SONY PMW-F3

The PMW-F3L Super 35mm XDCAM EX Full-HD Compact Camcorder with S-Log Gamma continues the democratization of high-end image capture. The camera’s Super 35mm-size CMOS sensor offers a variety of advantages over smaller sensors, including increased control over depth of field, higher sensitivity in low light, lower image noise, and an exceptional dynamic range. Unlike smaller, broadcast-style sensors or the larger “full-frame” sensor found in some DSLRs, the PMW-F3’s chip is on a par with Hollywood film cameras, in terms of field of view and depth of field. That means complete compatibility with cine-style film lenses and consistency of vision for cinematographers used to shooting on 35mm film.

Another advantage of the camera’s highly efficient sensor is its low power consumption–only 24W. Not only does this mean a standard 12V battery can last nearly 3 hours, but the low amount of heat the sensor generates offsets the need for an internal fan–contributing to the camera’s extremely light weight (just over 5 lb). As a result, this is the first CineAlta camcorder designed with a handheld form factor.

Using a solid-state workflow based on the XDCAM EX platform, the PMW-F3 records natively to professional SxS media, using the MPEG-2 long GOP codec in an 8-bit 4:2:0 color space. More demanding applications can utilize the camera’s dual-link HD-SDI ports to output to an external recorder in 10-bit 4:2:2 or 10-bit RGB 4:4:4.

The combination of four HyperGamma settings with S-Log and LUT capability provide RAW-like flexibility to the image data, allowing for increased picture control and dynamic range. S-Log expands the camera’s dynamic range to include at least 12.5 stops of exposure latitude. Meanwhile, the F3’s Exposure Index mode sets the camera at an optimal ISO and adds a full stop of exposure, maximizing the sensor output for situations when highlights are a priority.