what dslr video would match best with the fs100?

if you needed a dslr as a "b" camera to the fs100, which would you choose?

canon 5d/7d/60d?

panasonic gh2?

which matches the sony color scheme and shoots 1080p/24?

any and all thoughts are appreciated.

be well

rob
smalltalk productions

I would take the Sony Nex 5N. Same mount (you can share lenses and adapters), same codec, can do 1080 60p, use SD cards. The moire and aliasing is relativelly well controled.

The perfect B cam IMO.

I would take the Sony Nex 5N. Same mount (you can share lenses and adapters), same codec, can do 1080 60p, use SD cards.

+1
amazing image for the price, better WB, less noise, i love NEX 5n !
(i own Canon 1D, 5D and 60D)

I agree. Stay within the Sony family to keep the color match.
Canon's look is great, but matching it with Sony or Panasonic's without spending a lot of time
color correcting will be a challenge. You mentioned that you already have an EX1, in which case you
are ahead of the game.

Why wouldn't you get a Sony NEX-VG20 as a second video camera instead of a DSLR? Same codec, same mfg., same lens mount, and it's meant to shoot video by default, not as an additional function of a photographic still camera?

Sony NEX-VG20 Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam NEXVG20 B&H Photo


$1600 and you're ready to shoot.

Scott


what dslr video would match best with the fs100?

if you needed a dslr as a "b" camera to the fs100, which would you choose?

canon 5d/7d/60d?

panasonic gh2?

which matches the sony color scheme and shoots 1080p/24?

any and all thoughts are appreciated.

be well

rob
smalltalk productions

Because you get almost nothing more than a 5N?

You get the form factor of an actual video camera though in the VG20 and no need for special rigging to make it work like a video camera. Also, better audio.

Just my 2 cents.

Scott

Not worth 1000$ for a B cam in my opinion.

Hmm, to each their own I suppose. I'd be more embarrassed being on a job with a NEX-5N in a rig like this:

Sony NEX Video Camera Stabilizer - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9JXk4DLSMc)

Scott

And if it gets a quality result, you'd be embarrased why? Sometimes a smaller, discreet setup has advantages including mobility, less "big cam" reactions, and of course reduced fatigue.

If a small camera setup gets great results, you just look more "high tech" for having a compact setup instead of some big ol' bulky camera <G>.

The NEX5n and upcoming NEX7 alter the expectations of a "dual use" camera, as they DO cater to the video side, in fact the E mount came into being because Sony wasn't satisfied with the "traditional" DSLR for video use. Since the E mount is also finding its way into the Sony VIDEO side of the game, logically these E mount still cams start to become a part of a "system", with varying image acquisition "bodies"...

I was going to suggest staying within the Sony brand for color/look matching, and my first thought was "Alpha series SLT"... but the obvious choice is the NEX series since they use the E Mount, and any adapters/lenses you buy give you more toys in the chest!

I'm not looking to argue, just stating that I find many of the DSLR rigs out there to be utterly lacking for what I need in a pro video camera environment, but there are places where a smaller camera is to be used and they fill that niche nicely - they're just not for me.

Mind you, I do know several local guys who embraced the DSLR movement the past few years because it gave quality levels you couldn't get on a CMOS or 3 CCD camera, and it came with a lower price point. But if they showed up to bid on one of many local jobs here with their tricked out 60D's and 7D's they'd simply not get the gig. Maybe a wedding, or a short film, but certainly not a run and gun shoot, at least not in my experience.

I personally like the NEX 5 and 7 cameras, they came on my radar when I was looking at Canon 60Ds recently for a still camera and I might get one for playing around with at home, but as a photo camera, not a video camera. I just think they lack in many of the features I expect from a secondary camera, professional audio being one of them. Your mileage may vary.

That rig I linked to, add the external recorder, the Rode microphone with sock, the $99 cheap rigging and you're practically at double (if not triple) the camera's $600 cost. You may as well go for the VG20 at that point.

I simply asked why didn't they consider the VG20 since it's the cousin to the FS100 and would probably give very compatible video color-wise. I have not seen video come from a NEX still camera yet, let alone compared to FS100 footage side by side, so even though it's the "same super-35 sensor" I am not 100% confident it'd give the same video results, there has to be electronic differences to some degree I'd suspect, there's just not just extra empty space inside the VG20 shell vs the NEX 5N 7N I'd suspect.

Scott


edit: Checked costs: NEX 7N $1350. VG20 - $1599 I'd like to see footage comparison in several real life shooting environments to see what's what before I'd pass judgment.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/15/sony-alpha-nex-7-hands-on-preview-video/

Not worth 1000$ for a B cam in my opinion.

Geeze, I'd pay $1000 to not have to deal with the NEX5 ergonomics... (though I like both cams)

as a B camera? B as backup or occasional second angle? Nex 5 is perfect. Take no place in the (same) case or bag, cost almost nothing. And why rig it?

