Last month, Zacuto invited me to the London Screening of their Single Chip Camera Evaluation, in which Robert Primes ASC put 12 cameras through 15 tests. The results were shown to industry audiences around the world and the discussions that followed were filmed, edited and combined with Primes’ test footage, to create ‘The Great Camera Shootout 2011’. Like the 2010 Shootout, this latest documentary is being released in three monthly instalments, the first of which is available now on Zacuto’s web site.
The consensus at the London screening seemed to be that whilst the Arri Alexa came out on top in the majority of (not all) tests, the Sony F3 did remarkably well, especially given its comparatively modest price tag. However, in the pub afterwards, some reservations were expressed about the fact that only two film stocks were tested, both of which were Kodak.
So what’s my opinion? In over 170 years of photography there has never been such a thing as one perfect camera (or lens) for every situation and the combination of advancing technology and commercial pressures makes it unlikely that there ever will be. Digital excels in some areas (sensitivity, convenience, instantaneousness), negative film remains the gold standard (or should that be the silver standard) in others…and a truly great cinematographer excels in all… Whatever your perspective, budget and aesthetic preferences, I expect you will find The Great Camera Shootout 2011 interesting, useful and educational.
© 2011, Paul D. All rights reserved.
