Kamrat produktion

Ren F3-lycka

2011-12-14T00:14:00.002+01:00

För några veckor sedan sändes reportaget "Infiltratören" i Uppdrag Granskning. Detta är min hittills mest konsekvent genomförda inspelning med min Sony F3. Hela reportaget är filmat med F3:an och en stor del av programmet utgörs av dramatiserade scener i cinemaskop-format. Jag är mycket glad att jag fick tiden och resurserna att genomföra filmning och klippning till detta spännande reportage utan några större kompromisser.
Förutom några arkivbilder så förekommer också en "bakom-kulisserna"-sekvens som är filmad med en EX1:a.
Dessutom finns det en bild filmad med en GoPro Hero och faktiskt två bilder ut genom ett flygplansfönster som är filmade med en iPhone 4S!

Se programmet på PLAY genom att klicka här.

Clever reciever mount

2011-11-24T23:49:00.000+01:00

I just got this very simple but well designed wireless reciever mount for my F3. Using one of the threaded holes on the handle it allows for two ew100/500 recievers to be mounted almost flush with the handle. The camera now fits into my bag without removing them.
It's made by the mechanical shop at SVT (Swedish public tv) in Stockholm.

25 flyttkort i sekunden

2011-10-30T22:45:00.001+01:00

Till helgen flyttar jag och min familj till Långsjöhöjden i Älvsjö. Tänkte bjussa på en liten flyttkortsfilm som jag gjorde i helgen med F3:an, min gamla Nikon AI 50mm F1.4- och Tokina 11-16 f2.8-linsen.

Sony F3 head to head with Alexa

2011-10-22T01:22:00.002+02:00

The Arri Alexa is considered state of the art in digital movie cameras right now and deemed the leader in terms of dynamic range second only to (and barely) analogue film. (Not counting Red Epics HDR which does not really work the same way).

It was therefore with great interest that I watched this comparison of the Alexa with the Sony F3 that is about 1/3 of the price of the Alexa. The F3 used in these tests was equipped with the S-LOG upgrade which combined with an external recorder gives it a dynamic range of approximately 13,5 stops. That is only half a stop behind the 14 stops of the Alexa.

Arri Alexa vs. Sony F3 w/S-log vs. Canon 7D from Hello World Communications on Vimeo.

Another interesting aspect of this test is that “Hello world communications” who performed the test also put a Canon 7D side by side with the Alexa and F3.
You should really log in to Vimeo and download the full 1080p-version of the test and watch it on a great monitor instead of watching it streaming.
After watching it I must say that I am really impressed with how the F3 stands up to the Alexa. I can only say that the Alexa wins in the extreme low light scene. It is also really interesting to see how poor the resolution of the 7D is and how badly it blows out in some of the scenes.

And while I am at it. If you still have not watched the Zacuto great camera shoot out that does extensive testing of a whole bunch of single chip cameras you should!

You can find it here: http://www.zacuto.com/

Unikt möte med utvisade egyptier

2011-10-03T16:09:00.003+02:00

Se min kollega Sven Bergmans unika intervjuer med de två egyptier som under hemska förhållanden utvisades från Sverige med hjälp av CIA för snart tio år sedan.Vi har slitit som djur de senaste veckorna för att få ihop programmet på rekordkort tid. Tortyrrekonstruktioner filmade i mitt soprum utlovas. I övrigt har jag tyvärr inte plåtat mycket i programmet - mest panikredigerat!
Se reportaget i Uppdrag Granskning på SVT Play.

Nominerad till Kristallen

2011-08-17T23:01:00.002+02:00

Vad kul! Dom kallas rasister som jag filmade för TV4 har nominerats till tv-priset Kristallen i kategorin Årets dokumentärprogram. Filmen som producerats av Lena Sundström och Viktor Nordenskiöld samt klipptes av Jocke Söderqvist är en uppföljning på Världens lyckligaste folk som Kamrat produktion producerade för TV4 2009. Priset delas ut vid den årliga stora Kristallengalan som i år direktsänds i TV3 den 9 september.
Om du är nyfiken på filmen vi gjorde så kan du se den här. Håll tummarna för oss!

RESULTATET: I fredags ägde galan rum på Stockholmsmässan i Älvsjö. Vi vann inte! Vinnare blev den utmärkta dokumentären Ångrarna. Men en liten tröst är att vi var den film av de nominerade som hade näst flest röster från juryn. Silvermedalj till Dom kallas rasister alltså!

View on ExposureRoom

"Dom kallas rasister" / "They call them rasists" is a documentary that I shot for TV4. It is shoot with the Sony PMW-EX1r with a Letus Extreme DOP-adapter and was aired in August 2010.

