Is Sony A7 IV or Canon R6 more video oriented?

Christopher Young · January 29th, 2022, 08:12 AM

Again for me, I would stay with the Sonys for a number of reasons that work for me. All my lenses are interchangeable as they are all E-Mount. The 28-135 and 18-110 so-called "cine" type servo zoom lens that I use on an FS7 also work on the a7 cameras. These lenses have a much more manual type of operation. Like separate focus, zoom and iris rings. I'm very used to working manually with lenses and being able to use them across different cameras makes sense for me to stay with Sony.

If you want to really rely on AF I think you'll find the Panasonics not at the top of AF cameras compared to Canon and Sony. From an IBIS point of view, the GH5 (not S) has great stabilisation. These M4/3 cameras are used very successfully in doco and news coverage. Very often the favoured camera for travelling with small light camera kits. Have you seen the Sky News doco "The Real Chernobyl"? You should check it out. The bulk of that was shot under some very tough conditions using the Lumix GH5 cameras. A great looking production with some really nice images so if you want to work with Panasonic there is no reason in the world why you shouldn't. The camera after all is just a tool. How you use it to tell the story is the creative part that helps make any production watchable. So yes a GH6... when it becomes available could indeed be a good choice if you feel it will deliver the results you want. No reason it shouldn't!

Chris Young

https://www.newsshooter.com/2019/06/...-in-two-weeks/

Adriano Moroni · January 30th, 2022, 04:06 AM

Your replies are so interesting, I thank you!
Why do you prefer S-Cinetone instead of S-Log3 in your videos?
According to your taste, what profile would you like for my documentaries if I will use Sony A/ IV?
Thanks

Christopher Young · January 30th, 2022, 05:20 AM

For a quick turnaround shoot and deliver job S-Cintone is pretty good.

If I'm shooting and editing the material myself I will generally shoot S-LOG if the budget and time allow for that. Depends on the client. If they specify LOG I'll shoot LOG. A lot of my clients wouldn't even know what LOG or RAW was with regard to video and photography. They just know that they want to be happy with the results. Most of my clients, some I've had for forty years just trust me from many years of collaborative experience and leave it up to me to make any technical decisions regarding their productions.

Also for lower dynamic range lower light shooting, like if the whole scene is around six to seven stops I prefer to use the newer S-Cinetone over LOG. Saves time in post and time is money. Previously I would shoot 709 for those sorts of jobs. If I'm doing an indoor shoot and have full control of the lighting I'll light my scenes/interviews to suit the range of 709. S-Cinetone is a 709 variant.

You have to decide what suits your subject matter best and a lot of that will depend on lighting and how you want to handle your footage in post. For maximum flexibility, RAW and LOG offer you the best in terms of future-proofing your material. That's why I have been shooting those test videos on the a7iv. To see what dynamic range and flexibility the various PPs give me with that new 33-megapixel sensor.

Then again if the delivery requirement was for an HDR deliverable I would 100% work in S-LOG as that can be conformed anywhere from 709 to HLG to HDR10 and anywhere from 4K to HD to SD.

A lot of people ask me "Why don't you shoot RAW?" Simple reason. For my work, I have never been asked it and for my own deliverables, there is no major advantage for me in doing so. I have worked in RAW but I don't "need" to. Alister Chapman wrote a fairly decent overview of LOG vs RAW production. Without a doubt the closer you are to the original sensor image output the more capability you have for image manipulation. But like many things in this business, it all comes down to the cost-benefit ratio in $$$s.

