You Won't Believe These 2024 Camera Tests Results!

[@satsmura]

Great test! I think this shows how difficult it is for even seasoned DPs and colorists to differentiate between a camera’s default color bias and its actual captured color gamut, at least in real-time viewing. The former is correctable in post, while the latter is baked into the image. Everyone mentions sharpness, dynamic range, exposure latitude, and rolling shutter. But (aside from the Z-Cam), none of those attributes were stressed beyond the limits in this test - there’s a small amount of specular highlight clipping in the +3 stops skintones on A & C, but I think that was more a function of headroom in the selected EI during exposure. So if you ignored the obvious giveaways like respective field of view between the full frame and S35 sensors given the same focal length used, then the test really came down to color reproduction. To me, some of the takeaways were: 1. How similar the color science is between the two Red cameras - A (Komodo) and C (V-Raptor). Both had the same green midtone bias, easily correctable in post. I would love to know if there was a white balancing step applied in Resolve before the LUT was applied or not? Also, both clipped at the same EI, indicating they should probably be rated a bit faster for more headroom. To some extent, this is on Red for not specifying a ‘native’ or recommended EI. 2. How much more color info the Alexa 35 captured in the carpet, green clothing, salmon drapes while keeping skintones neutral. Also the saturated primaries in the Macbeth chart were much more subdued in overexposure, indicating a larger color gamut. Of course, skin tone looked very neutral and film/like. 3. How well Sony have done with the FX6 default color science, although there is so much less info captured in the greens and blues - you really see it when shown next to the Alexa 35. Also how thin the XAVC codec is, creating a noisy mushy image when underexposed. The primaries in the Macbeth chart were also easily oversaturated, indicating the smaller color gamut. I think if this test included a 200% punch-in, it would also be obvious how much less resolution there is. And you’d see aliasing on high contrast edges and banding on near white gradations. But without pixel peeping, it’s a very pleasing image punching way above its weight class. 4. How far behind the Z-Cam is in all aspects. The loss of color saturation in skintones when not exposed optimally reminds me of the previous generation of cameras like the FS7 and Ursa Mini 4K. But when exposed and lit well, it can still pass the eye test.

[@JustChris97]

My guesses were 100% correct. Kinda happy I could see what’s what, but also very convinced that all cameras are good rn.

[@timdanyo898]

I own a FX6 and FX3. It’s cool to see this sensor hitting above its weight class!

[@Samvisualarts]

yeah until the firmware update breaks your camera

[@timdanyo898]

@@Samvisualartsthat sucks! Yeah I never rush out to firmware updates. How’d you deal with it? How was Sony support?

[@Samvisualarts]

@@timdanyo898 Horrendous customer service, never buying sony ever again can't trust em

[@fredr.]

The fact that 3 of them thought the FX6 was the Alexa 35 says it all.... I had high hopes for Zcam though.

[@aLgProduction]

Excellent, this was enjoyable. Thanks for sharing.

[@wwessex]

Interesting. I would have loved to see a BlackMagic Design camera in the comparison.

[@Jamminn555]

Great concept and edit, Tom. So great to see this comparison and all the filmmakers' thinking and final guesses. Excellent video, man.

[@TomAntos]

Thanks! Its fun to see how everyone's opinion varies when it's a blind test without any dollar or brand name bias.

[@Jamminn555]

@@TomAntos Yes, so true!!

[@waynosfotoscameras]

Yep, just goes to show, cameras are all pretty good these days. It is the editing, lens, storytelling, lighting and colour grading that makes the difference.

[@robertocondotta1232]

Hi Tom. I am an FX six owner and I say: Thank you so much for this test. 😊

[@fabipuello]

This is eye opening. It helps a lot to keep our biases in check.

[@area51pictures]

AKA Which camera manufacturer LUT is peoples favorite? lol. This is a good idea, but they should’ve been brought into ACES and bounced out using IDTS. That would really unify the playing field and make differences harder to see, but more important once notified

[@dathofilms]

sure but all I hear is that "straight out of camera" colors are better on this and that. Sony being the most hated for its straight out of camera look. On the other hand, do not forget that all of the cameras have the ability to shoot 12bit raw and it is more DATA then we would ever need for making a certain look.

[@zoetmoments5625]

I would love to see the Venice, URS 12K LF, PYXIS 6K along side all this other camera and also include the C400 as well. and maybe the Z8 & C80. this will really show what people are really paying for and getting in returning.

[@philipcook6191]

Brilliant, enjoyed the test, the suspense, the drama. Well done!

[@dannypassion]

Thanks Tom. So happy to see that either of these caneras cab get the job done

[@Thaddeuspryor]

This was Awesome Tom

[@markojenicfilm]

Well done Tom, brilliant test. I am currently editing a comparison video comparing the Cooke Mini S4 75mm VS Sony GM 85mm. Essentially how a $1,799.99 lens goes up against a $7,650.00 lens on a corporate set. Sony have been brilliant in recent years.

[@TomAntos]

Let me know when you post your lens test. Id love to see it.

