FS7: FS7 successor (rumours/expectations)

A full-frame fs7. Why doesn't it exist?

Put the a7s into the fs7 body. The result being an a7s with xlr inputs, bnc timecode in / out, sdi out, a VF with a loupe, etc. I'd buy one yesterday. And pay as much as $25K for it. And you know all the content producers would go nuts for it. "Do you have an fs7 LF? Because we want this in 4K and in full frame. And you have full frame primes to go with it? Good. That's what we want."

What technical hurdle am I not seeing as to why it couldn't be done?

I would 100% not buy a full-frame FS7. None of my lenses would work with it! No point in a mid-level production camera that can only take adapted stills lenses, or ultra expensive cine lenses.
 
Last edited:
I would 100% not but a full-frame FS7. None of my lenses would work with it! No point in a mid-level production camera that can only take adapted stills lenses, or ultra expensive cine lenses.

What lenses are not either adapted still lenses or expensive cine lenses? ( I guess that all depends on what one considers expensive ). There are the Sony "kit" zooms, the Fuji MK zooms, and...what else? The Rokinon primes / Xeens? I believe those are adapted still lenses. Or by "adapted still lenses" did you mean lenses with only electronic iris?
 
A full-frame fs7. Why doesn't it exist? ...
A tin-foil hat version?

Because all product maps are coordinated between the major Japanese manufacturers, who control close to 100% of this niche of the market. BMD has a few percentage points with UMP Mini and P4K, with Red cameras being generally priced just above it in the $20,000-$60,000 for a ready-to-shoot package.

Having said that, the recently announced Panasonic S1H is beating the pants off FS-7II on specs, at the very least, and it's doing so at half the price. Which means that an $8,000 camera would have to really up both the specs and the workflow/convenience factor. Except, 6K is already at near the top of the resolution charts and the rest can be left to the aftermarket specialists.

Of course, Sony will release a full frame 8K model anyway in 3, 2, 1...
 
Remember when the "lifespan" on a broadcast camera was ~10 years? I'm personally glad that nothing new and exciting is rumored to be coming. Keep it slow and boring. Clients seem to keep wanting to dial back the rates and the cheap gear keeps giving them more "justification" to do it, so... I want my paid-off cameras to keep working.

I've had my 2700's for at least eight years. Still working.
I've had my C300 for at least six years. Still working.
I've had my F55 for at least four years. Still working.
 
Remember when the "lifespan" on a broadcast camera was ~10 years? ...
And that's basically where this is going. Except, the bodies themselves will become nearly disposable. Create a camera museum, if you like.

Think of musical instruments.

"Mr. Perlman, is that a Stradivarius you're playing?" -- "Well, yes, it is" - "And how many of those do you have?" (followed by a dirty look from the maestro)

Vs.

"Mr. Knopfler, what guitar are you using on this recording?" - "I haven't decided yet. I have about 40 in a studio but I only take 6-8 on the road".
 
Think of musical instruments.

"Mr. Perlman, is that a Stradivarius you're playing?" -- "Well, yes, it is" - "And how many of those do you have?" (followed by a dirty look from the maestro)

Vs.

"Mr. Knopfler, what guitar are you using on this recording?" - "I haven't decided yet. I have about 40 in a studio but I only take 6-8 on the road".

Not sure this analogy totally works as the higher end cameras will continue to offer more functionality for the dollar for a while. Strads are essentially status symbols. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/sc...-Youd-be-better-off-with-a-modern-violin.html
 
Not sure this analogy totally works as the higher end cameras will continue to offer more functionality for the dollar for a while. Strads are essentially status symbols. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/sc...-Youd-be-better-off-with-a-modern-violin.html

Yes, technically, the high end will offer more.

But, as in that violin test, even pixel peepers won't be able to tell which camera provided which footage in 6K vs. 8K vs. ???

PS. With Strads, it isn't just the sound but the feel. And it is, obviously, a status symbol. And Perlman also owns a Guarneri.

