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USER REVI EW | K I NEF I N I TY MAVO 6K
LOG FOOTAGE
It’s not bad, but if you are always shooting in low light then the Mavo might not be the best choice. If you demand the very best in quality, there is CinemaDNG compressed 12-bit Raw files, with adjustable compression from 3:1, 5:1 and 7:1. DaVinci Resolve supports these raw files natively, so there is no intermediate step needed. The camera will also be able to shoot in the camera’s own compressed lossless 12-bit KineRAW via a forthcoming update which promises even higher resolution, but will need an intermediate step to transcode it into ProRes or DNG. DATA OPTIONS For a less data-hungry option, the Mavo can encode its images in ProRes at all frame rates and resolution. It records up to ProRes444XQ and 422HQ and below in 10-bit. When looking at the files, the quality shot in ProRes is just incredible so few users will feel the need to go Raw. With ProRes, it also supports in-camera oversampling, which directly outputs Super35 in 4K resolution or lower. In terms of file sizes and maximum frame rates, the camera can shoot 6K wide at a maximum of 66fps, 5K wide at 74fps, 4K wide at 100fps, 3K wide at 130fps and 2K wide at 196fps. The slow motion is very good at all these settings, although there is a slight reduction in frame rate if you don’t use the wide option, essentially a small letterbox crop of the open sensor. In this case, you can shoot 6K at 50fps, for example, for half-speed slow motion. Shooting 5K at 74fps gives three times slow motion which is a nice compromise between super slomo and normal half speed slow motion. And all at amazing quality.
Just like on the Terra, my biggest gripe is the size of the text on the screen itself which is small and hard to read, especially in sunshine. You can push a button on the screen to expand it but that’s one extra step every time you want to check and change settings. The most useful part of the menu system is the option to choose up to eight presets which set the codec, frame rate and shutter speed. One day, every camera will have this as it’s so useful and saves lots of time faffing around digging into menus. So far, the camera takes on RED at its own game in terms of build quality and usability, and doesn’t fall too far behind. But the real reasons people yearn for a RED is ultimately in the images it creates. In the case of the Kinefinity, the camera may be cheaper but does a stunning job of shooting detailed, high-quality files with pleasing skin tones, accurate colours and lots of dynamic range. RED TARGET It’s almost as if Kinefinity targeted RED’s design and build and Arri’s colour science. In fact, shooting in Log then quickly applying an Arri-C LUT again showed a very Arri-like colour palette, just as it did on the Terra. The footage just oozes quality, has lots of detail and accurate colours, and can easily be tweaked in post to get the look you desire. Of course, how much information is there depends on what format you have shot in, but the Mavo has plenty of very high-quality options. At the base ISO of 800, there is very
WITH ARRI LUT
ARRI LUT AND GRADING
ABOVE Adding an Arri-C LUT in post is a good start for grading.
such as the Sony E costs £453/$595. The mounts are solid and well made, and being a PL-style lever lock means you offer the lens up in the correct orientation then rotate the lever around it. The result is that you’re not having to twist lenses that might have matte boxes or rigs on them, and is why Sony changed its mount to this style on the latest FS7 Mark II. SCREEN INTERFACE Like the Terra, the camera has few buttons, with most settings controlled from a scroll wheel which is on the left of the camera body with a second version on the handgrip. Settings are altered via the screen. But unlike the RED, which also
BELOW The Kineback-W comes with a V-lock mount.
is controlled like this, the screen isn’t touch sensitive, so you have to scroll and click to change settings. The handgrip contol wheel can be too responsive at first, but you get the hang of it.
little noise but crank it up and it does start to get a bit noisy. This is a camera that excels when there is lots of light rather than being the prince of darkness.
88 DEF I N I T ION | SEPTEMBER 20 1 8
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