[@Triflixfilms]

Said it in the first video and still stand by it: 1. Cam B - Alexa 35 NO CONTEST! 2. Cam C - Sony FX6 / E - Zcam (Very different looks, but both clean images) 3. Cam D - Red Raptor 4. Cam A - Komodo X Please include the Ronin 4D next time if possible.

[@TomAntos]

Great guess. Yes I want to do another test with different cameras including the Ronin 4D

[@DuffTV]

Hello C70

[@rectangulardots]

Hey there, thanks for the test! Would you mind sharing maybe some 16-bit tif stills in their respective native log format for at least the total view of the room? The most interesting part for me would be to be able to test how much is possible in post. I mean especially the guys skin color unfortunately is only rendered in a pleasing way by the Alexa imo. Would love to see, how well the others could be fixed. Cheers

[@rectangulardots]

Not giving up ;)

[@DialloMoore503]

I enjoyed this. Thanks!

[@ubiFire]

Thank you Tom! (Now I have to go and pick on Ketak for not submitting his answers and getting them wrong like the rest of us LOL )

[@TomAntos]

i asked him multiple of times but i guess he was busy

[@DarioBarrosFilmmaker]

would have loved some blackmagic comparison

[@4thwalltvandfilm]

Would love to have seen the new BM 12k Cine LF tested with the new cameras. Maybe in the next test of your "top performers".

[@deminmax]

Tom, what a thriller! Love it! I've got none right :) Alexa looks so easy to colorgrade.

[@orcanimal]

Cameras really don't matter anymore, and haven't for a while now it just took people time to realize it. If you get a good enough camera, whether it's Canon, Sony, or Blackmagic, the differences in image quality compared to Arri and the highest budget stuff is so tiny that even professional cinematographers can't tell the difference 99% of the times. Yes, the higher end cameras are technically better. But really it's such small differences that you can only notice them with a side by side comparison, and even then it's tiny details and not a lot... With the exception of specific filming conditions, such as low light etc, the camera is really not all that important anymore. But watch people comment to tell me how wrong I am etc. It's all cope, folks.

[@DialloMoore503]

You can see the difference on larger screens. Would you put a Canon on a large screen at Regel Cinemas if you can shoot with an ARRI instead?

[@rezaVfx]

Plz test bmpcc cameras for the next video . Very cool video btw ❤

[@Emerald_City_]

Every second of this video betrays a pro behind the script, direction, and camera. What a joy to watch. Now that you've nailed such a success (I'm sure this will get very very many view counts and attention), do the same with the consumer and pro-sumer cameras. And you will receive even more attention. The conclusion left to everyone to draw is so obvious. No more excuse not to go and make great content. Whoever remains at the level of gear discussion, putting off the real work, has missed the mark totally.

[@sidestreetvideoproduction7278]

Very interesting test. I'm glad I own an Arri Alexa. I would like to see how Canon looks.

[@Holtenstein]

Damn, I really like the FX6 and that surprised me.

[@clabart]

Ahaha, I'm the least titled of you who are lucky enough to work with the best of film technology I chose the B... which was the Alexa 35!! 100000€ 😡 I keep my Panasonic and have fun. Post scriptum: why didn't you include Panasonic in the shootout? Does it suck? Good job Tom!

[@TomAntos]

Thank you! I couldn't include all the cameras because of the limited time we had plus we also couldn't arrange for all the cameras at the same time. It is hard enough getting all the people together for these tests every few months. I will do another camera test for sure where I test out the PYXIS and the new Canon and Panasonic cameras.

[@nshea3286]

I got the Raptor and Alexa 35 wrong.. I thought B(Alexa 35) was the Raptor because it wasn't showing any Rolling Shutter. Overall I thought B looked best on the test. E(Z-cam) was the worst with bad rolling shutter and terrible dynamic range. C Obviously was the FX6, with very noisy Blacks in under exposure and Sony's color science (exaggerated reds in skin tones). A(Komodo-x) had no rolling shutter but the Skin Tones were too Green... B(Alexa 35) and D(Raptor) were the best

[@SpLitSecondS_]

Great job guys! If only you included a Blackmagic camera , for example Pixys - that would be the perfect test! Becouse BM is extremely popular/

[@krumyankov3477]

They invited Peter Brook to stage an opera and wrote in the letter, "Our orchestra often plays false, but no one understands this."

[@blackleafweddings2442]

we could have seen the test frames more enlarged than the talking head frames, great and fun review though

[@robin-comments]

Oh boy, Camera C had to be the Alexa. I will refuse to believe it was the Sony FX6.

[@Yupthereitism]

B was obviously the best followed buy c

[@GabrielCalva-se9od]

Oh I was waiting for this, I haven't watch the video yet but I remember I liked camera b and I can't recall if the next in my list was camera c, I will watch again and let's see.

[@dennvision1353]

What original video is this referring to? I really can’t see anything with that tiny window and I think it’s a little strange not to even mention the original creators of the video or post a link to the original video….

[@TebbieBear]

This channel, last week.

