It’s that time of year when the nights draw in and get longer in the Northern Hemisphere and many will be thinking of trips to Scandinavia, Iceland, Alaska or Canada to see the spectacle of the Northern Lights. While this year many have been treated to Aurora displays further south, there remains something very magical about the way an Arctic Aurora dances and the light is reflected by the snow. For those that fancy trying to film the Northern Lights I put together this video with some tips and ideas. If you like the video please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Category Archives: FX30
Portkeys LH7P – A monitor that can control your camera.
For this years Glastonbury festival I chose to use a combination of a Sony A1, FX3 and FX30 (we also used a DJI Pocket 3 and a Wirral wire cam). These are all small cameras and the screens on the back of them really rather small. So, I wanted to use an external monitor to make it easier to be sure I was in focus.
I have been aware of the Portkeys monitors for some time, and in particular their ability to remotely control the Sony cameras via WiFi. So this seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out the LH7P as it would give me the ability to control the cameras touch tracking autofocus using the monitors touch screen. So, I obtained a demo unit form Portkeys to try. Click here for the Portkeys LH7P specs.
I have to say that I am pretty impressed by how well this relatively cheap monitor performs. It has a 1000 Nit screen so it’s pretty bright and overall the colour and contrast accuracy is pretty good. It won’t win any awards for having the very best image, but it is pretty decent and certainly good enough for most on camera applications.
The LH7P is HDMI only, but this helps keep the weight and power consumption down. While mostly made of plastic it does feel robust enough for professional use. But I wouldn’t be rough with it.
The monitor is very thin and very light. It runs off the very common Sony NP-F style batteries or via a DC in socket that accepts 7 to 24 volts, a surprisingly large range that allows you to use it with almost any battery found in the world of film and TV. It uses very little power at around 9 watts, so the larger NP-F type batteries will run it for at least 3 or 4 hours.
It’s a touch screen monitor and the touch operated menu system is quite straightforward. One small issue is that if you are using the monitors touchscreen to control the cameras touch autofocus you can’t also use the touchscreen to access the menu system or change the cameras other settings, it’s one or the other. When connected to a camera, to use the monitors menus or access the camera settings you must have the touch tracking focus control turned off. If you are using the touch tracking controls there are 4 assignable buttons on the top of the monitor and you can assign things like peaking, zebras, false colour etc to these, so most of the time having to choose between touch focus or touch menus isn’t a big drama as these switches can be used to turn on and off your most commonly used exposure and focus tools. But you do have to remember to turn off the touch tracking if you want to change another setting from the monitor.
When you are using the monitor to control the touch tracking it is very responsive and because there is very minimal latency due to the direct HDMI connection to the camera it works well, just touch where you want the camera to focus. The only downside is that you don’t get a tracking box on the monitors screen. This is because Sony don’t output the tracking box overlay over the HDMI.
As a result there may be times where you do need to look at the LCD on the back of the camera to see what the camera is tracking. When I used it a Glastonbury I didn’t really find this to be too much of a problem, f I was unsure of what the camera was focussing on, I simply touched the LH7P’s screen where I wanted to focus.
Pairing the monitor with the camera is simple, but you do need to make sure the cameras wifi is set to 2.4Ghz as this is the only band the monitor supports. To see how to pair it with an FX3 please watch the video linked above. Once connected I found the connection to be very stable and I didn’t experience any unexpected disconnects, even when the venue at Glastonbury was completely full.
I have to say that this low cost monitor has really surprised me. The image quality is more than acceptable for a 7″ monitor and controlling the camera via the monitors touch screen is a very nice way to work, especially given the small size of the LCD screen on a camera like the FX3 or A1. I haven’t had it all that long, so I don’t know what the long term reliability is like, but for what it costs it represents excellent value.
Film making workshop in Dubai, 25th May 2024
I’m running a film making workshop around “how to get the film look” in Dubai for Nanlite and Sony on the 25th of May. During the workshop I will be showing how to expose S-Log3 on the Sony FX series cameras, how to use CineEI and then looking at film style lighting using Nanlite fixtures. We will look at a couple of different types of scenes, an office, a romantic scene and also at how to light for greenscreen.
I will also be at Cabsat 2024, so do drop by the Nanlite booth to say hello.
