Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/47583
Digital Cameras & Post The AF100 shoots the old standard and reliable AVCHD files.The micro four-thirds sensor delivers imagery on par with the Canon 7D, but it does so without compromising on the meat and potatoes features of a standard video camera. Panasonic's lenses offer adequate auto focus, a real plus for those who actually use it.However, Panasonic makes mounts for virtually all lenses, including PL mount lenses.You won't find any features that will rock the world of post production in this camera, but with the AVCHD file format, you will be pressed to find an NLE that doesn't already support it. SONY F3 The newest member of Sony's CineAlta line-up, the PMW-F3 has a fine lineage of high-end digital cinematography thanks to its predecessor, the Sony F35. It also has most of the features and file-based workflow capabilities of EX1 and EX3 camcorders. The F3 is equipped with the new Exmor Super 35 CMOS image sensor, PL lens mount and SxS card for 1920x1080 full-HD recording. Sony offers two models of the F3: one without lenses and one with three PL lenses (35/50/85-mm, T2.0).The F3 features RGB 4:4:4 baseband output with S-Log gamma for external recording, which means it can be used in an HDCAM-SR workflow. It also offers a 3D-link option allowing it to be con- trolled simultaneously for 3D stereoscopic shooting. Recently, Sony has made an upgrade for the F3 available, which greatly increases dynamic range and brings along with it LUT (look up tables) options that can also be recorded over HD-SDI. S-Log gives much greater flexibility in post, though exactly how Panasonic's AF100 shoots in the AVCHD file format, which most NLEs support. much remains to be seen.Without the firmware up- grade, the F3 gets 11.5 stops. User-defined LUT (created by the CVP file editor) can be stored by using an SxS card.The LUT can be used for offline editing with SxS recorded content.The upgrade also enables you to transfer user-defined LUT from one camera to another for ease of set up. CANON EOS Although Canon has greatly expanded the EOS line to include a variety of new cameras that offer HD video, currently the 5D Mark II is still the only one that packs the full frame sensor.The VistaVision sensor is what launched this consumer still camera into the realm of cinema cameras that weigh in at over 20 times the cost. Although there's no official news on a 5D Mark III at the present time, according to Chuck Westfall, technical adviser at Canon, there are some advances that have affected both shooters and post pros.A new plug-in developed for Final Cut Pro allows you to use the Log and Transfer function to edit movies captured with the EOS cameras.Westfall had this to say about the plug-in,"If you're doing a multi-camera production or you just want to set up your files in a way that's best for your project, you place your files wherever they should be and then you point the plug-in wherever they are and get them into the system and drop them into the timeline." Additionally, a new picture style app has been re- leased that greatly enhances the color grading process.The Technicolor CineStyle is a picture style for Canon EOS DSLR cameras that optimizes the dynamic range in the image by leveraging the capa-