FS7: After over a year...you guys still liking FS7?
- Thread starter ultramaze
- Start date
epicdream
Well-known member
I was one of the first people (in the UK) to get an FS7 and I still love it despite all of its quirks. I've used it on corporates (interviews and presentations), documentaries and short films. It's beautifully flexible and gives a great image.
Did I make the right decision? Well, I only have to look at the two cameras that I had on order (just before Sony announced it), the URSA (original) and the AJA Cion...
Did I make the right decision? Well, I only have to look at the two cameras that I had on order (just before Sony announced it), the URSA (original) and the AJA Cion...
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TVs are set to follow certain standards, so its not the same at all.
Liam Hall
Veteran
Same here, mine is number 000076 picked it up at the end of October 2014. It's done over 630 hours of doco and corporates. Anyone know when we are supposed to get these serviced?
Ben Scott
Veteran
What?
TV sets in 'store mode' all showing the same thing look vastly different and tend to the garish side of things in order to stand out.
Canon's 'Standard' profile has a bold hifi edge that is great for a lot of applications but not necessarily my bag. That said if shooting log that all goes out of the window.
Ben Scott
Veteran
I think it's when that stupid cable for the viewfinder finally gives up the ghost.
Scared to look at the hrs on my camera now but yep, another Oct 2014 owner here.
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Nirv
Carbonite Member
Go to any serious TV review site and look at the calibration reports, they're all over the place. Consumer TVs are 'set' to follow absolutely no standard whatsoever other than trying to stand out in a showroom. --- Just noticed Ben just said this.
Nirv
Carbonite Member
If you've got a magenta look then you're doing something wrong. You've said in other threads that you're too busy to learn how to grade an image so if you can't grade an image you can't build yourself a decent LUT to give yourself a decent starting point to begin grading. A colour cast is the simplest correction and can be built into a LUT so you never have to see it.
The danger is you're looking at RED camera images that have been graded by people with the competence you aren't prepared to put the time into learning.
Nirv
Carbonite Member
The hours meter readings were always good indications of how knackered the tape heads (expensive) were in days of yore but what really is the point of an hours meter nowadays with so few moving parts?
I'm not an FS7 owner, but am followng this thread with interest. In light of the chap in the DPreview thread 'Canonizing' his settings in Lightroom, can the same be done to a FS7 profile?
For example in my FS5 I've taken the WB settings in the default profile (and my Doug Jensen profile) up a couple of notches to warm things up. Not quite Canonized, but heading there.
For example in my FS5 I've taken the WB settings in the default profile (and my Doug Jensen profile) up a couple of notches to warm things up. Not quite Canonized, but heading there.
Nirv
Carbonite Member
Buy LUTCalc and build a LUT using Canon WideDR gamma and Canon CP IDT gamut and the insipid Canon colours are just a click away (if you shoot SLog3).
Alan Dater
Member
I am an independent filmmaker and have mostly used the camera on my own productions. I have had it since early 2015, it has 220 hours on it. I have come to trust the camera and I like the images it puts out. For my own productions I shoot everything in 4K, XAVC I, Cine Slog 3. Shooting in 4K is great for cropping the frame which has come in handy quite a few times with the viewfinder bracket and fuzzy windscreen creeping into the frame with wide angle lenses. For editing I transcode to ProRes 1080 and add a LUT with Resolve.
The ergonomics could be better. I use the Tilta shoulder brace and a Vocas Viewfinder arm. I never use the Sony handgrip for two reasons: it made my hand cramp very quickly and I only adjust lens settings manually. I repurposed an old Frezzoilini 16mm handgrip (see picture) attached to the front rods..it is really comfortable and feels very secure. The Tilta is heavy but does allow you to take it off the camera quickly to a stripped down bare bones setup or pop it onto a tripod with the Sony adapter plate.
I really like the large record on/off button. I do not like the small on/off switch and I really don't like the small menu button and menu wheel. Very difficult to use when shooting in the cold Vermont winters.
I wish Sony had gone all the way and put all of the FS7 features etc into a body that was well balanced for shoulder use. The price is right and you can depend on it for good looking images. BTW I found the Doug Jensen handbook for the FS7 to be very helpful when learning to use this camera.
Alan Dater
Marlboro Productions
The ergonomics could be better. I use the Tilta shoulder brace and a Vocas Viewfinder arm. I never use the Sony handgrip for two reasons: it made my hand cramp very quickly and I only adjust lens settings manually. I repurposed an old Frezzoilini 16mm handgrip (see picture) attached to the front rods..it is really comfortable and feels very secure. The Tilta is heavy but does allow you to take it off the camera quickly to a stripped down bare bones setup or pop it onto a tripod with the Sony adapter plate.
I really like the large record on/off button. I do not like the small on/off switch and I really don't like the small menu button and menu wheel. Very difficult to use when shooting in the cold Vermont winters.
I wish Sony had gone all the way and put all of the FS7 features etc into a body that was well balanced for shoulder use. The price is right and you can depend on it for good looking images. BTW I found the Doug Jensen handbook for the FS7 to be very helpful when learning to use this camera.
Alan Dater
Marlboro Productions
Jim Ritscher
Well-known member
Regarding Canon vs. Sony: I cannot vouch for the truth of this story, but I think it’s pretty funny. Supposedly a Canon representative said, “We try to make extremely attractive skin tones, and we don’t care about where the rest of the colors fall.”
Ben Scott
Veteran
In reality that is a pretty sound business decision to prioritise what human beings look like, as they're the things we will be most unforgiving about.
As for the post above, I haven't used the handgrip since week 2 of owning the camera. Annoying as hell, bulky and fragile feeling, and not needed to use the camera properly.
Lightweight run and gun handheld mode
Sony FS7 - Lightweight 'run and gun' setup by Ben Scott, on Flickr
Older fully laden mode (have since sold extension unit and 7Q)
Sony FS7 - Full handhelp setup with Odyssey 7Q, Follow Focus and mattebox by Ben Scott, on Flickr
Used this setup without a hitch for a year now
As for the post above, I haven't used the handgrip since week 2 of owning the camera. Annoying as hell, bulky and fragile feeling, and not needed to use the camera properly.
Lightweight run and gun handheld mode
Sony FS7 - Lightweight 'run and gun' setup by Ben Scott, on FlickrOlder fully laden mode (have since sold extension unit and 7Q)
Sony FS7 - Full handhelp setup with Odyssey 7Q, Follow Focus and mattebox by Ben Scott, on FlickrUsed this setup without a hitch for a year now
Wow. Some great advice and insight here. Thank you guys for responding to my thread. This is great. Going to rent the camera a few times before I buy but it seems like the best bang for buck you can get at the moment. They are even showing up used on eBay for about $1,000 cheaper
It does make a lot of sense. In 98% of images the only thing we can be sure of is what human skin tones 'should' look like. Eg, someone looks green, they look ill... even in real life. On the other hand how do you know what shade of blue that blue car really was?
I have 2, got the first one in November 2014. It has more than 700 hours. It's a great camera, but I'm one of those that aren't 100% happy with the colors/look. That said, for docu work it's great. I hauled it up 50m to film a climbing sequence for a tv show so I'm don't find it fragile at all. I use it hand held with metabones and Canon glass, I never felt the need to upgrade anything, I just use an Easyrig, problems solved and back saved.
The only thing I really miss is time code sync/gen lock. I don't want to add a huge brick to my camera just for that
The only thing I really miss is time code sync/gen lock. I don't want to add a huge brick to my camera just for that