I'm shooting casually with other small cameras, a "rig" is not that necessary - a simple folding flash bracket (mounted to stick out to the left side, right hand stays on the camera/controls where it SHOULD be) works pretty well for additional stability, then it's a matter of whether you need/want additional audio (NEX7 has a mic input at least), light or whatever.

I'm presuming on board audio is not going to cut it other than as a scratch/sync track, as it's varied from marginal to usable on the Sonys I've got/owned, so I suppose one might need to have somewhere to add secondary audio recording. But it's certainly possible to keep the "rig" very minimalist and get good usable video from a setup that is light, small, and discreet.

I've been seeing video from the newer NEX and Alpha SLT cameras that looks pretty good to me - I've tried using the A55, but the heat issue is too limiting to consider for anything more than short clips, this generation shows more promise. Probably one of the major "features" of the VG is that 18-200 lens, which I suspect will be a little nose heavy on a NEX <wink>!

Not saying these are a replacement for a "proper" video camera, but for the level of image quality you get vs. the price...

The VG20 is a camera that can record a terrific image without a lot of adjustment. Actually, that is the rub, while you can adjust exposure, there is no way to adjust saturation, contrast and sharpness. Other than that, I have not problem with how the camera shoots.

It feels like Déjà vu... IMHO and experience, you can twist an FS100 to look like a 5D 'on a good day' but you can't go the other way. Here's a test I did a while back:

Samyang 35mm f1.4 compared with EX1 and Canon 50mm on Vimeo

If I did the test again, I'd dial out the detail to -7 and add sharpening in post 'like wot u should do' - notice how the bokeh in the FS100 shots are sharpened. I can't believe I let that slide!

So, I shoot with a colleague who is absolutely devoted to 5D using Philip Bloom's settings (not Technicolor). I can supply rushes that will match his 5D but without the moire and aliasing. But it does, at times, remind me of the old adage that 'the best SD is HD downsampled right'.

as a B camera? B as backup or occasional second angle? Nex 5 is perfect. Take no place in the (same) case or bag, cost almost nothing. And why rig it?

Ah, I think we have different definitions of B camera. Yes as a spare camera in your bag for an emergency backup, it's hard to beat the tiny size.

I presumed that for the OP, since he was looking for a less expensive camera, B camera means occasionnal use.

But I can be wrong. If he is going to use it a lot in a two cameras environement, than the "perfect B camera" is a second FS100. That's what I do personnaly, but my cameras aren't labeled A and B...

It feels like Déjà vu... IMHO and experience, you can twist an FS100 to look like a 5D 'on a good day' but you can't go the other way. Here's a test I did a while back:

Samyang 35mm f1.4 compared with EX1 and Canon 50mm on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/28588616)

If I did the test again, I'd dial out the detail to -7 and add sharpening in post 'like wot u should do' - notice how the bokeh in the FS100 shots are sharpened. I can't believe I let that slide!

So, I shoot with a colleague who is absolutely devoted to 5D using Philip Bloom's settings (not Technicolor). I can supply rushes that will match his 5D but without the moire and aliasing. But it does, at times, remind me of the old adage that 'the best SD is HD downsampled right'.

matt-

thanks for the sample footage.

samyang looks sweet.

if i make ask,

how far away was the camera from the subject?

how far away was the subject from the bookcase?

thanks in advance for any info you care to provide.

be well

rob
smalltalk productions

I recently purchased and used a Sony 5n on a recent corporate shoot. The image matches almost perfectly to the FS100. Much more than a Canon DSLR ( I couldn't for the life of me get the image of my 5d to come close without extensive color grading).

A few caveats: the 5n noise pattern is much more blocky and is more apparent in shadows than the FS. The 5n cannot be used with external mics (which is fine for me, I just use the on board mic recording for sync reference). The dynamic range is less. With these caveats, I wouldn't use the 5n mixed with an FS unless final delivery of the video is DVD or Web hd. For me that is corporate videos. I think the two cameras are distinguishable otherwise... like if viewed on blue ray, hd broadcast, or a motion picture projection.

It was great using the cam clamps to ceilings, suction cupped to windows, and stuck in hard to reach areas (one shot was from within a refrigerator, haha). I also like the ability to 'touch' the screen to areas I want to focus on. Helps with speed. So for me the use of a tiny bcam for speed and for mounting options makes it worth it...and the 5n looks so close to the FS.

Don't forget, it's only $650 and comes with a decent lens! :)

I had two Canon 7d's (along with my Canon HDV tape cam) before I bought the FS100. I kept one of the 7d's and also bought the Sony NX5U as a companion camera. The NX5 cuts perfectly with the FS100,, and has video features missing from the FS100 (zoom, nd filter, etc.).
We've done some multicam shoots with the FS100, NX5 and 2 7D's. No color correcting needed with the Sonys, but the 7D has much more red and needs to be corrected, even when shooting in neutral. But it's not a huge amount of work to get the 7d closer to the Sonys.
Bruce Yrock