Advantage of Full-sensor 'open gate'/anamorphic capture?

[lsquare]

I'm not really sure where to post this since the digital video forum here doesn't seem to be as active.

Open gate recording seems to be a recent phenomenon. I think the Fujifilm X-H2s is the only other camera besides the GH6/GH7 to offer this. Is this really as good as what Panasonic says it is? They frame it as capturing it once and easily change it to the aspect ratio that I want depending on the delivery format. For example, wouldn't I be better off getting an L-plate and recording videos vertically rather than recording them in landscape position, but in open gate? I think I'll get more resolution and potentially the framing or angle of view will be different?

Maybe I don't understand things as I'm not an expert on videography. Help me out! Thanks!

[kye]

2 hours ago, lsquare said:

I'm not really sure where to post this since the digital video forum here doesn't seem to be as active.

Open gate recording seems to be a recent phenomenon. I think the Fujifilm X-H2s is the only other camera besides the GH6/GH7 to offer this. Is this really as good as what Panasonic says it is? They frame it as capturing it once and easily change it to the aspect ratio that I want depending on the delivery format. For example, wouldn't I be better off getting an L-plate and recording videos vertically rather than recording them in landscape position, but in open gate? I think I'll get more resolution and potentially the framing or angle of view will be different?

Maybe I don't understand things as I'm not an expert on videography. Help me out! Thanks!

If you shoot for social media then you might need to publish in vertical, square, and landscape, so open gate means you don't have to film the same thing three times.

Also, anamorphic.....

Also also, GH5 from 2017 had it, so "recent" is a relative term.

Also also also, film had it from before most of us were born, so "recent" might not be the right word....

[eatstoomuchjam]

Open gate recording is available on a number of cameras, not just Fuji and Panasonic.  Some cameras even have a 17:9 sensor so open gate is 17:9. 

As far as using a 3:2 or 4:3 sensor to capture for 9:17, 1:1, and 17:9 delivery, it's intended to save time for people who want to deliver to multiple platforms and don't want to have to reshoot.  Plus the ergonomics of many cameras are impaired when turned on their side.  I would also worry less about capturing for vertical in the highest possible resolution - if your camera is 6k pixels wide on a 3:2 sensor, the vertical resolution will be close to 4k - which is more than enough if people are watching vertically on their phone.

Part of what's tricky is that many cameras only allow a single box to hint at the final frame so you'd need to guess at the vertical frame or use tape on the screen to indicate it (or something like that.

[PPNS]

In the context of commercials:

- you frame for your main aspect ratio (1.78/16:9 for tv). At the same time, the soc media versions will be 9:16, and thus they have more vertical height to work with, instead of using the 16:9 portion of the sensor. You also gain a bit of reframing lattitude if you mess up.

 

in the context of narrative:

- you can use a taller aspect ratio like 3:2/1.5 (EO) or 4:3/1.33/1.37 (Ida) without cropping too much of your sensor. 

- you can use anamorphics without cropping too much of your sensor. 

- if you’re shooting for a wider aspect ratio (1.85 or scope or whatever), you get to look around more of the frame in the viewfinder. hard to explain, but its handy.

 

 

[kye]

13 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

Open gate recording is available on a number of cameras, not just Fuji and Panasonic.  Some cameras even have a 17:9 sensor so open gate is 17:9. 

As far as using a 3:2 or 4:3 sensor to capture for 9:17, 1:1, and 17:9 delivery, it's intended to save time for people who want to deliver to multiple platforms and don't want to have to reshoot.  Plus the ergonomics of many cameras are impaired when turned on their side.  I would also worry less about capturing for vertical in the highest possible resolution - if your camera is 6k pixels wide on a 3:2 sensor, the vertical resolution will be close to 4k - which is more than enough if people are watching vertically on their phone.

Part of what's tricky is that many cameras only allow a single box to hint at the final frame so you'd need to guess at the vertical frame or use tape on the screen to indicate it (or something like that.

I have a vague recollection that a recent camera allowed multiple framing guides at the same time so you could put up the vertical and horizontal boxes at the same time on the monitor.  Seems like a good idea, but can't remember where I heard it.

[eatstoomuchjam]

39 minutes ago, kye said:

I have a vague recollection that a recent camera allowed multiple framing guides at the same time so you could put up the vertical and horizontal boxes at the same time on the monitor.  Seems like a good idea, but can't remember where I heard it.

It might have been the S9 or the GH7 (or both).  It would make a lot of sense on the S9, a camera being heavily marketed at people who would actually enjoy that functoinality.

[zlfan]

I actually like hassy's 6x6. that is real open gate. lol. just no equivalent in the movie world. it is interesting that about 20 years ago, 4:3 was considered old fashion and nobody liked it. 

[Emanuel]

On 6/10/2024 at 5:53 AM, lsquare said:

I'm not really sure where to post this since the digital video forum here doesn't seem to be as active.Open gate recording seems to be a recent phenomenon. I think the Fujifilm X-H2s is the only other camera besides the GH6/GH7 to offer this.

As already stated here before, not only them.

BMCC6K (FF) is another one, as for instance.

Add 2x/1.8x/1.6x anamorphics (offered by a tempting no-brainer affordable piece of glass, designed & assembled, i.e., made by SIRUI, for example) on one of their open gate recording modes and you'll have distinct aspect ratios or even the possibility of reframing @ post.

This is a whole different world. Apples to oranges going along a capture device without it. Almost as near as BMD's UI layout versus all those ridiculous and non intuitive menus of the Japanese mirrorless cameras.

[Alpicat]

On 6/10/2024 at 5:53 AM, lsquare said:

Open gate recording seems to be a recent phenomenon. I think the Fujifilm X-H2s is the only other camera besides the GH6/GH7 to offer this.

It's not that recent is it? My Sony Mavica camera from 1999 which records photos and video onto floppy disks shoots 4:3 open gate full sensor video natively with no cropping. My Panasonic FZ7 bridge camera from 2006 can do the same. Any modern Canon DSLR or the EOS M with Magic Lantern installed has been able to do this since about 2012. Even my hacked Canon 50D from 2008 can record video with the entire 3:2 sensor area. I was recording open gate all the time when I was using Magic Lantern. 

I currently shoot open gate with a Panasonic full frame camera paired with a speed booster and medium format lenses as that gives it more of a medium format look:

 

[eatstoomuchjam]

4 hours ago, Alpicat said:

that gives it more of a medium format look

There is no such thing as a "medium format look."  If you like the way your medium format lenses look when speed boosted, that's fine, but an 80mm f/4 lens on a 0.71x focal reducer will be nearly indistinguishable from a 57mm f/2.8 lens that's made for FF (aside from lens character considerations, etc).

[Alpicat]

@eatstoomuchjamThat's a good point. I guess I just like the specific look of the Mamiya 80mm f1.9 in that case

[eatstoomuchjam]

37 minutes ago, Alpicat said:

@eatstoomuchjamThat's a good point. I guess I just like the specific look of the Mamiya 80mm f1.9 in that case

It's a great lens!