FS700 samples with IS glass

[Paul Cronin]

I would like to see some samples with IS glass. Not Slow Mo but straight 24p, 25p, or 30p footage where IS is needed. Prefer to see it with Canon EF L IS glass as they are fast enough lens to use compared to the very slow kit lens.

[Paul Cronin]

How about with the Sony Alfa lens adapter and IS on the Alfa lens?

[Matt Davis]

Scratching my head thinking about any footage I can share with my Canon 17-55 2.8 IS...

Canon's stills-oriented IS is fine for 'static subject' shots - in that the content of the scene is fairly static even if you're panning to follow it. However, unlike the IS in handycams, there is an irritating 'sneaky snap' at the end of a pan if you leave it on whilst on a tripod (Canon call it 'shake return'). If you're hand-held, it can be 'forgiven' - but not so much on a tripod.

Having said that, I'm settling on the 24-105 IS and 70-200 IS2 as workaday lenses for handheld - eschewing wickedly fast glass in favour of IS specifically in a Run & Gun event coverage mode. What it does do is patch up those 'micro-jitters' from handheld stuff when you're tired. Sure you can do the heroic handheld shot once or twice, but when the director wants a 45 minute interview handheld, or you're running up and down a procession for an hour or three, that's where the IS takes out the little muscle twitches.

BTW, Canon's 'mark 2' IS has two modes, the second one ('so it says here') adapts to panning. I'd hoped to have checked this out in person by now, but curiously have spent the summer using EX1s.

There may be a Mark 3 version of IS on the way though: Chicken Head Tracking - Smarter Every Day - YouTube

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks for the response Matt,

I do think you should ever use IS while on a tripod unless it is very windy. Too bad you do not have hand held samples.

Going to give the camera a try with on Thursday to see what it is all about.

Chicken Head Tracking, nice one

[Matt Davis]

Sorry Paul,

it's not that I don't have handheld examples, just not handheld examples I can share as it's for third party clients, presenters, the sort of jobs I have to sign legal bits of paper for.

This is why Vimeo is littered with test shots in back gardens around the world, filled with frolicking tots that have a DoP for a parent, I guess - I'm guilty too.

I was tempted to go out and shoot a couple of examples this afternoon, but I really must get an edit done for Monday. The camera is looking at me, the metabones and Canon 17-5 just sitting there... Aargh, must RESIST. MUST CHANGE LOGOS AND COLOUR SCHEME OF LOWER THIRDS!

As for IS on tripods, it's just that video IS is usually pretty good - Z1 was the master, EX1 is okay. Photographic IS is a bit like the old days of the Sony PD150. The young pups don't know how bad it can be. :)

The camera is still sitting there. I think it is trying to ignore me...

[Paul Cronin]

No Worry Matt, paid work is always first.

As for the EX1/EX3 IS I was never impressed with either and own a EX3 and had a few EX1's. Only IS which is really OS that has impressed me is the Canon 2/3" 15x lens and the Fujinon OS unit that goes between 2/3" glass and the camera. Both companies also have 40x lens with great OS.

As I said I am giving the FS700 a try next week with Canon glass so it will be the best test for me.

Now get back to those edits.

[Matt Davis]

Guess what... I did just go into the back garden and shoot a few tests:

With and without the shoulder rig, with and without IS. I even shot in S&Q 50 to see if one can capture the micro-jitters.

I don't think I can publicly show this rather messy example, and the results are a little ambiguous:

1) I wasn't really concentrating and I rushed it

2) a shoulder setup REALLY helps when it's on your shoulder but not when you're holding a rig in an odd position.

3) the effects are subtle but in my general experience I'd rather have IS lenses hand held than non-IS - but the corollary to that is the fact I finally bought a shoulder rig to use the two together.

Seeing your subject matter, I'd have thought one of those heavy spinning sausage things (gyro stabilisers?) would be what you're looking for. Much more the 'steadi-chicken' effect.

Back to work...

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Matt for giving it a go.

Yea, I used Kenyon Gyros for 15 years + but they are heavy, use a lot of battery power, take 20 min to get up to full RPM and are loud. We use two KS-12's in the helicopter on a custom platform with great success, but that is a different shooting.

Some of my recent jobs are in very small boats going very fast and I need to stay light. Just always looking for the better setup. Most camera operators are not use to my type of shooting so my setup is always custom to fit my needs, which is part of the fun.

The FS700 I will be testing is with Olof from WestSide AV and it will be on his shoulder rig with external VF.

[Matt Davis]

Ack, for better for worse, here it is.

https://vimeo.com/mattdavis/review/49109444/d5c343e4e1

It's a case of trading one sort of jitter for another. However, in earlier tests with colleagues, we all preferred IS to non-IS.

And lurkers - this is not my camerawork at its best. :-D

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Matt that is helpful.

Hopefully I will have something to post on my blog next week from the FS700 test.

Ah Lurkers do not have rights until they post their footage.

[Matt Davis]

Just had a lightbulb moment...

At entirely the opposite end of the spectrum of kit, I just remembered being shown this:

Sony HXR-NX30E - HXR-NX30E (HXRNX30E) : Product Overview : Sony Professional

Some cameras have extraordinary image processors, others have extraordinary resolution - this one has extraordinary OIS. This was the camcorder we called the 'steadi-chicken' now that I remember the occasion (I was picking up an FS700 demo unit at the time - a bit distracted).

It really was uncanny watching the lens do the 'chicken head' thing (try one - really weird), as it floats in its little housing.

It was envisioned for use in areas you'd never bring a tripod but needed steady shots - covert news, surveillance, and it has to be said, crowd security.

If you really need the sort of gyro shot in situations you really can't take a gyro, and are willing to go for a little drop in image sexiness, this might be worth a look.

Sony Professional: HXR-NX30 - Ed Moore gives his first impressions on Vimeo

[Paul Cronin]

Good Light Bulb Matt,

I was on a shoot yesterday and we were talking about this camera. A Sony buddy suggested I give it a look. Nice to see it has HDMI out so with recorder it would be interesting.

[Matt Davis]

Somebody else did the same sort of test:

Lens Test on Canon EOS C300 on Vimeo

Quorum seems to be have been achieved - IS is great for handheld with 'character' rather than 'flaws' but there won't be a flood of Sachtlers, Millers and Ronfords on eBay quite yet, nor gyros and steadicams for that matter.

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Matt,

I have heard that the C300 with Canon IS lens works great. I will be renting one at some point to check it out. Hard to tell from that sample. How close is the shooter? What lens? What focal length? .....

No concern of selling either pair of my sticks. If I can be on them I am.

[Alister Chapman]

Don't forget that if you use Sony lenses on the FS700 you get both the optical steadyshot and the active steadyshot. You don't get active steadyshot when using other lenses. The combination of the two is very effective at reducing camera shake. When we flew over the Grand Canyon the footage from my FS700 came out significantly steadier than footage from a F3 on the same flight. The F3 exhibited a bit of Jello from time to time while the FS700 with the 18-200 kit lens did not. The aircraft was an older Jet Ranger.

The optical steady shot is great for removing small shakes and jitters while the active steady shot helps remove larger but slower movements.