FS7: FS7 II Official
- Thread starter traviswears
- Start date
traviswears
Well-known member
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1295217-REG/sony_pxw_fs7_ii_xdcam_super.html
Not an affiliate link. Just because pricing was still in discussion in the rumors thread. $10k.
As an FS7 owner myself, I'm not going to upgrade, though if I was purchasing the camera for the first time, I would. The variable ND would come in handy, as I have to use screw-on ND or a pola often when shooting wide open outside. The locking mount doesn't do a whole lot for me and I don't need more assignable buttons.
Not an affiliate link. Just because pricing was still in discussion in the rumors thread. $10k.
As an FS7 owner myself, I'm not going to upgrade, though if I was purchasing the camera for the first time, I would. The variable ND would come in handy, as I have to use screw-on ND or a pola often when shooting wide open outside. The locking mount doesn't do a whole lot for me and I don't need more assignable buttons.
Grug
Veteran
Very cool!
The variable ND and the locking lens mount are extremely appealing features to me. In fact, the locking lens mount finally brings the FS7 to the point where I could really consider it a viable option for my shooting - as it'd allow me to properly secure a positive-locking speedbooster to the camera, and I could actually feel confident that my cine zooms wouldn't tear the lens mount out and come crashing to the ground.
The variable ND and the locking lens mount are extremely appealing features to me. In fact, the locking lens mount finally brings the FS7 to the point where I could really consider it a viable option for my shooting - as it'd allow me to properly secure a positive-locking speedbooster to the camera, and I could actually feel confident that my cine zooms wouldn't tear the lens mount out and come crashing to the ground.
puredrifting
Major Contributor
Wow! When Canon drops the price on the C300 MKII to $9,999.00 around NAB, we may have quite a horse race. The variable ND feature is super cool, the new square rod makes sense and the new lens mount seems like a good move. Really, really wish Sony would abandon their existing Southeast Asian/ENG color science and make the skin tones just look good. I played with the FS7 at a dealer last week and the colors in the VF and monitor looked truly hideous, so Cyan/Blue, really nasty, how do you guys deal with that? A lot of what I shoot receives minimal or no grade, my clients would never accept the Sony look. I would seriously become a Sony convert if they would just make appealing colors. I know many other DPs who feel the same way.
Grug
Veteran
LC709A (with a little magenta taken out of it), the ImpulZ LUTs or Filmconvert will all take your SLOG3/SGamut3.cine footage and gives you beautiful, natural or filmic looking colours and skintones. The new Sgamut3.cine colour science has fixed all of the issues Sony previously had with certain colours going nuclear at times. For single-step colour correction, those three options will give you about as nice as result as you'll ever get without properly processing your footage.
JPNola
Veteran
Well, while the upgrades are modest, that is good news for current owners of the Fs7 MkI. There isn't anything on the Fs7 MkII that would cause many, if any, clients to demand a MkII over MkI. Nearly every upgrade on the MkII has to do with usability and operator convenience. Upgrades that, while much wanted by Fs7 MkI owners, aren't a necessity for any production. In short, your Fs7 MkI is still safe.
For potential buyers of the Fs7 Mk II it could be bad news, I suppose, that the Mk II doesn't have anything that would give owners of the MkII a competitive advantage over the MkI. You'll spend more money than did MkI owners but won't gain any leg up on them as far as ability to land jobs. You'll be paying a higher price strictly for convenience features. None of which are anything that cannot be lived without. No job that I can foresee is going to demand a slide-locking e-mount or electronic variable ND. Might there be a requirement for this "BT.2020"? Theoretically there could be, I suppose. But word is that BT.2020 will shortly come to the Fs7 MkI with a software upgrade.
The variable ND is a neat trick but I still need to be sold on it. Just seems like something else to malfunction and, like Autofocus, it still feels a bit "prosumer-ish" to me. I need to be more open minded to it. The ability to always be at the f-stop of your choosing regardless of the light conditions is a useful creative tool.
That the upgrades to the camera were modest is a testament to how good the Fs7 MkI is and was from the start. Most of the upgrades address what were little more than nit-picks- the VF bracket, the loupe mount, adjustment of the grip arm extension not being tool-less, the difficulty for some in removing the media cards.
