differences between the F3 and the EX1r

[Adrian Vedder]

Ey there! first post here! I own an EX1r but next week we're doing a short film with a borrowed F3. We won't have a lot of time to play with it before the real action starts, so, how different are those 2 cameras? from what I can read they work kinda the same, but I might be mistaken (I don't mean quality-dynamic range, etc, but actual operation of the camera).

Any clues?

[Nate Weaver]

Operation is almost identical, if you're recording to SxS.

Focus in 35mm world is even more tricky than regular HD. Watch your P's & Q's. Use the focus aids. Try to get a decent monitor on set, or watch your footage asap to see how you're doing with focus.

+12 of gain on F3 is like +3 on an EX1. Use it to your advantage.

Cinegamma 1 in sun, CG4 in dark. Feel free to leave detail in picture profiles off, the camera is sharp, it doesn't need white halos to make things look videoey.

[Les Wilson]

Originally Posted by Nate Weaver

...+12 of gain on F3 is like +3 on an EX1. ....

Just to be clear, for language sake, I think Nate is saying that you can go up to +12 on the F3 without worrying about image quality in the same way you can go up to +3 on the EX1R and not worry about it.

However, with the same aperture and shutter, the F3 at +12 will be much brighter than the EX1R at +3 and in that sense +12 on the F3 is not the same as +3 on the EX1R. That's what you meant, right Nate?

[Adrian Vedder]

yeah I got that from Nate, of course the 35mm would be brighter, but it's good to know that I can go up to 12db, specially cause we are working a few scenes at night and that was one of my biggest concerns, how much could I push it before it was bad.
So focus is tricky... I expected that and is right now the thing I worry the most sine I just can't find a follow focus for rental (i'm in mexico). I am pretty good with the ex1 focus done by hand, but I do think this will require some closed f stops and overall trying not to be a hero. We'll bring a monitor yes.
Any other advice? some cool picture profile settings?

[Chris Medico]

Since you are coming from an EX1 I would recommend running f/4 or numerically larger to keep from having to chase the focus so much. When going with large stops the DOF gets so shallow that it looks OK in the monitor and even peaks out OK but when you look at it on a larger monitor you realize their ears are in focus but their eyes aren't.

If you are looking for an easy set of profiles you can download get the ones Alister Chapman posted. I like using his warm profile for interviews (Thanks Alister).

[Adrian Vedder]

my thoughts exactly. I don't think we'll be going lower than 4. Specially since it seems to pick so much light. Except for the night scene, I don't think we'll even attempt it. I'll check out Alister Chapman's pp. Thanks a lot!

[Adrian Vedder]

Originally Posted by Chris Medico

Since you are coming from an EX1 I would recommend running f/4 or numerically larger to keep from having to chase the focus so much. When going with large stops the DOF gets so shallow that it looks OK in the monitor and even peaks out OK but when you look at it on a larger monitor you realize their ears are in focus but their eyes aren't.

If you are looking for an easy set of profiles you can download get the ones Alister Chapman posted. I like using his warm profile for interviews (Thanks Alister).

At the risk of sounding retarded... where are those profiles Chris? I only found like two in a message board and one in a blog entry...

[Chris Medico]

No problem Adrian, This should get you going.

There is a link in Alisters post here - PMW F3 Picture Profile Smorgasbord. | XDCAM-USER.COM

You can download the zip file on that page then load the profiles into the camera.

[Adrian Vedder]

Thanks Chris Doctor!