Kit check | toolkit
The extra data in a 16-bit Raw file allows for far more aggressive colour grading
have access to is a Sony Raw Viewer Beta, although there’s a beta version of DaVinci Resolve in the pipeline. And there’s a chance all the other NLEs will follow. The extra data in a 16-bit file compared to a ten-bit allows for far more aggressive colour grading before images begin to break apart, and it doesn’t bake in colour space, LUTs, Log and the like. Recovering highlight detail is noticeably easier, while shadows can be lifted further without introducing the blotchy artefacts or colour shifts that
often blight lesser codecs. Banding in the sky is banished and skin tones also held together well, giving more confidence when fine-tuning the final look. The trade-off, inevitably, is storage. Even the relatively compact X-OCN LT files are significantly larger than XAVC options, officially calling for the fastest Type A cards, although we did manage to record to fast SDs too. You’ll need plenty of capacity back in the edit suite, especially if working with multiple cameras or long-form productions. C1 and C2 options are more compressed than the LT option, which has a bit rate of 389Mbps at 4K⁄24p. At the same setting, the C1 uses 289Mbps, with the C2 at 232Mbps. In comparison, 10-bit XAVC S-I All-Intra is actually 240Mbps, while XAVC S is just 100Mbps. But this means you can use 16-bit C2 and take up less space than XAVC S-I in 10-bit. We compared the two and the C2 wins out every time in terms of colours and grading potential. Although C1 and C2 don’t offer quite the same quality as LT, they do provide the ultimate flexibility to get your exposure or white-balance wrong yet still get accurate colours and pull details from blown highlights or from deep shadows. For most users, the quality difference is not immense. That doesn’t mean Raw is always the right answer. For our motocross shoot, where speed of turnaround mattered more than absolute grading latitude, we used some C2 Raw files, but XAVC S-I and even XAVC S proved an excellent compromise. The All-Intra codec delivers robust image quality with smoother editing, with the more standard option not far behind. And S-Cinetone gamma looked polished enough to require only minimal tweaks before delivery. Unless you’re pushing colour
Control freak The Big6 menu shows the key settings and is a great feature. Dig deeper and the Cine Alta-style menus are complex and take some getting used to for mirrorless users hard or shooting high-end commercial work, Sony’s conventional codecs remain impressively capable, making the FX5 just as comfortable shooting efficient broadcast- ready footage as cinema-grade Raw. Finally, Sony’s FX5 produces colour and quality that are as good, if not better, than its rivals. Throw open the gate Sony users have been requesting open gate recording, a feature many rival brands already have, and finally it’s here. Instead of capturing only a widescreen crop of the sensor, the camera records the full 3:2 sensor area, giving filmmakers far greater flexibility in post-production. The most obvious benefit is reframing. A single shot can be cropped into traditional widescreen, vertical social media or square formats without having to shoot separate versions. It’s ideal for content creators and commercial productions delivering to multiple platforms. But that’s not the only option, as not everyone needs to produce
Things we love about the Sony FX5
Internal Raw Image quality 5K open gate Triple-base ISO AI AF Stacked sensor Improved LCD Optional EVF Cooling 32-bit float audio
Cine Alta interface 240fps in 4K coming!
No internal ND filters Needs latest, pricey CFexpress Type A media cards EVF, XLR handle and timecode cable cost extra Headline features coming ‘August 2027 or later’ On/off switch feels imprecise Cine Alta interface takes some learning Things we don‘t…
67
promoviemaker.net
Powered by FlippingBook