Raw Wedding Footage

[Don Bloom]

Also some of his lenses were 128. I used to use 8X10 Deardorffs for catalouge pages back in the stone age and a few of the lense I had access to were 128 although the sweet spot was around 1/32. Imagine using something like that today for run N gun. Ha!

I have heard the Sony SEL50 prime not only is a great lens for the NEX-EA50 but it does it's best work at f/5.6. Sounds like a winner to me but then I'm half in San Juan right now so whadda I know?!

[Steven Digges]

James, I don't get offended if anyone slams the gear I use. Each to their own. And as we say here there is no wonder camera that does it all. It sounded to me like you were completely blowing off the system based on a rough piece of video Chris put up for a rough comparison. Any HD footage mashed down to YouTube compression looks bad. So, I did think you were taking a SHOT at it. It reflected on you, not me. Sorry if I misunderstood.

Rod,

I will read the article. I laughed because your post reminded me how long it has been since I DID study charts and graphs. I guess the diffraction in my processing center is heavier that it used to be. I said it wrong, but I do know the smallest aperture on any lens is not the sweet spot!

Steve

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

Even on my monitor in 1920x1080 the Panasonic with the tiny 1/4" chips still looked sharper than the EA-50 to my eyes. Why I have no idea..we were in quite deep shade so the Sony would have been no higher than 1/125 and F8 ..probably less... I was using AF so maybe the focus wasn't perfect but then again the background also wasn't that sharp either. I might just be fussy though? Next wedding what I will do is keep focus peaking on so I can see what the camera is actually locking onto...I did have a clip during bridal prep where the brides face (I was about 10' away) was decidedly soft!!

More experimentation is required I think ...has anyone else been testing the autofocus??

Chris

[Noa Put]

If you use the 8x magnification it's easier to check if your autofocus is off, until now I have not actually used the autofocus, I only will use it if I have no other choice, with my dslr's it's also all manual all the time and I got used to it, since focus is so critical on fast lenses manual focusing using the magnify option and as second option the peaking (doesn't work that well in low light) is a must.

This friday I"m filming a interview on a well lit stage, I"m going to test a few lenses and compare to my cx730 and I"m trying to get access to the "glass house" nearby where I live to make a second short but with primes only, the glass house is a place where they make all kind of glass objects, you are allowed into the place where they actually make the glass this but it's expensive (around 200 dollar!) but if you stay in the exhibit area where they place all the finished objects it's much cheaper (just 5 dollar to get in), this area is made almost completely out of glass so will be nice to film.

The only thing is that it isn't easy to get a permit to get in with a professional looking camera, hope they will allow me.

[James Hobert]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Guys

Even on my monitor in 1920x1080 the Panasonic with the tiny 1/4" chips still looked sharper than the EA-50 to my eyes. Why I have no idea..we were in quite deep shade so the Sony would have been no higher than 1/125 and F8 ..probably less... I was using AF so maybe the focus wasn't perfect but then again the background also wasn't that sharp either. I might just be fussy though? Next wedding what I will do is keep focus peaking on so I can see what the camera is actually locking onto...I did have a clip during bridal prep where the brides face (I was about 10' away) was decidedly soft!!

More experimentation is required I think ...has anyone else been testing the autofocus??

Chris

Thanks for the post Chris! Much appreciated. Regarding focus, did you ever try using the focus distance readout that some cameras have? It's basically where on the LCD display it says how many feet/meters away is in focus. SUPER helpful. I'm not sure if the EA50 has it, but I read somewhere that it does. Can you tell me if this camera has that feature? I've found on my Panasonic cams that it's literally become my #1 tool to use all day as we stay manual for pretty much everything that we shoot on tripods and then auto focus for much of when we're handheld on the run. But it's most helpful during Ceremony coverage where you can basically find out where the couple will be standing ahead of time and measure how far away that is from where you think (or know) your cameras will be. Ceremonies are much more stagnant and predictable where people will be so you can get pretty accurate measurements ahead of time (I do it about 5-10 mins before the start). We do this for every Wedding and it's a HUGE help. During the day, we use a measuring tape or something similar, and during the evening or when its not in bright sun, we use a laser measurer and then adjust accordingly when the subject moves, etc. It's awesome. My Panny's have awful LCD screens so I HAVE to do this but I plan to carry this over when we upgrade cams this year. Even with my current 1/3" chip where it "appears" that much of the shot is in focus, I can always tell when it blows up to a 50" screen when the plants behind a couple are a bit more in focus than their faces which I would NEVER be able to tell on my low rez LCD. We shoot about 40 weddings a year out here in Los Angeles and I can't tell you how much that little feature has saved my life.

Thanks for the comparison footage. Nice to see people out there using this camera in real world situations now and then posting here so we can all learn from and decide if this is the "right" camera for us.

[Noa Put]

you can have the readout in meters but I found it not very accurate and it's pretty useless with fast primes, with dslr lenses there is no such thing as approximate guessing what distance you are from you subject, your focus has to be dead on and the only way to be absolutely sure is to use the 4 tor 8 times magnifier which can be used during recording and the second very useful aid is the peaking but that doesn't always show well when using primes in low light. I also found the peaking distracting at times when I wanted to double check focus as it covers fine lines that you might need as a reference to check focus. Now I have assigned peaking to a button on the side to quickly turn it on or off when needed.

You also have the touch focus and face recognition features which can be a great help setting your focus but even then you still need to manual check if the camera did right.

