Sony PMW F3 Best Cinema Camera in 2021 in 8k

[@themichael3173]

Looks great and makes you feel like your really there !

[@alain7634]

Nice motion picture work Xavier

[@xavierdegreeves]

Thanks so much Alain much appreciated.

[@micomajid-michel9525]

very organic and naturally balanced

[@xavierdegreeves]

Appreciate that man. The F3 is a powerhouse.

[@micomajid-michel9525]

Getting one soon....

[@xavierdegreeves]

@@micomajid-michel9525 I don’t blame you one bit.

[@bokataharris662]

Thanks for this episode

[@xavierdegreeves]

You are very welcome

[@minmaxfriends9575]

this is amazing high light roll off, what recorder did u use?

[@xavierdegreeves]

Thanks mate, I used the blackmagic video assist, the very old one first generation model. It works seamless with the f3 because it can trigger record. However on the f35 it cannot trigger record but it still captures the f35 beautifully as well.

[@Sodacake]

There is a very pleasing noise pattern in this sensor and also it seems there is very subtle halation which is very nice too. I watched this on my 4k tv and it is impossible to tell this is an upscale from 1080p and not shot natively in 4k/8k.

[@xavierdegreeves]

So glad you tested this out on your tv. I’m always in awe with how the upscaling of the f3/f35 footage renders so beautifully. Even on a 4k projector you can’t tell it isn’t 4k native. If you add a diffusion filter over your lens it’ll add more halation to the already existing halation.

[@Sodacake]

@@xavierdegreeves Yes, true. And applying grain like in some of your other videos makes it look even more natural.

[@hrsantiago]

Hi there! I recently acquired an F3 and I came about your work which is beautifully made. Any tips for a beginner with this camera? Keep up the good work!

[@xavierdegreeves]

Hey there, appreciate your compliments. The Sony F3 is a magnificent camera and in your hands you have access to a world of color that’s unmatched by most of the high end cameras currently in the field. As long as you have a vision of what you want to shoot the F3 will certainly capture it for you in a lovely way. Just make sure that you don’t overexposed the image and things will look great. The F3 Does wonderful with slightly “UNDEREXPOSED” images. Take it out and keep shooting and eventually you will find a look and style that you love. As always I’m here if you need any specific tips. Happy shooting and congrats on the new camera.

[@hrsantiago]

@@xavierdegreeves I appreciate this a lot, thank you! I shall shoot some test footage and will let you know. Thanks again for your time and tips!

[@hrsantiago]

@@xavierdegreeves Hi again! Just uploded some footage. Sending you the link (pardon my shirtless demeanor) kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIPYnmWQo6iWr5Y

[@xavierdegreeves]

@@hrsantiago footage looks great man. Love the textures of your place. You can tell a serious story in that environment. Loved this man. Keep shooting for sure. As I watched I saw so many possibilities of stories.

[@hrsantiago]

@@xavierdegreeves thank you for this! It's great to get feedback, and I really appreciate you for taking the time to do so. This place is really neat for some great shots with natural lighting with those textures as well. I plan to make some shorts here. Please keep those shots coming. It's great to see some 2021 shots with this camera. Puts the whole 4K crazyness to question.

[@scottbernard4438]

If I buy used this camera what lenses did you recommend for make music videos? Thank You!

[@xavierdegreeves]

Just now seeing this Scott. I would go with the old Nikon AI or AIS lenses for sure they are cheap and beautiful lenses. For cine i would go for the sigma 18-35 pl lens

[@momomoraru]

Xavier, beautiful footage. I've been following your videos with the F3 for a while! I was hoping you could answer a question I had about the 4:2:2 vs. 4:4:4 upgrade. Does having the RGB upgraded version really make that much of a difference when you're shooting externally in 10 bit?

[@xavierdegreeves]

Thanks! The RGB Upgrade is only good for those who want to shoot 444. If you aren't shooting 444 and if the Sony can shoot 10-bit 422 slog without the upgrade (I'm not sure) then by all means you wont need the upgrade. I never shoot in 444 anyway. There will be no other differences as long as its slog and 422.

