Sony A7r IV vs Canon 5Dsr Instant film cameras Video editing The Show for Photographers

Show video

Coming up on this episode of Photography Online.   We have a new contender for the King of Detail  throne. We show you how easy it is to edit video.

And we look at a few options when  it comes to instant film cameras. Welcome to another episode of Photography  Online. As always we never put those annoying   adverts in the middle of our show so we'll  be uninterrupted for the next 30 minutes.   As you can see, I have got the privilege of having  this bluebell woodland all to myself today so I'll   be appreciating the smell of spring while we bring  you today's show. Before we do that though we've   got the important matter of another photography  question. What is the most expensive camera ever   sold? Was it A: the Hasselblad from the 1969 moon  landing? B: a prototype Leica from the 1920s? C:   Fox Talbot's Box Brownie, known as the Foxbox?  Or D: the Phase One XT IQ4? This is just for   fun but I'll be giving you the answer later on  in the show. Okay, so let's get things off and  

running with the latest instalment of our King  of Detail series. For the past year we've been   asking you to send in your suggestions for a  full-frame camera that can beat the reigning   champions sitting together on the throne and this  one was probably the most asked for contender… Welcome once again to the Photography Online  test lab, otherwise known as Portree harbour   here on the Isle of Skye. Now if you haven't seen  the previous instalments, this is round four of   the King of Detail. So in Round 1 we had the Canon  5Dsr pitched against the newer R5 and this beat it   hands down. Then Round 2 we had the Nikon D850  which we couldn't split the difference so the   Canon 5Dsr and the Nikon D850 are currently  joint King of Detail on the throne there.   And then in Round 3 we had the Pentax K1 Mark II  which was, well let's just say it needn't bother   turning up. So today the latest challenger is the  Sony a7R iv. This is the one that's probably been  

recommended by more people than any other camera  in terms of taking the title away from the 5Dsr   and the Nikon D850 so we're here today to see just  how much detail it can pull out of these scenes.   Now we're using the same lens. Obviously  not exactly the same lens because this   is a Canon fit and this is a Sony fit  but it's a Sigma 50 mm f/1.4 art lens.   This one's slightly newer than this one  because this is my own one which has been   dropped a few times. But you know we won't  start using that as an excuse. Now before we   pitch these two against each other, why don't we  familiarise ourselves with their specifications.

The co-defender of the throne is the  Canon 5Dsr released in June 2015.   That's seven years ago. It has a  50.6 megapixel full frame sensor   with no low pass filter making it the  sharpest capture body at its time of release. Today's challenger to the throne is the Sony a7R  iv released in July 2019, so four years younger   than the defender. It has a 61 megapixel full  frame sensor and also has no low pass filter.   So as you can see the Sony on paper has  an advantage and I would expect this to   be the better camera so you're going to do  everything possible to maximise the quality.   We’re using the sturdiest tripods known to man.  There's going to be zero movement. We don't  

have any wind today so that's not going  to be a factor. Using these lenses at a   aperture of f/4 because that's where  the sweet spot of these lenses is.   Obviously shooting RAW on both cameras. We're  going to be using a self-timer on both of them.   We're using ISO 100 which is the native of both  cameras so the exposure should be identical.  

Mirror lock up in the Canon. Obviously no mirror  in the Sony because it's mirrorless. So everything   else is going to be pretty identical. So I  think we should just get on and take the shot. I'm going to manually focus the Canon  as I always do so this is my own camera   and in order to do that I'm just going to  activate the live view and zoom right in on   something in the middle of the frame and that  will allow me to get it absolutely spot on. Okay there we go, that's pin  sharp. So that's that one done. Now   I'm not 100% familiar with  this camera so bear with me.

So the button with a magnifying glass  doesn't actually magnify anything which   is not very useful. This icon here says change  magnification but what does that represent?   There is nothing with that icon on it. That's focusing so it's not that. And it's saying press the delete button,   which I'd always be concerned about  to be honest, to return to centre.

