The fast-paced and treacherous life aboard Alaskan fishing vessels has been documented on the TV show Deadliest Catch for 20 seasons, and DP Bryan Miller has provided insight into the best cameras and lenses to battle the elements and capture exceptional footage.
In a recent interview with Sony Cinema, Miller outlines what life is like filming on the open seas, and how he uses two of the best Sony Cinema cameras to do it - and the choices might surprise you.
Considering the scale of the show you'd be forgiven if your thoughts went straight to a Sony Venice or even the new Sony Burano, but in fact, the show is almost entirely shot with the Sony FX6 and Sony FX3 - two of Sony's most accessible cinema line cameras.
Deadliest Catch is filmed using two Sony FX6 cameras manned by two operators per boat, and to make sure that there is always footage of the captain, two Sony FX3 cameras are mounted in the wheelhouse.
Miller says that first and foremost safety is the most important thing, and in addition to enabling great video capture, the FX line aids in this area too.
Working on the deck of one of these large fishing boats can be extremely dangerous. Miller says, "It's like a factory floor out in 20-foot waves. You have to imagine a hockey rink that you're working on, in addition to that, you have pots that weigh 1,000 pounds that are swinging over your head”.
Miller praises the lightweight nature and user-friendly ergonomics of the FX6 as by using the LCD screen and a portable monitor it is much easier to be aware of your surroundings compared to an ENG-style (electronic news gathering) camera with an eyepiece.
He explained to Sony Cinema, "You can't have an ENG shoulder-mounted camera and your face in an eyepiece. You would literally get killed in a matter of hours".
The FX6 fulfills the ergonomic requirements at the same time as capturing incredible image quality in ever-changing conditions, thanks to its dual native ISO. This combined with the go-to lens of the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS zoom lens enables the team to shoot natively at ISO 800 and wide open at f/4 in most situations. This lens was chosen for its exceptional optical stabilization and AF, Af being a feature heavily relied upon for the shooting environment. The resulting footage is cinematic and if you have seen the show, works seamlessly with the already dramatic subject matter.
You can find out more about the equipment used and the reasons for it on the Sony Cine website. You will also get a chance to view Bryan Miller's great work in the new season of Deadliest Catch coming soon.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best Sony cameras, the best cinema cameras, and the best Sony video lenses.
