We just received our demo unit of the new Blackmagick production switcher.  Here is Freddie showing it off.  Amazing features at an amazing price!  Click Here for more information – or call us to schedule an appointment to check it out at the shop!

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Cinema lenses are lenses that all share certain characteristics.  They all have gears for follow focus and iris control, they have smooth or “declicked” apertures, they have uniform front diameters, and they are typically very fast.

We tested a full set of Canon CN-E lenses, a full set of Rokinon XEEN lenses, a selection of Zeiss CP.2 lenses, 6 Leica-R still lenses that have been converted into Cinema lenses by Duclos Lenses, and 3 Sony SLC lenses.

The Video

WHAT WE WANTED TO TEST

• Contrast
• Color
• Rack Focus
• Lens flare

The Results

For the most part, all of the lenses performed about the same in all categories.  The four modern cinema lenses all behaved similarly for contrast, with the Leica-R’s being a little bit more contrasty, which is not unexpected from vintage lenses.  We were slightly surprised at how little difference we saw in the color between the different brands.  We expected to see more of the “character” of each manufacturer in evidence, but saw little actual variation.  The focus rack tests yielded only one interesting difference between the lenses.  The Sony SLC lenses showed no breathing at all when focusing between the subject and the color chart, all the others had some amount of breathing, although it was very small compared to non-cinema lenses.  The lens flare test yielded the greatest variety of results from the lens, with each set having a different color cast to the flare and different artifacts and bleed amounts.

These tests were done mostly just to see the different lenses side by side in a controlled environment, not to rate or grade them against eachother to determine which is the best.  All of them produce excellent images at a reasonable price.

WHAT WE DID NOT TEST

• Bokeh
• Minimal focus
• Maximum aperture

We felt that to perform these tests would have required too many additional setups with each lens and ballooned an already long test beyond what most people are willing to invest in.  We may come back in the future and run these tests on our selection of lenses.

You can find videos for each set of lenses, and a video for just the side by side comparisons by following the links below.

• Canon CN-E
• Rokinon XEEN
• Zeiss CP.2
• Sony SLC
• Leica-R
• Side by Sides

ABOUT EACH SET OF LENSES

Canon CN-E

Pretty standard as far as cinema lenses go.  The set includes; 14mm T3.1, 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.3, 85mm T1.3, and 135mm T2.2 lenses.  They range in price from $4,950-$5,220 each before any rebates or discounts.  Z Systems rental price is $65/day each or $325/day for the full set.

Pros:

• Speed
• Uniform gears
• Color matched coatings
• Minimal breathing
• Full frame coverage

Cons:

• EF-mount only
• Price

Uniques:

• Hyper accurate focus marks

Rokinon XEEN

Another standard set of cinema lenses.  The set includes; 14mm T3.1, 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5, 85mm T1.5, and 135mm T2.2 lenses.  The lenses are all $2,495 each.  Z Systems rental price is $45/day each or $225/day for the full set.

Pros:

• Speed
• Uniform gears
• Color matched coatings
• Minimal Breathing
• Full frame coverage
• Uniform length (except 14mm)
• Price
• Available in a wide variety of mounts

Cons:

• None

Uniques:

• None

Zeiss CP.2

Another fairly standard set of cinema lenses.  The set we tested includes; 21mm T2.9, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5, 85mm T1.5, and 135mm T2.1 lenses.  The lenses range in price from $3,990-$5700 each.  Z Systems rental price is $65/day each or $300/day for the set of 5.

Pros:

• Uniform gears
• Color matched coatings
• Minimal Breathing
• Full frame coverage
• Available in a wide variety of mounts

Cons:

• Price
• Not uniform length

Uniques:

• Customer changeable lens mounts

Sony SLC

These lenses were originally offered in a kit with the Sony PMW-F3 camera.  They have since been replaced by a more complete line of Sony Cine Alta lenses with improved housings.  The set we tested includes; 35mm T2, 50mm T2, 85mm T2.  The lenses we tested are no longer available for purchase, but the new Cine Alta lenses are available as a set of 6 for $12,499.  Z Systems rental price on the lenses we tested is $65/day each or $150/day for the set of 3.

