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Intercutting HPX170 & EX3 – Continuity
Hi,
Has anyone used the HPX170 and Sony EX3 as an A camera and B camera in an interview set up? Do they match as far as the look goes (aside from some minor color correction)?
I’d be shooting them side by side, in an MS and a CU. I’m going for a feeling of continuity, rather than going for a cutty multi-format style where one camera may be in a “normal” frontal MS or CU, and the 2nd camera may be at a totally different angle and might be stylized in some way.
I’m also curious if anyone here has had experience intercutting an HPX170 with a DSLR, in the same style as above.
I know that one method would be to back up and zoom in all the way on the HPX170 and use it for the CU, and then use the DSLR for the MS, but I don’t know if I’ll have enough physical space to backup far enough for the full zoom. Could the HPX at about Z50 pass as an MS alongside the DSLR, which would shoot the CU on a medium lens?
thanks!
Isaac
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4 Replies
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[Isaac Brillant] “Has anyone used the HPX170 and Sony EX3 as an A camera and B camera in an interview set up?”
Yes. Not fun.
[Isaac Brillant] “Do they match as far as the look goes (aside from some minor color correction)? “
EX3 is sharper…better lens. Also deals with low light slightly better. There are big differences in the looks of these two cameras. Not only color temperature, which you can get close by white balancing them, but the gamma and color saturation is different. Even pro camera ops will be challenged to get these to match. A good colorist would help, but the detail difference in both cameras will be noticeable
[Isaac Brillant] “I’m also curious if anyone here has had experience intercutting an HPX170 with a DSLR, in the same style as above. “
Also a vast difference. The DSLR will have a better lens, greater depth of field…different color look. And no professional tweakablity to it.
BUT, shoot tests. Look for yourself. ALWAYS shoot tests with the cameras you want to use to see what they will look like.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
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I know money is such a factor in everything that we do but you have to ask yourself is how much time is the rental of another 170 or ex3 worth. I would choose the one you like better and rent another one to match. Both of these cameras rent for about $100-150/day.
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Thanks for the feedback guys. So I’m either going to use an HPX with an HVX or another HPX, Or i’ll use 2 DSLRs. I’m going to do a test this week too.
Thanks!
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Isaac:
I have a client who owns the EX1s, I shoot with them often and they essentially look the same as the EX3. I own the HPX170. IMHO, you will never, ever match the two in the way you are attempting. EX3 is much sharper, different colorimetry, gamma, matrix, knee. I agree with the other advice, if you want them to match, rent another of either.
I am shooting a long term doc with my HPX170 and my 5D MKII in interviews. Same issue, they will never match in a million years. Luckily I am going for the mixed media look and will usually be using one or the other in a given interview, even though I am rolling both side by side.
If you want low end cameras to match, using identical models is just a starting point, even two HPX170s or EX3s setup identically will never match perfectly although the texture and general feel will be the same. It is amazing how different even two of the same models adjusted with the same settings can look.
With pro cameras with CCUs, you hire an engineer to paint the cameras to match each other and you can nail them to each other. But with low end cameras, not going to happen usually.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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