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40. Vienna coffee houses-Working with the Sony NEX5n f…
2 months ago
Working together with my BBC correspondent Bethany Bell is a cameraman's dream come true. The reason is simple, she lets me do my job....:).
A minute before the new Canon C300 and Nikon D4 are here to lift the picture quality bar, here is our attempt to work with the Sony NEX5n in a "normal short feature for broadcast environment". It is part of our ongoing effort to test different modern working tools.
Lenses: the kit 16mm f/2.8 and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lenses (my decision using those lenses was based on their "off the shelf availability").
Creative style: "Sunset". Settings: contrast -3, saturation -1, sharpness -3.
Format: AVCHD 1080/25
Tripod: Sachtler DV8 SB
Rig: Vocas
Camera bag: Kata FlyBy 76
Audio: Tascam DR-100 recorder, Sennheiser G2 EW100 wireless system, Sanken Lav mic, Cos 11D
Electronic VF: Cineroid Metal HDMI version
Light: Cineroid mini LED light L2C
Editing: Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Neo4k
Color correction: Cineform “FirstLight”
The little Sony is a lot of fun to work with. Its low light capability is very nice and working in even 1600 ISO is a absolutely "worry free". Moiré and aliasing are surly there but after working with the Canon 7d how can I complain...:)
Camera DID NOT warm up and shut off probably due to the fact that I was working with EVF connected and my sequences (even the interviews) did not stress the camera to the limit.
About this short feature:
Vienna's coffee houses are often called the city's "public living rooms". For the price of a hot drink and perhaps a piece of cake, customers can come and spend the day, just relaxing with friends or reading the newspaper.
Often housed in beautifully grand and ornate buildings, coffee houses are so much a part of the fabric of the Austrian capital that Unesco recently included them on their list of intangible cultural heritage - describing them as places "where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill."
Bethany Bell went along to Vienna's Cafe Weimar and Cafe Diglas to find out more.
Music: Karl Minarik
The BBC Close-up series focuses on aspects of life in countries and cities around the world. What may seem ordinary and familiar to the people who live there can be surprising to those who do not. conditions. bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16538189
A minute before the new Canon C300 and Nikon D4 are here to lift the picture quality bar, here is our attempt to work with the Sony NEX5n in a "normal short feature for broadcast environment". It is part of our ongoing effort to test different modern working tools.
Lenses: the kit 16mm f/2.8 and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lenses (my decision using those lenses was based on their "off the shelf availability").
Creative style: "Sunset". Settings: contrast -3, saturation -1, sharpness -3.
Format: AVCHD 1080/25
Tripod: Sachtler DV8 SB
Rig: Vocas
Camera bag: Kata FlyBy 76
Audio: Tascam DR-100 recorder, Sennheiser G2 EW100 wireless system, Sanken Lav mic, Cos 11D
Electronic VF: Cineroid Metal HDMI version
Light: Cineroid mini LED light L2C
Editing: Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Neo4k
Color correction: Cineform “FirstLight”
The little Sony is a lot of fun to work with. Its low light capability is very nice and working in even 1600 ISO is a absolutely "worry free". Moiré and aliasing are surly there but after working with the Canon 7d how can I complain...:)
Camera DID NOT warm up and shut off probably due to the fact that I was working with EVF connected and my sequences (even the interviews) did not stress the camera to the limit.
About this short feature:
Vienna's coffee houses are often called the city's "public living rooms". For the price of a hot drink and perhaps a piece of cake, customers can come and spend the day, just relaxing with friends or reading the newspaper.
Often housed in beautifully grand and ornate buildings, coffee houses are so much a part of the fabric of the Austrian capital that Unesco recently included them on their list of intangible cultural heritage - describing them as places "where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill."
Bethany Bell went along to Vienna's Cafe Weimar and Cafe Diglas to find out more.
Music: Karl Minarik
The BBC Close-up series focuses on aspects of life in countries and cities around the world. What may seem ordinary and familiar to the people who live there can be surprising to those who do not. conditions. bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16538189
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Johnnie BehiriCamera work and picture editing -
Bethany BellCorrespondent
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Sahatorn Thaitham4 hours ago -
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Kentaro1 week ago
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Leib Kurilczyk1 week ago -
Markko Cruz1 week ago -
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Al Rikaby2 weeks ago
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William Blucher2 weeks ago -
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Michael Berry2 weeks ago
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In all seriousness though it's great to see people embracing camera's like this and proving that they're more than up to the job if being used correctly in the right hands. Chapeau Johnnie!
Do they have issues? Yes! But for Christ's sake, it is absolutely stunning what can be achieved with these cameras.
I love my NEX-5N too and have yet to do something as impressive as you with it. It is a fiddly bastard, but you proved with an impressive piece that one can make it work!
Funny enough, I'll have my short documentary about Viennese coffee culture ready soon too, the one I did for Österreich Werbung. Very similar images, different coffee houses, shot mostly on the FS100 - striking resemblance in the general look!!
