Sony Affordable 35mm is here, finally! SONY PMW-F3 a 35mm XDCAM EX

seeing that price makes me very happy. Not going to lie, was little nervous when i read those specs with a S35mm frame size... But now that is way out of my budget i can rest with ease and await my af100 :)
 
yoclay said:
No, it's 4.2.2 - 10bit
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10bit 4:2:2 HD-SDI output only!

It records internally using the same Mepeg Long GOP as HDV. From Sony own "PRELIMINARY PRODUCT INFORMATION" "The PMW-F3K camcorder records 1920 x 1080 HD images using the ’MPEG-2 Long GOP’ codec, which conforms to the MPEG-2 MP@HL compression standard. ’MPEG-2 Long GOP’ is a mature codec - also adopted by the XDCAM HD and HDV 1080i series of products."

So for 3 to 4 times as much as the Panasonic AF-100 the Sony PMW-F3 (with out a external recorder) will record to a older and inferior MEPEG 2 Codec.
 
Yeah, it looks good, and I'm sure the price in the US will be less than 20K and closer to 15K. Still, if the Scarlet S35 exited in April '11, than it wouldn't make much sense to purchase this IMO.
 
vcfilms said:
Overall kind of disappointing
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What did you expect from Sony? The PMW-F3 has a slightly larger sensor than the AF100's and 10-bit HD-SDI (vs. the AF100's inexplicable 8-bit HD-SDI), so Sony is charging three to four times as much. So far, only Red seems to get it. Canon may yet, although the rumors are a little disconcerting.
 
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It's going to interesting how this all plays out. I don't think Sony is going after the same market as the AF100. But 15K without lens? Hmmmmmm. Plus Sony has had some picture quality issues with their latest CMOS cameras.
 
zeke said:
. . . I don't think Sony is going after the same market as the AF100. But 15K without lens? Hmmmmmm. Plus Sony has had some picture quality issues with their latest CMOS cameras.
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As I said, Sony's premium for a slightly larger sensor and 10-bittedness is at least ten grand. True gall, but typical. As far as the sensor goes, I wouldn't be shocked to learn that it's essentially the same as the one in the VG10 but with a proper OLPF.
 
Tzedekh said:
As I said, Sony's premium for a slightly larger sensor and 10-bittedness is at least ten grand. True gall, but typical. As far as the sensor goes, I wouldn't be shocked to learn that it's essentially the same as the one in the VG10 but with a proper OLPF.
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If this is from the CineAlta division, it won't have the same sensor as the VG10. From the looks it will offer a lot more than 10bit and a true s35 sensor for 10 grand more. PL mount is a big deal for people like me.
PL mount means it has to have high build quality to support large lenses. If they took a page out of Reds playbook, therre will be different lens mounts avaialbe, without having to use an extra adaptor connected
to the PL.
I don't think this about upstaging the AF100. Yesterday Red announced the EPIC will be shipping very soon. Many are hoping the Scarlett will be close behind. Sony wanted to throw a little rain on the Red parade.
 
How the hell can they sell on price when they don't tell you the price?

Is $250,000 considered affordable in Sony land still?

Red probably already beat them three years ago, at half the price.

You need to prove your "affordability" when you make specious claims like that, marketing idiots.
 
jdv said:
$16 K w/o lens; $23 K with. Firm ware promised in a year that will also support full RGB 1080 23.98p, 25p and 29.97PsF recording with Sony's proprietary S-Log gamma. (Hyper Gamma will be available in this mode as well.)

Not terribly impressed.

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/headlines/12703.html
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Am I missing something? The camera won't be able to do 24p over HD-SDI until Sony releases an upgrade somewhere down the road? And they're still charging at least $16K for it?
 
I for one am looking forward to seeing this, 1.5 crop factor instead of 2 for m43 means faster and wider options with lenses. The sony sensors have always had better colour and dynamic range compared to m43 (that's a physics thing as well) and the XDCAM codec is very nice and very well supported. Those little NEXs produce nicer images than the lumix cameras (IMHO)

This isn't a VG10 in a separate box, a more pro version of the VG10 is due soon according to popular rumours.

I find the thread a bit negative really. The EX1 was an amazing camera for it's time and i'm keen to see real results from this. I mean is it a new sensor or a photography sensor being downsampled. If they are downsampling an entire stills sensor then the noise and quality should be exceptional.

Scarlet doesn't exist and perhaps never will and the AF100 looks really nice too. We live in interesting times

cheers
paul
 
Tzedekh said:
Am I missing something? The camera won't be able to do 24p over HD-SDI until Sony releases an upgrade somewhere down the road? And they're still charging at least $16K for it?
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Yes your missing something it can do 23.98 over HD-SDI. What will be enabled later is 23.98psf over dual link HD-SDI.

This camera comes with s log, unheard of for $16k from Sony.
 
Noel Evans said:
Yes your missing something it can do 23.98 over HD-SDI. What will be enabled later is 23.98psf over dual link HD-SDI.

This camera comes with s log, unheard of for $16k from Sony.
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Though according to the Studio Daily article, you have to pay extra for the software upgrade to include Dual-Link HD-SDI and S-Log.
 
paulcurtis said:
I for one am looking forward to seeing this, 1.5 crop factor instead of 2 for m43 means faster and wider options with lenses.
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Incorrect. Its not 1.5 crop factor in the digital cinema world. Its 1.5 crop factor when your comparing to FF still photo lenses. The lenses provided with the higher price unit will have 0 crop factor. Whilst the AF100 has some crop factor when applied correctly to cinema lenses, its still minimal.

Im liking the look of this Sony. Look forward to seeing what it can do and at $16k your all set to shoot, but Id say add $2k to utilise the HD-SDI out and depending on how it performs could be rather popular in that price bracket. You cant compare it to RED, but RED also costs you a whole lot more to be shoot ready. Will see where the Scarlet fits when its released.
 
jdv said:
Not terribly impressed.
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I can even get the usual reserves as far as Sony brand concerns but... this is an interesting tool after all.

We'd all surely praise this announcement just a few or couple of years ago even after the RED ONE launch, so...

This cam will be capable to offer pretty motion pictures stuff for who will be able to use it. Only as a simple note and example of Sony's contribution in this realm, F900 was one of the most important indie milestones towards or part itself, better saying, of the digital revolution, nowadays aka HDSLR rebellion (well, it certainly reminds me something ;-)

Be welcome PMW-F3 :-)
 
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