GEAR
SONY FX9 TEST
different modes - Custom or CineEI. In Custom, it’s a regular video camera that bakes in the look you see on screen. It offers S-Cinetone colour technology borrowed from the Venice. It’s not exactly the same as the Venice, but not far off and is fast and easy to use. It offers a good balance between standard colours and something slightly more cinematic. Compared to the StandardRec. 709mode, ithasbetter skin tones and retains a lot more highlight detail. It’s a great do-it-all setting that’s way better than any of Sony’s non-Log offerings in any of its Super 35 cameras. Great colour, right out of camera. The FX9 also offers HG for HDR workflow and S-Log3, in both CineEI and Custommodes. If you have the time and skills to grade it, S-Log3 offers the most dynamic range and slightly more realistic skin tones, with beautiful natural greens. It’s the best setting for the ultimate in control and quality, but S-Cinetone is not far behind at all. In CineEI, you are attempting to get the maximum detail from the file for colour correction and grading in post. You use EI ratings rather than ISO or Gain, and it allows you to change the effective ISO without altering dynamic range. It’s ideal in a controlled environment, and now you can set a specific white-balance and tint in CineEI, while on the FS7 youhad topickawhite-balance from the dreaded menu. When shooting CineEI and Log, you can use LUT in S&Qmode when recording 4K up to 60fps. Any faster than that and you have to go to HD, and you can’t separate the LUT between monitoring and baking it in to the file. But the camera has viewfinder gamma assist so you can record Log, but monitor a corrected
“The FX9 also offers HG for HDR workflow and S-Log3, in both CineEI and Custommodes”
ABOVE Stripped back without its side handle grip, the FX9 can be controlled via other buttons on the body
second and 24 hours, then specify the number of frames. You can also use it with autoexposure, ideal for day-to-night time lapses. There’s also a picture cache recording function featured on the FX9, where the camera records pictures and audio before the Rec button is hit. It’s ideal for nature documentaries, when you can’t predict when an animal will move, for example. The amount of time pre-recorded varies due to the settings, but it is up to 28 seconds for HD and four seconds in 4K. That’s a lot of useful tech. Unfortunately, there is no built-in anamorphic desqueeze, but you can use
Rec. 709 image. Overall, Custom mode gives cleaner high-ISO files than Cine EI, which benefit from some noise reduction. The FX9 also has some nice features, such as allowing you to shoot full-fat XAVC-I files at up to 60p while making a proxy recording in MPEG 422 HD, so you can edit the proxy then replace with the XAVC files at theendof theproject. Youcan also bake in a LUT and output it over the 12G-SDI in 4K/60p 4:2:2 10-bit. So you can record 10-bit ProRes externally to a suitable recorder. And the camera now has a built-in intervalometer, which allows you to set an interval time between one
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
Even if you’re a committed Sony cinema camera user, there’s nothing like getting to grips with a potential new purchase for a proper day or more of shooting. And more time with the camera lets you get a good idea of whether the upgrade is worth the cash investment, or you’d be better off renting for big jobs. We got our FX9 from top UK rental firm Hireacamera, which came ready to shoot in a large Peli case with everything you’d need. It came with two 120GB XQD cards and card reader, a handful of batteries, a Canon EF-Sony E Metabones lens adapter, a Vocas Production Kit rig, Rode NTG-2 shotgun mic and a quick-release tripod plate, as well as all the leads and chargers you need. Just add a lens and you’re ready to shoot – although Hireacamera has lots of Sony lenses to choose from, too. Hireacamera has a live online stock availability check, so you can see if the kit
you need is available when you want it. More information: hireacamera.com
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SUMMER 2020 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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