The Lowdown on Large Sensors: Shooting with Sony's PMW-F3 Camera

The Sony PMW-F3 breaks new ground in the ever-growing large-sensor camera marketplace. An admission to my readers: I was one of several journalists present when Sony rolled out the camera in the fall of 2010. Rather than waiting for a loaner camera, I bought an F3 just prior to writing this evaluation. I will evaluate the F3 on the basis of why I decided the camera was right for me as well as what I have observed both from initial use and experiences with it prior to my retail purchase.

Sony bases the camera around an Exmor Super 35mm equivalent CMOS sensor in a camera configuration similar to that of the EX series. I own a PMW-EX1 and have owned an EX3, making the transition to the F3 much more transparent. But the F3 is much more than simply the EX series with a larger sensor.

The Super 35mm CMOS sensor contained within the F3 measures 23.6mm x 13.3mm. By comparison, the image size of a 3-perf Super 35mm film frame is 24.9mm x 14mm. Sony's sensor represents effectively 95 percent of the image size of the 3-perf.

In yet another comparison, the Canon 7D/60D/T2i/T3i APS-C sensors measure 22.3mm x 12.5mm, or 90 percent of the Super 35 film image area.

Finally, the full-frame sensor in the Canon EOS 5D measures 36mm x 20.3mm, or 145 percent of film. (Thank you to Mitch Gross of AbelCine for these metrics.)

The nature of the Exmor sensor and Sony's back-end processing gives the camera a distinct advantage over the similarly-sized DSLR sensor. DSLR sensors image in multiple megapixel resolutions since they were intended to create sharp enlargements of images. When trying to write the data to video, however, they need to skip lines because they are unable to process that much data that quickly. The result is the potential for aliasing and so-called "Jell-O-vision."

The larger photo sites of the Exmor Super 35 sensor and lower megapixel resolution (estimated around 3.4 megapixels) means the processor does not need to skip lines, thereby reducing the appearance of aliasing. All CMOS chips will be subject to flash banding to some degree and to the Jell-O-vision rolling shutter defects. The F3 is far less susceptible to those defects, however, than DSLRs.

But does that justify the exponential price jump between the DSLR and the F3? After all, a skillful DSLR shooter can minimize aliasing and other unpleasant effects simply through proper setup and shooting techniques.

In my mind, the F3 represents another tool in a shooter's arsenal. One should not wonder, "Is the F3 better than a DSLR?" without considering the circumstances. All tools have their purposes. I place the F3 as a primary production camera for indie film or documentary, or as a very worthy B-camera or second unit for productions involving larger cameras such as the ARRI Alexa, Sony F35 or soon the Sony F65. Alternatively, DSLRs might integrate very well into F3 production streams. In fact, my strategy is to own and shoot DSLR, Sony EX1 and Sony F3 to cover a wide range of production scenarios.

It's a boxy camera, well distributed and with a very secure, non-plastic feel. Just a small point: while the EX series of cameras has a one-pole external power adapter, the F3 uses a 4-pin locking XLR connector. Controls are placed similarly to the Sony EX series, but with eight user-configurable buttons scattered around the camera. The hand grip has a zoom rocker that up to this point does absolutely nothing; however, Sony showed under glass at NAB 2011 and announced at IBC 2011 an 18-252mm zoom lens that will have servo control (estimated price around $12,000).

The camera ships with a small stereo shotgun mic that connects to two XLRs on the front of the camera, in a very similar position to those on the EX cameras. Alas, the microphone mount is just as flimsy as on the EX cameras, but I consider this the only low point in the physical construction of the camera. The on-board LCD screen is virtually the same as on the EX, and the rear eyepiece is, well, virtually useless. I'm just putting an eye patch over mine.

The I/O options, though, are part of what makes this camera shine. First of all, at the top of the camera rear are two SDI ports that can be configured for Dual Link HD-SDI, 3G HD-SDI or even a single 1.5G SDI output. There is also a common SDI output, HDMI, timecode in/out, genlock, USB 2.0, FireWire and video out (delivering a luminance signal). Two SxS slots are in the rear of the camera, as is a sturdy on/off switch. Numerous mounting options are on the bottom and top of the camera, but I, like many users, have chosen to use a third-party cheeseplate for accessory mounting. (See The Well Dressed Sony PMW-F3, below.)

The F3 ships with a removable PL-mount adapter and may be purchased either without glass or with three Sony prime lenses in 35mm, 50mm and 85mm T2 configurations. Sony does not specify the lens manufacturer, but one can speculate on the basis of Sony's acquisition of Minolta. The three lenses add just under $6,000 to the price and are definitely a bargain in the high-priced world of cine lenses.

At first glance, the lenses are large and of plastic construction. Optically, however, they are adequate and deliver images suitable for many applications. Sony has not announced or even hinted at plans for additional prime lenses, meaning that shooters who rely on a collection of primes really need additional focal lengths to create a full set. At IBC 2011, Sony announced zoom lenses in both 11-16mm and 18-252mm lengths, the latter being controlled by the zoom. Both lenses, by the way, will be the native F3 mount, requiring the simple removal of the PL adapter.

