GEAR
SONY BURANO
One good accessory with the camera is the side handle remote control, which bolts on using a standard rosette and makes the camera decent for on-the-shoulder use. But you will likely need some sort of shoulder pad, as it’s not especially comfortable without one – especially for a boxy, heavy camera-and-lens combination. The Burano comes with a Sony E-mount on the front with a solid lever-lock to fasten on lenses. But this is actually hidden behind a lever-lock PL mount that uses six captured hex-head bolts to cover the E-mount. So you have full PL and E-mount capability, changeable in a minute or so. Both pass through metadata, too, as long as compatible lenses are fitted. Using native Sony AF glass unlocks the phase detection system. This will be a revelation to anyone that hasn’t encountered it before. It’s fast, predictable and sticks to subjects well. The transition and speed of operation can be adjusted in the menus, too, as well as human body and face detection. You can even tap the screen to set focus points. So having PL and E mounts gives the best of both worlds – the latest AF or tactile, old-school MF. A first for a camera like this is the inclusion of in-body image stabilisation. Used with a Sony AF lens, this is a five-axis system and works very well. When used with a PL or other manual lens, it is a three-axis system that also does a fair job. Given that this camera is
RIGHT TANGLE The LCD screen sits at 90° to the camera when using the loupe, which is a pain when you want the screen on its own
THE VERDICT It feels like Sony has done everything to make this one of the greatest all-round cameras: it’s a truly marvellous machine. The Burano offers the handling benefits of Sony’s FX range to make it a usable single-shooter camera that could be a workhorse for indie productions at all levels. Not only that, but its stunning image quality will prove virtually indistinguishable from the Venice 2 for most users. It’s a stunner in so many ways. The price is enough to put off many potential buyers. You have to have serious clients and a genuine need for the quality this camera can produce to fork out the asking price. Yes, it is a lot cheaper than a Venice 2, but it’s not inexpensive by any stretch. As a rental option it makes sense, and the clear menu system and familiarity for Sony owners mean you’ll be up and running in no time. Learn how to get the best out of the files, and you’ll be back to rent it again – or even seeing the bank manager to buy one. targeted at indie production, this is a real bonus as you don’t have to be using a gimbal or tripod all the time. In yet another nod to the latest tech, the camera can also be set to have a prerecord function of between three and 15 seconds, depending on the codec. This is ideal for wildlife shooters who know that they have captured something before they press down on the nice, illuminated red record button. The
Burano also offers focus breathing compensation and there are lots of monitoring tools like zebras, waveforms and histograms. But there is no false colour monitoring, although you can upload a false colour LUT and deploy that. If you know what you’re doing, there are ways to set this camera up to accomplish just about anything, with no compromises. It’s like a mini Venice at half the price.
It’ll give years of service and the work you produce will have that incredible, filmic quality. And that’s worth a lot.
More information
sony.com
“Sony has done everything to make this one of the greatest all-round cameras”
HOW IT RATES Features: 9 It has everything apart from false colour and a global shutter Performance: 10 Incredible-quality footage, good enough for Hollywood Handling: 8 It’s heavy and the EVF solution is far from perfect Value for money: 8 Amazing quality but costly, yet cheaper than a Venice 2 OVERALL RATING: 9/10 If you want sublime images and decent handling, it’s a winner Pros: Internal Raw, IBIS, phase detection AF Cons: Expensive and not lightweight
63
PROMOVIEMAKER.NET
Powered by FlippingBook