[@jimyhustle]

hi i really like the images that comes from your sony f3 videos . i love the look of film and from what i can see the digital bolex is the closest thing i liked in terms of texture i don't understand the magic behind achieving the colors and motion cadence but it looks filmic to me . just stumbled on this sony f3 video i like the look but i head bad things about grading sony slog images but i like sony ease of use and internal nds . i was leaning towards sony fs7 or fs700 since it outputs raw but couldn't find good samples shot on those cameras until i found this sony f3 videos . do you think there is something special about sony f3 against newer sony cameras like fs7 and a7siii or my eyes are deceiving me?

[@xavierdegreeves]

Hey there, I really appreciate your comment here. I honestly love the F3 because of so many years of experimenting with literally every single digital cine camera system in existence. I own both of the Sony cameras you mentioned and they do not come anywhere close to the color science of the F3 they just look like great video and not like great film. The digital bolex in the other hand is a true gem. That camera looks great and replicates 16mm film super well. It’s hard to find one used and if you do make sure to grab it if you can. Grading slog is not hard to grade at all. It’s super easy and flexible in post. Slog is a very flat picture profile just like a raw clip. Don’t hold back on getting this camera. If you even stumbled upon any of my videos and like what you see there’s a reason for that. The F3 doesn’t attract people with bad eyes.

[@alain7634]

@@xavierdegreeves I have the F3 and would agree s-log on this camera has this classic film look to it. I find the Arri color science to be the best looking when it comes to modern film look. Did you compare the f3 with the alexa or the amira Xavier?

[@xavierdegreeves]

@@alain7634 Yes I have. I say its only a "modern" film look because its the main camera that all modern movies are shot on. The Alexa hands down is much better then all the new digital cinema cameras on the market today, and its because of Arri's color science. Red truly doesn't come close to arri because the sensors are so different. When i tested both the amira and alexa against the f3, the F3 was easier to work with in order to get a decent image. The Alexa or Amira took more work and really should be in a the hands of a professional colorist under close supervision with a DP. When shot correctly (mainly talking exposure) the Alexa can outshine the F3 but it will require you to create your own color science in post utilizing luts etc. Image to image straight out of the camera and the f3 slog will dance circles around the Alexa CLOG.

[@alain7634]

@@xavierdegreeves Good to know this information about the complexity of the Alexa. I guess the Amira, designed for documentary should be easy to use: Has a great viewfinder, great codecs internally so no need for external recorder and maybe the audio preamps are superior to those on the F3? With my F3 I have a bit of a cumbersome rig with sound devices mixpre3, video assist and the mic, all mounted on the camera and a tripod. I love the image though and would not give my F3 away soon. I set the camera, the video assist and the mixpre to trigger at the same time with same timecode, which saves me lot of work in post. With Schoeps MK mics in an MS stereo settings I am very pleased with both image and audio. We rarely speak about audio by the way. I feel that schoeps, just like the f3 image, have this organic pleasing results that put them apart from other very good mics. They deal with the "highlights" of sound so beautifully, just like the f3 deals with the image. For those who have ears as sensitive as their eyes and need to capture both organic images and sound, I really recommend this setup.

[@xavierdegreeves]

@@alain7634 the audio preamps on the Amira are not better because you have to do so much to get a decent signal. You’ll need a good preamp if you are to get anything useable out of the Amira’s xlr ports. The F3 doesn’t have this issue. I also use a great microphone the schoeps cmit 5u and it’s a beauty even if I simply just plug it into the F3 without a separate recorder. If the set up is to cumbersome, depending on what you’re doing, just plug into the F3 it really isn’t that bad at all especially with the mics you mentioned. But if you can stand your setup then continue as it is because it’s. A nice setup you got there. Sound is crucial and not enough people give it enough credit. What are the issues you had with the f3’s Internal audio?

[@capibarafilms6845]

Hello friend, I hope you are very well. I have seen your tests with the Sony F3 and they are great. I have some questions and I would truly appreciate it if you could reply. I have a Sony F3, but I have always used it with SXS cards, I would like to try a Black Magic video assistant and see how much more I can get out of this camera, maybe I can go up to 4k. I wanted to ask you if, when leaving the camera, the black magic video assistant is capable of uploading the HD video signal to 4k? Or do you sent the signal to the recorder in HD? What is the setting you use to upload the video quality to 4k and 8k? And if you do it with software, how do you do it? Thank you very much for you help buddy.