Nino my dear friend. You are too generous with word!. (no worries I will give you your zoom rocker back)...:)
Hope to meet again soon. I am happy you are a very busy man those days! Take care my friend.
Johnnie
I have to come out loud and clear. The NEX5n (or any other HDSLR for that matter) was never approved by the BBC as a "certified broadcast camera" Nevertheless, in the on going changes in our media world where budget and personal must be taken into consideration, there is always a need for an alternative tool(s) to support and do the job. Luckily the BBC is not ignoring the technical changes and as such there is some freedom to "explore, report from the field and share the experience" with other colleagues.
Imagine...What you see here with the NEX5n can easily be translated to a remote place anywhere in the world....
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Appreciated!
Johnnie
Johnnie
Thank you for taking the time watching the video and commenting!
Johnnie
A quality piece of work on the NEX5. I love the fact you are pushing the limits on smaller compact, dare I say it "consumer" cameras and showing they can hold up to broadcast quality work.
Certainly as a lover of coffee you've convinced me I should visit Vienna! And Bethany's pronunciation of "melange" was spot on :o)
When ever you come, first coffee and dinner in Vienna are on me.
Take care and hope to meet again soon.
Johnnie
Thank you!
Indeed it is a lovely place here.
All the best.
Johnnie
Congratulations for your work Johnnie.
Now, try the settings I posted. The "low res view before pressing rec" is still there (and extremely annoying especially in low light conditions) but the colors will not shift so badly. It is almost "what you see is what you get".
Thank you!
Johnnie
Good luck with your projects
Been there too long a go. Hope a future project will some day bring me back.
Thanks!
Johnnie
Thank you!
Looking forward seeing your coffee film too. Please share when ready.
Johnnie
Thanks for watching the video and commenting.
Appreciated!!
Johnnie
I love the pacing, lighting & overall feel of the piece.
What camera one uses is starting to be less important then WHO is using it, which brings us back to story telling instead of gear obsession...
Bethany is fun to watch :)
I want to visit Vienna even more now :)
Do you ever sleep??? Seems like you are a 24/7 person...
If ever in Vienna, be ready for the coffee houses tour!.
Hug.
Johnnie
I think it would have been great to have a little more factual info in this piece. What about the history of Viennese café society - Kafka et al? Isn't there a particular gesture from the waiter that implies that one can actually stay in a coffee house as long as you like (something to do with the position of the spoon when the coffee is served)? What about the live music?
Possibly the style of BBC Close-up is brief and superficial - but I found this piece overly reverential and short on facts (as inferred in above paragraph). For one thing, saying 'everyone in Vienna will have their own favourite coffee house' suggests that the Viennese population is one homogenous entity - which it's not. Not everyone has their favourite. Some people don't go to coffee houses. 'Everyone in Vienna' is an overstatement.
Also - I'm not convinced that Viennese coffee houses are superior to coffee houses / cafés in Italy, France, Denmark, Sweden. Each of these countries has a long tradition in making coffee and serving it in prestigious, comfortable environments, and allowing customers to sit as long as they like. This rather blinkered view of Vienna coffee houses reminds me of the way Vienna presents itself in tourist brochures as 'world capital of music' - which it's not either.
As to the 'cinematography' - it's ok, nothing special though to be frank (I realise people tend to dislike honest critique on Vimeo but such is life) . I think the first shot is far too wide. The cutaway during the interview about Stammgäste doesn't quite fit - you hear the guy's voice but see his mouth moving - would work fine if you couldn't see his mouth.
Also thank you being honest. This is the only way I can ever get better.
By the way. nice video!:vimeo.com/31591022
All the best.
Johnnie
Keep it up!
I also use similar settings as you...can I ask do you keep the shutter speed at 1/50 when shooting at 25p and shoot in manual mode?
To answer your question, yes!....
Thank you!
Johnnie
I use manual mode, using the portrait profile (too lazy to manual change the WB all the time using the sunset profile!) and set contrast and Sharpness down to -3 and Saturation at 0.
How do you maintain your settings in bright daylight?..do you change the aperture to let less light in or do you like to keep a shallow DOF and use an ND filter instead?
Controlling the light is always done by changing aperture or adding ND filters. It is really depends on your ("artistic") needs
I find with the 18-55 lens and the shutter fixed at 1/50 you are stuck with having to have the aperture wide open at 3.5 to get as much available light in as possible in low light situations.
This gives some nice shallow DOF but also a thin focus plane which is not ideal for manual focusing.
I find myself with this lens changing the ISO more often than the Aperture to allow more light in in dimly lit situations.
-True, it is a slow lens.
-Practice....:)
-Can be, because it is a slow lens
Thank you!!
Johnnie
What focus method did you use? Did you rely on the auto focus to hunt for the correct focus point or did you use manual focus?
Cheers.
Johnnie
Yes, it is very usable....
