FS7: It's a heavy beast !!!
- Thread starter bigmouthmedia
- Start date
Mitch Gross
Veteran
Wow Lenny, thanks for clarifying. I was going to go through our staff to figure out who was totally misguided on our camera’s functions.
Let me know when you want to check out an EVA1 properly.
Let me know when you want to check out an EVA1 properly.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
FYI my only interaction with Panny is through you (a trustable 'face') - no idea who the EU/UK 'Cinematic Journalism, Live Events and Weddings Product Manager' is - that is the person who should be promoting the Eva vs the FS7
Jason R. Johnston
Well-known member
LOL, Lenny
If I could, I’d honestly buy an EVA1 just because I like Mitch; he’s good people — and EVA1 is a good camera. I know Mitch had little to do with EVA1’s development...but I like Panasonic. I don’t really like Sony, but I needed an FS7M2 (lots of reasons) so I went with that, instead of an EVA1. But EVA1 is more interesting than a Blackmagic camera, for sure. Probably more reliable, too, since Panasonic’s been in the game for so long. Varicam LT spoke to me more but I just did not/do not have that kind of financial backing...yet.
There really isn’t a bad camera in the FS5/FS7/EVA1/Ursa Mini Pro arena, but I obviously needed to spend my cash on the one tool that checked the most boxes for me and my work. If I could buy one of each, I would. And a Varicam. And an Amira. Each has their own peculiarities and charms that make them perfect tools for certain jobs. But I think it’d be difficult for a pro to not get a good-looking image out of any of those cameras.
But I can certainly see where the confusion came from. These cameras all look alike, too. That’s why I like EVA1’s red highlights.
If I could, I’d honestly buy an EVA1 just because I like Mitch; he’s good people — and EVA1 is a good camera. I know Mitch had little to do with EVA1’s development...but I like Panasonic. I don’t really like Sony, but I needed an FS7M2 (lots of reasons) so I went with that, instead of an EVA1. But EVA1 is more interesting than a Blackmagic camera, for sure. Probably more reliable, too, since Panasonic’s been in the game for so long. Varicam LT spoke to me more but I just did not/do not have that kind of financial backing...yet.
There really isn’t a bad camera in the FS5/FS7/EVA1/Ursa Mini Pro arena, but I obviously needed to spend my cash on the one tool that checked the most boxes for me and my work. If I could buy one of each, I would. And a Varicam. And an Amira. Each has their own peculiarities and charms that make them perfect tools for certain jobs. But I think it’d be difficult for a pro to not get a good-looking image out of any of those cameras.
But I can certainly see where the confusion came from. These cameras all look alike, too. That’s why I like EVA1’s red highlights.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Just covered Bristol Harbour festival. UK is very hot right now, a journey (which I did three times over two days) around the festival site is 6km of thick crowds.
I confirm that FS7, Vlock X 3 (enough for 10hour continous operation with DP502 montior), 180mm, 28-85, 50, 10-24, lav kit, shotgun.. is a heavy beast.
Day two, took the EX1 with a top mic and spare batt in my pocket.
S
I confirm that FS7, Vlock X 3 (enough for 10hour continous operation with DP502 montior), 180mm, 28-85, 50, 10-24, lav kit, shotgun.. is a heavy beast.
Day two, took the EX1 with a top mic and spare batt in my pocket.
S
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morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Well its worth a consider.
On a showfloor corporate I usually have a V lock light so going with one system simplifies life. On this EXT shoot I did not have that consideration.
As I use my 502 - which I feels is critical for focus (yes I could get a gratical - not cheap) I still need a double power source and the monitor feels quite hungry.
I used 100 and 70 w/hr in the day, the third is just safety.
You are better having many watt hours on the rig as having them in a shoulder bag is still 'massive' without contributing to rig stability.
There was a BBC crew doing a doc who were FS7 and 24-105 ands bpu - thier rigs were lighter than mine but horrid front heavy with using the stock finder all of them were twisting their necks/heads back to shoot which looked horrid and made me assume they were from the local polytechnic.
It might be my left eye dominance but I could never get the onboard monitor correctly positioned due to the short cable - another place the EVA might 'win' (and SDI Black magic ursa absolutely does) is the EVF cable length.
As ever loss of cach record after exit of S+Q continues to suck.
I had a B roving camera operator - Gh4 and 18-35 50-150 combo.. the thing about the 7 is that my 180mm 100fps material is all straight into the edit.. most other shots (EX1 and GH4) are just a bit crap - not to do with the codecs but the lack of DOF/crisp seperation - the 180 tells the story in simple FBook style chunks.. but needs a decent rig to hold it.
The 7 does rock for making pretty pictures.
S
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morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Rather a lack of crew than the fs7 being too heavy .. you were carrying all that gear by yourself.. no wonder it got heavy..
Yes indeed. Actually a shoulder bag and a camera - whats the big deal!
10-24, 28-80, 180 - its a pretty minimal set of lenses - about 1 ENG lens worth in range I guess.
