Sony NEX-FS700

Hi ScaleChan - Welcome to AVS Forum. Yes, I'm very interested. In fact, I wrote an overenthusiastic blog post about it when it was first announced. Not sure I can afford it, though.

I think you'll find that most people on this board are advanced amateurs and are most interested in consumer and prosumer video cameras below $3000.

But, as prices on large sensor interchangeable lens camcorders come down, I expect to see more interest in them here.

There is a whole sub-forum devoted to the FS700 at dvinfo that you may find interesting.

Cheers,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

Honestly, I was very interested, but then BlackMagic Design threw a massive monkey wrench when they announced a 2.5K RAW, 12-Bit Color cinema camera with 13-stops of dynamic range and 5" touch screen that records to SSDs for $2,995, including $1,600 in free software and then I realized I could get that + a Sony FS100U for less than the price of one FS700. After that, my interest declined greatly. It looks super nice though, especially if you want great super slow mo. The FS100U does slow-mo pretty darn good though. The FS100U should be a bit better in low light too. So, until the price comes down my interest is now lost.

The thing about the FS700 is the 4k upgrade could end up costing $4,000 and who knows how much the recorder will cost. Big question mark there. It's intriguing, but BlackMagic Design stole the show with their revolutionary camera. When the cheapest camera that does what their BlackMagic Cinema camera does costs $16,000+ and use highly expensive proprietary recording media and accessories that's pretty amazing.

For more information:

http://www.nexfs700.info
http://facebook.com/fs700
http://twitter.com/nexfs700

Agreed. The blackmagic could be a game changer. Sold my nx5u and have $4k waiting.

"Game changer" is a term that has a roughly 1% accuracy rate...

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera will have poor low-light sensitivity, a relatively tiny sensor compared to today's reference standards, and nearly zero automation for run-and-gun moments that are 100% inevitable to 100% of its users. (In other words, no motorized focus, etc.)

hp - it is yet to be seen whether the $3000 BlackMagic Cinema Camera will be a "game changer" - but it is at least revolutionary in digital cinema space. No camera less than $7500 (Ikonoskop) records RAW CinemaDNG, no other interchangeable lens camera below $60,000 (Arri Alexa) records straight to DNxHD for Avid Media Composer users - or to ProRes for Final Cut users, no other camera records to affordable SSDs period.

If the image quality is even close to usable, RAW images can be turned into almost anything your heart desires - as RAW stills can, and unlike the compressed video from today's camcorders. Game changer? I don't know - but I'll bet Arri, Canon, Sony (and even Ikonoskop and Digital Bolex) are watching closely and may have to reevaluate the prices of their digital cinema products - which would be a game changer for filmmakers' wallets, at least :-)

Cheers,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

I think if the Blackmagic camera had of been 4K RAW, for close to the same price, it would undoubtedly be a game changer. Right now, I think "game changer" is using the term kind of loosely. That said, it's still an impressive camera for the money. It is a sign of what is to come though.

I'd say in this cases game changer is more like 99% accuracy. Find me a camera under $16,000 that shoots 12-bit color, 2.5k Resolution & RAW with 13-stops of dynamic range. Oh and if you can't find that see if you can find one that also shoots ProRes, DNXHD, records to non highly expensive proprietary media, has Thunderbolt, 5" touch screen, built in metadata slate and includes $1,600 in free high ends software. Good luck.

BTW, how do you know it'll have poor low light sensitivity? I've read they are aiming for good low light with the calibrated sensor. Obviously, it won't match a Sony FS100U, but then again what does besides a $16,000 Canon C300? Nothing under the Sony F3 & C300 does.

Most DSLRs with good low light still have 16+ megapixels shooting hightly downscaled 1080p video. Therefor, since they are shooting with smaller pixels than the 2.5k resolution sensor in the BMC it is possible that the BMC could have decent to very good low light due to having larger pixels. Even if it's not the best low light. Ya know what's amazing for that and works absolute miracles? Neat Video's amazing noise reduction filter. I've seen it in action and it's astonishing what a difference it can make with high ISO noise.

I don't think the BMC will deliver world class low light, but it should be respectable.



4K is nice, but a bit overrated. Ya know what was not shot on 4K, but about the same resolution of the Black Magic Camera and looked absolutely AMAZING? The Avengers. #4 Highest grossing film of all time. Soon to be #3.

Know what else was not shot in 4k, but actually shot in 1080p with a smaller sensor than the Black Magic Camera and less dynamic range? Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time.

Is 4k nice? Definitely, but dynamic range, 12-bit color and RAW are more important.

Well I saw one of the 4K TV prototypes at NAB in 2009, I haven't seen anything from a 1080p signal come close. Not sure what the compression or codec specs on it were.