Sony F5 & F55 Workshop at AbelCine in Burbank

DP Alister Chapman goes through the menus on the Sony F5 and F55 cameras at the AbelCine workshop in Burbank — *DP Alister Chapman goes through the menus on the Sony F5 and F55 cameras at the AbelCine workshop*

Earlier this month, I attended a workshop at AbelCine in Burbank called Sony F5 & F55: Practical Shooting with Alister Chapman for the DIT and DP.

The new Sony PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 both offer Super 35mm, CMOS image sensors, wide dynamic range, high sensitivity, and an extensive variety of internal recording options. Except for the black lens mount on the F5 and the silver lens mount on the F55, the form factors of the two cameras appear identical.

This workshop covered the many functions of the F5 and F55, including detailed instruction on camera operation, lens choice, production techniques, and aftermarket accessories. We discussed the similarities and differences of the these two cameras as well as the AXS-R5 Raw Recorder, viewfinders, lenses and 4K monitors. Emphasis was on developing an understanding of the camera sensor, internal recording, and menu systems.

*Sony F55 4K camera (silver lens mount) with 50mm Cine Alta prime lens*

AbelCine offers an excellent ongoing series of workshops and intensives in production techniques, and various new digital cinema cameras, recorders, and other equipment. The classes are free if you’ve bought one of the cameras from them. For the rest of us, the workshops are moderately priced. The F5/F55 all-day workshop cost $300, minus a $50 discount for early registration.

DP / DIT Alister Chapman, who owns an F5, put together a course on how to use these powerful cameras in a variety of ways, including Raw recording, Log Recording, and Video with Scene Files.

It was great having the workshop taught by a Sony camera owner-operator, not by a Sony sales rep or engineer, who often don’t understand exactly how their products are used in the field. Alister was familiar with all the great features of the F5 and the F55, as well as the occasional drawbacks. Eminently qualified, Alister started working for the BBC in 1989, fitting early video cameras in race cars and filming motor races on 16mm film. Since then, his career has taken him on shooting adventures around the world.