Steven Soderbergh is no stranger to using consumer cameras to make feature films, and this time he has chosen the newest Sony mirrorless camera
(Image credit: Presence / Steven Soderbergh)
The Sony A9 III was released earlier this year and has quickly shot to the top of the best mirrorless camera list, and for good reason. The A9 III boasts groundbreaking features such as a global shutter, which enables an exceptionally fast burst rate of 120fps! In addition to its stills performance, it also captures 4K 120p 10-bit 4:2:2 video, making it a hybrid camera powerhouse.
Renowned Hollywood director and cinematographer Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, Erin Brockovich) has proven the extent to which the A9 III can capture video, by shooting his new feature movie entirely on the Sony mirrorless camera.
Soderbergh's new movie, Presence, is a ghost horror movie starring Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, and Chris Sullivan, and was shot entirely in one suburban house over just three weeks. The fascinating part of the movie is that it is filmed from the ghost's perspective, watching on as the family struggles to deal with ongoing life events. The camera, and in turn the viewer, act as a character in the movie watching voyeuristically as the drama unfolds.
Soderbergh is no stranger to using unprecedented camera techniques and consumer cameras for feature films, as he has previously shot two films entirely on iPhone - Unsane on an iPhone 7 Plus, and High Flying Bird on an iPhone 8.
Sony A9 III camera (Image credit: Sony)
In an interview with Filmmaker Magazine, Soderbergh discusses his choice to shoot with the Sony A9 III. He states, "We shot this on the newest iteration of the Sony DSLR, which is, as you know, a digital single-lens reflex camera. Its primary mode is as a still camera, but it also shoots really good video. It’s small, and this new version has a sensor that was never used in a DSLR before. I did experiments with all the digital cameras that I’d worked with before and ones I hadn’t. I stripped them down as much as I could, then put them on the smallest stabilization rig that would support them.
What I discovered was that there was just a couple of pounds difference between the camera I could use and stabilize and be able to back into any space I wanted to, and the next step up made that impossible because of the weight. We did all these tests with the Sony and this one rig. And I’m like, 'This’ll work. It’s not heavy'."
As you have most likely noticed Soderbergh refers to a new Sony DSLR, but other references, such as X user 'Patrick.' state that it was indeed the mirrorless A9 III that was used. The same user also states that the movie was filmed entirely with a Sony 14mm lens, most likely the Sony FE 14mm F1.8 GM, and a gimbal.
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The concept of the movie is fascinating and I am excited to examine the use of the new Sony camera in action on such a larger scale. Early reviews from its film festival showings sound highly encouraging, but unfortunately, there is no news on a release date yet.
Kalum Carter is a photographer, photo editor and writer based in the UK, and for almost a decade he has worked with brands and publications to create, edit, and sequence imagery. Having recently graduated with a Master's Degree in Photography from the University of the West of England (UWE), Kalum joined Digital Camera World as a Staff Writer, covering news, reviews, and his biggest passion – photography books!
Kalum's photography has been published and exhibited around the world, and he continues to photograph on a project-by-project basis. He is currently working on a personal project capturing the people and landscape of Gower, South Wales. Currently untitled, this body of work will be exhibited for the National Trust later this year.