The F3's PL mount will accept any PL-mount lens available. As an added bonus, it has electronics and camera menu options for either ARRI or Cooke standard electronics. Thus, it will transfer all metadata from the lens to the camera. I opted to purchase a RED 18-50mm T3 zoom lens and found a used Russian Lomo 37-140mm T4.5 lens in PL mount. I plan to rent high-quality lenses such as Zeiss, Cooke, Schneider or Angenieux when I need them.

Numerous third-party adapters are available. I opted for the MTF F3 to Nikon adapter (about $435), allowing me to use any Nikon-mount lens. Other Nikon adapters are available from Optitek, P+S Technik and Adaptimax. I continue to add to my Nikon-mount collection.

With a published S/N ratio of 63dB, the F3 is virtually noiseless even when pushed to +18dB gain. That's about ISO 3200, but with variations in available gamma curves, that's not a particularly meaningful statistic. But use a super-fast lens at maximum gain and this camera practically sees in the dark, with very little noise.

The F3 allows the user to store up to 10 picture profiles, and it is here, through the strong ability to paint the camera, that its true versatility comes through. Yes, you can shoot it with picture profiles off, but what a waste. Take some time to learn to paint the camera. I have loaded my camera with a wonderful series of picture profiles available as a free download from AbelCine. I use them as a starting point in various situations.

When in standard gamma modes, the F3 can shoot in up to four gamma modes, five preset matrix modes (including an F35 Rec. 709-like matrix to match with F35 cameras) and other knee, detail, skin tone and detail modes. The four CineGamma modes disable knee functions (understandable) and provide curves suitable for interior/exterior and contrast/highlight shooting needs.

Combine the gamma ability with the camera's native imager and post processing and you can achieve virtually an 11-stop dynamic range. But there is more. Add the S-Log and 4:4:4 option ($4,400 list, about $3,700 street) and the camera can shoot with an S-Log gamma curve to either 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 RGB external recorders to give up to 14 stops of dynamic range. The S-Log key includes several LUTs for preview or even baking into the output if desired. Most users would record sans LUT and take an output from the camera to which LUT has been applied for either immediate monitoring or rushes. Fortunately, rental houses have the S-Log unlock key available for rent.

The camera records XDCAM EX 35Mb/s 4:2:0 images to SxS cards. While those images can look terrific and could be useful depending on the deliverable, most users will choose to output to one of the myriad external devices either currently available or en route to market. I agree with Sony's recording to 35Mb/s XDCAM to avoid adding cost to the camera. A camera like this is best decked out according to the user's needs and specifications. This versatility is part of its strength.

The F3 does have one little Sony omission—an omission that troubles me across a great deal of the Sony product line. In addition to configurable zebras, its only other metric is a histogram. I much prefer a waveform monitor for setting exposure, and my fondest wish is that Sony includes a WFM in some future firmware update.

The Sony EX cameras have shown some tendency to near-IR contamination, turning some blacks into washed out browns. This occurs usually only under indoor lighting and only with certain black fabrics. In one test, I noticed a slight browning of blacks—nothing like what I saw with my Sony EX1 (a problem Sony acknowledged by introducing the EX1R), but enough to force me to order the Tiffen T1 IR filter in a 4x5.65 size.

Versatility, configurability, image quality, and good value for what this camera delivers—these factors combine to make the PMW-F3 the optimal large-sensor camera for mid-range to even high-end production work.

	Ned's F3 configuration

The Well Dressed Sony PMW-F3
You can configure the F3 to your heart's content.

I added a Berkey System Sony F3 Top Mount Accessory Cheese Plate ($225) with a ton of 1/4-20 and 3/8 holes, mounted securely to the camera.

I already owned the Zacuto Universal Baseplate ($560) and mini follow focus but added the Zacuto Shoulder Pad ($250) for handheld use. And to stabilize the camera for handheld use, I am using the EngRig from DVTEC ($363).

Also from Zacuto is my Z-Finder EVF Pro electronic viewfinder ($1,000) with the cheeseplate mounting option ($30). It connects via USB to camera or recording device. Among its great features it has false color to assist in setting exposure.

I take the output of the F3 to the Convergent Design nanoFlash ($2,895) or uncompressed 4:2:2 to the Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle ($345). I'm currently testing a ProRes device, the Fast Forward Video sideKick HD ($2,500), and have test devices from Atomos and Sound Devices coming for future reviews.

On order is the OConnor O-Box mattebox system ($1,190) and a Tiffen T1 IR filter.

Yes, the F3 says "dress me up."

Sony PMW-F3

SCORE:

PROS: Compact form factor. Solid construction. Low noise. Wide dynamic range. Wide range of lens options. Configurability. Image quality.

CONS: Pricey S-Log option. No waveform monitor or vectorscope. Flimsy mic mount. Limited susceptibility to near-IR contamination. Requires external recording device for 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 video.

BOTTOM LINE: A game-changing camera that raises the level of quality for both indie and high-budget production.

MSRP: Sony PMW-F3L (no lenses) $16,800, Sony PMW-F3K (with three prime lenses) $24,150, Sony SBKRGB01 S-Log and Dual Link 4:4:4 Key $4,400

ONLINE: pro.sony.com