Pros:

• Uniform gears
• Color matched coatings
• No focus breathing
• Uniform speed

Cons:

• Super35 Coverage
• Size
• Only available as a set

Uniques:

• None

Leica-R Duclos Conversions

These lenses are a bit different than the others we tested.  They were originally still lenses for Leica cameras that have been converted for cinema use.  The conversion includes the addition of cinema gears to the focus rings of the declicking of the iris’.  The set we tested also has uniform filter thread adapters and has been permanently converted to EF mount.  We tested 6 of the 9 lenses in our set, the ones we tested were; 19mm f/2.8, 21mm f/4, 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4, 80mm f/1.4, and 100mm f/2.8.  As these are custom converted lenses there is no purchase price available.  Z Systems rental price on the lenses is $30-$35/day each or $275/day for the set of 9 lenses.

Pros:

• Large number of lenses
• Vintage character
• Full frame coverage
• Size
• Weight

Cons:

• Little uniformity
• Not color matched
• Purchase/Conversion price

Uniques:

• None

	Click here to browse our lenses available for PURCHASE
	Click here to browse lenses available for RENTAL

Click the links above, call us or email us to buy or rent lenses and accessories

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Sony recently released firmware v2.00 for the PXW-FS5.  Some of the new features added include GPS positioning information, enhanced Zebra functionality, headphone output control, and the option for a paid upgrade to output 4k RAW via the SDI output.  The coolest new feature, in our opinion, is the Auto ND filter.  With this featured turned on you can have the FS5 automatically adjust the exposure of the camera using only the variable ND filter.  That means that you can maintain your F stop, ISO and shutter speed settings and still be able to move from shadows to harsh light while getting a good exposure.  You can also use the AE shift function to intentionally over expose your Slog footage if you need to.  Check out a short demonstration we shot this morning at the office.  The camera was set to 1080p 24fps, Picture Profile 6 (Cine4/HG4), 1/48sec, F4 on the kit lens, ISO 1000.

You can find a link to download the latest firmware for the FS5 here.

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Over the weekend I got a chance to do some more playing around with the Sony FS5.  This time around I focused on the Super Slow Motion function of the camera.  I shot exclusively at 240 frames per second.  At that frame rate the FS5 is still recording at its best possible quality, full 1080P 10-bit 4:2:2.  When pushed beyond this speed the camera reduces the image quality an unspecified amount.  The recordings at 480 and 960 frames will still appear as HD clips, but the actual quality of the images will be of a reduced resolution.

Here is a sample of the material I captured this weekend.

Image quality

I was beyond pleased with the image quality of the camera at 240fps.  When given enough light, the picture is crisp and detailed with minimal noise, definitely within acceptable limits for just about any application, and what noise is present is quite pleasing and natural looking.  This held true at ISO levels up to 3200.  I didn’t push the camera beyond 3200 ISO as it was not necessary for the conditions I was shooting in.  There is a small amount of artifacting in the fur of the animals, and along the bottom edge of the siding on the exterior shot, noticeable if you’re looking for it, but not a deal breaker in my opinion, especially for such an affordable camera.

Cached super slow motion in eight second bursts

The FS5 records 8 second bursts at 240fps using a cache recording mechanism.  Because of this it can be tricky to actually capture what you want, or something interesting, when working with unpredictable subjects.  I started out using the Start Trigger mode for shooting, meaning that the camera would record for 8 seconds starting when the record button was pushed.  I found this very frustrating when trying to record animals because you were left hoping that something interesting happened in the 8 seconds after you push the button.  End Trigger mode on the other hand fills the cache continuously and when you press the record button it will write the contents of the cache (the previous 8 seconds) to the memory cards.  I found this method to be much easier to use.  I just kept the camera on my subject and then when something interesting happened I would push the record button and it would record what had just happened.

Write Time

The write time for the cards was a bit frustrating as well, taking well over 30 seconds to write the files to the cards.  That can seem like forever when you are waiting for the files to write and interesting stuff is happening that you can’t capture.  I don’t expect that there is much hope for improvement here with current SDXC card speeds.  I was using SanDisk ExtremePro U3 SDXC cards which are just about as fast as they get currently.

Lighting

Lighting was of course a big consideration when shooting.  For all shots I used either natural light or Fiilex LED lights, or both.  Standard household light fixtures are not an option when shooting at 240fps because they will flicker.  For the indoor shots of the dog I was using a Fiilex Q1000 on full blast with a diffuser dome and a reflector.  For the kittens I was using the same light with a 5″ Fresnel lens, which balanced will with the natural light coming from a window.

Lenses

I used a variety of lenses during the shooting.  I used the kit 18-105 f/4 that comes with the FS5, I also used a Sony 70-200 f/4, Sony 24-70 f/4, and an old Vivitar 70-210 f/3.5 OM mount.

