Opinions on using 1080p and 4k cameras in one project?

I have recently went back to DSLR because with photography, mirrorless was not satisfying my needs with auto focus and battery life. So, I have a Canon 6D with L lenses, good ND filters, etc. But I'm at 1080p. Now, my other camera is 4k, it looks amazing. The detail is stunning. It looks better than any dslr footage I've seen, but I still use the DSLR full frame with it because it doesn't have the really shallow depth of field, it only has a 1" sensor, the Sony AX100.

So, I always downscale 4k to 1080p anyway but that's because 4k looks better at 1080p than 1080p. There are more pixels, less noise, the more pixels causes it to be extremely sharp. I don't want it to be too obvious on my projects that I'm using two different cameras. The AX100 has no way to turn the sharpness down in camera or nothing, although it has full manual controls, ND filters, etc. So, I get an AX100 4k video and the in camera sharpness actually works out to be PERFECT. That's where I'd want it to be if I had to sharpen it myself.

But, when I witch to the DSLR angle to get the depth of field or extreme low light shots, or sometimes just another angle. I go to regular 1080p. I am wondering, is there a way I can make this less obvious or do I need to just shoot 1080p with the AX100 instead of 4k so it wouldn't be so noticeable?

In this following video there is an example. I didn't do a real color grade, just a quick one to see if I could make them look close enough. The first shot of each thing is the Canon 6D at F/4. The second shot each time is the AX100, which you will be able to tell because you'll notice more detail and sharpness. I really don't want to blur or soften my images but that is an option.

I think your main problem is the greatly different depth of field between the FF 6D at f/4 and the AX100 having a 1" sensor.

A 6D at f/4 with a subject at 10 ft has an approx. 0.64 ft depth of field. To match this the AX100 would probably have to be in aperture priority mode, wide open, at about 66mm actual focal length. You can play around with DOF calculators like this one. The AX100 isn't listed but the RX100 has a similar sensor: www.dofmaster.com/

In general a camcorder with a smaller sensor will have to be zoomed in more and further back from the subject to achieve a similar DOF.

This is just one factor, but it can be quite difficult to intercut between a DSLR at wide aperture and a camcorder -- even one with a 1" sensor.

Also footage from a 6D or 5D3 can be somewhat soft. The 5D3 is has little moire/aliasing and can be sharpened significantly in post. I'm not sure if the 6D can be sharpened to the same degree.

The general approach is approximately match the DOF between DSLR and camcorder, shoot, then sharpen the DSLR material, downrez the camcorder in post or just shoot in 1080p, then do more fine tuning in post. The exposure and color usually needs matching as well, since the metering and color profiles are different. Even with this it can be difficult to match them which is why we try to never shoot with mixed DSLRs and small-sensor camcorders on the same subject.

We mix them up every week, not that big of a deal. Can make for some interesting creative options, too.

The second shot each time is the AX100, which you will be able to tell because you'll notice more detail and sharpness.

I'm noticing your Canon material 'pumps' = autofocus - have you tried to set the focus manually? Plus: any in-camera 'sharpener' set ....?

just personal taste: what's wrong using a tripod for a focus test ...?

Good point, tripods or other stabilizing rigs should always be used, as much as possible. If you want a hand-held shake look, you can apply that as an effect in post, easily.

Good point, tripods or other stabilizing rigs should always be used

//ad break//
for the no-budget movie maker, I recommend from Amazon.basics its tripod: really heavy (no travelthingie) , after one year using it no rust (made mostly from aluminium), 175cm, design is 'borrowed' by Mantone = you can spread the legs in diff. angels ... = as a special offer/catch of the day: <60€

I just changed the head (regular 3/8" mount) to a 'fluid' one ... recording sports asks for fasz and smooth panning ...

//back to the program //

BenB wrote: We mix them up every week, not that big of a deal. Can make for some interesting creative options, too.

Just to be clear, we also use a mix of cameras within the same project, not just DSLRs. The thread title did say project, not subject. But the sample shown was sometimes the same subject and composition, so I was addressing that.

When shooting multicam of the same subject -- especially interviews or other items we will be repetitively cutting between in post -- then we try to use only DSLRs or cameras with a similar look.

However the same subject can also be separated in time within the piece or presented in very different visual contexts. In those cases repetitive back-and-forth cutting is not done, and it's easier to get away with different camera "looks". E.g, we usually use a small camera with a deep DOF on our drones because they are used for establishing material. Likewise with the big Glidecam vest -- it's capable of flying a DSLR but a smaller camera often works better and the different look is not a problem for these specialized shots.

The OP implied he would be intercutting between the material (maybe a lot), unless I misunderstand him. IOW it's more like the multicam interview case than the establishing shot case. How much he needs to intercut within the same visual context influences how much of a problem using different cameras is. To some degree you can lessen the problem during production with careful camera setup (e.g, use flat profiles on all cameras if available, giving better matching options in post), or matching DOF to the degree possible.

We mix two different BMD cameras (4K Prod, Pocket), GoPros, DSLRs. The most effective help we've found is lighting. Set up the lighting so that each angle is unique in it's look, and make that work on purpose to start with. Then some simple grading takes care of the rest. We also shoot 4K on everything except the 1080 DSLR. We shoot the 4K stuff slightly soft. But set design and lighting design go further than anything, we have found, to make this process go very smooth and easy in post. Because not all cameras will every match up 100 percent in post, design your set and lighting to take advantage of this so that each angle stands up as a unique perspective. Then when editing, our wider shot is sharper, more well lit directly. Closer, angled shots we shoot with softer lighting, more personal and intimate. Things like that. So switching angles actually gets an boost in emotional content when doing multicam edits.

Make the limitations work for you, not against you.

BenB wrote: ...set design and lighting design go further than anything, we have found, to make this process go very smooth and easy in post...design your set and lighting to take advantage of this so that each angle stands up as a unique perspective...

Yes that is good advice and for a scripted narrative in a controlled setting it can work. I don't know what type of material the OP will be shooting but it looked like run-and-gun. We shoot mostly field documentary material so often have limited control over set and lighting. In that case it helps us to use similar cameras on subjects requiring lots of multi-cam intercutting.

E.g, consider this ABC news field interview using DSLRs: joema.smugmug.com/Photography/ABC-News-U...SLRs/27068295_k76gNm If one of those cameras was a small sensor camcorder or an old-style ENG camera it would be harder to intercut.

That said, in this CNN field interview they used some GoPro material (visible on stick in upper right) and it worked -- but it was easier because the topic was GoPro and their CEO. The viewer "bought" the GoPro shots because they were used to illustrate the topic. But both main cameras were similar large-sensor types, maybe two C100 Mk1s: joema.smugmug.com/photos/i-tQ6Wj4s/0/XL/i-tQ6Wj4s-XL.jpg

Even when using similar cameras, the shoot can be compromised by lack of attention to camera setup, e.g: using different color profiles, not white balanced similarly, not exposed similarly, sharply different DOFs.

This is a good topic because many will be switching to more 4k material over time, hence facing this issue. It is not unique to 4k but arises often with newer 4k cameras vs DSLRs.