Joshua Milligan
Well-known member
Recently my FS7 got damaged on a shoot, so I filed an insurance claim and got nearly enough back to snag a new FS7. Rather than do that, however, I decided I might as well spend a little extra and get the MK II this time.
For those out there who have ever thought about upgrading, I thought I would share that after grabbing a MK II, I like it so much better than the original. For me personally, I don't have to swap lenses at the speed of lightening, so I really appreciate the locking E-mount. It's incredible how much stronger and more stable it feels. My heavier lenses don't sag and none of my lenses wobble at all, which is something I experienced somewhat with my original FS7. Not having to worry about lens support and all that comes with it (rods, baseplate to hold the rods, the support itself) is really nice.
I also really appreciate the electronic ND. I always knew I would like it after seeing it on the FS5, but actually having it now really makes a difference. I know of a few types of projects I shoot where the Auto ND feature will be a welcome addition. I've also found the four extra custom buttons, as well as some new buttons with set functions that weren't on the original FS7, to be very useful. Before, I had more functions I wanted to use than the number of buttons the camera had. Now, that's no longer the case.
I use nato rails for my monitor, so the updated square rod doesn't affect me. I also never had issues before with getting cards out, so the update to the card slot isn't a big deal for me either. The power light is cool, but again not a big update for me, neither is the new removable mic mount, although it is much better than the original. I do appreciate the handgrip though. It's mounted much better than my old one and has zero play which is great. I feel more confident with it than before. I also immediately noticed the new audio door which is vastly better than the old one. On the FS7, it was really difficult sometimes to open that door to get to the dials, but now the door opens much easier and swings in a different direction. It's the little things like this that make the camera so much better.
Overall, some of the updates weren't necessary for me, but the locking E-mount, electronic ND, extra buttons, better handgrip and newly designed audio door where all worth the extra money for how I shoot. I feel that if you're a full-time content creator like I am and you work with your FS7 day in and day out, then the MK II is worth the added cost because it simply makes life a little easier, and to me, that's important since I use this tool almost every day.
Thanks for reading my post. I thought it would be nice to share my experience with the MK II since I know some working professionals could be considering it over the MK I. Hopefully my experience owning both can help you feel more comfortable justifying the MK II if that's where you find yourself right now. Later!
For those out there who have ever thought about upgrading, I thought I would share that after grabbing a MK II, I like it so much better than the original. For me personally, I don't have to swap lenses at the speed of lightening, so I really appreciate the locking E-mount. It's incredible how much stronger and more stable it feels. My heavier lenses don't sag and none of my lenses wobble at all, which is something I experienced somewhat with my original FS7. Not having to worry about lens support and all that comes with it (rods, baseplate to hold the rods, the support itself) is really nice.
I also really appreciate the electronic ND. I always knew I would like it after seeing it on the FS5, but actually having it now really makes a difference. I know of a few types of projects I shoot where the Auto ND feature will be a welcome addition. I've also found the four extra custom buttons, as well as some new buttons with set functions that weren't on the original FS7, to be very useful. Before, I had more functions I wanted to use than the number of buttons the camera had. Now, that's no longer the case.
I use nato rails for my monitor, so the updated square rod doesn't affect me. I also never had issues before with getting cards out, so the update to the card slot isn't a big deal for me either. The power light is cool, but again not a big update for me, neither is the new removable mic mount, although it is much better than the original. I do appreciate the handgrip though. It's mounted much better than my old one and has zero play which is great. I feel more confident with it than before. I also immediately noticed the new audio door which is vastly better than the old one. On the FS7, it was really difficult sometimes to open that door to get to the dials, but now the door opens much easier and swings in a different direction. It's the little things like this that make the camera so much better.
Overall, some of the updates weren't necessary for me, but the locking E-mount, electronic ND, extra buttons, better handgrip and newly designed audio door where all worth the extra money for how I shoot. I feel that if you're a full-time content creator like I am and you work with your FS7 day in and day out, then the MK II is worth the added cost because it simply makes life a little easier, and to me, that's important since I use this tool almost every day.
Thanks for reading my post. I thought it would be nice to share my experience with the MK II since I know some working professionals could be considering it over the MK I. Hopefully my experience owning both can help you feel more comfortable justifying the MK II if that's where you find yourself right now. Later!
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