[@xavierdegreeves]

Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words. Internal shooting with the F3 still gives a beautiful image as I’m sure you seen for yourself. The recorder which allows the f3 to record 10 bit 422 color is on a whole other level. It will feel like a new camera for you. It really can’t be compared. There is no 4k on this camera at all, no regret can ever make it output 4k. I achieve 4k in post using blackmagic designs resolve to “Upscale” the forage to 4k. Check around on some of my video comments on the f3 and you’ll see how to achieve this easily. A quick KZbin search will also land you in the right place. This camera upscales to 4k lovely because the sensor inside is around 2.7k so it gets squeezed down to 1080 which makes the image tact sharp and rich. Hope this helps.

[@capibarafilms6845]

@@xavierdegreeves Great, thank you for your response. After using the external recorder, I am sure it will be like a new camera for me. Thanks for your excellent content.

[@sequoiacreations7534]

Love your F3 content. How do you upscale? Just put it in a 8k timeline and edit or is it some seperate way to upscale footage? Thanks

[@xavierdegreeves]

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you on this. So when you upscale to 4x in resolve it’s actually 8k then you make sure to be Jane timeline resolution to 8k and you’re good to go. Hope this helps

[@sunnynaguri]

Great work, Xavier! What focal length is this shot on?

[@xavierdegreeves]

Appreciate it! So this entire piece was shot using the sigma art 18-35 cine lens. I stayed mainly in the 20-28mm range of the lens.

[@josuenunez5353]

Dude, this looks amazing! how did you do the edge blooming effect? Is it in Davinci Resolve? Also, when are you doing the comparison between the F3 and F35. I swear they are almost on par with each other, except for the global shutter on the F35.

[@xavierdegreeves]

Thanks mate! You got a good eye to peep that blooming effect. I purchased it as a power grade in resolve. It’s called “cineprint16 powergrade” it comes with a lot of nodes set up for you and I basically disabled all of the nodes and kept the halation effect only as I really love how it handles that. The entire power grade is amazing you should check it out it really does emulate motion picture film perfectly. I really want to make the comparison but finding the time to take them both out is the kicker. Yes they are both identical in color science. The F35 handles highlights with a bloom unlike the F3 I had to add this halation in post, but once I did that they look the same. F35 and F3 will cut together without a problem but the F3 certainly wins in low light environments. I can push up the shadows way more on the F3 by far. Both has really nice noise in the shadows with a much more noticeable texture on the f35 (this I really like a lot) I never have to add grain to the F35 it just has it already.

[@laurenramecourt1829]

Hello! I love your F3 vidéo test (I owned one), and it helps me to know how to use it. I realised that I need to buy a monitor, and it is pretty expensive. Does the BlackMagic 5" 3G could be enough ? I am French, and my cam is in english so I don't totally understand everything.. If you could answer to a few questions, it would be so cool ! - If I record internally, which "gamma and dual link" (Rgb or ypr 422 video/slog?)settings should I choose ? And for and external recording ? I mean, the best options for the best results. When I choose the 422 slog option in internal recoding, I can't use the picture profil or the white balance buttons, it is blocked, do you know why ? Thanks a lot :)

[@xavierdegreeves]

Thanks! The blackmagic assist works wonderful with the F3. You do not need to get the new black magic assist the first generation one works wonderful. I use the black magic assist for all the videos on this page. Don’t use the internal recording ever unless you don’t plan on doing any color work in post. The Blackmagic assist only records 422 so just select 1.5g 422 and slog. The gamma is the same if you record internal or external. Turn off cine EI mode this is why you can’t change white balance. Cine EI takes control of all those things, so turn it off if you want to custom your white balance.

[@laurenramecourt1829]

@@xavierdegreeves Amazing, and fast ! Thank you so much ! By the way if you have a website or any place to see your content, I will be curious to see your work :)

[@laurenramecourt1829]

@@xavierdegreeves Ow, sorry I have a last question. I bought the BMVA monitor and I think I need SDI cables for best recording is that right ? Should I plug two cables for recording, because there are two plugs "hd sdi for dual link".