Timecode and external record run for the FX3 and FX30 from Mutiny
This is a really useful teeny tiny input/output box from the guys at Mutiny. It allows users to input timecode into the FX3 or FX30 as well as connect a remote rec run control to start or stop recording. This will be so useful for those using the camera on a crane or jib as well as many other applications where the camera needs to be controlled remotely.
The Mutiny TC-R/S for Sony FX3 and FX30 camera, feeds Timecode IN and R/S (remote triggering) via the multi-terminal (Multiport). Works with every FIZ wireless follow focus system (Preston, Arri, C-Motion, Nucleus, Heden, etc) as well as every timecode generator (Tentacle, Deity, Deneke, Ambient, etc). Orders start shipping Monday in the order taken. https://mutiny.store/products/tcrs
New Firmware Coming For The FX3, FX30 and FX6 – Shutter Angle for FX3/30.
Before you get too excited – these firmware updates are not coming just yet. But they are coming.
FX6
The FX6 will get an update to Version 5 to quote Sony “in May 2024 or later” which will include:
– The addition of 1.5x setting to the De-squeeze function
– Monitor & Control app compatibility (ex. Waveform, False colour such as FX3/30 already supported)
– A new preset 709tone to support to colour match multiple cameras (I assume this is to match the older Sony Rec-709 look)
– The expansion of supported lenses, such as the SEL100400GM & SEL200600G, for breathing compensation.
FX3 and FX30.
Then later in the year, in September 2024 or later the FX3 and FX30 will get:
– A Shutter Angle option
– 709tone support
– SRT/RTMP/RTMPS support for Live streaming demand
The addition of shutter angle in the FX3 and FX30 is going to please a lot of owners of these 2 cameras.
How I shoot the Northern Lights
Every year as many of my regular readers will know I run tours to the very north of Norway taking small groups of adventurers well above the arctic circle in the hope of seeing the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. I have been doing this for around 20 years and over the years as cameras have improved it’s become easier and easier to video the Aurora in real time so that what you see in the video matches what you would have seen if you had been there yourself.
In the past Aurora footage was almost always shot using long exposures and time lapse sometimes with photo cameras or with older video cameras like the Sony EX1 or EX3 which resulted in greatly sped up motion and the loss of many of the finer structures seen in the Aurora. I do still shoot time lapse of the Aurora using still photos, but in this video I give you a bit of behind the scenes look at one of my trips with details of how I shoot the Aurora with the Sony FX3 in real time and also with the FX30 using S&Q motion. The video was uploaded in HDR so if you have an HDR display you should see it in HDR, if not it will be streamed to you in normal standard dynamic range. The cameras used are Sony’s FX3 and FX30. The main lenses are the Sony 24mm f1.4 GM and 20mm f1.8 G but when out and about on the snow scooters I use the Sony 18-105 G power zoom on the FX30 for convenience.
I used the Flexible ISO mode in the cameras to shoot S-Log3 with the standard s709 LUT for monitoring. I don’t like going to crazy high ISO values as the images get too noisy, so I tend to stick to 12,800 or 25,600 ISO on the FX3 or a maximum of 5000 ISO on the FX30 (generally on the FX30 I stay at 2500). If the images are still not bright enough I will use a 1/12th shutter speed at 24fps. This does mean that pairs of frames will be the same, but at least the motion remains real-time and true to life.
If that still isn’t enough rather than raising the ISO still further I will go to the cameras S&Q (slow and quick) mode and drop the frame rate down to perhaps 8fps with a 1/8th shutter, 4fps with a 1/4 shutter or perhaps all the way down to 1fps and a 1 second shutter. But – once you start shooing at these low frame rates the playback will be sped up and you do start to loose many of the finer, faster moving and more fleeting structures within the aurora because of the extra motion blur.
So much of all of this will depend on the brightness of the Aurora. Obviously a bright Aurora is easier to shoot in real time than a dim one. This is where patience and perseverance pays off. On a dark arctic night if you are sufficiently far north the Aurora will almost always be there even if very faint. And you can never be sure when it might brighten. It can go from dim and barely visible to bright and dancing all across the sky in seconds – and it can fade away again just as fast. So, you need to stay outside in order to catch the those often brief bright periods. On my trips it is not at all unusual for the group to start the evening outside watching the sky, but after a couple of hours of only a dim display most people head inside to the warm only to miss out when the Aurora brightens. Because of this we do try to have someone on aurora watch.
