The world of digital cinema has changed a lot in the past decade, especially in the past few years where we’ve seen huge improvements in resolution. It feels like just yesterday that many of us are shooting with a Panasonic DVX100 or Canon XL1 – completely satisfied and in many cases thrilled with the quality we get from these cameras, which of course only shoot on miniDV tape 480p. But then HD came along. We all want to replace DVX with HVX or similar HD cameras because the jump in resolution from SD to HD is just too overwhelming. But after the HD hype died down, it didn’t take long for our DPs, photographers and producers to start looking for the next best thing…
Enter the DSLR (or more specifically the Canon 5D MKII), an affordable Full HD camera with a large sensor and the ability to use interchangeable lenses. While the 5D (and any other video DSLR) has always had its shortcomings, they may be the best thing ever to happen to the low-budget cinema market for the simple fact that they remind us that getting a cinematic image isn’t all about resolution. We started focusing more on lenses that allowed us to play more with depth of field, more traditional lighting techniques, and camera movements that strayed away from the plain old tripod or handheld look. Yes, these cameras lacked a lot of features, such as timecode, audio capabilities, and many other key features, but the fact is, they allowed us to shoot in a way that was much closer to a traditional film/cine camera than we were used to. camera.
Of course, it wasn’t long before the next big jump in resolution came, this time in the form of 4K. RED was one of the first companies to introduce 4K digital cinema cameras, but as we all know, the technology eventually trickled down to prosumer and consumer-level formats. As of today, you can buy a camera like the GH4 that shoots beautiful 4K images for under $2,000, you can shoot 4K on some phones, and more and more 4K cameras are coming out every month. 4K has a lot going for it, and it’s undeniably the way of the future in terms of capture and delivery, but I do think that right now we’re in a period very similar to the early days of HD, before the DSLR boom. I say this because both manufacturers and consumers are now so focused on resolution that 4K itself is a key selling feature, above other key features like high dynamic range.
So what will happen next?
Well, this is indeed the year of 4K. Next week is NAB and I’m sure we’ll see more new 4K cameras than we thought, which is great because it means it will open the door for camera manufacturers to start focusing on other important components (not just resolution) ) pave the way. Yes, there will be some companies (like RED, Sony or Kinefinity) that will continue to release higher resolution cameras (6K, 8K and beyond), but I do think they will be the exception rather than the rule. The reason is that for film projects 4K is indeed more than enough, in fact too much in many cases.
Part of achieving a cinematic image requires a certain softness or tolerance to the material, and when you’re shooting at 4K or higher, you often need to soften the image (either in camera with filters or in post ) to achieve a more cinematic look. I fully support camera companies developing 6K or 8K cameras, but the truth is, I would not choose to use a high-resolution camera to shoot narrative work. If I were shooting a nature documentary, or any other project that seemed surreal, I would immediately think of using an 8K camera. But for narrative work, where you want your talent to shine in front of the camera and where you want your audience to be immersed in the world you’ve created for them, 4K is enough.
I’m certainly not the only one who feels this way – in fact, I would say that most narrative DPs agree that 4K resolution already poses challenges because of its extremely high resolution, which is also my opinion Part of the reason 4K is here to stay for a while. The resolution race can’t go on forever… In a way, it reminds me of the 90s, when computer companies were racing to come up with the next fastest processor, with processor speeds doubling or tripling every year. Eventually that went away because they hit a ceiling, as did digital movies. Not only because DP wants a more forgiving narrative image format, but also because delivering 4K content (let alone higher content) is currently impractical. To this day, broadcasters are still struggling to deliver high-definition programming, with most broadcasting in 720p format, so considering broadcasting 4K or beyond for them is still quite remote at the moment, at least on a large scale. I predict that online distributors like Netflix that are already into the 4K game will continue to be the best delivery method for 4K content, but even so, it will be quite some time before most consumers can actually properly watch 4K resolution at home.
What I believe will happen in the next few years is a shift in focus among camera manufacturers and professionals – not unlike what we saw in the early days of video SLRs. Yes, this will be the year of 4K. But what about next year? Will the focus shift elsewhere? Maybe it’s the dynamic range? Companies like Blackmagic Design and Arri place such an emphasis on dynamic range (and in some cases, resolution above all else) that hopefully other companies will follow suit and we’ll see more camera companies take a stand on dynamic range ahead of next year’s NAB Boasting crazy numbers, other key features include higher frame rates and better low-light sensitivity.
Having said all that, am I opposed to shooting in 4K? not at all. I love 4K and I’m sure any camera I buy going forward will be 4k (or who knows, maybe higher) resolution. But I do hope this obsession with shooting 4K fades away soon so we can focus on the other important elements of making great movies, like we did in the days of the Canon 5D, or better yet – in the days of cinema .
For more information on this topic, check out my previous article Why dynamic range is more important than resolution for achieving cinematic effects.