So IMO its a minimal kit.
And that is the reason that I agree that the camera is 'a heavy beast' for solo operation... actually it is not really the body, it is the body mixed with the lack of zoom lenses, the need (IMO) for a powered monitor and some batts - not the body per se that is heavy.
Hence my 'feeling' that there could be a MFT EVA sized camera that could work with a dedicated zoom and a couple of 'arty primes' - without a dedicated zoom going EVA would not really make a hoot of difference!
A small 150FPS 10bit Slog 2/3 cam would be very appealing
S
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
My camera in full battle mode yesterday, both configurable for handheld and also sporting my 50-300.
On my miller 25 head I certainly have limited mobility with this - it is a heavy beast, time maybe for a reconsider.
But shooting 50p4kLog at 300-2.8 is fairly spectacular
There are various anomalies on the rig in this pic - due to slack prep - Ive not placed lens support properly, there is a rod for my focus motor that is not required on shoots like this.
On my miller 25 head I certainly have limited mobility with this - it is a heavy beast, time maybe for a reconsider.
But shooting 50p4kLog at 300-2.8 is fairly spectacular
There are various anomalies on the rig in this pic - due to slack prep - Ive not placed lens support properly, there is a rod for my focus motor that is not required on shoots like this.
legrevedotcom
Veteran
Did you need all of that?
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Well. Thats up for consideration.
The sequence was 'sheep in field' early morning.
tele/sticks shots of sheep grazing from distance (300mm) GVs of landscape (50mm).
switch to handheld as 28-80 for farmer arrives and feeds sheep. (28 and 85)
On the sticks I used the full length of the lens
Part of the job was handheld so I needed the rig
I find the small monitor hard to gain focus and position well so I need my 502 monitor
I probably could use a smaller Vlock.
And I recorded audio in an EXT environment so needed the mic and fluffy.
The top handle is used all the time,
The focus gear rod was not needed at all.
THe miller arrow 25 is the head I own, it is a bit overspecced for a 'small' camera.
S
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morgan_moore
Major Contributor
This all happened really fast.
FS7 speedbooster, 50-300, 28-80, 4k, upto50p log - Im lost at a simpler way of shooting such range (wide to tight) at such quality/attractive DOF.
F800/F23 and ENG lens?
Sony Z90?
BMC broadcast and ENG lens?
Eva and some canon glass?
Super quick grades. (I have some ECUs too)
FS7 speedbooster, 50-300, 28-80, 4k, upto50p log - Im lost at a simpler way of shooting such range (wide to tight) at such quality/attractive DOF.
F800/F23 and ENG lens?
Sony Z90?
BMC broadcast and ENG lens?
Eva and some canon glass?
Super quick grades. (I have some ECUs too)
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Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
It's hard to beat the weight of my rig for wildlife and rocket launches. F55 w/ R7 RAW recorder, ENG dock kit, wireless receiver, AB battery, Canon 200-400mm f/2.8, and a Z90 mounted on top for a second angle. About 17 kilos plus the O'Connor head and sticks. When I'm working alone this is about at the maximum limit I can move more than a couple hundred meters.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
So the tide turns 'a rigged' FS7 is indeed a heavy beast.
JPNola
Veteran
Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I remind that the Sony "Fs7", the said target of the accusation of "heavy beast", is a camera body and camera body only. I respectfully submit that any fair analysis of whether the Sony Fs7 is or is not a "heavy" camera must consider the Fs7 itself, alone, prior to any individual accessorizing. The defendant must be assessed truthfully and honestly if justice is to prevail here today.
If his Honor will permit, seeing as "heavy" is a relative characterization, let's look at the weights of various comparable professional film & video "shoulder-mount", or "handheld", camera bodies:
Sony PDW F-800 body- 9 lb 8 oz.
Sony Venice body- 8lb 10oz.
Sony F65 camera body- 11 lbs.
Sony X500 camera body- 8.4 lbs.
ARRI Amira camera body- 9.2 lbs.
ARRI Alexa Classic body- 13.9 lbs.
ARRI Alexa Mini- 5 lbs
Panasonic Varicam 35 body- 11.02 lbs.
AJA Cion body- 7.4 lbs
Ursa Mini Pro body- 5.1 lbs
Canon C700 body- 7.6 lbs
Sony F5 body- 4.88 lbs
Canon C300- 4 lbs
Sony Fs7 camera body- 4.4 lbs
For some historical perspective, a Panavision Millenium body weighs 17 lb and it was marketed for having reduced weight from the previous model's 24 lbs. The Sony Fs7 weighs less than an ARRI Alexa Mini, a camera body widely touted as being "lightweight". The Sony Fs7 weighs less than a more recently released camera celebrated as being a breakthrough is terms of low weight.
Pounds, ounces, kilograms, stones- regardless of unit of measure the Fs7 is far from being a "heavy" camera in terms of weight and, on the contrary, resides more towards the lightweight classification.
The defense rests. The floor is now yours, Mr.Moore. But first, this musical interlude:
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