TomTheDP

2.8 crop is excessive unless you are shooting with S16 lenses. Practically super thin DOF is only doable with auto focus unless you are doing static shots or have a really good focus puller. I've found I rarely stop down below 2.8 with S35 as its hard to get focus. 2.8 or 1.8 on full frame is ridiculous. As a B cam something getting a longer DOF is nice. For wider shots is nice to have as much DOF as possible but for close ups you already have plenty even at f5.6-8 in most situations. I think the is a niche camera but its interesting to me which wasn't really expected. My issue with the S1 is not so great rolling shutter and lacking in the shadows. I like evenly balanced dynamic range in the shadows and highlights.

Yeah it could be a nice camera for S16 lenses. Seems to have the best DR of M43 cameras. I do prefer when you can use the whole sensor though. A 6k or native 4k S16 camera would be neat. Pretty niche though. The color on the GH6 looks superior to previous GH cameras and maybe even superior to the S1 series. It doesn't retain highlights as well as the S1 but the shadows look a lot better potentially. The internal prores and fast RS make it a big want for me. Maybe I can sell my S1 and get it haha.

I honestly wish M43 cameras had more cropped sensors so you could use S16 lenses easier. Give me a 3x crop lol. The GH6 does look attractive as a B-cam. 4 stops in the highlights is reasonable. The S1 can handle about 5 stops in the highlights, though the shadow retention looks superior on the GH6. How the shadows perform is very important to me. With lower end cameras you seem to be either trading off ugly shadows or ugly highlights. The GH6 might be an ok balance of the two. 2000 iso doesn't bother me. I actually like being able to stop down on lenses rather than going wide open all the time. I also prefer one native ISO to dual. I find I like the sensor performance from single native ISO cameras better. Internal prores and low rolling shutter make it something I am interested in for sure.

The tests I've seen indicate 4 and 1/2 stops over and about the same under. Some of the highlight retention seems to be software based like davinci highlight recovery. So less color information but still retaining detail. Pretty much similar dynamic range to other RED cameras.

The Alexa obviously is great. Great underexposed, pleasant noise pattern. RED Komodo is really nice as well, as long as you are blackshaded. Though I think there is a bit more color cast when underexposed. Yeah there may be something about rolling shutter that makes motion feel organic. Its so minimal on the Alexa, barely even noticeable when whip panning on longer lenses. The motion on the Komodo feels less organic, maybe global shutter is too perfect? or maybe the global shutter has nothing to do with the "feel" of the motion. Of course you can't beat global shutter if you are shooting camera strobe lights. RED's do tend to be nice underexposed. Noise gets heavy but they retain so much info so it doesn't looked crushed like cheaper cameras. Though the color does certainly shift, the OLPF you have in can help(depending what model you have?). Gets confusing with all the different models. I kind of like the Komodo maybe more then all their other models. It's not ARRI tho....

I think the future is something aside from video we have now. We aren't lacking in resolution at this point. Our images just look flat because they are. I am not sure if 3D is the way forward as I hate it but maybe something like that.

It's behind the Pana S1 and C70 in terms of dynamic range. But probably close enough to where it doesn't matter that much. The low rolling shutter is a huge plus. It sets it apart as a professional tool from the P6K, C70, and S1H. Also the 120p doesn't have lower dynamic range like on the C70 and the P6K and S1H's 120p is barely usable. The E-ND is also a huge plus. Also it has full size SDI and the body doesn't feel like a toy, looking at you C70.

Yeah the shadow dynamic range is really helpful. I've heard bad things about the highlights but 4 stops is respectable. The S1H tops it by maybe a stop but the shadows are not really very usable past 2 stops under.

Its an amazing image!! @Josue Nunezbeautiful !!

Maybe it'll be a contender as a narrative camera. Though at 10k res maybe not. 🤔

I don't know there is a pretty big push for older aesthetics among young people. The entertainment space is becoming more and more diverse. Classic anime is hugely popular with younger people. There is room for all aesthetics imo. I kind of agree with you on anamorphic lenses, I am not a big fan, at least for most stuff. I value lens choice a lot more than camera though. The lens you use is the difference between a sharp and soft image.

Colorspace transform or whatever you use to conform to ARRI log doesn't really work well. Even using extremely carefully designed luts like Alex at emotive color makes isn't perfect. Not that it matters as clients generally have no taste, especially ones that can't afford a high end camera/media producer.

now I am scared 😅

Almost all theater stuff ends up on streaming, sooner rather then later these days, sometimes immediately. They are technically different sensors but it is the same exact same tech, just bigger. Aside from the size of the noise which obviously decreases as the sensor becomes larger, the images are identical. Any other company is using completely different sensors in their S35 vs full frame cameras, which is incredibly apparent when shooting side by side with them. Maybe its not an intentional statement but anything ARRI does is a statement in the industry by default imo. Most content is going to end up in the trash so the idea of future proofing is extremely silly to me. Content is more disposable then ever. Consumerism is driving most things rather then necessity. All the hype over 4k and I have never even noticed a difference between IMAX and standard theater projections. But my opinion doesn't matter and if I was shooting for Netflix or any major studio I would be using an LF not my Classic. Confirmed to be 4k. About YouTube its more of a bitrate issue then resolution from what I have noticed. 2k videos uploaded in 4k look much better then 2k videos uploaded in HD. It's always been an annoyance for me, where the original capture looks much better then the compressed or shitty screen you are viewing it on. Internet compression hates saturation, noise, and shadows.

