The decision to shoot The Ride using 3 of Panasonic’s HPX 3700 was first and foremost based on the reputation of the multiple gamma modes that are offered by the camera, especially the dynamic range offered by the Film Rec mode. Having observed a camera test conducted between the Panasonic HPX 3700 and the Sony F-900/R, I knew first-hand that the latitude claims made by Panasonic were accurate, and that the camera generally performed well in low-light situations. Considering that the show did not have the budget or the desire to shoot on film, and that AIC’s workflow processes could dramatically lower costs by working entirely tapeless and in-house, the decision became easy. The mostly frequently used location for this football-centric show was, not surprisingly, a football field. However, in collaborating with director Enrique Mendoza, it was decided that indoor situations would be lit and shot in dramatic style. This choice required a camera that could handle low-light situations as well as deal with direct sun exposure for prolonged periods of time. Given the highly regarded dynamic range made available by the Film Rec mode and the solid physical construction of the camera, the HPX 3700 was an easy choice.
The image produced by the HPX 3700 is impressive in many ways. Considering the number of instances where subjects were wearing white shirts in direct sunlight, I could safely expose for flesh tones. On the other hand, there were numerous low-light situations that proved to be the truest test of this camera’s abilities. In most indoor situations we found ourselves shooting at a f2.8/4, which provided good exposure for flesh tones, as well as the heavy edge-lights I was looking for. Many of these scenes called for a drop off in light to help direct the audience’s attention, since we were rarely shooting in locations of which we had complete control. Upon inspecting the background walls of many of these shots, there is significant noise, even where the walls do not fall off into darkness. This problem is especially noticeable because many of the rooms we shot in had white/off-white colored walls. That said, these are limitations that one can expect of most HD cameras, and having clean images of my subjects is of course always what I consider the priority.
The other major factors, besides the look the camera will give you (which is paramount), were logistical and ergonomic. I wanted to shoot using a shoulder-mounted camera that shot full raster 1080p at 24fps, to a tapeless media. There are plenty of cameras out there that fill most of these needs, but still relatively few that shoot to hard drives/flash cards/P2 cards. These factors, combined with the budget of the production, led me to choose between the Red One and any one of the Panasonics that shoot to P2 cards at 1080p. Of course, when talking about the Red One, for people unfamiliar with the camera, ease of use is always a question. Though I find the Red intuitive, I have found that the Panasonic more closely matches most operators’ experience with HD cameras. I preferred to have my camera operators working off the filter wheels rather than making electronic adjustment, and I liked knowing that when I asked someone to change color temperature or add an ND, it could be done instantly.
The Red One was also disregarded because when completely built, it becomes a heavy camera that I find does not comfortably sit on a cameraman’s shoulder for a prolonged period of time. The Red is also known for overheating when being used in direct sun for hours at a time. Knowing that 5 or 6 hours out of every day would be spent shooting on an outdoor football field further made me wary of using the Red One.
Additionally, I do not consider the Red a suitable camera for documentary work because the combination of a short battery life and interminable start-up time for the camera could prevent us from capturing unpredictable moments as they happen. There are features about the Red One that I miss in the Panasonic, like the high frame rates (anything over 30 would be much appreciated), or the opportunity to use PL mount lenses without an adapter, but such are the restrictions of the project and the budget.
A final question about using the Red for this production was workflow—shooting to hard drives would be a dangerous venture because of how frequently cameramen had to sprint (thereby shaking the camera/hard drive) to get a glimpse of an important shot. Shooting to their solid-state drive would have solved this issue, but at an unacceptable cost per camera. The beauty of having 5 hot-swappable card slots full of 32GB cards is the safety of knowing that I never cost the director story coverage due to reloading.
The HPX 3700 proved itself a capable camera that delivered the dynamic range and physical reliability I was expecting from it. The greatest drawback to the camera is the P2 workflow, as I do not appreciate having to send all my footage through P2CMS just to download it and view it. Nonetheless, considering the quality of the image and the other demands I place on it, the camera delivered on all that I expected it would. No matter how long the camera was running in the sun, how many times I changed cards, or how quickly I went from having the camera “OFF” to on and recording, it responded just as I needed.