Some out there may be disappointed in the Fs7 MkII but selfishly, as an owner of a MkI, I'm glad the MkII isn't different enough from the MkI to be any threat to the MkI or warrant my having to upgrade.
Taylor Rudd
Veteran
One thing I'm trying to figure out with the Variable ND....
http://www.newsshooter.com/2016/11/...variable-nd-locking-e-mount-and-higher-price/
At 2:35 in this video he says it has a "Preset Variable ND Mode" so you can assign different ND strengths to the physical ND filter wheel. Does this mean there are no glass ND filters? OR can you just dial in a little extra variable ND on top of the physical ND filters?
http://www.newsshooter.com/2016/11/...variable-nd-locking-e-mount-and-higher-price/
At 2:35 in this video he says it has a "Preset Variable ND Mode" so you can assign different ND strengths to the physical ND filter wheel. Does this mean there are no glass ND filters? OR can you just dial in a little extra variable ND on top of the physical ND filters?
its a single glass element, ND strenght is varied via applying voltage.
Taylor Rudd
Veteran
Crazy. Is this how the FS5 operates? I always thought it was a combo of physical glass + electronic variable ND mojo.
Jim Feeley
Veteran
I know a couple people who own the FS5, both long-time shooters who know what they're doing, and they're all really impressed with its auto ND filter. They're both on hard verite docs right now where it's really useful...moreso than they both expected. It seems pretty cool...not at all like auto white balance. Or so it seems to me.
JPNola
Veteran
Okay, but that doesn't explain how it is that levels of electronic ND voltage are assigned to the various physical ND wheel settings, as the linked video suggests is possible.
If there is a single glass element that is always in place in the light path, what is the silver ND knob doing? If it is only selecting preset levels of electronic ND, why bother with a knob that requires rotating and not just use buttons instead?
Just to be clear- you are saying that there is no traditional ND glass in the Sony Fs7 MkII. None. Nada. Zip.
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Nirv
Carbonite Member
No trad ND at all.
The silver knob either switches in preset ND levels like the current FS7 or it's in vari Mode where you can fine tune ND strength.
What's wrong with the knob?
JPNola
Veteran
Just seems more efficient to be able to push a button rather than have to rotate a physical knob. Significant mechanical action requiring two fingers to engage an electronic process that could be engaged via a quick and easy lil' depressing of a button with only one finger.
Are all settings on the ND knob user assignable levels of ND or are some settings factory presets? Is there a means for the operator to know the level of ND being applied and later re-apply that level of ND to the knob position? If the ND is infinitely variable how could any ND level indication ever be accurate? ( I suppose in that regard it would be as equally inaccurate as is f-stop indication information. )
How are levels of ND saved to each knob position? It would be neat if depressing the knob saved the ND setting while rotation of the knob switched between various user-saved or factory preset levels of ND.
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Vultch
Well-known member
I love it on the FS5, yes there is a knob that allows you to switch in the ND element so you can have no ND or the element in. Once you switch the element in there is a min ND value (can't remember the value off hand maybe 1/4 ND)
Once the element is switched in you can either assign 3 preset levels (which you can programme) and select by rotating the "knob" or go fully variable. The fully variable scroll wheel is on the camera just beneath the knob.
Its a game changer, you can dial in the iris setting to achieve the look your after and just drive the variable ND for exposure.
Once the element is switched in you can either assign 3 preset levels (which you can programme) and select by rotating the "knob" or go fully variable. The fully variable scroll wheel is on the camera just beneath the knob.
Its a game changer, you can dial in the iris setting to achieve the look your after and just drive the variable ND for exposure.
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Nirv
Carbonite Member
The iris wheel controls the vari ND while the silver know selects the discrete ND settings.
A nice feature for sure but I'll wait for a significant upgrade to the camera in the coming years to get my hands on that feature.
Alpha Beta Omega
Veteran
The mkII would make sense if Sony replaced the mkI and kept the same price. But getting nearer the C300mkII isn't a good move.
All in all good improvements but I can't see this being a good move by Sony.
All in all good improvements but I can't see this being a good move by Sony.