F55: Kill it Sony! 0% financing, no money down!

ryaninoz said:
Australia seems to be in the same boat as Cananda then, our dollar is possibly the highest in the world and so far the sticker price is higher than the US. I am not certain but I doubt we will get the zero percent finance deal. If Sony released the F55 at the same price as in the US with zero percent finance I will buy the f55, if not then I am debating the F5.
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I'm not sure how much you need 4k with codec in the next 1-2 years but if a fully decked out F55 is not an option, over the F5 you might want to consider picking up a used F3 which offers uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2. With the money you will save, you can rent or even buy a RED Scarlet for those times where you really need 4k and transcode with codec if you don't want raw. You can also buy a universal power solution you can use on either system.

$20,000 or so and you've got two cameras with a lot of flexibility to meet the demands of your clients.

$26,000 for a F5 4k package (without media, reader or power) and you can have something that avoids owning two cameras. (you still need to transcode your 4k footage)

$38,000 (F55) and all bases are covered.

$12k-$18k is a lot to pay for internal 4k codec if you don't care as much about global shutter and the extended color gamut.
 
Nate Weaver said:
I'm 90% sure I'm getting the F55 w/oled. Would be nice if my F3 sold for over $6K!

My reasoning is that the F55 will be viable for some unknown length of time longer over the 5, and at this point I need to amortize a camera for closer to 3 or 4 years rather than 2.

I think there's a chance that the 55 will be the only global shutter game in town for another 2 years...I think Red would have to go back to the drawing board in a big way to add it to Dragon. I think the next Alexa would be the only wildcard there.
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I thought RED was dealin' with the Rolling Shutter in their own way? Or a "software" Global Shutter? Can't remember where I read that at, though.

Party at Nate's place when he gets the F55. >.>
 
starcentral said:
I'm not sure how much you need 4k with codec in the next 1-2 years but if a fully decked out F55 is not an option, over the F5 you might want to consider picking up a used F3 which offers uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2. With the money you will save, you can rent or even buy a RED Scarlet for those times where you really need 4k and transcode with codec if you don't want raw. You can also buy a universal power solution you can use on either system.

$20,000 or so and you've got two cameras with a lot of flexibility to meet the demands of your clients.

$26,000 for a F5 4k package (without media, reader or power) and you can have something that avoids owning two cameras. (you still need to transcode your 4k footage)

$38,000 (F55) and all bases are covered.

$12k-$18k is a lot to pay for internal 4k codec if you don't care as much about global shutter and the extended color gamut.
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Good points to consider however I remember them also being made about hd, I think 4k will become the new hd sooner than many think. Also as someone else mentioned I'd like to amortize the camera over 4-5 years and I really can't see why the f55 shouldn't be viable for that long. I suppose I could buy a used f3 with external recorder but that money could also go towards the f55. I've bought beta cams years ago for more and thought nothing of it but now tech moves so fast - still 35mm hd- 4k - 8 bit - raw high frame rates and global shutter, you would have to think there isn't some 2000 dollar dslr waiting with those features for at least 6 months;) I keep hearing that's it's never been a better time to make your living shooting motion pictures, as an owner operator it's never been a more stressful time to decide on a camera!
 
It is true 4k may become the new HD but also no one says 4k will need to be shot on the 35mm format either. I still see 2/3" as being a preferred format for TV, etc.. but someone else might be better in a better position to speculate this than I.

Somewhat of a neverending conflict I see with the Sony F cameras is Sony's attempt to converge cinema and broadcast into one "professional camera". From what I've seen this left a camera like the F3 with a bit of an identity crisis - is it a cinema camera or broadcast camera? The F3 was highly criticized by many for its VF, low internal bit-depth, etc.. while for others using it felt it was more than adequate. I see the same thing with the new F cameras - for example giving 4k RAW on the F5 but no 4k codec version.

So is it a cinema camera or broadcast camera? Or really both?
 
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Kholi said:
I thought RED was dealin' with the Rolling Shutter in their own way? Or a "software" Global Shutter? Can't remember where I read that at, though.
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Red (Jim J?) said they will work towards faster reset times on the sensor read. That will reduce jello, not eliminate the artifact. I don't think that can be much improved with firmware. At one point someone over there said that you really don't want a global shutter. LOL

The engineering problem with a global shutter is that it takes a 'trigger' on the sensor for each pixel. If you make the pixels smaller to accommodate the trigger you get less light gathering ability. That Sony was able to accomplish it and keep low light gathering (although the F55 is not as high an ISO as the F5) was a hugh engineering feat, which Red will be hard pressed to duplicate quickly.
 
Duke M. said:
Red (Jim J?) said they will work towards faster reset times on the sensor read. That will reduce jello, not eliminate the artifact. I don't think that can be much improved with firmware. At one point someone over there said that you really don't want a global shutter. LOL

The engineering problem with a global shutter is that it takes a 'trigger' on the sensor for each pixel. If you make the pixels smaller to accommodate the trigger you get less light gathering ability. That Sony was able to accomplish it and keep low light gathering (although the F55 is not as high an ISO as the F5) was a hugh engineering feat, which Red will be hard pressed to duplicate quickly.
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Not to mention that Sony was able to keep the cameras (F5/F55) close to 800ISO despite packing nearly 4 times the amount of pixels on the same sized sensor when compared to the F3 with similar ISO! This is a feat in inself, and the F55 global shutter HUGE just like you said.

Like Sony or not, its hard to displace decades of engineering experience, its vast resources, and proven track record (well more or less :happy:) of delivering thousands of consumer and professional products to market, when comapring them to say a company like RED or BMC, or man the D16 crew.
 
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