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CINEMA QUALITY ON A BUDGET WITH THE ODYSSEY 7Q+

 


Cameras for television and cinema have gone through massive changes over the last decade. As they became smaller, more capable, and cheaper, the landscape for indie shooters has permanently changed for the better. For example, the impact the Canon 5D Mark 2 DSLR had about nine years ago is still being felt today. Today, anyone with a modest budget and the willingness to learn can go out and shoot their own video, using the Mark 2’s highly cinematic shallow depth of field. However, although this camera is fantastic at what it does, it was never specifically designed to be a video camera, as any handheld shooter who's used one will testify.

Nevertheless, with the advent of the Mark 2 the world got a taste of what was possible. So, what next?

In short, it became apparent that camera manufacturers starting listening to a new audience - the everyday “doers”, the have-a-goers who wanted smaller, more capable cameras that were just as powerful as their predecessors. This is something the audio industry (which I came from) had been doing since the late 90s. The result of that listening was that, over the next few years, the camera market was inundated with technical marvels. From the low-light monster Sony A7s (whose successor sensor can be found in the £6K Sony UMC S3C), through to the short-lived Digital Bolex cinema cameras. More and more options became available at prices people could afford. It was an inspiring time, but one with many challenges along the way.

So, why am I telling you all of this?

Well, the industry is changing, as are the needs of the indie shooter. To address this, Sony has in recent years proved that is has been listening by incorporating all of their super high-end broadcast technology into their smaller cameras. Their latest FS7 Mark 2 camera is a perfect example of Sony having its ear to the market.


We have been listening too and have taken delivery of a number of Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q+ monitors. The Odyssey 7Q is a fantastic monitor in its own right, but its real benefits derive from its powerful recorder integration and amazing shooting tools that, when paired with our classic Sony FS700 camera, is capable of producing 12-bit RAW recordings with frame rates from 1 to 240fps, all in 4K. The Odyssey can even take a 4K RAW signal and record it down to HD for your regular workflow. On top of this, you get focus tools, colour tools, waveforms, vector scopes, and monitor or burnt in 3D LUTs. Additionally, all of our Odyssey units have been upgraded with the Titan HD Extract option, which enables you to record three HD feeds from a single 4K camera signal. This means you can do a multicam shoot with just one camera! And we're just scratching the surface of what can be achieved with this combination. Convergent Design has been updating the unit since its 2012 release and I have no doubt that there are plenty more exciting developments on the horizon..

Are RAW workflows more than you require? If so, record down to any ProRes or DNxHR iteration you want. The FS700 sensor is exactly the same as Sony's high-end F5 cinecam. Need I say more?

For those who require a higher quality image, pair the Odyssey with one of our Sony F55 cinema cameras, which enables 10-bit ProRes recording direct from the camera without the need of a bulky adaptor, whilst taking full advantage of the higher-spec camera. You even get a great viewfinder in the bargain.

For the best indie run and gun shooting package around today, call for more information or feel free to drop us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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