matching Z280 and FX6

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

Not true. All cameras can suffer from diffraction problems at small apertures. I can even make it happen with my super35 and full-frame cameras. Furthermore, I guarantee that there is no 1" camera you can buy that will outperform the Z280.

I have tangible proof that's not the case.
https://vimeo.com/951232107/24fe9b2cf1?share=copy

[Doug Jensen]

You said:

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

get a 1" camcorder they don't suffer from any diffraction at any aperture.

I can speak from experience that the some 1" camcorders absolutely do suffer from distraction. You did not specify a specific model, so your statement is false because it paints all 1" camcorders with the same brush.

I've never tested the CX350 specifically for diffraction, but I was part of a shootout in 2019 that compared it head-to-head with the Sony Z280 and Z90 and other cameras for a MGM/Amazon sports/reality show that was shot a few months later in Fiji; and the CX350 was an inferior camera in almost every way. In fact, it was rejected even before all the testing was completed because of its poor performance in low light. I think that would be an important consideration for anybody who is shooting indoor stage performances. Dynamic range was also a problem with the CX350, and even in your test shot with rather flat light, we see the flowers are already blown out.

I'm not saying its impossible to shoot nice video with the CX350, but having used both cameras, I can say the Z280 is a far superior camera.

The fact that your camera seems sharper at f/11 raises some red flags. What was the camera focused on? I'm impressed by how well you matched exposures between the shots. Did you control exposure with shutter speed? If so, what speeds were used for each shot?

[Doug Jensen]

Pete, I've been unable to find out what is the minimum aperture of the CX350. Since you used f/11 in your tests, I'm going to assume that is the minimum. If so, why do you think Panasonic gave it that limitation? Most cameras and lenses, including the Z280, go to f/16 or f/22. If the CX350 is limited to f/11 (if that actually is the limit), do you think the reason could be to avoid diffraction?

[Pete Cofrancesco]

f11 is the maximum aperture. It could very well be that they don't allow smaller aperture because it would suffer from diffraction. We will never know. Chris pointed out that the smaller sensors are more susceptible to diffraction. In the old days of photography the golden rule was 5.6 was the sharpest and either extreme would be softer. Although lenses can be design to be sharper wide open or closed down.

But I stand by what I said that the camera doesn't suffer from any diffraction. Btw, I don't care for how Panasonic set it up because there are no hard stops if you go over f11 the camera blacks out which is a very odd choice.

To maintain the exposure I change the shutter speed and maybe added an nd wide open then tweaked it in post.

[Tom Van den Berghe]

finishing this project. hard time color matching these 2 camcorders.

It seems to me that using the variable nd filter inside has some color cast and makes the footage less sharp?

I attached 2 samples with before the nd and after the nd.

I was reading this online: On the other hand, with variable ND filters, the image and the colors suffer as we change their intensity. this is about the sony variable nd.

[Doug Jensen]

Tom, I'd be willing to take a closer look and offer you my forensic opinion. But I can only do that if you upload two matching 20 second MXF clips from both cameras. Hopefully you know how to extract 20 short segments using Catalyst Browse. If you do it right, the copies will be identical to the full-length clips in every way (except shorter) with all metadata and image quality intact. It is absolutely essential for anyone judging the clips to be looking at originals that have been downloaded, rather than some JPG stills posted on a forum.

If you don't want to, that is fine. But I'm making the offer.

[Tom Van den Berghe]

hi Doug, thx for the help you are offering again.
But this 2 screenshots are both from the Z280 (not from me FX6) Sorry for the confusing.

I saw while editing I switched quickly on the nd on the z280 in this scene (the fx6 was unattended and without nd filter and I had no acces to it when the stage show started)

Now I saw (I tell myself) that the nd filter shows color shift and less sharpness in this scene.

[Doug Jensen]

Sorry Tom, you were clear about both shots being from the same camera. I muddle my reply.
My offer still stands, however. Send me the two clips from the Z280 and I'll give you my evaluation of them, and try to pinpoint why they are different.

You should never see any difference in image quality with the variable ND. Let's take a closer look.