[@xavierdegreeves]

@@laurenramecourt1829 sure thing glad to help anyone who loves this camera as much as I do. I have no website at the moment. You only need 1 sdi cable make sure it’s the one made for the black magic. It’s a micro bnc to hdsdi found here www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1330607-REG/blackmagic_design_bmd_cable_din_bncmale_din_to_bnc_male.html/?ap=y&gclid=CjwKCAjw6fCCBhBNEiwAem5SO1cvzYy1ethBW6RDF-rmCygEo1sc_GQVJpBsUxa-qjKi0qLSojFgDBoCtjkQAvD_BwE&lsft=BI%3A514&smp=y

[@laurenramecourt1829]

@@xavierdegreeves Merci beaucoup Xavier ! Je vous souhaites le meilleur :)

[@PaulJonker]

lovely footage again, really have been struggling to make a decision wether to go with the Sony f3 or the Blackmagic pocket 6k, but your videos make it pretty difficult. Do you by any chance have some footage you could share for me to experiment with?

[@xavierdegreeves]

Both of the cameras you mentioned are on totally different levels. I have both so I truly do know the drawbacks of the pocket 6k. I own the 6k simply because I own a rental company. The 6k is sharp, super sharp, but certainly falls apart very easy when trying to make it look great. the F3 already looks great so no need to do all this extra stuff to make it sing. This is what people don know when they join the cheap cinema camera market, they are buying a camera that seems awesome and a good savings but try to push it without a professional colorist and its a nightmare. Plus I wont get into the tactics that black magic uses as a company, you'll be happy with your 6k until next week when they drop the newer version that has all of the bells and whistles you wish the first camera had. The image isn't bad, and I've seen black magic images projected on a 300 foot screen and when you get the chance to do that you'll see exactly why the camera is so inexpensive in the first place. Most people wont be projecting that big anyway but no matter what there will always be something that you will discover that makes the blackmagic crap after a while, but there is much better options to choose from if going the 4k and beyond route. Had to say all this if it could save you from the hassle that is Blackmagic cameras. Tomorrow I'll attach a drobox in the description with some footage from the f3 to play with.

[@PaulJonker]

​@@xavierdegreeves Thanks! really appreciate your in depth response, it sort of confirms my suspicions. Hearing you have a rental company; How would you say the f3 compares to its 'upgraded' f5 and f55? And what is your opinion on the Ursa mini g2 compared to the f3 and pocket 6k? One of the things holding me back on the f3 is the lack of accessoires available, like a shoulder rig or ways to attach a recorder to the body, did you find anything for this? Sorry for all the questions, but you simply have the best information regarding the f3.

[@xavierdegreeves]

@@PaulJonker The F5 and F55 are both nice HD “cameras” they look great for something like the planet earth series. Shooting with the f55 and f5 you will fall in love with how vivid the images are compared to any offering of black magic line of cameras. The F5 or 55 does not look like the Higher res version of the F3, I know it appears that it would be that way but it isn’t. The color science is very different on the f5/55 the F3 has much more going for it in terms of an organic film emulation. Now the first generation 2.5k from black magic was beautiful and when you install a mosaic anti aliasing filter that camera really sings. The original 1080 pocket camera was beautiful too. It’s because they took a lot of time to perfect those cameras in the past. Finding a shoulder rig isn’t difficult most universal ones would work with the camera. You can also try and hunt down any original accessories that was made for the F3 like the element technica (which I use) also get the Berkey plate that way you have lots of mounting holes for the external monitor. Even without all of the above an external recorder can still mount to the F3’s body. Also if you get a shoulder rig you’ll without a doubt will need an EVF

[@PaulJonker]

@@xavierdegreeves Thank you! the f3 seems to have something magical, I will definitely be on the lookout. And yes, If you can find the time to upload some footage that would be great, Take care :)

[@ronniemccrea9961]

Thats absolutly looks like a film. Is it 422 & S-log(upgraded)? Or 422 free slog (in gamma setup) ?How do u do right color space transform? Thanks so much, ure best performer the F3. i have it too :)

[@xavierdegreeves]

Hey there thanks again for your words. It’s 422 and slog, what I shot here you don’t need the upgrade version to get this look .I do color space transform in post using resolve. But I don’t mess with transforms to much I just grab the image as it is. No real need to switch the transform .

[@davidvalens3337]

does your camera have 444 RGB?

[@xavierdegreeves]

Yes it does