Sony FS7 MK II and SELP18-110mm F4 Servo Zoom
Award-winning DoP Jeremy Humphries has run a number of training courses for Visual Impact but this time we wanted him to explain from a cameramen’s perspective just what makes the Sony FS7 MK II and SELP18-110mm F4 Servo Zoom combination so special.
Flexibility, that’s the key word when I am filming nowadays. The fact is we have so much choice - cameras and lenses - that any wrong choice can lead to compromising our roles as camera operators. Whether I am shooting my obs docs, interviews or location GV’s of this beautiful house in the photos, I need a lens and camera combination that gives me the versatility to concentrate on the story, whatever scenario I am in.
The Sony 18-110mm is light, small and combined with the camera, is a compact unit. Tracking down the beautiful covered walkway in the photo, I can move without being hindered by the gear: get down for a low angle, tilt up – the balance of camera on shoulder is equaled by the long and adjustable handgrip. I can concentrate on the story.
The camera and lens fits snugly on my knee and it’s inconspicuous. I’ve got small hands! But with the fingers of one hand I can still operate focus (I shot some slick, sharp focus pulls), zoom and iris. And talking of iris, at last! We now have an aperture that can be controlled smoothly on the lens, or via the hand grip or iris wheel on the side of the camera. But the Vari ND on the FS7 MK II numbers the days of the stop pull! You can see me tracking into the Orangery. I maintained F4 and my depth of field, by changing the iris wheel - set to ND - and so controlled exposure by changing the ND factor, not the aperture. This is a new one on me, always stop pulled up to now, but with a Super 35mm sensored camera, keeping depth of field consistent is useful and I shall be using this again.
The frustration of using ‘stills’ lenses on your camera can be compounded by having so little focal length range! The benefit of the 18mm allows me to shoot my obs docs and GV’s - but having a 110mm on the same lens, means I can crash in and get my cutaways. In the photo, resting on the ground, I’m on a 110mm to get a shot of a folly at the end of the garden - quickly done while I had the light. This focal range means I can be far more diverse in terms of the shots I can offer - I am not forever swopping the lens. It’s that flexibility again. And while on the subject of being off the tripod, the green horizontal level indicator in the viewfinder is invaluable. Why has no one done that before?
New toys: I like the power zoom switch – don’t zoom a lot in my films, but when I do, I want the zoom to start promptly, but smoothly, this one does. Nice job. On the camera, it’s great to have so many speedy assignable buttons – but please re assign the S&Q function – too close to Start/Stop and too easy to press the wrong button! I assign colour bars for Assignable #1 to be on the safe side. And joy of joys: centre scan! Most of my material is for 2K, so on the 4K sensor I can double my focal length for no loss of image…
Ultimately, it’s down to first impressions. And working with this lens and camera it felt right - and I’ve used a lot! I am not going to get tired shooting a 12hr day with this kit. It liberates in terms of what has come before. We need a camera and lens combo that does the technical bit efficiently and without distraction, while we get on and be creative: putting our energy into those sublime pictures that linger in our viewer’s memories.
The Sony 18-110mm is light, small and combined with the camera, is a compact unit. Tracking down the beautiful covered walkway in the photo, I can move without being hindered by the gear: get down for a low angle, tilt up – the balance of camera on shoulder is equaled by the long and adjustable handgrip. I can concentrate on the story.
The camera and lens fits snugly on my knee and it’s inconspicuous. I’ve got small hands! But with the fingers of one hand I can still operate focus (I shot some slick, sharp focus pulls), zoom and iris. And talking of iris, at last! We now have an aperture that can be controlled smoothly on the lens, or via the hand grip or iris wheel on the side of the camera. But the Vari ND on the FS7 MK II numbers the days of the stop pull! You can see me tracking into the Orangery. I maintained F4 and my depth of field, by changing the iris wheel - set to ND - and so controlled exposure by changing the ND factor, not the aperture. This is a new one on me, always stop pulled up to now, but with a Super 35mm sensored camera, keeping depth of field consistent is useful and I shall be using this again.
The frustration of using ‘stills’ lenses on your camera can be compounded by having so little focal length range! The benefit of the 18mm allows me to shoot my obs docs and GV’s - but having a 110mm on the same lens, means I can crash in and get my cutaways. In the photo, resting on the ground, I’m on a 110mm to get a shot of a folly at the end of the garden - quickly done while I had the light. This focal range means I can be far more diverse in terms of the shots I can offer - I am not forever swopping the lens. It’s that flexibility again. And while on the subject of being off the tripod, the green horizontal level indicator in the viewfinder is invaluable. Why has no one done that before?
New toys: I like the power zoom switch – don’t zoom a lot in my films, but when I do, I want the zoom to start promptly, but smoothly, this one does. Nice job. On the camera, it’s great to have so many speedy assignable buttons – but please re assign the S&Q function – too close to Start/Stop and too easy to press the wrong button! I assign colour bars for Assignable #1 to be on the safe side. And joy of joys: centre scan! Most of my material is for 2K, so on the 4K sensor I can double my focal length for no loss of image…
Ultimately, it’s down to first impressions. And working with this lens and camera it felt right - and I’ve used a lot! I am not going to get tired shooting a 12hr day with this kit. It liberates in terms of what has come before. We need a camera and lens combo that does the technical bit efficiently and without distraction, while we get on and be creative: putting our energy into those sublime pictures that linger in our viewer’s memories.