4K Sony F3 - "F4" camera possibility

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FilmDude

Well-known member
Ok, so this is for conversation...

Now that sony has showed a 4K ready camera that is pretty much the FS100 with the ability to output 4K from that sensor, how long before we see the F3 either upgraded with a "send to factory upgrade" for a new sensor, or a new "F4" camera that can do 4K?

It seems like a logical step that should be pretty easy to do, as well as kind of being hinted at with the new camera and HUGE price drops on S-LOG which would be no longer useful if shooting RAW 4K...

So with that said, anyone thinking the same thing? I'm pretty sure within the next year the F3 will be a new 4K camera, what does that do for us F3 1080p camera owners?

Discuss....
 
FilmDude said:
..., what does that do for us F3 1080p camera owners?
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Nothing, unless you need 4K?

Most of my clients have just got their heads around HD and file based workflow. I think it'll be a couple of years before they start demanding more data. I'm sure those working on big budget drama, feature films and hobbyists will be wetting themselves over 4K, but the rest of the pro market is very well served by the current crop of large sensor camera's. Obviously, the F3 needs to be updated at some point, and 4K seems the way to go, but there are other improvements Sony could also make which would help sales enormously: 50Mbit/s on board, proper viewfinder etc.

Is 4K being pushed by customers or marketing departments? When my Mum buys a 4K tele I'll know I'm lagging behind the trend!
 
See thing is I'm on the feature film/short film/tv commercial side of things and more and more producers keep asking for RED, but I hate the RED company and how it handles itself, and the horrible ergonomics of the cameras ect.

I could easily sell my F3 and go scarlet, but I dont want to at all. I want better camera than scarlet, I want the F3 but I want to be able to say yes to my clients for 4K.
 
It's difficult because you usually have to get what the client wants. I think I'd show them a comparison of F3 S-Log 4:4:4 verses a Scarlet before giving RED any of my money!
 
PaulReam said:
It's difficult because you usually have to get what the client wants. I think I'd show them a comparison of F3 S-Log 4:4:4 verses a Scarlet before giving RED any of my money!
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Yes this is true, and yes I have been happy about that video, because the difference is not big at all, in fact I liked the F3 over the scarlet in all of the tests. Producers have 0 knolage of what makes an image, they just go on hearsay and word of mouth that "More pixels are better" and thats it... Problem is, thats far from the truth, but they need to be educated.

Most producers are stubborn and have a hard time believing that its the DP's choice to pick the camera, NOT the producers.
 
There will no doubt be a sequel to the F3, but it definitely won't be called the F4. Japanese companies avoid the number 4 like the plague. Apparently it's like our number 13, multiplied several times over. Apparently its very close to the number for death. Bad Mojo for camera sales.
 
My guess - 4K with add on recorder / 10 bit 50 mg to SxS card like alexa / high speed like FS700 / improved viewfinder. When....? Not for a little while or else they would have had a prototype at NAB?
 
I think if thats what they do, they will alienate the F65 with those specs, so im wondering if 4K will ever come to the F3 and its price range. Honestly I could do without the dinky little viewfinders, even if they put $1000 into that viewfinder, it will still be too small for using properly for 4K. Just get rid of it all together and make a REAL external addon view finder option.
 
My bet is an F6 -with almost the same specs of the F65, to be announced by the end of October this year and with a street price of $21,000, to be delivered in January 2013. AJA Q4 should be the add on recorder for the matter.

Meanwhile fellows... enjoy your beloved F3 and make money with it, as is already, with or without S-Log!
 
PaulReam said:
Is 4K being pushed by customers or marketing departments? When my Mum buys a 4K tele I'll know I'm lagging behind the trend!
Click to expand...

No, but 3 years ago I had jobs that wanted the extra pixels for repositioning/reframing shots in post for things that were difficult to shoot twice. Motion graphics jobs, FX plates, etc.

Despite that fact it sounds like overkill, since the Red came out, there have been plenty of clever people to put those extra pixels to use to enable things that just couldn't be done before.
 
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