Se hela vinnarprogrammet

2011-06-21T09:47:00.001+02:00

Här kan du se hela programmet "I största hemlighet" som sändes i Uppdrag Granskning i februari 2010. Programmet handlar om misstänkta dumpningar i Östersjön i samband med att Sovjetunionen drog sig tillbaka från baltikum i början på 90-talet. Jag belönades för fotot i filmen med utmärkelsen Gyllene snittet i katergorin "årets fotograf, enkamera".
Programmet är filmat med en Sony PMW-EX1 och Letus Extreme DOP-adapter.

View on ExposureRoom

Current affairs pieces shot on F3

2011-06-15T16:45:00.006+02:00

(UPDATED) Below you will find two stories that I shot and edited for Uppdrag Granskning (Swedish public service). The one about the parking ticket is a good example of a quick turn around run-n-gun type of story. The visa story is shot under a longer period of time but still rather quick and dirty. Both are shot entirely with the Sony PMW-F3.

View on ExposureRoom

Docu-work with the Sony F3

2011-06-13T00:00:00.016+02:00

I shoot current affairs and documentaries. Some people would say that the F3 is not for me. I disagree. In a sense they are right of course; an ENG-camera with a nice long zoom is very comfortable when you are shooting “the real world”. But there is another aspect to it – the look!
With the F3 you can take a big leap away from the bland esthetics of news and low budget documentaries and enter the same realm as high budget productions traditionally shot on film without breaking the bank. It is true that this possibility has been available ever since Canon released the 5DmkII but the image quality of that camera and its siblings has unfortunately not been able to match its nice look, at least not for HD acquisition. And there have been other serious problems in using DSLR:s for serious documentary work, including poor sound, heavy moiré and aliasing and limited recording times with the camera shutting off after about 15 minutes.

Docu-setup of F3 with Zacuto rails, two radio recievers and a shotgun microphone.

But the F3 is not trouble free either. I was lucky to get one of the first Sony PMW-F3 cameras that were shipped and ever since I unboxed it I have struggled to get my system and myself up to par with what I could do with my previous setup centered around a Sony PMW-EX1r. Now – when I say up to par I am not talking about the quality of the images, the F3 wins that battle hands down. No, I’m talking ergonomics, flexibility, being able to control focus and exposure in a run-and-gun situation, the time it takes for me to get ready shooting and more.

The purpose of this article is to share with you my experiences after four months of shooting with the F3 and hopefully to get a discussion going on how to keep improving all aspects of using the F3 in non-narrative situations.

The first days and weeks with the F3 were somewhat of a struggle. It felt like a real brick next to my EX1r and after putting on a lens and picking it up my initial excitement faded away a bit. This was until I took it out for a first shoot. When I got home and inspected the footage I forgave the F3 for being a brick.

This is the first footage I shot with the F3 using a very limited choice of lenses View on ExposureRoom

However, this article is not about the great image out of the cam, we all know it’s great, it’s about my struggle to collect these great images in situations where time often is scarce, lighting is hard to control and the shooting location is more or less where you happen to end up.

I think the largest problems with the F3 compared to a traditional ENG-cam are the following.

1. Bad ergonomics for handheld

2. The viewfinder/LCD

3. The limitations of not working with full range zoom ENG-lens

4. The difficulties induced by short depth of field caused by the large 35 mm sensor.

I will go through these problem areas and give a few suggestions on how to work around them in a minute but first I’d like to point out what I consider a huge advantage in using the F3 for documentary work. In short – the sensor! Two aspects of the sensor make life much easier when short on time or when the shooting location is less than optimal.

1. The size of the sensor gives you very short depth of field using the right lenses. (More on that in a bit). This makes it so much easier to set up nice interview shot. The troubles of trying to get a decent background for your interview are greatly reduced. I now approach nightmare scenarios such as conference rooms with only white walls and the occasional poster, with much more confidence. It is just so much easier to get a nice shot when you can throw the background out of focus. This aspect of using the F3 almost outweighs the problems and extra time you sometimes need to spend when shooting with it.

2. The second time saver is the incredible low light capability of this camera. Basically my new ground rule is – if you can see what you want to shoot, you can shoot it. With a fast lens and creative use of ambient light you need a really small light kit. For most interview situations I only bring a small Litepanel Micro pro as an extra kick for key light and let nature do the rest. Below are two examples of this.

The advantages of short depth of field also make it easier to shoot nice b-roll, although you have to consider the hassle of changing lenses a lot. But let’s focus on the problems for a while. I’ll go through them one by one.

Run-and-gun

The ergonomics of this camera are definitely not ideal. It’s a brick without any design effort invested in making it usable for hand held work. This does not mean that it cannot be used for hand held, it only means that you have to put some effort into making it work.

