The Sony PMW F3. Ver 1.0 firmware

The white car in the background of the clip is T16 2/3 and the foreground person is T 2.4 and T2 respectively.
This is a pseudo log we set up in the paint menu.
A massive dynamic range for a little camera ( 6 stops +)

280 - 3200 ISO

Well we had a good look at it and decided the camera is an EX-3 on steroids...

Things we like about it:

The resolution is actually VERY high. 1:1.77 1080x1920 is a 1000 lines+
Canon 5D is 760 lines on video 1080.
Panasonic 101 is 800 lines, not bad actually.

Up to 1600 ISO is clean considering video is normally poo when video gain is pushed. 3200 ISO less noisy than 500 ISO Kodak vision II.

Base ISO 400 in 25PsF/1080 with 180 degree shutter (1/50)
24fps (23.980) can have a shutter of 178.2 (1/50) nice for 50Hz countries 3perf 35mm CMOS is great for DOF loss.
PL mount is fantastic as we can use ultra primes and Cooke S6 with the info from the lens to display DOF.
Switching to 50fps is quick and easy, although drops to 720x1280.
Love the 720 50p option, progressive in a "interlaced way" cant wait for 100fps standard TV.

Can shoot SD and HD
12 sec cache option is great for wildlife and unpredictable cinematography.
Time lapse down to 1 sec interval at 1 - 8 frames.
Very clean signal output HDSDI, the Panasonic is noisy and the Canon sucks !





Things we don’t like:

The colour and dynamic range is standard, nothing better than EX-3 in factory mode.
The Dual link only works in interlaced at the moment.
Shit viewfinder
Front heavy (can be sorted with extra gear)
Thumbnail and play back is in a nasty place.. watch out for accidental pushing.
Can't have all the outputs live at the same time (unless shooting interlaced)
Why did Sony not make the camera 50mbps? (Its 35 mbps only on the camera)

This is firmware version 1.0, hopefully things get better.

Update:
Seems we will see a 10 bit log output for the F3
We will need to pay for it.. but for what its doing its not big money.
Check the Pseudo log footage, about 6 1Z2 stops dynamic range, we recorded
To 35`mb/ps and made a ProRes 422 file..then mp4 for upload to website, still it looks good. Feel free to download it and grade it.
Fing good it you ask me.
The Optimo 24-290mm looks great, didn¹t even need a lens file setup.

The Cindeck pro reads 8 bit or 10 bit component output from the camera HD-SDI.
Nasty to use.. The AJ KI pro mini has a poo menu, but does the job.

Must admit though, film still so delicious.. colourful and deep.






Recent shoot using OPTIMO





This is firmware version 1.0, hopefully things get better with V1.2