I think mainly anyone that have not worked with a dslr before will be in for a surprise when getting this camera because it's basically a dslr in a big body, the stocklens can be somewhat forgiving and used in auto as long as there is sufficient light. But don't think this is an easy camera to operate, the most tricky part is definitely keeping your focus once you start adding faster glass, it's like night and day compared to a 1/3 inch sensor camera. But the good thing is the camera has a few, like described above, useful features that help you getting the focus right.

[Steven Digges]

James,

+1 on everything Noa said. He has it down. But the camera is so feature rich I disregard some of them but you might like them:

The camera will tell you in feet or meters what the focus distance is and you can even register focus points. If you are a nut you can even measure it down to the sensor plane marked on the body. There is a page and a half description in the manual on how to program an automatic rack focus. Are you kidding me? If you can't pull a focus from one point to another.........Oh well, each to their own :)

Another feature I turned off is GPS. It is there if I ever need it but why drain batteries. I try to know where I am at on a job site.

As Noa said, the LCD focus assist is awesome, as are many other focus tools.

Steve

[Chris Harding]

Agreed Steve

My GPS is off too but it might be useful if I get really lost!! The AF isn't really bad at all but yes using focus assist at weddings is a good idea especially if the light is low ..I must get used to that .... peaking is maybe easier to use as it indicates what the cam has focussed on exactly in auto..if it's OK you can snap to manual and record, if not you can adjust where needed...cripes, I will have to get used to that!!!

To be really, really honest I only use manual on tripod mounted cameras ..wedding ceremony and speeches so I'm sure there is no drift ....for cutaways on my shoulder I use auto so I need to get out of that habit pronto especially with a super fast lens!!!

My other issue is below :


I have also been using my 50 for my Realty Property Condition Reports.. and I really prefer auto here!! Speed is of the essence!!!...For those who don't know, these are non-creative filming of rooms in a rental home with narration commenting on what's damaged and what's not damaged...The Panny HMC and Sony handle the focus fairly well but mostly lose the plot when I'm panning the camera over white bare walls and pure white ceilings. There is no contrast at all so the cams have nothing to lock onto especially is a lowish light empty room ... So what's the solution???? I was wondering if I would get away with locking the focus in a room to say 2metres and use a 16mm pancake ....If I keep my position then 99% should be in focus even at F2.8 as the DOF at 2 metres away from the wall would be between 1.5 metres and 3.7 metres so that would work UNLESS I get closer than 1.5m!!!

Any bright ideas here???

Chris

[Steven Digges]

Yes. Your new best friend is going to be the Focus Lock/Auto button. I love that thing. I used it on my canons all the time. But they only went from manual to auto when pushed to pull a focus. On the Sony it works both ways. If you like auto, make sure it is in focus, then hold the button down when you pan so it does not search or change on the blank walls.

You could also put a piece of gaff tape on the blank wall to pull a manual focus then take it off when you shoot.

I'm afraid a 16mm might scew to much on a pan?

And just a reminder. When on a tripod don't forget to turn all image stabilization off or it will drive you crazy watching the whole image keep moving after your pan stops.

Steve

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Steve

That's a great idea!! I'm off to do one now so I'll let auto focus then pan with focus locked ..I do walls at full wide (18mm) and a little skew is no real issue ..they are more interested if the wall is damaged!! Even at 18mm I should have plenty of DOF to play with.

Got my SEL50 a few minutes ago..it's a nice lens but here auto is really slow at at F1.8 the DOF is tiny so that's a definate manual focus ....I am using peaking and the yellow peak as I find it's easier to see than the white. Who uses other colours and why??? I also have my level high so it shows up to the fullest.

It's a mean lens ...in my dark office the stock zoom was F3.5 at 18db, the 50mm was F1.8 and 3db ..nice bright image!! This will be awesome for wedding receptions!!!

Stabilization should be off all the time..you should have no issues with a shoulder mount cam getting smooth and it better that it's off so when you are fixed you don't forget!!

Chris

[Don Bloom]

Chris, I think Steven hit the nail on the head with his idea for you but you just got my juices going with your "review" of the 50. I can't wait to get my camera and that 50 with it.
I'm looking very closely at the Rokinon 85 as well per Noa's recommandation. I think that would be a good length for MoS and talking heads but first I'll try the 50. I got a feeling it will work out very well as well.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Steve and Don

Steve you are a genius!! Focus hold works like a charm!! I used it this morning ..the big issue on Realty is ceilings..the pure white gives the cam nothing to focus on so I start in the corner (with peaking on) and then hold and "scan" the entire ceiling ..even at 18mm F3.5 there is plenty of DOF and the AF never hunts at all.... !!

Don, remember than the camera has a 1.5 crop factor so a 50mm is actually 75mm ... I thing a 50 would be perfect for talking heads...I'm using manual focus..the auto is way too slow!!

Now, apart from the Metabones adapter is there anything else that will allow auto iris with other lenses??

You mention the Rokinon ? Do their cine lenses (that are already e-mount) run the iris???

Chris

[Steven Digges]

Chris,

Not a genius, just beginners luck!

Steve

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

You mention the Rokinon ? Do their cine lenses (that are already e-mount) run the iris???

No, you have to set the iris and focus on the lens.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

I'm looking very closely at the Rokinon 85 as well per Noa's recommandation. I think that would be a good length for MoS and talking heads

I mainly use this lens at receptions and at the venue in the evening to capture talking heads, I can keep my distance and get sharp shots with a nice shallow dof, eventhough it's a f1.4 lens I prefer to use at least f2 or 2.4 when possible, I don't need extreme shallow dof but find it nicer to make a background a bit soft.
The minimal focus distance is quite large, I think around one meter and it's a very difficult lens to track anything that's moving as with the cropfactor it's around 135mm, for me it's mainly a point, don't move anymore and shoot lens.