Initially I tried using my old so called “el cheapo” (credit Philip Bloom) shoulder mount but the camera was far too heavy for it to work. The “el cheapo” works well with lighter cameras despite all the weight of the camera being in front of the operator thanks to the chest support. The F3 however, proved too heavy.

After that I tried a Zacuto system with shoulder pad and counter weights. It was balanced but the rig was a monster. Now, I’m not saying that counter weighted rigs are no good. In fact I think they can be an excellent solution. However the problem with the F3 is that the viewfinder is useless and the LCD is placed in a way so that the camera has to be placed quite far in front of the operator to end up in a comfortable position relative to the operators eye. This results in a front heavy rig and lots of counter weight to compensate. The result is a very long and heavy rig.

There are two solutions to this. One is to use an external view finder such as the Zacuto or Cineroid EVF. An external EVF can be mounted further forward of the F3-body closer to the lens and this will allow for the camera to rest on your shoulder. This in conjunction with a shoulder pad and a smaller counter weight would make up a nice compact balanced setup of traditional shoulder mount type. None of these viewfinders were available when I got my F3 and only the Cineroid is when writing this so I had to choose a different path. The solution for me was the Easyrig. Despite the slightly silly looking “carrot hanging from a stick” design it has proved to be an excellent solution. The Easyrig Turtle X strong can carry up to 6 kg (13 lb). With matte box, rails, follow focus and a small lens my F3 weighs in at 5,5 kg. I was a little worried that this would be too close to its limits but it works just fine. The Easyrig really does what it claims to do. It puts the weight on your hips and back instead of in your hands. It is easy to hold the camera still for a 20-30 minute interview without strain. Another advantage over the shoulder mount solution is that you can pull down the camera to waist height and shoot from there just as easily. This is ideal when standing up and filming people that are sitting around a table.

The downside of the Easyrig is that it is hard to actually run or walk while shooting without the string jerking the camera and creating jumpy footage. Most of this you can compensate for after a little practice and after I realized that you really need three contact points with the camera, my camera work became a lot steadier. I now support the camera with my right hand on a handle, my left hand on the follow focus and the back of the camera pressed against my chest. This works really well but I will probably try to improve it further by adding some kind of pillow or shoulder pad to the back of the rails for even greater stability.

Another good thing about the turtle X is that it doubles as a backpack. The backpack can easily be removed and carries a bunch of lenses and sound gear. In this image the back pack is removed.

To conclude the ergonomics part of this article I must say that I am now very confident and comfortable when running and gunning with the F3. Whatever other people might say – it actually is possible!

Viewfinder/LCD - exposure and focusing

There is a lot of debate concerning the viewfinder and LCD-screen of the F3. In short I think the viewfinder stinks and the LCD is great. I wish I could just remove the whole viewfinder (you can actually remove the top bit. Can someone please make a cap for it!). The viewfinders image is sharp but it is too tiny and the viewfinder is placed in a very uncomfortable position. I am also very annoyed by the rainbow effects that you get when looking around at the image. I don’t know what causes this but it reminds me of what you sometimes see on DLP-projectors.

The LCD-screen however is my friend. Ever since I got my EX1 (that uses the same LCD-screen) more than three years ago I’ve been very impressed by it. It is very sharp, fairly colour accurate and once you are used to it you can judge exposure extremely well with it. I find that I can see exactly when the red channel starts to blow out in people’s faces or when highlights get over exposed. Combined with the histogram, that I love, exposure is not an issue. Or rather, it wouldn’t be if I only shot indoors. Shooting out in the sun on a bright day makes things more complicated. However, I find that a Hoodman H-400 works very well for me. The histogram prevents me from misjudging exposure due to high surrounding sunlight and the Hoodman shades the screen enough so that focus is not a problem.

Focusing a Super35 HD-camera is not super easy but the peaking feature of the EX-series beats everything else I have seen. Once you are used to the coloured peaking it is a great help when focusing! I prefer yellow peaking set to low or mid sensitivity. Speaking of focusing – let’s talk about the really fun part of owning this camera – glass!

ENG lenses versus still lenses

The largest difference between the F3 and large ENG-cameras as well as smaller handheld pro cameras is off course the large sensor and the multitude of lenses you can use with this camera. After getting an F3 you are faced with a lot of different possibilities when choosing glass.

Basically you can go down three paths; PL-lenses, the Sony ENG-style lens and still lenses.

