Cinema camera
Freefly Systems Ember S5K recording modes
The Freefly Systems Ember S5K has 3 recording modes in the Cutvey Viewfinder gear list, from 5K Open Gate 5:4 at 23.04 × 18.43 mm down to 4K DCI 17:9 at 18.43 × 9.72 mm. A 35mm lens covers 36.4° across on the widest mode and 29.5° on the narrowest, so the mode you record changes the frame as much as the lens does.
On this page
Recording modes and sizes
Each row is one recording mode as the app knows it: the active area the mode reads from the sensor, the resolution it records, the image circle a lens must cover, and how much smaller it is than a 36 × 24 mm full frame by diagonal. The last column is the line the app prints under the mode: the maker, how the size was found and the day it was read.
| Mode | Active area | Resolution | Image circle | Full frame crop | Size from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5K Open Gate 5:4 | 23.04 × 18.43 mm | 5120 × 4096 | 29.5 mm | 1.47x | Freefly Systems · published · 2026-08-04 |
| 5K 16:9 | 23.04 × 12.96 mm | 5120 × 2880 | 26.4 mm | 1.64x | Freefly Systems · derived from pixel pitch · 2026-08-04 |
| 4K DCI 17:9 | 18.43 × 9.72 mm | 4096 × 2160 | 20.8 mm | 2.08x | Freefly Systems · derived from pixel pitch · 2026-08-04 |
"Published" means the size was read from a published figure. "Derived from pixel pitch" means it was worked out from the photosite count and the published pixel size. A Provisional mode is still waiting for a second person to check it, so give its frame a little room. Counted November 2, 2026.
Field of view for a standard lens set
Degrees across the frame for spherical primes, worked out from each mode's own width. A wider mode sees more on the same lens; that is why a 35mm feels different on open gate and on a 4K crop.
| Mode | 18mm | 24mm | 35mm | 50mm | 85mm | 135mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5K Open Gate 5:4 | 65.2° | 51.3° | 36.4° | 25.9° | 15.4° | 9.8° |
| 5K 16:9 | 65.2° | 51.3° | 36.4° | 25.9° | 15.4° | 9.8° |
| 4K DCI 17:9 | 54.2° | 42.0° | 29.5° | 20.9° | 12.4° | 7.8° |
The lens that frames like full frame
If the director thinks in full frame focal lengths, this is the lens on each mode that gives the same horizontal angle. The last column does the same against a Super 35 frame 24.89 mm wide.
| Mode | Like a 24mm on full frame | Like a 35mm | Like a 50mm | Like a 35mm on Super 35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5K Open Gate 5:4 | 15.4mm | 22.4mm | 32mm | 32.4mm |
| 5K 16:9 | 15.4mm | 22.4mm | 32mm | 32.4mm |
| 4K DCI 17:9 | 12.3mm | 17.9mm | 25.6mm | 25.9mm |
Pick any two modes in the crop factor calculator to match a lens on another camera, or read sensor size and field of view.
Depth of field on each mode
Cutvey Viewfinder picks the circle of confusion for depth of field from the recording mode's own gate, unless you choose one on the panel. These are the values it starts from.
| Mode | Diagonal | Circle of confusion | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5K Open Gate 5:4 | 29.5 mm | 0.025 mm | nearest to Super 35 |
| 5K 16:9 | 26.4 mm | 0.025 mm | nearest to Super 35 |
| 4K DCI 17:9 | 20.8 mm | 0.015 mm | nearest to Super 16 |
Work out near, far and hyperfocal for any lens in the depth of field calculator.
Frame this camera in the app
Open Cutvey Viewfinder, tap the strip at the top of the viewfinder and choose Freefly Systems Ember S5K and the mode you will record. Your iPhone or iPad then draws that mode's frame for every lens in your kit, with the band where a lens sees wider than the phone. Check one lens here first in the field of view calculator.
More Freefly Systems bodies
Camera and lens names are trademarks of their respective owners, used only to identify the equipment. The sizes come from the Cutvey Viewfinder gear list, which is as accurate as its sources. Request a correction.
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Frame the Freefly Systems Ember S5K on your phone
Cutvey Viewfinder draws this camera's frame for every lens in your kit, on iPhone and iPad. $19.99, once.