FS7: paper differences summarized between F55 F5 FS7 FS5

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The differences between the F5/F55 are:

- silver FZ mount ring on F55
- global shutter on F55
- 1250 base ISO (F55) vs 2000 ISO (F5)
- 4K internal comes with F55. It is an upgrade on F5
- Ability to record HD proxy while recording internal 4K XAVC is part of the $1000 4K upgrade for the F5
- F55 supports Sony CA-4000 4K Live Fiber Adapter
- CFA on F55 is same as on F65 and is wider than film according to Sony. The CFA on F5 (and lower models) are more limited to "rec709" color space. Currently it's mostly only evident if shooting specific types of lights, RGB, neon, etc.. day to day you're not going to really see any major difference and also remember that all our displays are mostly limited in colours that can be displayed anyways.
- F5 weight is 7.8 lbs, F55 weight is 7.85 lbs (bodies only)
- Retail price for F5 is $16,490 USD. F55 is $28,990 USD
- Sony SXS Pro+ Plus media $8.40 per GB
- Sony QXD Media with SXS Express Adapter $4.40 per GB


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The FS7 is basically the F5 but:

- No SR RGB 4:4:4 or SR RGB 4:2:2 available on the FS7
- No side LCD
- FS7 has e-mount vs FZ
- FS7 has LANC remote port for use with smart grips
- FS7 has audio pots
- FS7 has XAVC-I and XAVC-L (Long) codec
- FS7 has dual XQD media card slots vs SXS
- FS7 battery mount is BP-90 vs v-mount
- FS7 needs XDCA interface to output RAW and is limited to 12-bit RAW versus 16-bit.
- FS7 can not record HD proxy and 4K XAVC to internal cards. It can only record HD proxy when recording 4K RAW to external AXS-R5 recorder
- Supports metabones speed booster
- Has same native ISO of 2000
- Bug: FS7 can not show WFM during optimal LUT use
- FS7 weight: 4.4 lbs (body only)
- Retail price $8000 USD
- Sony QXD Media with SXS Express Adapter $4.24 per GB

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The FS5 is mini version of the FS7 but:

- Does not support 3D LUTs
- No CineEI mode
- RAW available only with paid upgrade
- Has variable digital ND filter built-in
- Uses standard industry SD slots
- 4K (UHD) only available in 8-bit 4:2:0
- Uses cinegammas over hypergammas
- Only AVCHD & XAVC-L available (No XAVC-I)
- 2 channels of audio vs 4 on FS7
- Native 3200 ISO
- Up to 30fps in UHD 3840 x 2160 (FS7 will do up to 60p in UHD 3840x2160)
- Up to 60fps in HD only
- 120fps using full sensor full HD for 16 seconds
- 240fps using full sensor full HD for 8 seconds.
- Weight of FS5 is 1.825 lbs (body only)
- Price of FS5 is $5600 USD
- Sandisk Extreme Pro SD media (Class 10) $0.74 per GB
- Cannot record 4K internally AND have external use of output ports


If I missed anything let me know I will add/change it.
 
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One thing to consider in the 'real world' is media cost.

For the F5 I had assumed that I could buy the raw recorder and a drive for that and shoot compressed codecs to it.. no .. so my budget went to SxS and the R5 media whatever that is called.. which pushed the system outside my budget.

SxS is also a 'dead' media that wont fit the F6/66 which will be cfast orXQD?

A lot of FS7 owners are tripping on the XQD costs which may be 1/5 of the price of the camera (or when I bought it).. which throws a bone to the FS5 at the lower end.

S
 
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Dennis, Great idea as a service. It should be a sticky.
I would add my vote to including the ability to use speed booster to the E mount mention under FS7.
Also the last 2 lines for FS5 about cache recording and Slo Mo would make more sense ( to me anyway) if contrasted to the FS7.
 
Speedbooster is a big plus for the FS7 and FS5.

My Nikkor F to E Mount Speedbooster Ultra has literally changed my life. Worth every penny.
 
morgan_moore said:
SxS is also a 'dead' media that wont fit the F6/66 which will be cfast orXQD?
Click to expand...

