New Cameras
Base System Management
For our media work, we moved towards a new camera unit, namely the Sony A58, so that we might capture the contents of our OTS with the cinematic diversity DSLR cameras afford with their lenses as the greater full HD 20.1 megapixel CMOS sensor. The mirrorless technology allows for us to construct and tweak visual elements on the fly as, unlike camcorders with limited shutter speed, ISO and Aperture control, the management of the core systems plays a large part in the fidelity of our image.
ISO - Managing the ISO (International Standards Operation) is tricky feat as it entails a balancing act between image quality and image lightness, the higher your ISO climbs, the brighter your image is and the more can be seen. Although the ISO should always be kept as low as possible, the Sony A58 benefits from an effective ISO range capping at around 1600 although this severely handicaps any post- production that needs to be done since messing with the colour will inflict some harsh artefacts on the viewer. For our production, we will attempt to keep as much of the footage shot below ISO 400 which will be difficult considering the amount of work we will be doing at night, however, we will have to make use of a lower shutter speed and a wider aperture.
Aperture - The aperture is one of the most crucial factors in video production as it dictates both the amount of light being let into the sensor and the focal length, or blur depth, of the shot so pulling focus will rely almost exclusively on the quality of the lens. The 18-55mm kit lens included with our cameras operate at a minimum of f/3.5 and can be pushed up to f/22 if we want to make a crisp, albeit dark, image. However, due to me (Matthew Stevens) owning the camera prior to the school, I have acquired several more lenses during the years, including an f/1.8 50mm fixed lens, a f/3.5 55-200mm lens and a T1.5 14mm wide angle geared cine-lens which means we will have access to more potential shots, especially when it comes to pulling focus.
Shutter speed - Although not as vital as the other two, balancing the shutter speed for the right situation will be a important to the success of our visual story telling. By floating around a shutter speed of 1/30 to 1/50, we will keep a silky clean motion whilst retaining enough saturation and brightness to keep the image visible. However, for some of our more aesthetically grand shots, we will be cranking the shutter speed down to a sumptuous 1/120, giving us enough space to slow the footage down without causing excessive frame stuttering.
Lenses
For our media work, we moved towards a new camera unit, namely the Sony A58, so that we might capture the contents of our OTS with the cinematic diversity DSLR cameras afford with their lenses as the greater full HD 20.1 megapixel CMOS sensor. The mirrorless technology allows for us to construct and tweak visual elements on the fly as, unlike camcorders with limited shutter speed, ISO and Aperture control, the management of the core systems plays a large part in the fidelity of our image.
ISO - Managing the ISO (International Standards Operation) is tricky feat as it entails a balancing act between image quality and image lightness, the higher your ISO climbs, the brighter your image is and the more can be seen. Although the ISO should always be kept as low as possible, the Sony A58 benefits from an effective ISO range capping at around 1600 although this severely handicaps any post- production that needs to be done since messing with the colour will inflict some harsh artefacts on the viewer. For our production, we will attempt to keep as much of the footage shot below ISO 400 which will be difficult considering the amount of work we will be doing at night, however, we will have to make use of a lower shutter speed and a wider aperture.
Aperture - The aperture is one of the most crucial factors in video production as it dictates both the amount of light being let into the sensor and the focal length, or blur depth, of the shot so pulling focus will rely almost exclusively on the quality of the lens. The 18-55mm kit lens included with our cameras operate at a minimum of f/3.5 and can be pushed up to f/22 if we want to make a crisp, albeit dark, image. However, due to me (Matthew Stevens) owning the camera prior to the school, I have acquired several more lenses during the years, including an f/1.8 50mm fixed lens, a f/3.5 55-200mm lens and a T1.5 14mm wide angle geared cine-lens which means we will have access to more potential shots, especially when it comes to pulling focus.
Shutter speed - Although not as vital as the other two, balancing the shutter speed for the right situation will be a important to the success of our visual story telling. By floating around a shutter speed of 1/30 to 1/50, we will keep a silky clean motion whilst retaining enough saturation and brightness to keep the image visible. However, for some of our more aesthetically grand shots, we will be cranking the shutter speed down to a sumptuous 1/120, giving us enough space to slow the footage down without causing excessive frame stuttering.
Lenses
18-55mm F/3.5 Sony Kit Lens
The 18-55mm is the standard lens that comes with the a58 straight out of the box, although due to the crop factor of the sony camera it is more equivalent to a 27-70mm, this will likely see little use as primes are the best choice for video and both extremes are covered better by other lenses. |
55-200mm F/4 Sony Telephoto Lens
The 55-200 may see more use that intended as despite not being prime, at it's extremes it does provide a beautiful depth of field as well as an incredibly crisp subject although the distance of the lens and the high F-Stop doesn't make it ideal, especially when recording sound or in the dark (as a lot of our trailer will be) |
50mm F/1.8 Sony Fixed Lens
This will easily be one of the most frequented lenses as it's fast aperture at F/1.8 will give us some amazing cinematic depth to our image as well the prime styling making it easier for pulling focus and for framing shots although it's 50mm angle does mean we'll need a lot of space to shoot. |
Old Cameras
Hopefully this footage should make it apparent that moving away from the efficient but challenged camcorders to proper D-SLR rigs complete with full manual control was a wise decision; with loan of a full frame A7 also about for the majority of shots, we aim to take advantage of the technology at our disposal to create a very refined and professional looking product despite not actually having something like a Canon C500 knocking about which I think is a true indictment of how the gap between consumer and industry technology as shrunk since the advent of the digital age.