As a cinematographer, you should be doing camera test and learning how they interact in real world scenarios. If you don’t own a camera, there are plenty of places you can rent from. There is so much information out there online and social media. Other people’s recommendations should help your choices, but you have to find your style, your emulsion, and what works best for you as a creative individual.
If you didn’t come up in the film age, you won’t get the reference but your digital camera is like film emulsion. Back in the day, cinematographers would test different types of film to see what “look” was created in certain scenarios. You may be thinking, why should I have to test my digital camera. You should because every sensor is different. Your camera could react differently to certain lenses than other cameras as well. All cameras have unique qualities, different latitudes, color spaces, log files, and BIT depth.
Still may not be convinced of camera testing? Suny Behar has a great quote:
“The answer is that you are not testing the acquisition medium; you are testing the interrelationship of three separate elements: your imaging device, your subject and your targeted look. Knowing your imaging device is only a small part of being able to achieve your desired look. You need to understand how your source imager will interact with your subjects in trying to achieve said look.” – Suny Behar, Moviemaker.com
Cameras have pros and cons. Your job as a filmmaker is to find a way to show the pros in the camera that you discover. So many times as filmmakers we focus on the cons. Knowing the cons is important, but knowing how you can push a camera to give you what you want is what cinematography is all about. Each person’s findings and preferences can be different with each camera. One person’s compression might be another person’s digital grain.
Things to look for when testing:
- Dynamic Range
- Color Accuracy
- Low Light
- Noise levels
- Skin Tones
- Chromatic Abberation
- Moire & Distortion
Things to consider when choosing a camera to test:
- Ergonomics
- Color Space
- Resolution
- Storage and Media Capabilities
If you can’t get the actor in wardrobe and shoot before hand, get a PA or a friend with similar skin tones and dress them in the same color pallete as your talent to see how everything holds up.
I’ve done specific test for certain characters, but here is a great camera test that Radiant Images held in 2015 that covers it all:
What have you learned with camera test you’ve held personally? Want to share them with the community? Let me know. Join the Capturing Light Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/capturinglightcommunity/.