There's something uneasy about pressing  a delete button. Not sure about you   but I don't really want to be pressing the  delete button but seeing I can't actually   work out how to magnify this because the magnify  button, that ain't working. That's not working. Back into the menu again then.  

Let's try this. I don't want a limit on  it. Right, initial focus magnification. Ah. so I've managed to get the focus  magnifier on but it's only x6.   This one's x16. Slight difference there.  There must be a way of changing this surely.   Okay, so I'm unable to focus this manually. It's  just that wouldn't be fair for me to focus that   at x16 and this at x5.9. That's giving that a  distinct advantage so we're going to have to  

rely on autofocus for this, which I would never  do on that camera, but it's forced me into that   decision. Okay, right, beep. There's the beep  of confirmation. Self-timer's on. Here we go.   And I'm going to do this one at the same  time. This is only a two second timer. Perfect. So let's head back to the studio to  analyse the results. So here's the Sony image,   cropped to a 16 to 9 ratio to fit the screen.  And here's the Canon image with the same crop.   Now let's split the screen with the Canon  on the left and the Sony on the right.  

Obviously at this magnification we wouldn't expect  to see any differences so let's zoom in at 100%.   I can't see any difference. Obviously the Sony  having 20% more pixels is rendering the image   at a slightly greater magnification but in  terms of detail and sharpness there's really   nothing between them. So we need to go in further,  something which in reality you would never do but   think of it as the equivalent of a photo finish  where we need to split hairs. Zooming in to 400%   and we can start to see a few very subtle  differences. The red text here can easily  

be read on both versions but although we can  still read the smaller green text, if you look   at the letter “I” in the word Christian, these  are much better defined on the Sony version. Moving to a different area. If we look at the  sign in the window here, we can just about make   out on the Sony version that it says Vacancies  but I wouldn't be able to tell you that on the   Canon version. If we go up to the church window,  I would say this looks sharper on the Canon. But   this may be because I'm able to manually focus the  Canon whereas the Sony has to autofocus, something   which in my experience is never as accurate as  doing it yourself. It could also be to do with  

the increased contrast of the Canon image. But in  terms of detail, which is what this comparison is   all about, then the Sony has just as much as the  Canon in this area. Finally, let's go to the edge   of the frame where both lenses will be struggling.  But the Sony does look the clear winner here. So  

we have to hand it to the a7 r4 for its 9.4  megapixels of information, it does manage   to record slightly more detail and therefore take  the crown from the Canon 5Dsr and the Nikon D850. So it was close but we do have a new champion.  And if you think you know of a camera which   might be able to dethrone the Sony, please  do let us know in the comments. Now as well  

as bringing you our two free monthly shows such  as this one we also broadcast a live show on the   third Sunday of every month, aptly called PO LIVE.  We discuss some of the recent topics which have   appeared on our main shows, give you sneak looks  behind the scenes here at Photography Online,   have guest pro photographers dropping in, and  on our last show we did a live On Location   landscape shoot. It's basically 90-ish minutes of  photography fun where we answer your questions in   real time. And if you missed a live show then  you can watch it on demand anytime afterwards.   PO LIVE is only available to our supporters  of PO LIVE level and above so if it sounds   like something you'd like to join us for next  time, simply press the Join button under the   video or go to the relevant link in the usual  place. If you're watching on a Smart TV there   won't be a Join button or a link because  they're not quite as smart as they make out   so you will need to log on with another device  but either way we'd love to have you join us.  

Okay, so if you thought that digital cameras are  the most efficient form of capture through to   print then think again. To get the fastest print  after capture we need to go back to cameras which   were around 50 years ago. Instant film cameras,  which do exactly what they say on the tin… I want to show you three levels of instant  film cameras which suit different needs   and different budgets. So let's  start with the basic model.   Today there are a couple of instant  film brands which are readily available.   The cheapest of these is Fuji Instax which comes  in three different sizes as well as a choice of   colour or black & white, all ISO 800. The smallest  Instax Mini is ideal for fun cameras like this and  