True however ARRI had no choice but to make the LF 4.5k and the LF 6k. They use the same sensor in every camera and that was the only way to do that. Their new S35 camera is a brand new sensor and they chose to go 4k over 6k or 8k. That to me is a statement and I don't think anyone will question it. Of course they might now put out a full frame 6k and large format 8k camera. That will be interesting to see.

To be fair they are mostly Netflix shows which rarely use ARRI. But the question is how necessary is resolution if you are just going to soften everything. At the end of the day though more resolution is the way forward. Arri is finally going to put out a 4k camera. That to me is a statement. If ARRI is good with 4k that kind of speaks for the narrative industry. 8k is oddly more useful for doc style stuff or run and gun shooting, though as shown here it gets a lot of attention for high end narrative. To be fair if RED put out a 6k full frame camera I think it would see just as much use as the Monstro. The Monstro is RED's best camera in terms of dynamic range and color reproduction (maybe topped by the Raptor??). So its kind of the natural choice to go with it for that reason. I am still content with 2k capture though my style is definitely classic cinema.

I think Canon color science is lovely, right behind ARRI. However they've never really made serious cinema cameras. ARRI is certainly the best with RED, kinda. Most people doing high end work look down on RED. Honestly the Sony Venice seems to have a much better rapport than any RED camera with high end stuff. I've heard a ton of good things about the Venice while RED is constantly hated on. I was kind of warming up to the R5C. One big benefit of the camera is the fast readout for low rolling shutter effect in 4k. Dynamic range isn't as good as the C70 though and the micro HDMI makes it a no go for me. How can you sell a $4,500 camera with micro HDMI. I still have yet to see a camera that can really do anything against my Arri Alexa, besides resolution. I just don't give a damn about resolution. The Netflix 4k thing is pretty dumb IMO. Almost all big hollywood stuff is shot in 4k anyways and Netflix productions are big money. Renting an Alexa LF or other 4k cine camera is pennies and dimes compared to the cost of the entire production.

I suppose that has always been a thing with digital cameras but it rings very true with the C70 more then others. I recently saw a comparison between the R5, C70, and FX6. The C70 had about two stops more in the shadows and about the same in the highlights as the other two with the R5 maybe a 1/3 stop ahead and the FX6 behind. I do the opposite with the Panasonic S1 usually overexposing by 1 or two stops. The S1 has about 5 stops in the highlights and two in the shadows, though with RAW the shadows can be pushed way further.

I can definitely do that.

I've not shot the C300 MKII and C70 side by side before. I feel the C70 has more dynamic range. Not so much in the highlights but you can really push the shadows far. I think the ticket is underexposing and boosting in post. Nothing beats ARRI in highlights, the C70 doesn't even come close. However ARRI is pretty noisy underexposed, though the colors hold up nicely even under a few stops. It isn't a cheap camera so I am not in a hurry to buy it. It would also be nice if the 4k 120p mode utilized the DGO capability. ARRI is still the better choice for 120p for me, even though its only HD.

Yeah the benefit of the 444 version as well is being able to do 60p out of a single SDI. The Sony menus are a pain but the files are amazing to work with. It doesn't like overexposure but it's phenomenal in the shadows. The camera is truly amazing in low light. I honestly would pick it above newer full frame options. The color and noise is so much nicer.

I just tested the color between the C70, Alexa, and Pana S1. The C70 was very close to the ARRI. I was surprised how great the color and roll off were. This was using mixed lighting too. The rolling shutter and dynamic range aren't as good as ARRI but I am very tempted to buy one now. I wish it had SDI's and a less plasticy body, but that's nitpicking.

Could be interesting but I've found the R5 dynamic range lacking even in RAW. The lack of ND's and the uselessness of 8k just make it an overall no for me. I'd take the C70 any day especially considering it will soon be able to shoot RAW internal and hopefully externally as well. Not sure how the color on the R5 compares but I recently tested the C70 against the ARRI alexa and found it the closest match color and roll off wise I have ever seen in a "cheaper" camera.

Yeah its definitely a bit easier to get a clean image on the S1 with the dual native ISO, at least in situations with little control of lighting, which is increasingly common.

S35 still gets a lot of use but all the high end stuff in my area gets shot on the LF or maybe a full frame RED. Most high end cinema is the LF as well. The lower end market seems to be obsessed with full frame. I guess BM is targeting the middle of the two ends. Yeah I know they said a full frame camera is too expensive to do. Every other company is doing them though. I guess BM is a smaller company. Of course I can see why the in house design would be too pricey with full frame.