But he doesn't own a studio worth of violins like Knopfler does guitars because a guitar purchase is not a subject of financial considerations to most multi-platinum musicians. And a camera won't be one either for a working pro shooter.
 
Anyone heard any rumors about production companies putting the rates up instead of down.and going back to an 8 hr day with lunch !.. was offered US$750 day rate, cameraman and gear. for their gear list .. Fs7/Cine zoom lens/lights/tripod/2 x wireless lav and 2 x wireless hand mic,s...and assistant $150 !! and we are wanting to buy new gear every 2 years to satisfy these clowns.. :)
 
Would you have done it for $1K for all of that besides the assistant?

$7K-$9K camera(depending on mkI or mkII) not counting support(batteries, etc.)
Didn't specify which "cine zoom" lens, so could be anywhere from ~$4K-$30K
2 ch's of wireless lav's/stick mic's(Lectro SR with 2 belt packs and plug-on's) ~$6-7K plus actual mic's
Tripod several $K
Lights at least a few $K

Many years ago another cameraman said to look at the day rate and subtract your labor and then see if the rest would at least cover the rental rates for the gear(at least the main/big stuff)(think if you were booked for the shoot and something happened to your camera or other gear and had to rent so that you could cover your shoot without losing money).

$600-$700 Typical camera op labor, so that leaves $300-$400 for the gear package.

Using LensRentals for reference:
Fs7 w/1 battery and no media is $225/day
Fuji MK or 20-120: $116 or $280/day
Even for a POS tripod like a Sachtler ACE is over $50/day
Wireless: Cheap Sennheiser $31/day, they don't carry Lectro SR's but at least $150/day for that.

Those are dirt cheap rental rates and not necessarily what you may be able to rent for. I had to rent an Fs7 mkII earlier this year from a friend and it was double that(with a full set of real bricks and Metabonez EF adapter/speed booster).

If you own all of your gear, you could make the justification to yourself that you're not "losing" anything by doing the shoot for well below what should be the "going rate" * and getting a small piece of the pie is better than no pie at all, but what if a full paying job comes up for that same day or you have to rent a camera if yours goes down?


*I have two regular clients and for a similar package one would pay $1600/day and the other $1900 which would equate to $900 to $1300 for the gear package.
 
Alternately, one could see what the local rates are for an owner/op with a given level of experience and gear owner ... and then play it by ear.

PS. Side note : years ago, a friend of mine played in a local pop-dance/wedding/bar mitzvah band that charged about $300 per gig. Their best musician was a lead guitar player, who just returned to the Midwest after spending his previous couple of years trying his luck in Hollywood. He said that a band like theirs wouldn't make a penny in LA.
 
But he doesn't own a studio worth of violins like Knopfler does guitars because a guitar purchase is not a subject of financial considerations to most multi-platinum musicians. And a camera won't be one either for a working pro shooter.

I actually think the lack of multi-violin ownership is less about cost and more about unnecessary duplication. There's infinitely more utility in owning multiple guitars as they sound and play significantly different to each other based on their physical construction. Multi-guitar ownership is not at all uncommon, particularly amongst populations for whom a purchase represents a significant financial outlay -- I know more than a couple hobbyist guitarists who have put themselves in serious financial holes to acquire a new axe!

I suppose if cameras start offering some unique built-in LUTs or other features they could be appealing, but just because they're cheap I'm not convinced there's enough variety to encourage people to start collecting them.
 
Ones rate is nothing grabbed out of thin air. It's a calculated price to make the business workable. So to hustle and try to get as low a price as possible is not showing any respect for what you do.
 
... I suppose if cameras start offering some unique built-in LUTs or other features they could be appealing, but just because they're cheap I'm not convinced there's enough variety to encourage people to start collecting them.
Or - it could be the camera layout, if it's not modular. Depending on the job.

Sensor-wise, they'll be made by Sony anyway.

PS. The acoustic guitars have a "natural" sound. But, once you run your electric through a series of pedals, you can get a similar sound from almost all guitars. And that's before the digital modeling amps.
 
Back
Top