comes in a wide range of styles. If this isn't  big enough for you then there's Instax Square   which is 50% bigger than the Mini. Then finally  we have the largest, Instax Wide, which is over   twice the size of the Mini. The bigger the film  though, the bigger the camera needed to take it.   You can pick up instant film cameras like these  for anywhere between about £80 to £180 new, with   the more advanced ones giving you a good degree  of control over things like exposure and focus.   These are great for taking portraits and record  shots of friends and family, surely the most   popular use for instant photos. If you want to get  a little more serious, not to mention uber cool,   then you might want to move up a level to one of  these. This is an original Polaroid camera made  

in the 1970s but has been lovingly restored  by MiNT, a company who have renovated over   35,000 of these before selling them on  as fully working, calibrated cameras.   This model provides full control over  exposure, with times ranging from half a second   up to 1/2000th of a second. Plus, it has  a Time and Bulb mode for long exposures   as well as a couple of auto modes. It also has  accurate focusing which is done through the   viewfinder, as well as exposure compensation  for when you're in an auto mode. This camera   requires no batteries because although it needs  power, it gets it from the film pack itself.   So every time you change the film, the  batteries are automatically renewed.  

The film options are one size only but in ISO 100  or 600, both in colour or black & white. You can   get the ISO 600 in novelty colour frames and even  a round version if you're too hip to be square. If you want to take instant film photography to  the max then you're going to want one of these.   It's a film back which accepts the Fuji Instax  wide format and it connects to most large format   4x5 cameras. Now what this will do  is it will give you all the control   that the MiNT Polaroid camera can give you but  in addition to that, we've got aperture control   and in this case, all the lens movements  which large format is so practical for. The basic Lomography camera is  great for portraits and snapshots   so considering it's more affordable price it does  offer great value for money. The Polaroid version  

offers a sharper image but at over twice the  price, you need to decide if this is worth it. Then finally the Fuji Instax on the large format  camera. And you can see that we have a much   shallower depth of field and an overall classier  look. But as to whether it's your favourite,   that's up to you. Personally I think they all have  their merits, depending of course on what you want   to get out of instant film photography. If it's  fun and practicality then you're probably going to   want to have a camera like this from Lomography.  If you want to increase the user experience  

and your street cred - something I clearly have no  problem with - then this original Polaroid camera,   refurbished by MiNT, is probably the best choice.  But if you want ultimate control then you might   want to go for the instant film back for the  large format camera. So let's talk about price.   I've already told you that a new Lomography  camera will set you back between £80 to £180.  

Then you'll need to buy the film which comes in  packs of 10 and works out around 80p per image.   But this varies slightly depending on what size  you choose and if you buy a single or multi-pack. An original Polaroid camera  like this, fully refurbished,   will set you back between three to eight  hundred pounds depending on the model.

The film works out about £2 per shot, which  is over twice the price of the Fuji Instax,   but hey, cool comes at a price. When you consider  that batteries are included, it does help   to justify the higher cost. The large format  back is either the best or the worst bargain,   depending on whether you already have a 4x5 camera  or not. If you do, then this is only going to cost   you £150, which I think is a fantastic deal,  especially when you consider that each shot   costs less than a pound. If you don't already  have a 4x5 camera, then you'll need to buy one,   plus a lens and a few other accessories such as a  light meter, dark cloth, loupe and cable release.  

This could get very expensive but you might be  surprised at how cheaply you can get 4x5”gear.   For example, a brand new Intrepid 4x5 camera only  cost £280. And you could easily pick up a decent   used lens for around the same price. So with the  instant film back and all the camera gear, you can   get a complete setup for under £1000. When you  consider that you've then got a camera that can  

also take regular film, it could be argued that  this actually offers the best value for money,   regardless of the cost and value for money. They  all provide great results. You can stick these on   your fridge, keep them in your wallet, put them in  an album or store them in a shoebox under the bed.   Whatever you do you can guarantee  one thing. That in 20 years time   you will still have them and know where they are.  But can the same be said about your digital files? So we've spoken many times about the importance  of taking snapshots to capture the chapters in our   lives as well as those closest to us and there's  surely no more nostalgic and effective way of   doing that than with an instant film camera. Not  to mention doing it in style. Just holding this   makes me feel about 20 degrees cooler.  A big thanks to MiNT and Lomography  

for helping out with the supply of these.  We've put links to both brands in the usual   place below so do have a browse if you want  to make photography a whole lot more fun.   Now this camera here was originally launched in  the 1970s, which is when this box of film was   made. As you can see, it's still sealed. It looks  like it's been stored in pretty good conditions.  