PL-lenses

To get the absolute best you should buy PL-mount cinelenses. They have it all: Image quality, speed (large apertures), ruggedness, they have gears for your follow focus, little or no breathing (zooming when changing focus) and they are parfocal (focus stays in the same place when zooming). Also – the F3 can “talk” to them (if they have the Cooke or Arri-interface). That means that the camera displays aperture settings on the LCD and you can even set up custom made profiles for each of you lenses, changing color balance and other cool stuff, and have the camera change profiles automatically when changing lenses.
Apart from size (zooms can be huge) there is basically only one problem with these lenses: THEY ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE! Traditionally PL-lenses have been used exclusively on 35 mm film cameras and in Hollywood lens costs are not a big problem. Also – the demand for PL-mount-lenses is only a fraction of that of a still camera lenses. That also affects price a lot.

Hopefully we will soon see a lens manufacturer creating a new value line of PL-lenses aimed at the growing Sony PMW-F3/FS100 and Panasonic AG-AF101/100 crowd. Until then, if you don’t have lots of cash lying around, your best deal is to use still lenses.

The Sony 18-252, ENG-style lens

Now, this is a very interesting lens that is not yet available. It has been shown behind glass at NAB and looks very promising. It has a great range, 18-252! This is a full range zoom and it could work as your only lens. It will basically transform you F3 into an ENG-camera. There have been different rumors regarding how fast the lens will be. One of them says it will be a constant T3.8 all the way through the zoom range. Let’s hope so! The largest disadvantage with this lens I fear will be the price. It will probably cost as much as the camera.

Still lenses

This is the path that I currently travel and so far I am really impressed with the quality I get out of still lenses on the F3. There are some downsides, but at least to me, the price difference compensates for them several times over.

So what are the disadvantages? Well – first of all some lenses can hardly be used at all. When writing this the much awaited Birger adapter for Canon EF-lenses has not yet started to ship which makes the transition for Canon DSLR-shooters to the F3 less interesting. Right now the best solution is to use Nikon lenses with the MTF F3 to Nikon-adapter. The great thing about this adapter is that you can use it with almost all kinds of Nikon lenses, even newer lenses without an aperture ring. The adapter has its own mechanical control of the lens aperture and it can even be used to override the aperture of older lenses. This is good if you have not had the aperture click-stops removed and want smooth continuous aperture control. Another downside of still lenses is that they don’t have gears for your follow focus. This can easily be solved using one of several third party solutions.

My favorite lens gear is the Zip tie Focus gear from Half inch Rails.

Now you have smooth aperture control and gears on you still lens - is it as good as a PL-lens now? Well, that really depends on what lens you are using. There are some real gems out there that perform almost as well as “real” PL-lenses. You can find still lenses that don’t breath, are par focal and just as sharp and fast at a fraction of the price of a PL-equivalent! One example is the Sigma 18-50 f2.8 (€400) that has the same glass as the equivalent Red zoom ($4000). And when it comes to telezooms it is a hard to beat a tack sharp new Nikon 80-200 f2.8 for €700.

So – will a still lens work for me when running and gunning a documentary? I think so. It’s not as comfortable or flexible to use as an ENG-lens but if you plan your shoot and know what you are after it’s not that different. The difference is that you need to make a choice! You need to ask yourself and the reporter/producer what you really want and choose the right lens before you start shooting a scene. I think this is both an advantage, because it makes you think, and a disadvantage because you are somewhat limited by your choice.

My current collection of lenses. Nothing slower than f2.8. The total cost of these lenses is less than €3000.

When I shoot handheld I almost always use the Sigma 18-50. It gives me a nice zoom range and covers almost all situations. If I want a more compressed and intense look I put on a Tokina 28-70. I lose a lot of the wide angle but I can get shallower depth of field and better close ups. When in a car or other confined spaces or when I want that special look I use my Tokina 11-16. And if I’m shooting where it is really really dark I choose my prime 50mm f1.4. They all give different looks and that is what I love about using the F3. I have so many more parameters to play with to create the images I want.

So, the bottom line when it comes to the F3 as a documentary tool is basically that it can be great BUT it can also be horrible. It’s really up to how you configure it and if you are prepared to work around its quirkiness. If you can see yourself changing lenses a lot and don’t mind researching how to put together a balanced system for hand held, you are going to do just fine. And your images will reward you for your trouble. That I can guarantee.

Vinnare - årets tv-fotograf!

2011-05-24T09:35:00.014+02:00

Mitt nominerade bidrag var dokumentären "I största hemlighet" som jag gjorde för Uppdrag Granskning tillsammans med Joachim Dyfvermark och Sven Bergman.

Motiveringen lyder:
"Med patos, närvaro och säker, nästan grafisk, bildkomposition och med ett fint utnyttjande av det befintliga ljuset ger han oss en oerhörd känsla av att vara med på plats som vittnen mitt i den enorma förstörelsen.".

Här kan du se ett utdrag ur dokumentären. Arkivmaterial är bortklippt.