During 2024 we should be at the peak of the suns 11 year solar cycle, so this winter and next winter should present some of the best Aurora viewing conditions for a long time to come. My February 2024 Norway trip is sold out but I can run extra trips or bespoke tours if wanted so do get in touch if you need my help. There is more information on my tours here: https://www.xdcam-user.com/northern-lights-expeditions-to-norway/
Don’t forget I also have information on filming in cold weather here: https://www.xdcam-user.com/2023/12/filming-in-very-cold-weather/
I will be back in Norway from the 1st of February, keep an eye out for any live streams, I will be taking an Accsoon SeeMo to try to live stream the Aurora.
Do I Need To Always Overexpose S-Log3?
This is another one from Social Media and it the same question gets asked a lot. The short answer is…………
NO.
Even with Sony’s earlier S-Log3 cameras you didn’t need to ALWAYS over expose. When shooting a very bright well lit scene you could get great results without shooting extra bright. But the previous generations of Sony cameras (FS5/FS7/F5/F55 etc) were much more noisy than the current cameras. So, to get a reasonably noise free image it was normal to expose a bit brighter than the base Sony recommendation, my own preference was to shoot between 1 and 1.5 stops brighter than the Sony recommended levels (click here for the F5/F55, here for the FS7 and here for the FS5).
The latest cameras (FX30, FX3, FX6, FX9 etc) are not nearly as noisy, so for most shots you don’t need to expose extra bright, just expose well (by this I mean exposing correctly for the scene being shot). This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t expose brighter or darker if you understand how to use a brighter/darker exposure to shift your overall range up and down, perhaps exposing brighter when you want more shadow information and les noise at the expense of some highlight range or exposing darker when you must have more highlight information but can live with a bit more noise and less shadow range.
What I would say is that exposure consistency is very important. If you constantly expose to the right so every shot is near to clipping then your exposure becomes driven by the highlights in the shot rather than the all important mid range where faces, skin tones, plants and foliage etc live. As the gap between highlights and the mids varies greatly exposure based on highlights tends to result in footage where the mid range is up and down and all over the place from shot to shot and this makes grading more challenging as every shot needs a unique grade. Base the exposure on the mid range and shot to shot you will be more consistent and grading will be easier.
This is where the CineEI function really comes into its own as by choosing the most appropriate EI for the type of scene you are shooting and the level of noise you are comfortable with and basing the exposure off the image via the built in LUT will help with consistency (you could even use a light meter set to the ISO that matches the EI setting). Lower EI for scenes where you need more shadow range or less noise, higher EI for scenes where you must have a greater highlight range. And there is no -“One Fits All” setting, it depends on what you are shooting. This is the real skill, using the most appropriate exposure for the scene you are shooting (see here for CineEI with the FX6 and with the FX9)
So how do you get that skill? Experiment for yourself. No one was born knowing exactly how to expose Log, it is a skill learnt through practice and experimentation, making mistakes and learning from them. In addition different people and different clients will be happy with different noise levels. There is no right or wrong amount of noise. Footage with no noise often looks very sterile and lifeless, but that might be what is needed for a corporate shoot. A small to medium amount of noise can look great if you want a more film like look. A large amount of noise might give a grungy look for a music video. Grading also plays a part here as how much contrast you push into the grade alters the way the noise looks and how pleasing or objectionable it might be.
All anyone on here can do is provide some guidance, but really you need to determine what works for you, so go out and shoot at different EI’s or ISO’s, different brightness levels, slate each shot so you know what you did. Then grade it, look at it on a decent sized monitor and pick the exposure that works for you and the kinds of things you shoot – but then also remember different scenes may need a different approach.
Sony ECM-W3 MI Shoe wireless microphone kit.
I guess I must have missed this while I was on holiday but Sony have now announced a small wireless microphone kit that competes with the small digital wireless microphone kits from DJI and Hollyland etc. While not intended to replace the longer range professional wireless microphones such as the UW-P series these microphones offer a very compact system at a much lower price. Being digital they offer very high sound quality.
