By site editor Dan Chung
The first part of the long awaited documentary about the Zacuto Revenge of the Great Camera Shootout is now online. The shootout compares images from eight digital cinema cameras and was administered by revered cinematographer Bruce Logan ASC. Top industry DPs who regularly use one of the cameras in the test were invited to film three different scenes using their chosen camera and try to achieve optimal results. Viewers of the documentary are then given an opportunity to look at the resulting images without being told which shot is by which camera. You can then form your own opinion as to which cameras fare best.
Bruce said – “the Zacuto test that I was asked to administer is unshamedly a shootout. It was thus necessary for us to create the most level-playing field possible. I think the test we devised did just that. It created a series of three shots with myriad challenges for each and every camera. Each camera was put through exactly the same tests, was shot at a T Stop, and approved by the camera DPs and the manufacturers when participating. All of the cameras used 4k-rated zoom lenses to compensate for sensor size. The DPs were then given the opportunity to relight the set under strict perimeters to get the very best out of their cameras. The data from each camera was ‘imported’ into Baselight at native resolutions and color-corrected to look as closely as possible to the original set. The resultant TIFF files were then resized on the Baselight and the resulting TIFF sequence was used to produce a 2K DCP package in JPEG 2000. I am excited to view the results of this very fair test.”
The cameras involved, and the respective Master Cinematographers, are:
1. ARRI Alexa – Rodney Charters, ASC
2. Canon EOS C300 – Polly Morgan
3. Canon EOS 7D with Technicolor Settings – Michael Negrin, ASC
4. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 (hacked & non-hacked) – Jonny Zeller & Colt Seman
5. RED Epic – Ryan Walters
6. Sony PMW-F3 with S-Log – Nancy Schreiber, ASC
7. Sony F65 – Sony Appointed Representatives
8. Sony NEX-FS100 – Den Lennie & Mick Jones
The second and third parts of the documentary will be put online on the 15th of July and August respectively. In total the beautifully produced documentary will run to 90 minutes.
Zacuto have been holding several cinema screenings of the whole documentary around the World and if you are lucky enough to be attending BroadcastAsia at Suntec in Singapore this week then there will be two screening run by Cathay Photo which I will be hosting.
Screening times are: 19 June 2012 (Tues) – 11am to 12.30pm and 20 June 2012 (Wed) – 3.30pm to 5pm. If you wish to attend please register in advance here.