Se klippet i HD på ExposureRoom

Foto: Sebastian Mild

Ett stort tack till arrangerörerna TVF och Gyllene snittet-juryn för en lyckad prisgala på Filmhuset igår kväll. Jag är mycket glad och stolt för utmärkelsen "Årets tv-fotograf".

Fler F3-filmade Uppdrag

2011-05-21T12:20:00.009+02:00

Sedan jag fick en av sveriges första Sony F3-kameror (se mer info i mina tidigare blogginlägg) för tre månader sedan har många frågat mig om jag hunnit göra någon produktion med den nya Super35-kameran.
Det första jag filmade med kameran blev delar i tidigare påbörjade reportage men nu har de första reportagen helt filmade med F3:an börjat bli klara.

Jag arbetar just nu nästan uteslutande med kortreportage på 12-20 minuter för Uppdrag Granskning i SVT. Onsdagen den 11 maj sändes det första inslaget helt filmat med F3:an. Du hittar det på SVT Play om du klickar här. Hoppa fram 45 minuter i programmet.

Nästa reportage kommer antagligen att sändas i Uppdrag Granskning den 1 juni och är också i sin helhet filmat med F3:an.

Team Uppdraget - Petter Ljunggren och undertecknad i naturlig PR-pose.

Nominerad till årets fotograf

2011-05-14T15:26:00.004+02:00

Jag fick igår veta att jag är nominerad till Gyllene Snittet i kategorin årets fotograf enkamera. Det gjorde mig glad! Läs mer på Gyllene snittets hemsida.
Kom till prisutdelningen på Filmhuset den 23 maj kl.19. Öppet för alla!

Jag säljer min Sony EX1r (SÅLD)

2011-05-14T13:43:00.008+02:00

Denna fantastiska lilla HD-kamera har jag använt för att göra dokumentärer och tv-program som sänts i såväl SVT HD som TV4 HD. Det är alltså en proffskamera med smått fantastiska bildegenskaper med tanke på pris och storlek. (kameran är nu såld)
Observera att detta är den nya r-modellen som kom för ett drygt år sedan. Den är mycket svår att hitta begagnad eftersom den är så ny. Några av förbättringarna jämfört med den äldre EX1an är cache-inspelning (kameran filmar upp till 15 sekunder innan du trycker på avtryckaren), inspelning i SD, ny sökare, HDMI-ut, snabbare uppstart med mera.
Du kan se massor av produktioner som jag gjort med kameran eller dess föregångare här på Exposure room .

Kameran är i nyskick! Allt fungerar perfekt och den har inga skador eller slitna delar (förutom några små repor på motljusskyddet). Den har bara varit igång i 408 timmar. Orginalkartongen finns kvar.
Kameran har proffssupport (Sony Prime Silver support) t o m 15 december 2011. En licens på Sony Vegas Pro ver.9 som jag inte har utnyttjat ingår.

Förutom laddare, fjärrkontroll och alla sladdar så får du ett 8 GB SxS Pro minneskort, 1 MxM SDHC-adapter och 3 st 16 GB SDHC-kort. Sammanlagt ger detta ca 3 timmars inspelningstid.

Du får också 4 st Sony BP-U30 batterier som räcker väl för en mycket lång inspelningsdag (nypris 1295 kr/st).

Dessutom får du ett skräddarsytt regnskydd och en kameraväska från industriledande Portabrace. De finns att köpa på Scandinavian photo och kostar idag 3350 kr resp. 5320 kr.

Om du inte redan har ett bra stativ så kan du få med mitt gamla Manfrotto-stativ med 501-huvud. Det kostar idag drygt 7 000 kr men mitt är lite äldre och aningen glappt i ”armen” så jag bjuder på det om du behöver det.

Nypriset för kameran är 70 000 kr.
Totalt nypris för allt är 82 555 kr (exkl. stativet). Observera att detta inte är några gamla inaktuella priser utan de priser som gäller om du köper utrustningen ny idag.

Jag säljer hela paketet för 59 000 kr. Eftersom det är min firma som säljer så kan du om du också har firma dra av momsen. Då blir priset 47 200 kr.

Ring (0702267796) eller maila om du är intresserad.

Uppdrag utfört

2011-04-09T22:34:00.009+02:00

Under våren har jag inlett ett samarbete med journalisten Petter Ljunggren, känd bland annat från P1:s Medierna. Tillsammans ska vi producera reportage åt SVT:s Uppdrag granskning. Reportagen kommer att samlas under vinjetten "Uppdraget" och är en reportageform som prövats tidigare genom UG:s historia och som nu återupplivats.