The expiry date of the film in this box is 1975.  Marcus recently found it in the bowels of an   independent photography store and bought it for  the grand price of £60 to see if it still works,   something he'll be finding out soon and  we'll be recording for a future show.   Okay, so on our last show we played a short film  made with nothing but an iPhone. Now in the last  

of our Video Academy series we are taking a look  at the final stage of video production - editing.   This isn't intended to be a tutorial about using  video editors but more just about the thinking   and the principles behind why and when to  make edits. Here's Harry to tell us more. So far in our Video Academy series we've looked  at all the basics of shooting video, from planning   through to the technical side, recording, showing  how to make the most of movement and how to bring   non-moving subjects to life. In the previous  episode we combined all of these elements together and filmed a short story to show you just  what is possible when it comes to shooting video. To drive home just how easy it is,  we filmed the entire thing on this,   an iPhone, using Dolby Vision HDR. It basically  did most of the work for us and ensured the video  

looked like a Hollywood production straight out of  the phone. For this, the final part of our Video   Academy series, we're going to talk you through  the thought process of editing our short film.   Just like with stills, the post production  stage is an important one. But probably more   so with video as rather than editing each shot  individually we are editing several shots together   to create a sequence. We also have audio as  an added consideration. So post-production   of video tends to be far more involved and  time-consuming than editing stills. Nevertheless,  

this doesn't mean it has to be more complicated.  Just like with stills, there are multiple   platforms which you can edit your video on.  Some will have to be purchased and others, like   the one we use for the majority of Photography  Online, have to be rented. Others will be free.  

We used iMovie to edit our short film  as this is free on most Apple devices   and is Dolby Vision enabled. We could have edited  it on Adobe Premiere but then we would have lost   the Dolby Vision HDR features and the result  would have just been like a normal HD video. This isn't going to be an editing tutorial on  a specific piece of editing software. More of a   creative look as to why we've chosen the edits  we have, how they flow and what else we can do   to influence the end result. Let's start at  the beginning. We chose to fade up the very   first clip as this creates a smoother intro to  the video and it also mirrors the music track.

It's important to have a few scene  setting clips to start your story.   Using a combination of static shots containing  movement and shots where the camera was moving,   just like we explained earlier in the  series. Try not to linger on shots for too   long as it's really important to create pace and  try to grab the attention of the viewer. We also   used sound effects where appropriate  but only subtly. Don't overdo these. On the subject of audio, if you want to include  music it is important to choose a track which   is suitable to create the desired mood. Having  a music bed saves a lot of work when it comes  

to sound effects as without music we would have  needed to have sound effects for every single   clip. This adds to the workload massively.  So if you want to simplify the process,   make sure you use suitable music. Please remember  that you cannot use commercially released tracks   if your video will be uploaded online or endorses  a product. We used a site called Epidemic Sound  

to source the music for our short film. The start  or introduction to our story lasted 40 seconds, at   which point we needed a change of pace and mood.  The music used for the intro was melancholic,   to reflect boredom and a lack of inspiration but  we now needed to change to a more optimistic and   hopeful track. This has to happen as the postcard  is discovered and the idea to explore the   mountains is sown. Changing from a solo violin  track to an upbeat tinkly piano did the job. We used a combination of different camera  angles to give the viewer a 360 degree,   immersive experience. Using a mixture of internal   and external shots of the car puts the  viewer in the driving seat as well as   putting the character in his surroundings,  which are an integral part of the story.  

