Sony F55 CineAlta™ 4K camera in LowRange Across Australia

SYDNEY, 11 February 2016 – Showcasing iconic locations across Australia LowRange is hosted by John ‘Roothy’ Rooth, Australia’s best known four wheel driver, bush mechanic and camp fire cook. Produced by Melanie Galea and featuring lead cameraman Gavin Rawlings LowRange features some of the best production values ever seen in an off-road television show.

With that in mind Gavin Rawlings explained his decision to exclusively use the Sony PMW-F55 CineAlta™ 4K camera on the unique travel show, “I decided to go with the F55 on this show because I was very familiar with the camera and extremely happy with the image quality it produces. I’d ordered the F55 as soon as I heard about it. At the time I was looking around for a new camera system to replace my Sony EX1 setup. Talk about a huge step. I wanted to move into the 35mm sensor field and have access to high frame rates. The F55 gave me access to these features and so much more. The fact that the camera was very modular as well was a bonus as it meant I could strip it down and run a small prime lens on it for particular shooting scenarios as well as build the camera up with large PL zooms.”

Rawlings has used his F55 in many locations across the world and its wide and varied functionality is something he still quotes as the most exciting thing about the camera and in particular how it can be used to shoot 4K.

He continued, “One of the main features that I have always been excited about with the F55 was the ability to record at 4K. 4K resolution works perfectly for a HD project and delivery. The ability to crop, zoom and stablise in post without any loss of resolution is a massive plus for my work. That and the fact that I travel to some of the most remote places in Australia which I love being able to capture in 4K.”

For an owner operator like Rawlings keeping up with the latest technology is as important as keeping his clients happy. The F55, according to Rawlings helps him do both as he added, “My clients are always blown away by the quality of the image that I’m able to capture with the F55. Audiences of LowRange have been very vocal in their enthusiasm. They love being able to see Australia in such clarity.”

With a body of F55 work under his belt and most of it shot in 4K Rawlings has become very familiar with how to get the best results from his camera. Shooting in remote locations isn’t always easy and the importance of being flexible and nimble is ever present.

He added, “With LowRange I tend to use the F55 mainly on a tripod and handheld. I also use it on a Cine Slider to get some nice sliding shots out in the field. When you’re living and working out of a 4WD space becomes limited. Sometimes I’ll see a shot and think a big jib would be perfect, but we really have to be careful not to carry too much gear.”

Typical shots on LowRange include scenic shots, especially at sunrise and sunset. When Rawlings and the crew are on the move they will shoot a lot of convoy style shots in whatever terrain they happen to find themselves in including desert, rainforest, sand and mud.
Rawlings continued, “The 4WDs often get stuck and need to be recovered. This is usually when it turns into a ‘run and gun’-style shooting from the shoulder. Then there’s the nighttime camping scenes where I have time to set up lighting and overall spend a little more time on perfecting the frame. Australia is such a diverse land. We have deserts, snow, tropics and each one of these environments brings its own challenges. I’ve taken the F55 through all of these and it’s performed extremely well. Typically I find I spend most of my time in dusty dry places. The first time I took the F55 to the Simpson Desert we were hit by 50+ degree heat day after day. I was sure the camera would overheat or I’d have at least some type of issue but to my surprise I had none. That’s when I realised this is one tough camera.”

Rawlings is clearly very happy with his F55 and very much sees it as his camera of choice for the future concluding, “I’ve noticed a trend in the broadcast world, especially with reality TV with the F5 and F55 getting very popular. Also having the ability to capture 4K RAW/XAVC in S-LOG as well as capture up to 240fps in HD has been a huge advantage for me with LowRange. S-LOG gives me so much freedom to play with the image in post and achieve the look I’m after. Having access to higher framerates has really helped with having an edge on other 4WD travel shows as they’re only just starting to dive into that territory now in Australia. The F55 has performed flawlessly on these shoots and produced an image quality that has surpassed my clients’ expectations again and again. I plan to stick with the F55 for a long time to come.”

Gavin Rawlings and his partner Melanie Galea own a production company in Sydney called Venture Films. For more information go to: www.venturefilms.com.au

To view Gavin Rawlings’ showreel shot entirely with the Sony PMW-F55 CineAlta™ in 4K go to: https://www.youtube.com/

Picture credits:


The Sony PMW-F55 CineAlta™ 4K camera being used by Gavin Rawlings on the LowRange TV series across Australia.