Idén är att hjälpa en tittare som hamnat i trubbel att få rätt mot myndigheter eller företag som fattat orimliga eller konstiga beslut.
Se vårt första inslag som sändes den 6:e april och handlar om Mona som är utbildad förskolelärare men inte får jobb för att hon inte hämtat ut sitt examnsbevis i tid. Inslaget börjar ca. 41 minuter in i programmet.
Uppdrag granskning del 12-2011.

Sony F3 vs Panasonic HPX2100

2011-03-28T22:50:00.020+02:00

Let me start by saying that what I am about to do is not fair. I will now compare two very different cameras, of different generations in a somewhat unjust way. Still – the results had me flabbergasted so I have to share them.

Swedish public television has chosen the Panasonic HPX-2100 as their default HD-camcorder for a lot of productions. The current affairs show that I work for are about to switch to these cameras and the other day we had a quick shoot-out between the HPX-2100 and the Sony PMW-F3 to see how the cheaper F3 stood up against its full size shoulder-mount big brother.

Before I share the results with you I have to lay all cards on the table. I’m beginning to know my F3 pretty well. Therefore I selected Cinegamma 1 for the tests since I knew it would handle the high contrast light situation better than the standard gamma. None of the people present knew the HPX-2100 very well and we could not find any kind of gamma setting to match with the F3. We shot using standard gamma.
The F3 had detail set to -17. About -25 supposedly equals detail off. However the difference should be minimal. The HPX-2100 was set to detail off. This means that the F3 could have had some advantage in using electronic sharpening, although it should be very marginal.
The biggest unfairness in the test is the fact that the F3 is four years younger than the HPX-2100 that was released in the beginning of 2007. The Panasonic also has sensors that have a native resolution of only 1280x720 pixels compared to the 1920x1080-sensor of the F3.
Finally the lens used on the HPX-2100 was a Canon J11e which I believe is not a true HD-lens.

Having said all this I’d still like to point out that I think it is relevant to compare the two cameras. Even though they are from different generations the HPX-2100 with the J11e is still being sold today at €32 000. The F3 is €10 500 and the lens used with it in the test was an old Tokina 28-70 F2.6 that I got on E-bay for €300. The F3 is about 1/3 of the price of the HPX-2100!

So how did they compare? I’ll let the still images speak for themselves with only a few remarks with each image. It's important that you click them to get a full resolution version. The small images below will not let you see much difference. Better still is if you download all the images in a ZIP-file by clicking here.

Panasonic HPX-2100, ungraded.

Sony PMW-F3, ungraded.

Panasonic HPX-2100, ungraded and underexposed.

Panasonic HPX-2100, image gamma-adjusted to compensate for it being underexposed.

Sony PMW-F3, ungraded and underexposed.

Sony PMW-F3, image gamma-adjusted to compensate for it being underexposed.

Panasonic HPX-2100

Sony PMW-F3

Panasonic HPX-2100

Sony PMW-F3

Although the test was not very thorough the difference in latitude, noise-levels and resolution are very obvious. I was also very surprised that the underexposed image of the F3 could be lifted in post without problems whereas the Panasonic image collapsed with noise.

This is especially interesting considering that the Panasonic was recording using the DVCPRO HD codec @100 mbit/s 4:2:2 and the Sony was recording in XDCAM EX 35 mbit/s 4:2:0.
In fact the HPX-2100 looked so bad compared to the F3 that I had serious suspicions that we had gotten some settings on the HPX wrong. I have double checked the settings and listed them below but since we don’t know the camera very well we still might have made some fundamental mistake.

If anybody reading this think we did something wrong or that this test is unfair to the HPX, please comment below. I have absolutely no which to bash Panasonic in general and if for some reason our findings are wrong please let me know!

Here are the settings of the cameras:

Panasonic HPX-2100
Detail off
master gamma 0,45
black gamma off

Sony PMW-F3
Detail -17
Cinegamma 1

Kamrat hjälper UG med formen

2011-03-21T07:55:00.006+01:00

Min största uppdragsgivare är SVT:s Uppdrag Granskning som jag producerat inslag åt de senaste tre åren. Under hösten har jag dessutom haft det spännande uppdraget att leda arbetet med att ta fram en ny vinjett och grafisk form till programmet.
Efter flera månaders arbete tillsammans med designbyrån Broken Doll är arbetet med Uppdrag Gransknings nya form nu nästan färdigt.