There is also an "automatic magnification" settings (forgot the real name)...so when you touch the focus ring in will enlarge your picture. If you are quick to manually focus and want the "normal" picture again, just press the camera shutter release half way.
Then Vienna is the right place for you!
Cheers.
Johnnie
I think I'll go to my kitchen now and make some coffee.
Thank you William for watching and commenting.
Johnnie
Thank you.
Johnnie
emphasis the quality of a professional work.
Thanks for posting.
Maybe we'll do an organized photography coffee tour...
OK, you pick up the people and I will organize the rest from my end. It seems like the beginning of The CoffeeCakePhotography association....
Yes. Bethany and each person being interviewed had a Lav mic on them connected to an external audio recorder (the Tascam DR100 which I really don't like since it has very noisy pre amplifiers).
Hope it helps.
Thank you!
Johnnie
Looks great man
is there a reason you chose to flatten the style for 'Sunset' rather then 'portrait'?
portrait seems to give me a much better flatter image
besides the boring question, great work man
Ive also been rocking the Nex5n
vimeo.com/33930450
(mostly shot on 5n)
password is hello123
"Sunset" with the settings above is giving me a close idea of how the picture will look like after hitting the rec button. In all other setting the gamma change is so big that it "makes me crazy"....
Thanks!
Johnnie
What I like at the BBC (besides the great programs) are the people I get the chance to work with. It is a huge organization nevertheless the people are very professional, generous and whiling to help.
I feel fortunate!
Thanks.
Johnnie
I got a bunch of them and they are all good. Had no problem with "class 4" and up
Thank you!
Johnnie
As a fake Austrian I can hardly say. Danke....
When you are next time in Vienna please make a contact. It will be great to finally meet.
Thank you!
Johnnie
One question; in your interview with the cafe owner (from 1:10-1:33), the colors seem a bit cool. Or am I mistaken? Did you use auto white balance? On my 5N I keep white balance in the custom menu for quick access.
All in all, great piece! I'd like to see it with lower thirds and BBC logo for the full effect.
True, colors are a bit cool. Never auto WB....
Me too have a custom button for a quick WB access.
My decision to make the color a bit cooler was done in editing...
Thank you!
Johnnie
As always, it is not really the equipment but the operator that makes a good shot.
Well done, Sir.
Johnnie
A lot of footage had the subject underexposed (I guess this was probably done to avoid blowing out the highlights outdoors the windows too much, but it doesn't look good : the highlights are still blownout AND the subject is underexposed. Should've gone for either one).
Something went wrong with the white balance too ... there's a blueish cast/tint on a lot of footage; Check 1:11 for instance or especially 1:22. It makes the café look a lot less inviting than would've been the case with a warmer tone/grading. Perfectly possible with any 3 way colour corrector to keep the skintones intact and at the same time remove that cold blue tint.
The way the host and interviewees were lit : could've been better (a soft box on your LED light to make it less harsh and flat, as it is now it's far from flattering).
This camera is capable of much better results. I've used it indoors for a couple of hours last week, with a Canon FD 1.4 and a Sigma FD 24 2.8.
First, I truly appreciate the time you took to seat, watch the report then comment about it!.
I am not sure we are watching the same video since to my eye the footage is not underexposed by hey, maybe I need a new monitor or wait for the Ipad 3...)
It is sometimes hard to explain, but the editorial request was to keep an absolute "low profile" in those places. Yes we were welcome, but kindly asked not disturb the working routine. And the guests? who likes to be filmed eating or drinking...)
Also, don't let Bethany's smiling relaxed face to fool you (she is a real pro)!, we spent very little time in those places. Indeed there was time pressure.
My decision was to stick to anything (color temperature wise) that can give me "proper" skin tones and then enhance/change it with CC in post. Btw, the CC process did blew up some highlights. The original is a bit better and has warmer cast.
The "blueish cast" was my decision and I stand behind it.
I am truly happy you are mastering the 5n and able to get better results. I have seen some of your footage in Vimeo and we have a totally "different eye" and editing/CC workflow buy hey, that's what make the all experience more interesting!.
Thanks again and looking forward seeing some of your 5n footage.
Johnnie
Johnnie
Thank you mataikan
MFT doesn't really interest me, build quality/menus on GH2 seem yuck & prob be GH3 later this year. & 5d mk3 announcement soon no doubt...
With 5n I think I'll mainly use adapted manual focus lenses, but might grab the 18-55 kit lens if I need AF in for stills for some reason. Hope Birger release a Canon lens adapter soon with aperture control..
Thank you for taking the time watching the video and commenting!
Forget Birger...Try and put your hands on one of those:
dslrnewsshooter.com/2012/01/20/conurus-and-metabones-launch-399-canon-ef-to-sony-nex-smart-adapter/
Thanks!
Johnnie
and it looks like it has a glass element which is a bit disturbing, would have to see tests i guess. IS on EF lenses would be huge
pretty impressive AF and OSS for video...in P mode!
vimeo.com/37024215
if only it wasn't 50mm