[@TomAntos]

All the links are in the description or at the end of the video. Here is the original video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5DUeYJ8bdmEoKM

[@AmvC]

Nice. Got 'em.

[@AmvC]

"buy an FX6" ;)

[@mantaspetrauskas2201]

I was right about Arri Alexa 35 and it was my favorite, so I think Arri Alexa 35 still one of the best camera in the word at least for me.

[@CarlosMartinez-dw5rp]

Me interesa ver más la comparación en grande que sus caras… inviertan ustedes pongan sus caras pequeñas para q opinen y las pruebas pongan a full pantalla

[@McarthurBeard]

I still like the z cam image the rolling shutter don’t bother me doing narrative work I don’t see a reason for me to be whipping the camera like a mad man

[@alzibaba]

Yeah, me too. I think some of this result also comes from using a standard LUT. When you learn how to grade zlog2 well, it transforms the image from what you get in a 709 LUT. I've shot alongside an FX6 user and was surprised that the F6's footage looked so much better. Maybe they just didn't know how to grade their footage...

[@Zack-Hates-Youtube]

I wish you showed us the examples at the beginning and then went through the reactions. I hate to wait till the end to see what everyone is talking about in the video

[@soundofthegardenwatc]

Where’s my magic lantern Canon

[@optimumfilms]

I guessed the Alexa!!!

[@factor3208]

Now I know I’m good. Cause I didn’t guess I was sure and got all right.

[@Yupthereitism]

ran this test with a couple people. everyone chose B being the best and everything else just looked worse

[@BrendanEvan]

Dammit Sony 😅

[@TomAntos]

😃 Sony did really well. I was surprised!

[@nebukadnezzar3578]

Great test, which surely was a lot of work to put together and interesting to watch, definetly! But, what the test setup just doesn't show, imho, is how the cameras handle (extreme) dynamic range, which is one of the most important characteristics of a camera, to me at least. Just have a look at other tests with heavily overblown backgrounds (e.g. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5W1dKydZsmVetksi=9P5rQwKASxJBeT-A&t=1542), the Alexa 35 is a league of its own in that regard ;-)

[@bolatu781]

2 is alexa35

[@wwessex]

I hated B it was worse for me

[@thomastimmann6200]

The tonal value distribution between the surfaces on the Arri is perfect. The statement "almost good" would have cost me the contract with my customers,

[@Chad-Dion]

Pound for Pound that Sony was the best..

[@JJSCTech]

Pound for pound? It did bad with the 3 stops under exposure test. It’s also naturally magenta. Remember, these were just raw (log for Sony and Zcam) conversion to the manufacturer’s version of rec. 709. When it comes to pushing and pulling the colors and exposure of the image, the Sony will fall apart much quicker the ARRI and Red. Sony is best for doc work and one man band gigs. Sony’s Log to rec709 looks the best out of all cameras to me but ARRI is very true to what we were actually seeing live. The Venice is a different beast 😅.

[@dp_zee]

@@JJSCTech i shot a movie A cam was venice.. B cam was fx6.. 100% identical in the grading suite in terms of color

[@Chad-Dion]

@@JJSCTech Pound for pound I said... Comparing a 6k Camera to a 100k PLUS camera... The Sony holds up and is amazing for so many creators to use. The fact that it even comes close to comparing to a 100k camera is just nuts. I would expect a camera like a ARRI to be better.. that is not the point , We all know ARRI is better... the point is you can create amazing works with a camera thats sub 1/10th the price... It should not even be this close to begin with..

[@JJSCTech]

@@dp_zee cool! What’s the name of the video?

[@JJSCTech]

@@Chad-Dion comes close to the ARRI with the rec709 conversion but the ARRI is more neutral. For this test, I liked the Sony’s look because of its saturation and color even though they weren’t accurate. But when it comes to color grading and pushing and pulling the colors and the exposure, slog won’t do so well. It won’t be close to even r3d. If you look at the sweater, you’ll see a lot of the magenta under tones from the Sony. Also, a neutral image will work best when it comes to layering. Just like in audio, when recording, you want your audio to be close to neutral as possible with the least amount of coloring. That way it’s easy to dial in the sound you want. That’s why a schoeps and a u87 is so expensive. They give you more head room to play with in post. Does that mean a rode podmic can’t get the job done? Nope, you can add a lot of plugins to make it sound good but there is a limit.

[@chrisw443]

They look the same. Buy lenses and support gear then buy the camera.

[@robertpaterson5477]

If you a testing cinema cameras why are you lighting a scene like it's on the shopping channel?

[@TomAntos]

@@robertpaterson5477 I disnt light it. We were given a preliminary set and had 30 minutes to get all the shots

[@scott_stevenson]

Okay we all know that cameras don't matter. So lets get into the real test Light A: was the Creamsource Vortex 8 in a DOP choice snapbag Light B: was Arri Skypanel X in 6X6 of un-breached muslin Light C: was Nan Light 900C in a book light Light D: was GodOx Knowled Bi with 1/2 diff Light E: Was Intellitech Mega lightcloth