Just nu sitter jag på tåget till Göteborg med en hårddisk laddad med den färdiga vinjetten, bumprarna och textskyltarna. Tillsammans med Uppdrag Gransknings redaktion i Göteborg ska jag idag klippa ihop premiärprogrammet som sänds på onsdag.
Den gamla vinjetten har varit svår att ersätta. Den var smart, hade en dokumentär känsla och de flesta jag pratat med gillade den. Ledorden för den var något i stil med ”Uppdrag Granskning finns mitt bland oss i vardagen och ser vad som händer runt om”.
Den nya vinjetten ville vi ge mer framåtrörelse och pondus. Vi vill signalera att Uppdrag Granskning har en driven riktning och framåtrörelse och att programmet tar sig fram i alla miljöer och tar sig in bakom slutna dörrar.
Utifrån denna idé plockade Broken Doll fram ett spännande tekniskt koncept som går ut på att en stillbild ”klistras” upp på en 3D-modell av rummet som stillbilden föreställer. Detta gör det sedan möjligt att åka i 3D-modellen och få fram en fotorealistisk men ändå lite magisk åkning.
Musiken är en ommixad och uppfräschad version av den gamla sköna vinjettmusiken som Jean-Paul Wall har gjort.

The pen-cap-fix

2011-03-02T21:41:00.006+01:00

Don’t get me wrong - I love my MTF Nikon to F3-adapter. It makes it possible for me to use all of my great cheap e-bay Nikon still lenses. But after using it for almost two weeks now I’ve become increasingly annoyed with the fact that it is really hard to reach the tiny aperture knob.
This needs to be fixed – and here is the easy way: Get a ball point cap. Cut of the pointy thing that makes it possible to clip on a shirt pocket. Make a few cuts at the opening with a scissor so that it can expand easier and then press it over the small knob of the adapter. I secured it with some Gaffers tape as well. It’s a horribly un-elegant work around BUT the adapter is soooo much better to work with now. I can easily reach it with the tip of my thumb. Now I need to find a permanent solution. Any ideas?

PL-glass or still lenses for Sony F3

2011-02-26T18:34:00.029+01:00

I'm writing this post in English since I know there is a lot of interest in this subject in the video community outside of Sweden as well. Bear with me - it’s not my first language.

One of the interesting things with the Sony PMW-F3 is that it is a camera that unites two different areas of shooting. A lot of people buying it (like me) come from a broadcast background and are looking for a more exclusive and creative look for documentaries and current affairs. Some of us have struggled with DOP-adapters and DSLR:s for the last few years to achieve this.
The other group is coming from the film and commercial area. They are used to big chunky camera setups, focus pullers and lots of time to setup shots. These two areas have very different criteria for what is important in a good camera setup. I’m stating this to underline that the purpose of this post is not to give any generic answers to what lenses to choose for the F3, only to share what my conclusions are after some research and a week of using the camera.

I’m mostly shooting documentaries and current affairs. This means shooting interviews, some run-and-gun style work and shooting B-roll using a tripod. Therefore I am very curious to see what the coming Sony ENG-lens for the F3 will be like. Hopefully it will transform my F3 to something that is almost as easy to handle as my EX1. But that lens is almost a year away and in the meantime I need a collection of glass that will let me do my work. Also – it will be a slow lens which will possibly give it a look more like a traditional ENG-lens when it comes to depth of field.
For me there are three important criteria when choosing what path I should take.

1. Ergonomics
2. Image quality
3. Price

Ergonomics
There is no doubt that PL-lenses offer another level of ergonomics than still lenses. They have long focus paths, manual aperture without clicks, no moving front lenses and smooth action. Compared to cheap plastic modern still lenses they are a dream to handle.
However choosing the right still lenses you can sometime come pretty close. The new Zeiss Distagon lenses and older Nikon still lenses are very well built, smooth and usually have relatively long focus paths. The problem is that they are small and fiddly to handle. However, if you are using a good follow focus and get used to finding the small aperture ring quickly with your hand they are not that far from using a prime. Of course you have to get rid of the aperture clicks. I own six Nikon Nikkor primes and I had them all declicked at a local Nikon repair shop for €190 including cleaning.
I found cheap focus gears from Dfocus systems that work well. I’d also like to try the ones from Half inch rails that look good.

Another problem with still lenses is that the front element can move a lot, especially on zooms. This sometimes makes it hard to use a matte box and you can’t use donuts very well either. On some lenses, like my 55 mm Nikkor macro, the focus ring moves when focusing so it is impossible to use a follow focus.
I am using Mike Tapas MTF-adapter with my Nikon lenses. It works well but when using lenses without aperture you are left with a very small knob on the adapter to change aperture. This is not as good as using the aperture ring on the lens. There is no way to see what f-stop you are at and the knob is really hard to reach. I am planning a small mod to make it longer. Hopefully that will eliminate the problem.

My conclusion when it comes to ergonomics is that PL-lenses win, hands down. But in a lot of situations you can come reasonably close with a good still lens.

