GEAR
SONY FX6
the spread of dynamic range. In low base ISO 800, there are the same number of stops of range above and belowmid grey. In the higher base ISO of 4000, there are just five stops above mid grey and tens tops below to retain more shadow detail. Sony has stopped short of saying the FX6 has a Dual Base ISO sensor, but admits there are two different base ISO settings. When using S-Log3 for maximum dynamic range of up to a claimed 15 stops, the first is at 800, and the second High Sensitivity mode ISO is at 12,800. It seems like nitpicking not to call it Dual Base ISO, as it works in a similar way. And it works incredibly well, with gorgeous, noise-free images at the low setting. And when light levels drop and ISO creeps up, the higher setting takes over and does a great job of minimising horrid noise. When we tested the A7S III, which has a low base ISO of 640, we said there seemed to be some sort of Dual Base ISO technology as the noise was better at 12,800 than at ISO settings slightly below it. Officially Sony says nothing, but this feature nowmakes us even more convinced the Sony A7S III has the same technology. Comparing the two cameras, the performance is very similar, “If you dowant to squeeze evenmore quality fromthe FX6, it will output Rawfiles to an Atomos recorder”
great skin tones and is better at retaining highlight detail than the standard profile. If you want to shoot Raw or Log then, in CineEI mode, you can select S-Log3, which gives the most dynamic range and offers the best setting for grading in post. The camera records in either 800 or 12,8000 ISO. Cine EI mode allows you to add a LUT to the viewfinder or to SDI or HDMI outputs, so you can get a good approximation of what it will look like in the final edit. There are built-in LUTs or you can add your own, and they even work in S&Q settings up to 120fps. In CineEI mode with the base ISO set to 12,800, there is a simply amazing amount of dynamic range for low- light scenes. And as the camera uses a low- resolution sensor that’s good at handling low light, it means it can also be processed very quickly by the new, superfast Bionz XR processors – just like the A7S III. This means the rolling shutter issues are very well controlled. Most filmmakers will take a great high- ISO performance, very little rolling shutter and no overheating issues over 6K or 8K sensors any day. If you do want to squeeze even more quality from the FX6, then it can output 16-bit Raw files to an Atomos recorder, which converts it to 12-bit ProRes Raw files for easier post-processing. With whispers of 16-bit Raw capture on the horizon, that would lead to even higher quality files. Although very few people would ever look at the 4K, 600Mbps, 10-bit 4:2:2 All-I files from the FX6 and really want
but the A7S III seems to have more aggressive noise reduction at higher ISO settings. We got the best results on both cameras by reducing the in-camera noise reduction and then using de-noise software in post. That makes a big difference, and certainly the FX6 edges ahead in terms of low-light/high ISO performance. Where the two cameras differ is in codecs and base settings. The FX6 uses the MXF wrapper like its big brother, the FX9, and there is no H.265-based codec like the A7S III. And when you boot up the FX6, you can choose between Custom or CineEI mode. In Custom, it has standard colours and the S-Cinetone colour technology borrowed from the Venice and FX9. This a fantastic option for great colours right out of camera, offering a subtle palette of colours that are still lifelike, but slightly more cinematic than standard. This setting produces
ABOVE You can see just how compact the FX6 body really is. Strip it down and it’s ideal for use on a gimbal
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