Which is why I get the impression most of us are using XQD cards in SXS adaptors. AXS cards for the R5 are incredible tech - 512GB and crazy high sustained datarates. But although they're not cheap individually, the cost per gigabyte is actually cheaper than buying XQD cards (and massively cheaper compared to buying proper SXS cards)
 
Grug said:
Which is why I get the impression most of us are using XQD cards in SXS adaptors. AXS cards for the R5 are incredible tech - 512GB and crazy high sustained datarates. But although they're not cheap individually, the cost per gigabyte is actually cheaper than buying XQD cards (and massively cheaper compared to buying proper SXS cards)
Click to expand...

When I priced the f5 I had indeed budgeted on getting the 512 card and R5.. but not a load of SxS too - that pushed it over budget - at the time I was not aware that XQD would go fit SxS (in fact I was not until your post but I do have SD card for my EX1)

Either way I think awareness of media cost and what it can be used for is part of the equation.

Sony and their dealer basically lost my purchase of the F5 by offering it to me with costly SxS and 4k locked out (which made the R5 a 'must') . If they had it 'open 4k' from the start I maybe would own it. Also the dealer had no concept how to do post on the raw - that did not help - as did the lack of audio pots et al!

S
 
Just be weary on what series and brand XQD you use. I heard before that S-Series (now discontinued) had more error protection over consumer N-series version, but I can't find any hard cold facts about it.

I'd be interested to hear which series XQD cards people are using and if they've had any problems with them.
 
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The idea of shooting to a card via an adapter while taking the shilling (being paid) freaks me out.

BTW do any of these cameras shoot to both media slots at the same time or generate lutted proxies to the second card? These features should be on the 5/55 and would differentiate it significantly from FS7 at a professional level IMO

When considering the purchase of the F5 I compared it to my stills nikon d3 which I consider to be a benchmark of good design..
lutted proxies and raw? - yep to one or both cards
shoot instant back up to second slot? yep
The D3 is designed for taking the shilling - the F5 less so!

S
 
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its maybe a little out of topic, but possibly an interesting for sony F5/55 users, i just saw a solution for ursa cam, with some modification it could work with F5/55 and with its raw recorder as well. its Called "C-Box" , its just an SSD box with cfast interface! as simple as is:

http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/05/1...g-cfast-cards/
https://cboxsystem.ecwid.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyWBcY_32Gg

Some one just need to ask the inventor to make SxS adoptor as well. in any case an interesting solution. maybe our china friends will come up with something similar in a more fancy and cheaper way....
 
FS7:

-Slow, & imprecise, aperture response when using E-mount*, or EF-mount (via adapters), lenses that lack aperture rings.

-Generally sluggish menu systems.

*The only E-Mount lens I've tested is Sony's 28-135mm f/4. This lens has the option to use a physical aperture ring, which in practice is the only one I use.
 
Sam good points. The F55 can record HD proxy to either the same or second card while recording 4K XAVC internally. The same gamma selected goes to both. The only way to bake a look into proxy is if you shoot RAW. The F5 needs the $1000 4K upgrade to get this functionality. The FS7 can't do HD proxy with XAVC 4k internal recording, but it can it if you record to external 4K RAW recorder.

Bern, I was reading the other day about improved aperture response with the metabones, is that not the case?

F5/F55 is also quite sluggish with menus but honestly mine doesn't seem that bad, that or I just got use to it.
 
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So consider these questions for your side by side..

Double safe data

'A' card failure.

F5/R5 lose raw keep what?
F5 lose 4k get HD?
FS7 lose everything
FS5 lose everything

Lutted Proxies
Im lost on the options here

Double safe data and lutted proxies?
Varicam! ?

It would seem that both lutted proxies and double safe data are significant considerations for professional workflows.

I would comment that I dont think the 5/55 designers really understood what they should deliver with a professional camera - double data and lutted proxies should be clearly noted and sellable attributes from the 'pro' line-up. (and have been in pro stills cams for years)
 
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