Image quality
When I started to research what lenses I should get for my F3 I was under the delusion that PL-lenses were superior in all senses, particularly when it came to image quality. This is not the case. In fact modern still lenses can outperform older PL-lenses many times more expensive.
A couple of days ago I performed an unscientific test of a kit of older Zeiss PL-lenses compared to my old Nikons and the new cheap Sigma 18-50 f2.8 zoom. To top it all off I tested a Zeiss Master prime 50 mm t1.3 costing as much as the camera. The results surprised me!
Have a look at the still grabs below. I’m afraid I was a little sloppy setting up the shots and the framing is not identical so take it for what it is. It gives a hint on what the differences between the lenses are though.

Nikon 50 mm f1.4

Sigma zoom @50 mm f2.8

Arri Master Prime 50 mm t1.3

Nikon 50 mm f5.6

The three first images above show the lenses wide open. The Master Prime is of course sharpest. The Nikon is very soft at the edges but stopped down a little it is actually sharper then the Master Prime wide open and the Sigma is not bad at all @2.8.

Sigma zoom @18 mm f2.8

Arri 16 mm T2.1

The two pictures above show the Sigma zoom wide open and the Arri 16 mm wide open. The Sigma is better in every sense. The Arri is vignetting heavily and is very soft at the edges. Taken into consideration that the Sigma is a zoom, I was impressed.
Now – PL-lenses have other optical advantages. The Sigma zoom breathes a lot and it is not very good at holding focus through the zoom. But my conclusion is that when it comes to actual image quality a good still lens can absolutely match a good PL-lens. Especially if stopped down a few steps.

Price
There are reasons why PL-lenses are many times as expensive as still lenses but there is no absolute correlation between price and what you get, especially not if you only look at image quality. The market for still lenses is sooo much larger than that for PL-lenses so you can count on a lot of the cost of PL-lenses being down to small series rather than exceptional quality. It is also not uncommon that PL-lenses and still lenses share the same glass. The Red 18-50 zoom supposedly uses the same glass as the Sigma zoom that I have tested. The Red zoom is a cheap PL-mount at $4000. The same glass in the shape of a Nikon mount Sigma is available for $400. That’s a big premium for better ergonomics.

Without a doubt still lenses are the winners when you consider price. Now – after the release of the Panasonic AG-AF101 and the PMW-F3 the demand for PL-lenses is seeing a dramatic increase. Hopefully the lens manufacturers are working right now on cheaper PL-lenses for this market. In the long run there is no way the price difference can stay this big. Only high end cinema and commercials can justify the cost. Hopefully by the time Sony release their ENG-lens for the F3 there will be a whole lot more cheap PL-lenses on the market as an alternative. Who knows what will make most sense to buy then, until then – I will stick with my still lenses.

View on ExposureRoom

Check out my first test shoot with my F3 and cheap still lenses. Klick the link above to see it in HD.

Ny fräsig S-35 kamera!

2011-02-26T01:35:00.025+01:00

För en vecka sedan kom äntligen min nya kamera - en Sony PMW-F3. På bilden ser ni den med en Zeiss Master Prime som kostar ungefär lika mycket som kameran. Tyvärr är den inte min.
Den nya kameran innebär slutet på drygt två år av brottande med en Letus 35 mm skärpedjupsadapter. Letusen har varit min stora kärlek och sorg. Med hjälp av denna stora glasklump har jag kunnat använda gamla fina 70- och 80-tals-stillbildslinser till min EX1-videokamera. Det har gett organiska mjuka bilder men framför allt har adaptern gjort bilder med mycket kort skärpedjup möjliga. Min videokamera förvandlades från en knivskarp HD-kamera till en halvtaskig gammal filmkamera. Priset jag fick betala var en vibrerande mekanisk klump längst fram på kameran och åtminstone 2-3 bländarsteg i förlorat ljus.
Men nu är adapterdagarna över! Min nya F3:a är en videokamera med ett videochip som är lika stort som 35 mm film. Det innebär samma korta skärpedjup, samma möjlighet att använda min gamla Nikonlinser men mycket skarpare bild, bättre färger och framför allt mycket större ljuskänslighet.

Välkommen till kamrats nya blogg!

2011-02-26T01:27:00.004+01:00

Jag har misskött min hemsida. Min ambition när jag senaste fräschade till den för ett par år sedan var att jag skulle försöka hålla den aktuell med videoklipp från mina produktioner och lite tips och länkar kring produktionsteknik och annat som jag tycker är kul. Tyvärr trasslade jag in mig i HTML-träsket och skapade en hemsida som var allt annat än enkel att hålla aktuell. Nu har jag integrerat blogger i min hemsida och förhoppningsvis ska det bli enklare att hålla den intressant och aktuell.
Så - välkomna till Kamrats nya blogg!
I och med att jag gjort om hemsidan så är alla gamla inlägg för tillfället borta. Jag ska ordna med en länk till dessa så fort jag hinner.