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The brand new Sony VENICE 2 with the 8.6K sensor was within the CineD headquarters for a fast go to – so we jumped on the prospect to run it by our lab check procedures. Curious the way it fared? Then carry on studying!It all the time feels particular to me when a “actual” cinema digicam arrives for me to run it by a lab check – there’s all the time the hope {that a} new benchmark is ready for our lab check outcomes, because the final time this occurred was with the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF and Basic (in case you missed it, you possibly can examine it right here). So I used to be tremendous curious what Sony have up their sleeves with the brand new VENICE 2 cinema digicam.Earlier than we begin, an enormous “thanks” goes to my expensive CineD colleague Florian Milz who helped me with capturing this lab check! Sony VENICE 2 – Rolling Shutter Nicely, first huge optimistic shock: in full-frame 8.2K mode our normal process to check the rolling shutter reaches its limits as a result of the rolling shutter is so low: we use a 300Hz strobe gentle which generates patterns of pairs of black and white traces. Every pair represents 3.3ms. With the Sony VENICE 2, the readout pace of the sensor is so quick that we weren’t capable of confidently establish one full pair.Therefore, for the primary time, we’re supplying you with an approximate outcome: the readout pace is about or barely beneath 3ms (decrease is best)! That is the fasted readout pace for a full-frame digicam that now we have measured to date! Wow – right here you go, a brand new benchmark!Rolling Shutter for the Sony VENICE 2 in 8.2K full-frame mode: barely beneath 3ms.Curious to search out out extra about how we check the dynamic vary of cameras? Take a look right here.Let’s begin first with the brand new inner X-OCN format. Little or no technical data might be discovered on-line about it, however in DaVinci Resolve 17.4.6 (construct 4) all typical “RAW” controls can be found, displaying the file as “Sony RAW”. Therefore, I developed the X-OCN XT information with SGamut3.Cine / SLog3 settings in Full Res – Sony:The Sony VENICE 2 contains a twin native ISO sensor, the 2 base sensitivities are ISO800 and ISO3200.At ISO 800 utilizing 8.6K X-OCN XT Open Gate mode, we get the next waveform:XYLA 21 Waveform plot of the Sony VENICE 2 at ISO800. Picture credit score: CineDA strong 13 stops are seen above the noise flooring, with a visual 14th cease contained in the noise flooring as nicely. The information are a bit noisy, like many RAW codecs these days.IMATEST calculates 11.7 stops at a sign to noise ratio (SNR) of two and 12.9 stops at SNR = 1:IMATEST outcomes for 8.6K X-OCN XT at ISO 800. Picture credit score: CineDAbove the blue “12.9” line within the center graph above, one other 2 if not 3 stops are recognized contained in the noise flooring. Let’s see if these are usable in a while within the latitude part.At ISO3200 (the second native ISO setting) the outcomes are nearly the identical – as they need to be for an actual twin native ISO sensor! IMATEST (see beneath) calculates 11.1 stops at SNR = 2 and 12.9 stops at SNR = 1.XYLA 21 Waveform plot of the Sony VENICE 2 at ISO3200. Picture credit score: CineDIMATEST outcomes for 8.6K X-OCN XT at ISO 3200. Picture credit score: CineDThe VENICE 2 additionally options internally downsampled 4K ProRes HQ recording – a really engaging different for sooner turnarounds in a well-established ProRes pipeline. And right here, the outcomes out of the field are even higher, as a result of a correct downscaling from an 8.2K portion of the sensor, however some inner noise discount appears to occur as nicely. Extra on that additional beneath.Utilizing SGamut3.Cine and Slog 3, the next waveform plot is obtained:Xyla 21 Waveform plot for ProRes HQ 4K. Picture credit score: CineDQuite surprisingly, the code worth distribution modifications. SLog3 normally clips across the code worth of 896 (or luma worth of 87). Within the waveform plot above the sign clips round 960 code worth (or 94 luma worth). Additionally, the noise flooring sits at a decrease code worth. We’re reaching out to Sony with this query and can replace the article accordingly at a later stage.IMATEST calculates 13.2 stops at SNR = 2 