If you are interested you will find the pluses and minuses of S-Cinetone are pretty well explained in the Sony publication "S-Cinetone Whitepaper. Version 1".

https://pro.sony/s3/2020/03/24095333...tepaper_v2.pdf

and for LOG

https://www.xdcam-user.com/2020/11/r...g-does-it-too/

Chris Young

January 29th, 2022, 08:12 AM	#16
Christopher Young Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,567	Re: Is Sony A7 IV or Canon R6 more video oriented? Again for me, I would stay with the Sonys for a number of reasons that work for me. All my lenses are interchangeable as they are all E-Mount. The 28-135 and 18-110 so-called "cine" type servo zoom lens that I use on an FS7 also work on the a7 cameras. These lenses have a much more manual type of operation. Like separate focus, zoom and iris rings. I'm very used to working manually with lenses and being able to use them across different cameras makes sense for me to stay with Sony. If you want to really rely on AF I think you'll find the Panasonics not at the top of AF cameras compared to Canon and Sony. From an IBIS point of view, the GH5 (not S) has great stabilisation. These M4/3 cameras are used very successfully in doco and news coverage. Very often the favoured camera for travelling with small light camera kits. Have you seen the Sky News doco "The Real Chernobyl"? You should check it out. The bulk of that was shot under some very tough conditions using the Lumix GH5 cameras. A great looking production with some really nice images so if you want to work with Panasonic there is no reason in the world why you shouldn't. The camera after all is just a tool. How you use it to tell the story is the creative part that helps make any production watchable. So yes a GH6... when it becomes available could indeed be a good choice if you feel it will deliver the results you want. No reason it shouldn't! Chris Young https://www.newsshooter.com/2019/06/...-in-two-weeks/ The Real Chernobyl - YouTube

January 30th, 2022, 04:06 AM	#17
Adriano Moroni Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rome Italy Posts: 676	Re: Is Sony A7 IV or Canon R6 more video oriented? Your replies are so interesting, I thank you! Why do you prefer S-Cinetone instead of S-Log3 in your videos? According to your taste, what profile would you like for my documentaries if I will use Sony A/ IV? Thanks __________________ A lonesome traveler looking for lost tribes around the world: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdv...DrZCaaw/videos

January 30th, 2022, 05:20 AM	#18
Christopher Young Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,567	Re: Is Sony A7 IV or Canon R6 more video oriented? For a quick turnaround shoot and deliver job S-Cintone is pretty good. If I'm shooting and editing the material myself I will generally shoot S-LOG if the budget and time allow for that. Depends on the client. If they specify LOG I'll shoot LOG. A lot of my clients wouldn't even know what LOG or RAW was with regard to video and photography. They just know that they want to be happy with the results. Most of my clients, some I've had for forty years just trust me from many years of collaborative experience and leave it up to me to make any technical decisions regarding their productions. Also for lower dynamic range lower light shooting, like if the whole scene is around six to seven stops I prefer to use the newer S-Cinetone over LOG. Saves time in post and time is money. Previously I would shoot 709 for those sorts of jobs. If I'm doing an indoor shoot and have full control of the lighting I'll light my scenes/interviews to suit the range of 709. S-Cinetone is a 709 variant. You have to decide what suits your subject matter best and a lot of that will depend on lighting and how you want to handle your footage in post. For maximum flexibility, RAW and LOG offer you the best in terms of future-proofing your material. That's why I have been shooting those test videos on the a7iv. To see what dynamic range and flexibility the various PPs give me with that new 33-megapixel sensor. Then again if the delivery requirement was for an HDR deliverable I would 100% work in S-LOG as that can be conformed anywhere from 709 to HLG to HDR10 and anywhere from 4K to HD to SD. A lot of people ask me "Why don't you shoot RAW?" Simple reason. For my work, I have never been asked it and for my own deliverables, there is no major advantage for me in doing so. I have worked in RAW but I don't "need" to. Alister Chapman wrote a fairly decent overview of LOG vs RAW production. Without a doubt the closer you are to the original sensor image output the more capability you have for image manipulation. But like many things in this business, it all comes down to the cost-benefit ratio in $$$s. If you are interested you will find the pluses and minuses of S-Cinetone are pretty well explained in the Sony publication "S-Cinetone Whitepaper. Version 1". https://pro.sony/s3/2020/03/24095333...tepaper_v2.pdf and for LOG https://www.xdcam-user.com/2020/11/r...g-does-it-too/ Chris Young