I am quickly falling in love with the FS5 as an everyday shooter.  Stay tuned for more videos featuring this camera.

-Keith M

Click here to view Z Systems Sony 4K Camera page

Click below to visit our web store:

	Sony PXW-FS5 Super 35 Camera Body Only (Rental) $225.00
	PXW-FS5 4K XDCAM Super 35mm Compact Camcorder without Lens. $5599.00
	PXW-FS5K 4K XDCAM Super 35mm Compact Camcorder with FE PX 18-105mm F4 OSS Lens. $6099.00

Click the links above, call us or email us to order a Sony FS5

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First I tested out the Sony 18-105mm kit lens that came with the camera.  You can see the results in the video below.

As you can see, the Clear Image Zoom looks pretty good, with no noticeable artifacting or pixelation.  For purposes of this test I recorded the optical and clear image zooms independently, but they do work in concert and the camera will transition seamlessly from optical to clear image when zooming in.  When zooming back out there is a slight hiccup in the zoom when it transitions from clear image to optical.  This will hopefully be addressed in a firmware update soon.

When playing back the zoom I did notice a weird thing happening to the chip chart early in the video.  It seemed like the chip chart suddenly expands in size several times.  If you didn’t see it I encourage you to watch the video again, I’ll wait.

At first I thought that maybe my editing computer, which is getting kind of long in the tooth, was struggling with the XAVC codec due to its processor intensive nature, but I was able to spot the effect on multiple computers after converting the file to ProRes.  I narrowed the problem down to the cameras lens compensation algorithm, which automatically corrects for the distortion that is inherent in the kit lens (and other lenses).  You can see in the video below that the effect disappears when you turn of the lens correction, though the distortion around the edges of the frame is pretty bad.

That’s just one of the trade offs you have to deal with when you use a $600 lens.  I think the effect we saw in the lens compensated video would be a lot less noticeable, possible not noticeable at all, with a subject that didn’t have perfect geometric shapes, or with a subject in motion.

Just to see what kind of a difference a better lens would make I put the Sony 28-135mm zoom lens that comes with the FS7 on the FS5 and reshot the tests.  I put both the lens compensated and uncompensated videos into one clip so you can watch them back to back.

Off the bat you can tell the 28-135 is a much nicer lens, and it should be, for $2500.  The camera still does have to do some lens correction, but it is a lot less than with the 18-105, and I didn’t notice the strange expansion of the chip chart that we saw earlier.  It was also interesting to to me that the 28-135 lens zoomed more quickly on the FS5 than it does on the FS7 and I have no idea why that would be.

That’s it for now.  Hopefully I will have more footage for you soon.  I really want to play around with S-Log on the FS5 with the WB Shift to make the post work go more smoothly.

-Keith M

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Lens

We ordered a unit with the kit lens for our rental pool. The 18-105mm f/4 lens that comes with the kit is light weight and versatile. It is not an expensive lens and as such does have some limitations. In the past this lens has been much maligned for excessive distortion, with due cause. However, the FS5 (and other newer Sony cameras) are programmed to compensate for this phenomenon in camera and the distortion is well within acceptable limits. The distortion does seem to reappear when the camera is in Center Scan mode (more on center scan later) though.

The power zoom on the lens works very well with the rocker switch on the camera’s hand grip. It is faster and more responsive than the 28-135mm f/4 kit lens that comes with the FS7.

Overall I think the kit lens, with its weight, quality and cost, is a good value and a good fit for this camera.

Camera Body

Right out of the box I was surprised at how small and light the body of the camera was. I knew ahead of time that those were some of the camera’s key attributes, but I was still amazed. The body, without the hand grip, is about the size of a box of pop tarts and weighs less than 2 pounds.

Assembly of the camera was easy, no tools required. The hand grip mounts exactly like a camera lens; there is even a body cap for the mount if you aren’t using the hand grip. The top handle is attached with 2 thumb screws which will make stripping the camera down to its lightest and smallest configuration fast and painless. The LCD display is just as simple to attach with a single 1/4 20 thumb screw, and can be mounted to any 1/4 20 threaded hole, of which there are 4 on the top handle and 6 on the top of the body. You can even eliminate the LCD completely and use the built in viewfinder on the rear of the camera.

The hand grip on the side of the camera is a great feature. The grip is comfortable and you can easily support the weight of the camera one handed. Being able to rotate the handle makes angling the camera up or down easy and comfortable. I will note that I have taken to plugging the cord for the grip in with the cord angled towards the rear of the camera. The first time I plugged it in I had it the other way around and when I went to remove it I had a real hard time getting a grip on the plug to pull it out.