and 14.2 stops at SNR = 1:IMATEST outcomes for 4K ProRes HQ at ISO800. Picture credit score: CineDThose are excellent outcomes, the second-highest values ever measured within the lab! The kings of dynamic vary are nonetheless nonetheless the ARRI ALEXA cameras, with the ALEXA Mini LF coming in at 13.5 stops at SNR = 2 and 14.7 stops at SNR = 1 (Lab check right here)At ISO3200 in 4K ProRes HQ mode, 13 stops at SNR = 2 and 14.3 stops at SNR = 1 are measured. By the way in which, if I downsample the ISO800 8.6K X-OCN XT file to 4K after which run it by IMATEST, 12.4 stops at SNR = 2 and 13.6 stops at SNR = 1 are obtained – decrease values. Therefore, confirms my suspicion that in ProRes HQ extra noise discount is utilized internally to the information.One closing observe to ProRes HQ – I don’t know if it’s a DaVinci Resolve or Sony situation, however there are not any Metadata seen in Resolve. For X-OCN although all metadata are proven appropriately. Sony VENICE 2 – Latitude testLatitude is the potential of a digicam to retain particulars and colours when over-or underexposed and pushed again to base publicity. A while in the past, now we have chosen an arbitrary worth of round 60% luma worth (within the waveform) for our topics’ brow in our normal studio scene. This CineD base publicity ought to assist our readers to get a reference level for all of the cameras examined, no matter how they distribute the code values and which LOG mode is used.Normal CineD studio scene. Picture credit score: CineDFor the Sony VENICE 2, we put the bottom publicity a tad beneath 60% within the luma waveform to permit overexposure of as much as 4 stops. Once more for X-OCN XT, we developed the information utilizing SGamut3.Cine and Slog3 within the DaVinci Resolve “Digicam RAW” tab. Additionally, we used the official Sony SLOG3-S-GAMUT3.Cine TO S709 V200.CUBE LUT to convey the picture into the REC.709 area (might be downloaded for the VENICE 2 right here). Out of the field, the picture appears to be like excellent – I added a tiny little bit of saturation, nonetheless.Taking a look at 4 stops of overexposure, and bringing again the picture to base publicity we get the next picture:VENICE 2 4 stops overexposed and introduced again to base. Picture credit score: CineDRGB Waveform for the ungraded 4 stops overshot: the pink channel on Johnnie’s brow is near clipping. Picture credit score: CineDThe pink channel (on the ungraded shot) on Johnnie’s brow is near clipping, however nonetheless intact – correctly.From right here on we underexpose the photographs by closing the iris of the lens in one-stop increments till T8.0, after which we’re additional halving the shutter angle successively.At 3 stops beneath base publicity, issues are getting fascinating, as already fairly some noise exhibits up within the picture:3 stops below, pushed again to base. Picture credit score: CineDNothing dramatic, so let’s transfer on to 4 stops beneath base, introduced again:4 stops beneath base, pushed again. Picture credit score: CineDNow, heavy noise is affecting the picture. Additionally, nasty speckles of chroma noise (inexperienced and pink) are everywhere in the picture. Utilizing heavy spatial and temporal noise discount in DaVinci Resolve, we are able to save the picture however on the expense of inexperienced and pink chroma noise – see beneath:4 stops beneath base, pushed again and utilizing noise discount. Picture credit score: CineDDaVinci Resolve 17.4.6 noise discount settings for the 4 stops beneath base & pushed again picture. Picture credit score: CineDThe picture turns greenish, and we’re getting bigger areas of greenish and pinkish blotches hovering across the picture, which I discover relatively distracting in a transferring picture. However I might say, nonetheless useable.Let’s take a look at 5 stops below base, pushed again:5 stops beneath base, pushed again. Picture credit score: CineDThe picture exhibits a really robust inexperienced forged, and noise is getting atrocious. Sport over? Certainly, recreation over. Take a look at my try to make use of noise discount beneath:5 stops beneath base, pushed again and utilizing noise discount. Picture credit score: CineDNoise discount settings for five stops below, pushed again utilizing X-OCN XT. Picture credit score: CineDAs quickly as I