BSC Film and Digital Image Evaluation 2009 July 11, 2009
Posted by joost in : cinematography, film, london , comments closedLast Wednesday I attended the British Society of Cinematographers Film and Digital Image Evaluation 2009. It is the second time this event took place, the first time was in 2007. Back then it started in an attempt to create an overview of the new professional HD cameras and to compare their images to those made by film cameras. This field is changing rapidly so a new comparison was definitely in order.
At the start of this year they made a special set at Pinewood to shoot day and night interiors, lit in such a way that it really pushed the capabilities of the cameras. Then they put every camera on a motion controlled rig and shot the scene. For the day exterior they built this insane rig where all the 19 cameras were shooting the same scene, to make sure that the conditions were exactly the same.
BSC camera rig (front)
BSC camera rig (back)
On the top row are four ARRIFLEX 435 and four 416 cameras, each loaded with a different film stock (Kodak 200T, Kodak 500T, Fuji 250T, Fuji 500T for the 35mm and 16mm cameras).
The digital cameras in the test range from expensive high-end digital film cameras to low-budget digital cameras: Panavision Genesis, ARRI D-21, Red One, Sony CineAlta F35, Silicon Imaging 2k (SI-2K), Sony HDW-F900R, Thomson Viper, Panasonic 3700, Sony EX3, Panasonic HVX 201 and the Canon EOS 5D stills Camera.
Purpose of the evaluation was not so much to reach a conclusion of “this is the best camera”, but more to show the capabilities of each camera under the same circumstances, and to show how the resulting images differ. Some cameras have difficulties showing details in shadowy underexposed parts of a frame, others display human skintone differently, etc.
It’s kind of like comparing cars: they can all drive, but you have to find the camera that suits you, that performs well in the circumstances you plan to use it, and last but not least falls within your budget.
The BSC spent several months digitizing and exporting all the footage in such a way that they could objectively compare the results (in .DPX format, and then calibrating the material using greyscales and Macbeth charts).
The event consisted of showing all the test footage from all the cameras. Each scene (day int, night int, day ext) was shown 19 times, one time for each different camera, after which footage was compared using a split screen. Each segment was followed by a Q&A and debate with the people in the crowd – plenty of BSC members of course but also producers, editors, colorists, make-up, costume, …
When we broke for lunch, my eyes felt strained from the intense staring at the screen! You try to pay attention to minute differences between the images, looking at the colour of the costumes, set, skintone, how the camera deals with extreme highlights or darkness, how crisp or noisy the image is, and how much it resembles what your human eye thinks it sees in real life.
During the second half of the day the audience became more vocal in voicing their opinions. Quotes like “you have to choose the right tool for the job” are not really that interesting to me, I mean, you are doing such a comparison for a reason, so let’s talk about the striking differences or about first-hand experiences proving something else than now shown on screen. The footage shot by the SI-2K camera for instance looked quite flat and over-saturated to a lot of people in the crowd, but this is the same camera that was used to shoot parts of Slumdog Millionaire and that footage looks incredible! The debate that ensued was quite insightful, and it made me realize that I should consider myself lucky that I have such a techy background – you could clearly see an older generation of cinematographers struggle with all the technical (digital) facets.
Some expressed their worry over, when shooting with digital cameras, not having control over the steps that take place after digital capture – but at the same time they are still held accountable for what the material looks like.
The day ended with a tribute to Jack Cardiff – a legendary cinematographer who was in the business for over 70 years (!) and who died last April. It’s symbolic for the nature (and class) of the BSC; they really are a tightlyknit group of people who are passionate and very serious about their work, and they respect and honour the work of their peers.
An event like this evaluation helps to create some clarity and also to cause debate at the same time regarding the wide variety of cameras available nowadays and that can only be a good thing.
Update: behind the scenes video.