this test vs the NX1.

Its still the third most popular camera (not dslr, camera) at B&H so not really overdue imo. I think Canon are really smart. While the others have sunk money into countless models and features they have just kept selling the same old camera at a premium price. Genius.

I think it's partly because it took so long for Panasonic to get it out, and then the mess-up with the "free" workaround, and then the complete silliness of having to buy a code in a box to activate something that is already in the camera (and the fact that as far as I can figure out it's still not possible to buy it here in the UK - I'm still rockin the freebie), and then the realisation by users that if used with internal recording it's not really that great - I think these things just deflated all the anticipation. There was way more buzz about it before it was released than there has been since. I shoot with Cine-V most of the time, and also like Natural - both with the Highlight curve at -5. I find that you can lift the blacks quite a bit in post, which I do rather than in camera to preserve midtone contrast. I'm waiting for the Blackmagic video assist to arrive (I don't need 4K). I really hope Aaron is right and the prores files are significantly better. I'm currently shooting a job with my GH4 (Cine-V) and BMPCC and I'm just so much more in love with the Pocket's image. I did a multicam for the interview and for this quick teaser/appeal spot I only used one GH4 shot (at 0:33 sec) - all the others are BMPCC. Bear in mind it's just a rushed job so grading etc isn't great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doyiaX4ebQY Having said that, I've been enjoying shooting 1080p 100mbps IPB (50p and 60fps) on the GH4 recently. Obviously it's "softer" but I don't really mind unless I'm shooting wide. Rolling shutter is noticeably better than 4k and the high bitrate makes for a very robust HD image - these things combined with the wider FOV (2X crop) and high frame rate means it's a great option for shooting handheld.

That C300 autofocus sure is something, pretty incredible results. Otherwise skin tones looks really nice on the Sony, slightly more magenta in the skin.

Probably a complete stupid question ...but do you get the same macroblocking artifacts without the polarizer?

Just installed V-LOG L. Will give it a spin! Looks a lot noisier on the screen than S-LOG 2 on the A7S II even at ISO 400. What ISO do you guys recommend for it?

30p... right. This is a 25p-only issue. Try 25p 4K full frame and see. Thankfully S-LOG 2 is nice. I don't know what Sony were thinking putting S-LOG 3 in the A7S II and FS5 with their 8bit codecs... when would it be useful? Never!

Cooke!! But the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 is my current favourite S35 lens for realistic prices

Shootout Pro 5 ... Works with any file ... Nothing come close. Bob

But you don't say why! Why don't you like it? I still haven't got round to trying it yet. 1D C / A7R II / A7S II are keeping me busy. Still a great camera though.

Yeah the 10 bit ProRes files are much better. I shoot with it like a BMCC. Giving it enough light and or contrast to shine. Low light situations might get a little iffy.

Yes it can! I haven't run into much noise yet. However I haven't had a low light situation really. I suppose if the noise was bad I'd use Neat Video. It seems to work well on other cameras.

I know these aren't designed or optimized for S35mm in particular, but... Try some of the vintage Russain lenses: Mir-24M, Helios 44-2, Jupiter 9, Helios 40-2, Tair 11a Super Takumars are nice, as are Nikon Ai-s lenses. But, as a v.good all-in-one zoom the Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70mm f2.6/2.8 (Angenieux version) is outstanding & cheep - everyone should have one in their arsenal!

Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70mm f2.6/2.8 (Angenieux design version - google it to be sure of getting the right version). Its parfocal & the front doesn't rotate - stunning lens, its the only zoom lens that i use or will ever use.

I asked the same thing a while back and got a couple suggestions in this thread. There is also this thread, though the list doesn't specify whether or not the front elements rotate. They're not native, but you might consider an old French zoom like Angenieux or Berthiot. Not the sharpest, but sharp enough, and they're fast, parfocal, and the fronts don't rotate. They can also be expensive — but if you're diligent you can find one in good shape at a good price. I picked up an Angenieux 12-120mm f2.2 in immaculate condition for $150, if you can believe it. If you find a lens that fits your needs, please post back here. I'd be interested in what you find!

Looks like you got a bad copy Andrew. Shit happens, can't you get an exchange from the store ?

I know. And some dont think framerates are more important than high DR and therefor buy Canon. Some want higher framerates and are willing to sacrifice DR and buy Sony. Some says screw both DR and FR and buy the one thats most durable. Others buy a Gopro. All depends on need and usage.

Hey, Thank you very much Im not sure what settings im currently using, when I get home ill check and post them here =) I underexpose most of my shots, I think thats how you make the NX1 look the best, over exposed shots make it look way too digital and looks quite bad, so its best to under expose and then bring the exposure up in post if needed. Heres a few more, from another project, that show mostly how my footage is underexposed when I start color grading (these were very early shots of the grading also without any sharpen) - http://imgur.com/a/CCBXl - Ill post a few more of these, and how they will end up looking when I get home. =)

Resolution: how much actual detail is in the image Sharpness: how prominent or emphasized the details are in an image Soft: can refer to a lack of either Resolution or Sharpness. What we need are separate words for resolution-soft and sharpness-soft. Actually...resolution-soft and sharpness-soft might do it.

Refresh my memory: acutance is local contrast, yes? (I'd look at the link, but it isn't playing nice with my phone) I think people are misreading the term "soft." The people in favor of "soft 4K" are saying they want 4K of resolution with no local contrast/detail enhancement processing applied, so that they get the extra detail without making it feel harsh. The people against "soft 4K" are saying that if you're paying for 3840x2160 resolution, you should get that and not the blurry mess of the rebels/5D. Both of you want the same thing: lots of detail. But just because the detail is more prominent/emphasized by the processing doesn't mean there's more of it. In fact, adding sharpening can actually obscure smaller details. So if the manufacturers are giving us a beefy enough file, they should turn sharpening (detail enhancement) off. That way, the people who want "softer" footage with lots of detail can keep it that way, and the people who want "sharper" footage can sharpen to their heart's desire in their NLE of choice. Savvy?

Big difference between digital sharpening and detail. I prefer detail. It looks closer to real life.

By soft he means "leave the signal alone so I can apply as much sharpening as I feel like". When sharpness is applied in camera, it cannot be removed. Here some information: "For digital cameras, resolution is limited by your digital sensor, whereas acutance depends on both the quality of your lens and the type of post-processing. Acutance is the only aspect of sharpness which is still under your control after the shot has been taken, so acutance is what is enhanced when you digitally sharpen an image (see Sharpening using an "Unsharp Mask")." http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/sharpness.htm

I agree. The quote that 4k should be soft is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. 4K is four times the resolution of HD, what makes anyone think that should look soft? I think Reid's losing it, or more to the truth, he's trying to defend his 1DC, which is ridiculous.

We're talking better resolution for NX1, NOT sharpness. You can sharpen the 1Dc image all you want, but you aren't going to get the detail that just isn't there. See below a grab from your video to see what I mean. I've sharpened the 1Dc image to look similar, but you can see it doesn't have the same detail.