Many of us, myself included often use a Sony camera to shoot video blogs or simple productions where we all we need is a basic radio mic system and this is where look to be ideal. The receiver connects directly to the MI Shoe of any Sony camera with an MI Shoe, so there are no wires or cables to get in the way or to get lost. Then the small clip on transmitter with its built in microphone is worn by the subject.
The single channel system costs £320 GBP ($350 USD) and the dual channel with 2 transmitters around £420 GBP ($475 USD).
The transmitter and receiver come in a small charging case and a windscreen is included for the transmitters. If you don’t have an MI shoe equipped camera there is a 3.5mm audio cable to connect between the receiver and the camera, computer or other recording device.
Sirui Night Walker APS-C/Super35 mm t1.2 Lens review.
Shortly before my annual trip to film the Theatre and Circus fields of the Glastonbury festival I was offered the use of a set of pre-production Sirui Night Walker lenses. Currently one of my favourite cameras to shoot with is my FX30, so the opportunity to use a set of fast, mini prime lenses, purpose made for APS-C/Super 35 was an offer to good to refuse.
The Night Walkers are small lenses, only 84mm long. But the have a very nice weight and feel to them. They are constructed out of aluminium and feel solid and robust. They have good quality gear rings for a remote follow focus and a pretty decent 270 degree focus throw (although the scale does get a little cramped from 9m to infinity). The drag of the focus ring and iris rings gives a nice feel and for me seems just right. Holding them in your hand they certainly feel like a quality lens. They all have the same front diameter and all take a 67mm filter.
Currently there are 3 focal lengths, a 24mm, 35mm and a 55mm. It would be nice to have a wider lens in the set at some point but this is a pretty good place to start.
I didn’t do any scientific testing, instead I just dived straight in to the shoot. I started by shooting some of the preparations that go on inside the circus big top. We were supplying footage for the BBC to use in a special feature about the circus at Glastonbury and they were very keen to get some behind the scenes footage. During the build it is often very dark inside the big top tent as there is very little external light. So, having very fast lenses was a big help.
I have to admit that I have been shooting a lot with autofocus recently and it took me a little while to get back into the swing of shooting gun with a manual lens. But it really was worth the extra effort and there is something nice about that very positive connection you get between yourself and the camera when a good quality manual focus cine lens that you just don’t get with most lenses designed primarily for autofocus.
These really are mini cine lenses, designed for video, designed for manual focus.
So, the BIG question – how do they look?
Well, the images they produce looks really nice. At t1.2 they are a touch soft, but not in a nasty way, I think this slight softness actually helps to take the edge off the extreme sharpness of a 4K camera like the FX30. As you stop them down a bit they do get sharper and from around t3.5 they are very sharp. But overall on my FX30 I liked they way they looked wide open. It’s very cliché but I guess I would describe it as a vintage look. I did a lot of pull focusses with them and the breathing is extremely well controlled and barely noticeable across all 3 lenses in the set.
Flare is also well controlled, although if you really push them shooting directly into the sun or another extremely bright light shadows may become very slightly elevated, but certainly not anything to worry about. Chromatic aberrations are also well minimised. As you would expect there is a bit more when wide open, but stop down a bit and there is barely any CA.
The bokeh from these lenses is very pleasing. I didn’t notice anything nasty or unpleasant in the out of focus areas, something that often spoils many other budget lenses. The bokeh is smooth and uniform.
Take a look at this video shot entirely with the Night Walkers to get an idea of how they look.
I have to say that shooting with these lenses was a delight. A few years ago I shot in the big top with a Venice and Cooke Anamorphics. Since then I have wanted to get a similar look but without the bulk (or cost). The Night Walkers went a long way towards getting that look.
The best bit about these lenses however is the price. At the moment Sirui are offering a very special price of only $309.00 per lens via their Indigogo campaign. After that they will be $349.00. Even at that higher price these lenses are an absolute bargain if you have a camera with an APS-C sensor camera such as the FX30 or a camera with a super 35mm scan mode.
Are you confused by the Sony Cinema Line?
Don’t know which camera from the cinema line to use for what? When would the FX30 be a good idea and when would the FX9 be better? I’m hosting an interactive webinar on this on Wednesday the 12th of July. Please – ask questions, this free session is an opportunity for you to ask those questions about which to use and the pro’s and cons of each. https://www.visuals.co.uk/events/events.php?event=eid1991778057-924