The rear viewfinder is a good quality OLED that give a nice crisp image. It is a bit on the small side, and the only setting that will allow you to use the rear viewfinder while the LCD is attached is to have it on auto select, exactly like on the A7’s. This can be very annoying when trying to shoot using the LCD and holding the camera close to your body as it will keep switching back and forth between the LCD and viewfinder.

Features

I won’t go into the main features of the camera in this post, I think for the most part they are self evident from the specs, XAVC-L, 4K UHD, 120 fps etc. I will hit on a few key features that I think stand out about the FS5.

Menus

The menus have been redesigned (again) and I haven’t decided if I like them or not. They are similar enough to the FS7 menus for me to not be entirely lost, but they are more condensed with fewer options. The menus are much faster to navigate which is a big plus.

Clear Image Zoom

Clear Image Zoom is an intriguing new feature, and if it holds up image quality wise is going to be indispensible for a lot of shooters. Essentially what clear image zoom allows you to do is leverage the extra resolution of the sensor to add extra zooming capabilities to the lens you have attached. Depending on if you are in HD or 4k you can get up to 2x or 1.5x the focal length out of your lens. So the kit 18-105mm lens becomes an 18-210mm lens in HD mode. Additionally this would allow you to get some zooming capabilities on prime lenses as well. This added flexibility with lenses could be a life saver for fast paced documentary type work.

Center Scan

Center Scan is another feature that will add lens flexibility to the camera, allowing you to punch in on any lens by cropping the sensor in to a super16 size HD. Interestingly enough clear image zoom is still an option when in Center Scan mode, in theory this would give you up to 4x the rated focal length on any lens. It is still unclear if the image quality will hold up doing both Center Scan and Clear Image Zoom.

Variable ND

The internal variable ND filter has already been the topic of much discussion around the internet so I won’t add much to it here. I think it is worth noting that in addition to having the continuous variability, you can set the presets on the knob to any level you want so you can have customized ND filtration without having to scroll the wheel on the side of the camera.

WB Shift in S-log

The last feature that I want to bring up is one of the biggest in my opinion, and I hope that it gets brought over to the FS7 in a firmware update. The feature in question is white balance shifting in S-log shooting. Of the FS5 when shooting in S-log you are limited to three preset white balance points, like you are on the FS7, F5 and F55. On the FS5 however you are able to make tweaks to the color balance using WB Shift under the picture profile settings. This will let you dial in the color temperature to a much more accurate degree making post work that much easier. This feature addresses one of the biggest complaints we have heard with shooting log footage on Sony cameras.

Summary

I think the FS5 is a capable, professional camera that offers users a host of powerful tools at an affordable price.  I would not hesitate to recommend this camera for documentary or news gathering applications.  It’s easy to use and light which is ideal for one man operations, and offers superb imaging and lensing options.  Hopefully I will have an opportunity to take the camera out into the field and really put it through its paces.

-Keith M

Click here to view Z Systems Sony 4K Camera page

Click below to visit our web store:

	Sony PXW-FS5 Super 35 Camera Body Only (Rental) $225.00
	PXW-FS5 4K XDCAM Super 35mm Compact Camcorder without Lens. $6699.00
	PXW-FS5K 4K XDCAM Super 35mm Compact Camcorder with FE PX 18-105mm F4 OSS Lens. $7299.00

Click the links above, call us or email us to order a Sony FS5

The post Sony FS5 Review: First Look appeared first on Z Systems, inc..

You can see our setup in the picture below.

Our basic package with the Odyssey Monitor and Cage is designed primarily for monitoring and does not include hard drives for the Odyssey.  With useful tools like custom LUT options, wave form monitors, focus peaking, false color, etc, we feel that the Odyssey makes a superb monitor and without drives we can offer it at a comparable price to other monitor units.

The Teradek (rented separately) does carry an uncompressed 1080p 8-Bit 4:2:2 signal so you could record with this unit by adding hard drives, but would not get the same bit depth and features that most cameras now offer with internal recording.

The run time on this setup, including powering the Teradek receiver, is over 5 hours on a single Anton Bauer Digital 90 battery.

The monitor cage can also be configured to accept most 5″ and 7″ monitors, and sits easily on any C-Stand or light stand with a baby pin.

Stop in and see it for yourself.

-Keith M

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