Sony F65 or Red Weapon Camera?

J

jrusso

Okay, considering which one to rent in the event I am commissioned to shoot a big budget commercial, which may be a reality in the foreseeable future.

Anyone here familiar with the Sony F65 or Red Weapon Camera, and can speak to their efficacy? How steep is the learning curve for either camera?

In general what would be your choice given the two options, and why?
 
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I'm familiar with the F65 and the RED Dragon.

Both are very, very different cameras with quite different images.

The F65 is huge, the RED is not so huge.

For me, it would be based on what the needs of the shoot are, what camera I feel would help tell the story better based on the story.
 
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jax_rox said:
I'm familiar with the F65 and the RED Dragon.

Both are very, very different cameras with quite different images.

The F65 is huge, the RED is not so huge.

For me, it would be based on what the needs of the shoot are, what camera I feel would help tell the story better based on the story.
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Are there any technical specs that would result in a significantly different shot? Is there a vast difference in color depth or are they both comparable in that regard?
 
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jrusso said:
Are there any technical specs that would result in a significantly different shot? Is there a vast difference in color depth or are they both comparable in that regard?
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They're two different cameras with two different images - both have their place, although you'll generally find the RED is a lot more common on set than the F65 - and even the F55 tends to be more common (I might suggest looking into it as an option).

They'll both give you very serviceable images. Both have different colour sciences, different technical specs. What glass are you looking at using? What sort of shoot is it? Do you need something a bit more lightweight, or a big beast of a camera?

The RED is probably a bit easier/slightly more straightforward to use. However, if you've never used one before there's a lot of settings that may or may not confuse you.
 
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Why F65? F55 usually makes more sense. And heck, unless there is a specific feature from the F55 that you need, I'd suggest instead going with the Sony FS7 instead.

If your budget is substantial, which it sounds like it, you should of course also be considering the Arri Alexa.

At a cheaper level, but also worth checking out: Canon C500 and Canon C300 / C300mk2. Or even the URSA (especially the 4.6K version once it ships, how far off is this commercial?).

All depends on the particular needs of the production and its budget.
 
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IronFilm said:
Why F65? F55 usually makes more sense. And heck, unless there is a specific feature from the F55 that you need, I'd suggest instead going with the Sony FS7 instead.

If your budget is substantial, which it sounds like it, you should of course also be considering the Arri Alexa.

At a cheaper level, but also worth checking out: Canon C500 and Canon C300 / C300mk2. Or even the URSA (especially the 4.6K version once it ships, how far off is this commercial?).

All depends on the particular needs of the production and its budget.
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Everything right now is hypothetical. There is the distinct possibility, however, nothing firm or committed yet.

So, could be a year, could be 2.

The budget may be in the $200,000 range for a 2 day commercial shoot. So, yeah, the potential is that I can, and should, use a camera capable of 8K resolution. That's the reason for considering the F65 and/or the Red Weapon Dragon.
 
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jax_rox said:
In 1-2 years time, there will be even more options for cameras out there.

I'd suggest engaging an experienced DP.
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I have an experienced DP who has never had the budget for either of these two cameras as an option. So, I'm exploring what the benefits of the two 8K powerhouses now so I can have a good conversation with him.
 
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jrusso said:
I have an experienced DP who has never had the budget for either of these two cameras as an option. So, I'm exploring what the benefits of the two 8K powerhouses now so I can have a good conversation with him.
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The two are very different cameras. As I say, both will give you a very serviceable image assuming you know how to expose each camera correctly, and are able to light your scenes effectively.

Which one you may want to choose will depend entirely on the needs of your production. Personally, I wouldn't be limiting myself to 8k - considering most television is still barely broadcast in HD, in two years time 4k should be more than enough for a high budget commercial.

Most big budget commercials I work on here shoot Arri Alexa.

Also - when you consider that the F5 and F55 didn't start shipping until just over two years ago, the Red Dragon had only just started taking pre-orders...
Just over three years ago, the F5/55, C300/C500/C100, Red Dragon, Arri Amira, Blackmagic camera of any kind, AJA Cion, etc. didn't exist yet. So, I'd suggest it's perhaps a tad fruitless to make firm decisions on what to shoot on 2 years ahead.
 
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