FS7: New Sony F7 XDCAM 4K Super 35mm Camcorder

That's too bad as one of the things I want to be able to use a zoom on this camera for is run & gun B roll that for some clients - corporate , fashion , music etc snap zooms are part of the look. I wonder if that will be the same for the 18-105 f4 ?
 
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The 18-105 is slow and laggy and zoom + focus by wire...
Worse than the 28-135.

I'll see the camera in a few hours at my local dealer - let's see what I can dind out.
 
Thanks Eric,
Did you use the 18-105 with a camera that was supporting the correction for it.

Look forward to what you can find out.
 
mcgeedigital said:
Saw a model at Sony's HQ in DC.

Great ergos overall. Liked they way the XLR's and the VF connectors don't stick out.

Not in love with the image overall. They had it going to one of their Trimaster OLED displays and nothing really popped for me.

Glass was the servo kit lens. It wasn't bad for the price.

Totally fly by wire.

When you did a quick manual snap zoom out it would literally be 2-3 seconds until the zoom caught up.
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Hey Matt. Interesting comments. I'm kinda feeling you on the image. I love everything about it...just not really in love with the image...which is kind of a big thing. As awesome as it is...it seems to be missing some kind of awesome sauce. Its the things that are not on the spec sheet. So far, I just have not seen anything that has really grabbed me. Its probably the color science...but in general...the images I have seen have not had much life to them. Their nice images, and the cameras features are really great...but its missing something....organic...or level of artistry I have yet to see in the footage. Still looking for it.
 
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Well nobody has shot with a production model yet so I'd hold off on that sort of criticism just yet.

EDIT: to add...

I've seen far worse and far better things shot on 7Ds than has been seen from the FS7 so far. I've also seen some really poor looking and some really stunning things shot on Red Epic and Red Dragon.

We just need to wait until the release version is in the hands of people who are using it to tell stories before we start down the 'it doesn't look filmic' road.
 
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I would add that we need to see more graded footage- we all know that Sony doesn't "build in" the look as Panasonic and Canon tend to do. Much of the initial footage we are looking at is right out of the camera or hit with a "quickie" grade due to time constraints.
 
mainstreetprod said:
I would add that we need to see more graded footage- we all know that Sony doesn't "build in" the look as Panasonic and Canon tend to do. Much of the initial footage we are looking at is right out of the camera or hit with a "quickie" grade due to time constraints.
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They do offer built in looks (know to be mainly very 'video') - what they dont offer is LUTs to make quickie grades look OK, this is a fail because in the market sector this camera targes quickie grades tend to be all that is going to happen.

S
 
Ben Scott said:
Well nobody has shot with a production model yet so I'd hold off on that sort of criticism just yet.

EDIT: to add...

I've seen far worse and far better things shot on 7Ds than has been seen from the FS7 so far. I've also seen some really poor looking and some really stunning things shot on Red Epic and Red Dragon.

We just need to wait until the release version is in the hands of people who are using it to tell stories before we start down the 'it doesn't look filmic' road.
Click to expand...


You are very correct. Thats why I don't have a solid opinion on it yet. At this point its just a feeling that another user hinted that he might share. Trust me...I'm definitely wanting to make this camera my next camera purchase...but your right...I need to see it in more diverse situations and in capable hands. So though I am expressing some sort of opinion, it is clearly meant to be taken with a grain of salt as there is just not enough visual information yet for me to form a solid one. At this stage...its just a feeling I am getting from the available footage. Don't get me wrong...it does look really nice in some of the clips.

I guess, over my life of being a camera op...I start to look for the things that are not on a spec sheet. I look for an image that has a hint of magic in it. There are cameras that have their own magic...it doesn't have to be a lot....but something. So far...I have seen really pretty images from the FS7....but my pulse is still sitting a little flat.

Also...its not a price point thing. I'm not thinking on a money level. I know its a good deal. Hopefully a good, and noble, early adopter on here can have some quality time with this camera to show us the depths of its capabilities.
 
Just had a delivery update. My dealer says, cameras will arrive next week. Let's hope I don't post this again in seven days...
 
Hi,

I've had a rendezvous with the FS7 today.

It'a definitely not build like the F5/55 but feels substantialy better than FS100/700.
Most of you guys, who have already seen and touched the camera haven't been impressed.
I have!

I like the form and I think it's usable on shoulder even without the XDCA-FS7 and
additional shoulder mount like the new vocas shoulder mount.

I used the camera with and without the additional XDCA-FS7, with the new kit lens
and with a Canon EF 24-105/4L on metabones adapter. With the Canon it's definitely a
nice lightweight and small enough camera-to-go. I felt fine with the camera on my shoulder
and the handgrip arm extended to the max.

Yes - the iris control dial on the handgrip and the one on the camera are not really usable with
metabones and Canon lenses. You need turns and turns and turns... Much to slow.
I used an assigned "auto-iris" button first and fine tuned via control dial.

