InCinematographer - Issue 3 - 42
42 www.incinematographer.com | Issue 3 Sony PXW-FS7 Braves Antarctic Chill Australian cinematographer Pieter de Vries opted for Sony's PXW-FS7 as his go to cameras for an Antarctic shoot... R ecently Pieter de Vries, one of Australia's best known and most well respected cinematographers, had an important choice to make. The shoot was a challenging one - the Antarctic. The choice was which cameras to use. In the end de Vries chose the Sony PXW-FS7. He explained, "The camera needed to be compact, suited to handheld cinematography and able to accept any lenses. It also had to be affordable so that I could take two camera bodies. These days we just take it for granted that it can record in 4K. A lot of filming was done on Zodiac inflatable watercraft and this meant that the camera had to be well balanced on the shoulder just to keep it safe if nothing else. The FS7, in my opinion, was the perfect choice." Balanced shooting De Vries knows his camera equipment. He also knows what to look for and what will work in the most challenging of environments. "The extension handle on the FS7 is perfect and I was able to keep the camera balanced on my shoulder - this being so important from a safety aspect and also for the ability to pan around and look in all directions very quickly. The camera is compact, in fact it's the ideal size to fulfil its role in Antarctic conditions." Indeed it was the "Antarctic conditions" that not only posed the biggest production problems but also the most amazing images. "I've used a Sony PXW-FS7 for quite a few years, and as I own one, I'm very familiar with it so I had no second thoughts about using this camera for this shoot. All Sony professional video cameras are reliable, in fact more reliable than film cameras. I've never had an issue working with a Sony camera anywhere I've ever filmed hot or cold wet or dry, and this shoot was very cold. "The best feedback that I can give about the choice of this particular camera on this job was simply that I was able to get everything that I wanted and Pieter de Vries in the Antarctic with Sony PXW-FS7 cameras that there was no shooting situation out of reach. Shooting on the ship or in cold weather on the ice or rocking about in Zodiacs with salt water splashing around, I was able to effortlessly get the video sequences without any issues whatsoever." Camera trek In addition to Sony FS7 cameras de Vries used a variety of other cameras GoPros, Zenmuse X5R's with Inspire drones and various stills cameras mounted in gimbals including the Sony A7S Mk2 a Sony A7R Mk2, Sony RX100 Mk4 and a Sony PXW-X70. With the FS7s as his main cameras there was filming on board the ship in common spaces, in cabins, in the engine room, on the bridge, on the ship decks in icy minus 10 degree conditions and an incredible amount of scenes shot on the ice and on a large snowfield where de Vries and his crew had to climb uphill carrying all of their equipment. He added: "That uphill climb alone made the compact and lightweight FS7 the right camera for this job. I shot in Cine EI mode which gave me the maximum dynamic range required especially in the bright conditions of Antarctica. We transferred our footage at the end of each day using dedicated software to back up the various cards and to then make backups of those backups. One of the drives was then secured in a pelican case and they were not touched for the remainder of the voyage. There were approximately 65 hard drives containing all the 4K footage. We reviewed our rushes whenever we could on one of the other drives dedicated only to viewing footage." Key choice For a cinematographer of de Vries' experience the choice of camera is absolutely key and on this particular shoot he simply couldn't have been happier than with his choice of Sony FS7. "The Sony PXW-FS7 is a perfect documentary camera," Pieter de Vries "The Sony PXW-FS7 is a perfect documentary camera in many respects because of its compact size and weight, the quality of the images and the various technical specifications of the camera. The quality of our images on this shoot was excellent and being able to use lenses from different lens makers, as you can with the FS7, is a big plus. Both FS7 cameras performed without fault in the warm humid conditions on board the ship and the extremely cold outside temperatures. Condensation is always a consideration in extreme cold but because there are so few moving parts, if any, aside from the neutral density filter wheel it was never an issue for the FS7s. All of my Sony cameras were handpicked for this shoot and they didn't miss a beat." Training Between assignments, Pieter conducts training that is ideal for anyone who wants to take their expertise beyond menus and dials. Using Sony cameras, his philosophy is that one-to-one training or being part of small group is the fastest way to gain the techniques that enable you to tell compelling stories with a video or DSLR-style camera. www.pieterdevries.com.au www.sony.com.au www.sony.com.nz