Think creatively when shooting your footage and  don't be afraid to try ambitious and quirky shots.   If you can leave the viewer wondering how you did  something then it will help keep their attention. Each clip we recorded is far longer than the  part actually used. Be ruthless with the content   you end up using. Don't be tempted to use all  of every clip. Typically we only use about 5%   of all the footage recorded, sometimes only using  a few seconds from a 60” clip, sometimes not using   some clips at all, even if they required a lot of  effort to shoot. If they don't add any value to  

the story, don't include them. We're now into  the main body of our story and need a second change of music so we opted for something with  drama and tension to suit the landscape and the   jeopardy of the approaching journey. Once again  we're using a combination of close-up and distant   shots. This adds to the immersive experience for  the viewer, making them feel engaged in the story. As well as filming the main character  it was also important to include   some scene setting shots of the landscape,  such as water flowing and clouds moving.   This is basically landscape photography  in motion. You could even try a time-lapse  

but often it is easier to just speed up  normal footage, which is what we did here. I'm not doing anything clever here, just doing  simple chop edits. Don't fall into the trap of   trying to do anything too creative by  using too many crossfades or swipes.   We only had one crossfade in the entire sequence  and that was to transition between the start and   main body of the story when we also had a segue  music change. I'm also paying attention to ensure I continuously change the viewpoint. If you edit  together too many shots that are either behind   or in front of the subject, this won't be very  engaging. This is partly done at the filming stage  

and partly done at the editing stage. The climax  of our story had to be both visual and aural   so it was important to synchronise the music  crescendo with the reveal of the mountain view. We then cemented the fact that this  was the view on the card by providing   a first-person view of the two together.  This is the perfect end and it would have  

been a mistake to include anything after  this, other than the shot from the camera. Finally we ended with some text.Iit is always  good to do this but keep it to a minimum.   Don't start listing a load of credits as that's  a real turn off. If you shoot your footage on a   digital camera, then once all the edits are in  the right place you'll need to grade all the   clips individually to ensure they are colour  matched and looking their best.

We let Dolby Vision do this for us by shooting on an iPhone 12 but any iPhone from 2019 onwards will allow   you to do this. This saved us loads of time when  it came to post processing. Basically we had to   do nothing. We hope you've enjoyed our Video  Academy series. Thanks to Dolby for partnering   with us hopefully you're now armed with enough  information to give video a try for yourself. As we mentioned right at the start of  this series, video can be a great way   to draw attention to your stills work, whether  that's on social media or on your own website.  

Moving images are always more engaging  so use that to your advantage.   Good luck and let us know how you get  on. But most of all, have a bit of fun. Okay, so at the start of the show I asked,  What is the most expensive camera ever sold?   Was it A: the Hasselblad from the 1969 moon  landing? B: a prototype Leica from the 1920s?   C: Fox Talbot's Box Brownie, known as the Foxbox?  Or D: the Phase One XT IQ4? The answer was B:   the prototype Leica from the 1920s sold for 2.97  million dollars in 2018. That's just about enough   to pay for the entire Photography Online team  to come and photograph your birthday party!   So sadly we are out of time again but don't go  just yet because I want to tell you what you can   look forward to on the next show. We will be in  Utah looking at a new location for photography,   Harry will be telling us why he thinks digital is  better than film and Marcus sets off on another   Mission Possible adventure, even though he's  still got to complete the last one that he started   three years ago. That is all coming up in just a  couple of weeks time so do make sure that you join   me for that. Until then, take good care but most  of all take good photos.

Now these are ideal for portraits of friends and famuliy, famuliy, what’s famuliy? Now these are great for taking portraits and record shots of friends and famuliy, famuliy. What's wrong with me? Good luck and… God's sake. Sounded like I was signing off from a  visit to the International Space Station.  

Now before we pitch these two together…  together… against each other for God's sake.   Each cleep, cleep, cleeeep. Each cleep, cleep, cleep… You've got aperture control for  things like depth of field and in   this case you've got all the lens  movements because persthpective… I mean how difficult can it be?  I just want to enlarge the image… I can't do it without saying cleep now… Cleep!

2022-05-31

Show video