The guy from Sony told me, that they are working on it and plan to include a new setting for the
iris dial, which will be called "factor" in the menu. He didn't know if they just try or if it will be
on the final firmware already. At least they know it doesn't work properly. They said they adjusted
the dial for the native Sony lenses, where it works nice but did not test it with 3rd party lenses.

The new lens is nice and feels like the lens that was delivered with the PMW-EX3. The focal length
just doesn't match. They told me that this lens was primarly developed for FF cameras but there's
a roadmap for further "cine lenses" similar to the 28-135. I don't really know, if this is true or if it
was just an answer to the people in the workshop. The guy was surprised when I told him, that there
are no parfocal zoom lenses from Sony with e-mount yet. He said, the 28-135 is parfocal.
I did not have enough time to test this.

The display is okay - a little better than the one on the FS100/700, maybe same as C300/500 but definitely
not better and one of the weakest points on the FS7 for me. When I put the camera (without XDCA-FS7) on
my shoulder, I was able to use the display being put all the way forward. But you can't focus without the
help of expanded focus and/or peaking. A little dissapointing here.

The shoulder mount design doesn't mean it's the perfect shoulder camera. It's much too short and front heavy.
As the camera is very lightweight it's still usable on shoulder without any additional accessories.
If you plan to use it primarily on shoulder, you'll want the XDCA-FS7 with a big v-mount brick and the new
vocas shoulder mount. This makes the camera a true shoulder cam, dependent on the lens of course.

If you already know the F5 you won't be thrilled by the FS7. It's a cheaper build downgraded camera.
I personally liked the camera very much. The best small one-man-band camera with S35 sensor I put my
hands on. I think I'll love and use it for along time.

Shipping date: end of october
I'll be on the first batch from my dealer. We'll see...
 
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I'm a bit less enthusiastic now than when the camera was announced. Sure it ticks most boxes but I haven't seen much of the good stuff image wise. But I do have some ideas on how to get great stuff out of the FS7.
 
ReelWorksMedia said:
You are very correct. Thats why I don't have a solid opinion on it yet. At this point its just a feeling that another user hinted that he might share. Trust me...I'm definitely wanting to make this camera my next camera purchase...but your right...I need to see it in more diverse situations and in capable hands. So though I am expressing some sort of opinion, it is clearly meant to be taken with a grain of salt as there is just not enough visual information yet for me to form a solid one. At this stage...its just a feeling I am getting from the available footage. Don't get me wrong...it does look really nice in some of the clips.

I guess, over my life of being a camera op...I start to look for the things that are not on a spec sheet. I look for an image that has a hint of magic in it. There are cameras that have their own magic...it doesn't have to be a lot....but something. So far...I have seen really pretty images from the FS7....but my pulse is still sitting a little flat.

Also...its not a price point thing. I'm not thinking on a money level. I know its a good deal. Hopefully a good, and noble, early adopter on here can have some quality time with this camera to show us the depths of its capabilities.
Click to expand...

I've preordered purely on the basis of 'a run and gun lightweight shoulder mountable fs700 with the F5 sensor'. It's not my only camera - probably not even my 'A' camera - but it's certainly one I intend to get quite a healthy and fast return on and which I intend to use for faster turnaround projects.
 
Hi all. With all this excitement I just don't know why people don't see the F5 as being perfectly suited for run and gun, lightweight shoulder mount work. I mainly use a RED 17-50mm and RED 50-150mm glass on it, with some red rock micro handles on the front and a follow focus unit, and it sits on the shoulder really well, is balanced really well. The viewfinder is fantastic (the lcd one) and is so adjustable too. The F5 is small and really well built and pretty much does everything. Please don't look past the F5 if you're looking for a great docu camera - it's the best camera I have ever owned. Sparky
 
Zach Zamboni did a seminar at AbelCine about cinematography on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. That has some of the sweetest F5 docu style footage you can see - amazing stuff. Check that show out. The broll alone is fantastic. Hopefully we'll be seeing that rich look from the new 7 soon.
 
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Andrew Stone said:
If you have Nikon or Canon glass consider a Metabones adapter. If your lenses or most of them are designed for APS-C cameras just get a standard (non-speedbooster) Metabones adapter. They are inexpensive and work well.
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I'm coming from m4/3, and only have native lenses at the moment.

I'm considering going the Rokinon/CinePrime route... perhaps a 50 and 85. (I know primes are a different capability, in case someone points that out. ;) )Then there's the whole "which mount to get", but after a bit of forum searching it appears that going with the Nikon adapter seems like the most popular option? I know some/all of the ones I'm considering come in E-mount, but I'd rather not be locked into yet another proprietary format for future's sake, and see no inherent advantage to going E with Rokinon.
 
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