Need your advice in picking an A Cam (C100 vs FS700)for my B Cam (5D Mark II)

JoeJITSU

JoeJITSU

Veteran
Having a little debate. Its hard to decide between the FS700 and the C100.

Will be using it for mostly Documentaries, Weddings and Seminar Conventions here in Las Vegas.

I am thinking as far as color goes it would be the C100 to match it but I have heard of some FS700 owners matching to their 5D's.


Help me out
 
IMO the FS700 really just brings 240 fps SloMo to the table as its main advantage. Maybe the speed booster to get a shallower wider look, but beyond that what are you really getting? Spending more money for worse ergonomics and a lesser image out of the camera if you're looking for nice skin tones. In post you could potentially grade the FS700 to match, but it seems like a lot of work to get there.
I don't want to sound too harsh on the FS700 as it's actually a really good camera, but it seems like a bit of money for something you're not likely to need in your specific projects. …unless you think you can wow clients with a super slow motion bouquet toss.
 
No offense to any c100 owner. It's a really nice cam for what it does. People I know with the camera love it, but it's not their only one. The fs700 is certainly more money with the odyssey but if you can justify it going that route is way better then the c100. If 1080p is all you need then go for the c100, if you need a camera to grow with you get the fs700. Image wise you can't beat it, slo mo is not a gimmick, it has more DR then the c100 with way way more options to grade. You will need the odyssey to achieve this, if you can justify the cost then the fs700 is your only option.
 
Camera technology is advancing rather quickly these days to the point that I have to question the wisdom of big camera investments that are supposedly future proofed. By the time that you really need 4k, my guess is that there will be more cameras around that do it, do it better, and do it cheaper. Is it worth it to drop $12,000 on an FS700 and 7Q today? If you can earn the difference in 4k shoots this year, then sure. If you're still delivering HD and just spending the extra to be ready for 4k in a couple years, then I don't think it's reason enough. The price difference between a FS700 + 7Q over a C100 could be enough to buy the future 4k camera.
Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of reasons to buy an FS700, but I just don't think that future proofing is one of them. If you need 240fps slow motion, that's one thing. Spending more than double as a precautionary measure is another.
 
It's not much work to match FS700 to 5D3. A quick test I did when the SpeedBooster came out: https://vimeo.com/57994446
If you don't need slomo or full frame (w/SpeedBooster) or extra low-light performance (w/SpeedBooster- ~1 stop), the C100 is a great deal.
I'm happy with the FS700 + SpeedBooster (no plans for a 7Q: for RAW I use the 5D3).
 
444 12 bit HD. 442 10 bit Hd straight off the 4k sensor, 2k RAW up to 240 fps and 10 bit 4k up to 60 continuous fps. That's versitily, yes you pay more for it. But to achieve those specs today you'll need to spend a lot more then the fs700 cost today. Will new cameras come out with pro specs for cheaper? Maybe but not much cheaper, the next camera above the fs700 is the F5 I don't think Sony will come out with anything that will compromise that camera, I'd be surprised if they did this NAB. The trend seems to be geared towards smaller sensors. Like I said the c100 is great, one of the best 1080p in the game but if you need versatility in the longer run, I stand firm by the fs700.
 
Good points about the versatility of the 444 12bit and raw, Marino. I guess it still comes down to the same questions though… Do you need it? Will it pay for itself? Is it worth the extra money? I'm not so sure with the weddings, documentaries and seminars that the OP is shooting. One of the things I'm really liking is the ability to just dump footage off the C100 with no color grading needed on quick turnaround projects.
 
Thanks everyone. I'd like to welcome our new camera to the family business... *drum roll*.... C100
 
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