enhance the chroma noise slider within the Spatial Threshold part the picture turns brown. Utilizing the Luma slider simply turns the picture right into a plasticky, comfortable mess. Therefore I utterly averted that.Sport over. Therefore, the Sony VENICE 2 8.6K in X-OCN XT exhibits 8 stops of latitude. For comparability, the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF has 2 stops extra latitude (see the check right here), another within the highlights, and another within the shadows (5 over and 5 below).On a facet observe, I attempted numerous methods in Resolve to see if I may squeeze out higher outcomes:utilizing the publicity slider (therefore rising the ISO) within the Digicam Uncooked tab: right here, outcomes had been even worse, with a a lot stronger shade forged. So I set it again to ISO800.then, utilizing the Raise / Achieve and Distinction sliders within the Digicam Uncooked tab: with these controls, I used to be not capable of appropriately reconstruct the picture (by evaluating it to the bottom publicity waveform)Lastly, I did what I all the time do for every digicam: utilizing the “Raise, Gamma, Achieve” Primaries within the Shade Wheels tab in a node earlier than the ultimate LUT node (by the way in which, noise discount is utilized on the primary node all the time).Now I used to be curious if ProRes HQ would behave in a greater means. For 4K ProRes HQ, I used to be getting this picture at 4 stops below:4K ProRes HQ at 4 stops beneath base, pushed again. Picture credit score: CineD4K ProRes HQ at 5 stops beneath base, pushed again. Picture credit score: CineDRather related, however much less noisy. Therefore, I attempted once more noise discount on the 5 stops beneath base picture:4K ProRes HQ at 5 stops beneath base, pushed again and making use of noise discount. Picture credit score: CineDNoise discount settings for five stops below, pushed again utilizing 4K ProRes HQ. Picture credit score: CineDThe static picture appears to be like fairly okay, however sadly within the transferring picture there are nonetheless these blotches of pink and inexperienced chroma noise however to a much less apparent extent – I do discover them very distracting however relying on the person style you can argue that we see 9 stops of latitude.So all in all, in 4K ProRes HQ you do get higher outcomes – most likely as a result of inner costumed sensor-specific fine-tuned noise discount. I might actually ask you to check the Sony VENICE 2 latitude outcomes to the ARRI ALEXA Mini LF latitude outcomes right here. Not solely does the ALEXA Mini LF have a full cease and extra latitude within the highlights, however it is usually eye-opening to see how good the underexposed Mini LF photographs nonetheless look in comparison with the Sony VENICE 2, even with out noise discount. Sony has these giant nasty patches of chroma noise within the shadows, whereas the Mini LF has a really fantastic grain.SummaryThe Sony VENICE 2 units a brand new benchmark for rolling shutter: lower than 3ms for a full-frame 8.6K sensor – Wow! Within the dynamic vary division, issues get a bit extra difficult. In Sony RAW, X-OCN XT the pictures are fairly noisy – resulting in fairly common dynamic vary outcomes of 11.7 stops at SNR = 2. In downsampled inner 4K ProRes HQ, we get the third-best outcomes ever measured, 13.2 stops at SNR = 2. Clearly, Sony is making use of some custom-made inner noise discount right here.Within the latitude part, between 8 (Sony RAW – X-OCN) and 9 stops (4K ProRes HQ) are obtained. Sadly, excavating data from the noise flooring just isn’t as simple as a result of nasty chroma noise is destructing the picture. Even with superior noise processing in DaVinci Resolve the bounds within the latitude part are reached fairly early. 8 stops (for Sony RAW) is definitely alongside the traces of full-frame shopper cameras just like the Panasonic SH1, or Sony A1 that even have 8 stops of latitude in our normal CineD studio scene. The ARRI ALEXA Mini LF stays the chief of the pack with 10 stops of publicity latitude, regardless of if filmed in ARRIRAW or ProRes.What do you consider this Sony VENICE 2 lab check? Do you already use this new digicam? If sure, please share your expertise within the feedback part beneath!
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