Slimraw comparison update#
Slimraw comparison plus#

So, on my first outing I filled my 128GB Sony Tough UHS-II card. And you do not have additional batteries you have to worry about. Of course, you can record 12bit DNG RAW on an SSD attached to the camera, which is way smaller and lighter and less clumsy than attaching the recorder.

On that same card placed in the BM VA you can record 18 minutes of 4K DCI 24p 12bit. On the Sigma fp, you can record 8bit 24p UHD 4K on a 128GB sd card for 10 minutes. So, what's the advantage of BRAW? Smaller files from the camera.

There is nothing special in 'grading' or editing the BRAW or the DNG RAW video, both types of files play and alter easily. It is not yet clear to anyone as far as I have been able to discover what the initial settings should be for BRAW recorded from an fp - with DNG RAW I know the gamma is linear and the color gamut is close to REC2020. In post (DaVinci Resolve), I used color management and chose BM 'Film' as the input gamma and color space. But, you can reduce the size of the DNG RAW files by about 60% on the computer, losslessly (Slimraw). You can't view the DNG RAW folders as clips without going into an editor. The only difference in these 'RAW' formats (both of which are 12bit) is that you can use BM's BRAW player to look at the BRAW clips without going into Resolve. So within Resolve, I detected zero difference in the ability to edit BRAW relative to DNG RAW, in speed or versatility or anything. In post (DaVinci Resolve), this makes no difference whatsoever, as Resolve automatically treats each DNG RAW folder as a clip. For DNG RAW, you shoot 24p for 10 seconds and you get one folder with 240 individual frames and an audio file. The BRAW clips are like normal clips - you shoot for 10 seconds and you get one file with embedded audio. Having to touch the recorder screen for recording results in less steady video.

Slimraw comparison update#

Sigma has promised that a firmware update will allow start-stop with the camera record button. Right now recording starts and stops by pushing the red recorder and square stop buttons, respectively, on the recorder touch screen. So, I mounted the camera on top of the recorder.

Slimraw comparison plus#

The BM VA plus its two batteries weighed more than the fp with the lens. I thus, as a start, chose a small IS lens - the Canon EF 28mm f2.8 IS. But, of course, the BM VA can show all these aids, simultaneously. There are no other aids (no focus peaking, waveforms, etc.) on the camera LCD. The LCD of the camera shows what you are shooting, including the focus frame (the one that turns green if you are in focus). The recorder recognizes the resolution and frame rate with no additional setting needed. In the menu of the camera you set the HDMI for RAW and then select 4K DCI 24p. I decided to select this as my video mode. Doing this adds one 12bit 'raw' format not available without the external recorder - 4K DCI (4096 x 2190) at 24P. Attaching the fp to the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G (5') by HDMI cable enables one to shoot BRAW.