F55: New AX7 recorder

This was a nice highlight in the ver.8 F5/55 upcoming firmware.

"The latest firmware update (Version 8) for the F55 and F5, upgrade license installed, enables support for XAVC 4K Class 480 recording at 23.98p, 24p, 25p and 29.97p" -Now only if it were 12 bit.
 
Anyone want to buy my R5 with 2x 512GB AXSM media cards?

P.S. I was lobbying for 12-bit for a while then after big FS7 12-bit RAW blunder came out I realized that 12-bit on F5/F55 probably bad idea and likely higher compression rates was better option.
 
The current recorder is raw only.. having XAVC at the back, esp 480mbs would be great, (and lutted hd proxy at the front!)

S
 
The XAVC 480 is exactly that-- 480mbps data rate. I think that is to answer concerns that you often hear about artifacting, mosquito-fringing and other XAVC concerns. Correct, Sam. The back is RAW only and it really would be great for an external recorder. But I suspect that Sony really doesn't want to deal with that market with external ProRes recorders available. I'm awaiting some visuals now. I don't know how many more details we'll hear before NAB. I've got a press briefing in NYC mid March but don't know how much of that will be under NDA.

Ned
 
F55 only? That's a bit surprising...

4K 120 FPS Recording F55 only – 1-60 FPS, 120FPS

Cache Recording (F5, F55)
Up to approx 30 seconds Cache in 4K RAW

23.98p/24.0p: approx. 30 sec
25.0p/29.97p: approx. 24 sec
50.0p/59.94p: approx. 10 sec.

Rugged construction – reinforced mounting to body

Dust and Water resistant

Dual slot recorder

Supports A series AXS cards (Slim cards only)

4K 120FPS requires new black high speed AXS media
AXS-A1TS48 with 1 Terabyte capacity
AXS-A512S48 with 512 GB capacity

The recorder also accepts the current S24 memory cards (slim cards only)
AXS-A256S24
AXS-A512S24
AXS-A1TS24
 
nsoltz said:
But I suspect that Sony really doesn't want to deal with that market with external ProRes recorders available.
Click to expand...

There are many reasons the 'rear recorder' should support more than raw..

Card investment.
(I know this has changed a bit as you can now use XQD up front) But when I costed the F5 the SxS were very costly per mb. Or rather the media buy was high because you needed SxS for skinny codecs and the other cards for raw.

Afaik Canon, Arri, Panny, Red and BM dont force you into two card architectures depending on your chosen codec (apart from maybe SD cards for proxies)

Sony already have a big blooper on their hands with two versions of the raw cards, the earlier one now being useless on the new recorder. (?)

There are situations where one may want an unattended camera doing a super long roll time (in a skinny codec), having an extra TB out back would help

Recorders.
While the 07q may record well the physical mess that it is is not acceptable (to me). Using a rear recorder is tidy.
Using an external recorder forces one into a third media architecture!


And..

To some extent if they can make a grown up workflow that has a reasonable data load then raw at the back would be acceptable.

A 'grown up workflow would be thus..'

Front. Lutted Proxies in an NLE friendly coded.
Rear. Compressed raw also supported in many NLEs
Meta data support of EI value and Lut used burned to proxy and written to raw in a manner readable by NLEs.

I understand the f65 offers compression levels.. the 5/55 should do a lower one (4.1? 5.1?) that makes a file smaller and better than proRes.. ie about 500mbs4k.. which seems to be exactly what the news XAVC4k480 is.

Of course offereing HD and 4k ProRes, while technically illogical, would be a huge hit with the clients.

Also
Pushing up HD framerates like 'cropped HD_480fps' would lift the camera beyond the FS7/PannyLt for HD acquisition I guess that might need the write speed of the bigger cards.

S
 
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Any word about pricing? The whole thing plus new cards might be ridiculously expensive.
I'm curious about "dust and water resistant". That would mean that at NAB they will announce new body for F5 /55.
 
it's not out until summer but I'd say 25% more than current R5. I don't see them discontinuing R5 when it's currently working with other non-cinealta camera's etc..

So $8999 for R7? Cards the same at $1800 for 512GB..
 
No idea of price yet. I am certain we will be briefed in March but don't know whether that will be NDA. While I have not heard anything officially or unofficially (which is why I can speculate), I very seriously doubt a replacement for F5/55 body this year at NAB. My guess is 2017. But I have been known to be wrong (just ask my wife-- I'm always wrong). Everything Sam recommends for external recording is right but I still honestly doubt Sony has any such plans.

Ned
 
nsoltz said:
Everything Sam recommends for external recording is right but I still honestly doubt Sony has any such plans.

Ned
Click to expand...

I dont really have a horse in the race but I occasionally see the wider picture on jobs. My last shoot was FS7 X3 shooting at XAVC4k50p many long takes with two cams rolling. Just the investment in cards and the DIT effort was pretty huge. If I were a production company (or rental) looking to invest in multiple units I would be very focussed on the flexibility of the tool. Maybe Sony need to focus on that flexibility.

Right now Im thinking the PannyLT would be a more sensible thing to be looking at?

I feel 4k is very quickly going to become the standard, whatever my personal feelings on that are.

The show is mentioned here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03...ction&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=corporate

S
 
Sam, think you might ever sell/ditch FS7 and go F5 or F55 route?

SR codec is something that I admit I have not taken full advantage but should have been. It's like RAW lite in some ways, very very clean and artifact free. you could jump to F5 and with some small rigging have the same run and gun / cinema-camera for narrative work. Rent R5/R7 when needed, but otherwise just shoot SR unless you really need 4k.

cheers,
 
starcentral said:
it's not out until summer but I'd say 25% more than current R5. I don't see them discontinuing R5 when it's currently working with other non-cinealta camera's etc..

So $8999 for R7? Cards the same at $1800 for 512GB..
Click to expand...
Don't you feel it will be just to expensive at this point in time? I'm sure many single ops and studio will buy it, but now when Scarlet-W is coming it will be just to expensive. Different camera, for sure and you need additional accessories but still... it's Red with it's color science and badge. spec wise Scarlet-W and R7 are coming very close.
 
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starcentral said:
Sam go F5 or F55 route?
Click to expand...

Unlikely to be honest. Maybe in two years when they are $5k or if I got a specific job that paid for it.

I always fancied a camera that would work for work (ND, 100-200mbs 10bit).. and then have a bolt on back for narrative (raw) projects or green-screen.

I think the 5/55 concept is great but the execution a little wooly to financially dive deep into that infrastructure.

I kept my FZ/Nikkor mount.

S
 
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alohype said:
Don't you feel it will be just to expensive at this point in time? I'm sure many single ops and studio will buy it, but now when Scarlet-W is coming it will be just to expensive. Different camera, for sure and you need additional accessories but still... it's Red with it's color science and badge. spec wise Scarlet-W and R7 are coming very close.
Click to expand...

Yeah kind of.

Scarlet-w is $14k USD when I checked, and you still need mags, screen, etc.. maybe whole RED package is $20k? Also isn't RED always cropping with HFR?
 
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