Zacuto Camera Shootout (5Dmk2, 7D, 1DmkIV, T2i, D3s, GH1 & Film)

Ben Denham · May 30th, 2010, 06:12 AM

Episode 3 has been posted, (or as the zacuto people call it "webisode 3", just silly really isn't it?).

The Great Camera Shootout 2010 - Film Vs DSLR Comparison | Zacuto

Bryan McCullough · May 30th, 2010, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Denham

Episode 3 has been posted, (or as the zacuto people call it "webisode 3", just silly really isn't it?).

The Great Camera Shootout 2010 - Film Vs DSLR Comparison | Zacuto

Zacuto didn't coin that term, it's been around for quite a while. I like it.

Ben Denham · May 30th, 2010, 08:13 AM

Call me a purist but I believe you coin a new word when it is actually need one. "Episode" is just as good for a series of shows on web or TV.

Was it just me or did the D3 do something horrible to the skin tones in the colour test?

Tony Davies-Patrick · May 30th, 2010, 09:02 AM

Episode, webisode, part 3 or whatever you want to call it, was the best of the bunch so far. Very interesting comparisons and conclusions.

Ben Denham · May 30th, 2010, 08:10 PM

I agree there was some great stuff in this episode. Although, as with the other episodes, I would have liked to have heard more from the film-makers in the theatre. Their comments are really invaluable in thinking about these cameras.

I would also have liked to have seen the un-keyed green screen footage to see how much the funky colours in the girl's jeans were caused by pulling the key.

The episode also reinforces the value of a high-quality intermediate codec (prores, cineform etc.). Just because, with faster computers and newer software, you can edit the native files, doesn't mean you should.

Jon Fairhurst · May 31st, 2010, 03:44 PM

Jeans can be tough - especially if they are somewhat reflective. For DvSLR video, I recommend avoiding them - not just for keying, but for general color correction. And they often have a thread pattern that could cause aliasing.

And I think there is a misconception about the codec thing. The key isn't to transcode. That can add new artifacts. The key is to work with a bit-deep, 4:4:4 color space, if possible. It really depends on the architecture of the video chain that you are using. If decoding 8-bit, 4:2:0 h.264 means that you're stuck with 8-bit 4:2:0 processing, then avoid it. However, I believe that you can take the original files into After Effects and process everything in a robust color space. If step 1 is to apply noise reduction and to provide 32-bit float 4:4:4 from there forward, you're golden.

One thing for sure, do not process in 8-bits. If you do that, you're guaranteed to see contour lines and other horrible artifacts, regardless of the codec.

Overall, Part 3 rocked. I would have liked to have seen more closeups of the keys from each of the cameras.

And, was it my imagination, or did the 5D2 have MORE DOF than the 7D on the text shot? The text from the 5D2 was sharper and had some color aliasing. The 7D was softer, so it aliased less.

The bottom line is that you can choose softness or aliasing with these cameras. A somewhat shallow DOF is the best way to avoid aliasing in the backgrounds. And in that case, the audience doesn't expect detail.

May 30th, 2010, 09:02 AM	#49
Tony Davies-Patrick Trustee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worldwide Posts: 1,589	Episode, webisode, part 3 or whatever you want to call it, was the best of the bunch so far. Very interesting comparisons and conclusions. __________________ www.WILDCARP.com www.NIKON.me.uk

May 31st, 2010, 03:44 PM	#51
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	Jeans can be tough - especially if they are somewhat reflective. For DvSLR video, I recommend avoiding them - not just for keying, but for general color correction. And they often have a thread pattern that could cause aliasing. And I think there is a misconception about the codec thing. The key isn't to transcode. That can add new artifacts. The key is to work with a bit-deep, 4:4:4 color space, if possible. It really depends on the architecture of the video chain that you are using. If decoding 8-bit, 4:2:0 h.264 means that you're stuck with 8-bit 4:2:0 processing, then avoid it. However, I believe that you can take the original files into After Effects and process everything in a robust color space. If step 1 is to apply noise reduction and to provide 32-bit float 4:4:4 from there forward, you're golden. One thing for sure, do not process in 8-bits. If you do that, you're guaranteed to see contour lines and other horrible artifacts, regardless of the codec. Overall, Part 3 rocked. I would have liked to have seen more closeups of the keys from each of the cameras. And, was it my imagination, or did the 5D2 have MORE DOF than the 7D on the text shot? The text from the 5D2 was sharper and had some color aliasing. The 7D was softer, so it aliased less. The bottom line is that you can choose softness or aliasing with these cameras. A somewhat shallow DOF is the best way to avoid aliasing in the backgrounds. And in that case, the audience doesn't expect detail. __________________ Jon Fairhurst

May 30th, 2010, 06:12 AM	#46
Ben Denham Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NSW Australia Posts: 149	Episode 3 has been posted, (or as the zacuto people call it "webisode 3", just silly really isn't it?). The Great Camera Shootout 2010 - Film Vs DSLR Comparison \| Zacuto

May 30th, 2010, 08:13 AM	#48
Ben Denham Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NSW Australia Posts: 149	Call me a purist but I believe you coin a new word when it is actually need one. "Episode" is just as good for a series of shows on web or TV. Was it just me or did the D3 do something horrible to the skin tones in the colour test?

May 30th, 2010, 08:10 PM	#50
Ben Denham Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NSW Australia Posts: 149	I agree there was some great stuff in this episode. Although, as with the other episodes, I would have liked to have heard more from the film-makers in the theatre. Their comments are really invaluable in thinking about these cameras. I would also have liked to have seen the un-keyed green screen footage to see how much the funky colours in the girl's jeans were caused by pulling the key. The episode also reinforces the value of a high-quality intermediate codec (prores, cineform etc.). Just because, with faster computers and newer software, you can edit the native files, doesn't mean you should.