UPDATE: You can download some frame grabs from the shoot-out by clicking here. IT IS IMPORTANT to consider that the cameras were all set to default and exposed using a 50% grey card. This may or may not be the the optimum exposure and I am sure all the cameras could have been made to perform better with some picture tweaks, however this was felt to be the fairest way to shoot the scene given the time restrictions.
I just spent the day shooting the same scene with 6 different file based cameras. I am working with Visual Imapact to produce a series of DVD’s containing sample clips in their native format and file structure from a range of cameras. On the set today I had the following cameras: Sony PDW-700, Sony PMW-350, Sony EX3, Panasonic HPX3700, Panasonic HPX301 and a Panasonic HVX200. We also recorded the output from the PMW-350 on a NanoFlash and this footage will also be available within the DVD set. The idea is to provide people with a way to directly compare the image quality and workflow of all these cameras, in effect, side-by side.
In order to keep things fair each camera was set to it’s factory defaults. Now I know that with careful tweaking all the camera are capable of better pictures, but it was decided the fairest test was to present them in their default settings.
The scene used in the shoot comprised of a colorful Lego train on a small circle of track, some crumpled foil to give bright specular highlights, a chamois leather for natural texture along with a couple of rose blooms. A metal bodied torch and paint brush finished off the still life. In the background there is a sharpness chart and a color chart. All this was then placed on a chroma key green fabric covered table with a chroma key blue back drop.
The scene was shot at 3 different frame sizes in 1080P25, 1080i50 and where available 720P50 and SD. The scene was shot at 0db gain and also at +6db gain. It was exposed using a 50% grey card measured with a Hamlet Microflex scope to ensure matching exposures. A slate was used at the beginning of each shot to identify the camera, the frame rate, aperture and recording mode. The Panasonic P2 cameras were used in both AVC-I modes and DVCPROHD modes. All the 2/3″ cameras used the same Canon HJ14x4.3 lens but I did in addition use the kit lens on the PMW-350 for comparison as well as an SD lens on the PDW-700. The HPX301 and EX3 used their standard lenses.
I’ll be spending the next couple of days checking the footage and compiling the DVD’s, but hope to have the full set of disks available for purchase very soon.
Some initial notes are:
The EX3, PMW-350 and PDW-700 have very similar pictures, 700 and 350 are very close. 350 Kit lens almost indistinguishable from Canon HJ in this test as was the SD lens tested on the PDW-700.
The HPX3700 produces a very nice image out-of-the box although there are a lot of thick detail correction edges, I’m sure these could be tamed via the scene settings. I can see the appeal of the Panasonic “look”. Must try to see if I can mimic this look with some matrix adjustments on the Sony’s.
The Sony’s are much more highly saturated than the Panasonics. This can be adjusted in both camera ranges to the level you desire, but it makes for very different looking pictures especially when you also factor in the different Panasonic and Sony color matrices. I felt that the excessive Sony red/green saturation was masking some of the textures in the image.
The Panasonic 301 is very noisy and crushing blacks (train wheels) would like to see how much this can be adjusted out.
The Panasonic HVX200 is showing it’s age! I really wanted to get a 150 or 170 but we couldn’t get one for the day.