F3: Sony PXW-FX3

A

Alpha Beta Omega

Veteran
I for one love what the F3 can do although there are many outdated things on this camera. Sony have the FS700 and F5/F55 if you want to have an s-log image but there's nothing like the F3.

Comparing FS700 and F3 the FS700 is lacking in the fundamental quality construction of the F3. On its own the F3 is so much better to give you a high resolved image with exceptional dynamic range. Even with the internal recording on the F3.
On the other hand comparing F3 to F5/F55 they are completely different cameras in the way they are meant to work.

I certainly don''t think the form is that good on the F3 but despite that it's so easy to operate without any fuzz. It works great for a one person crew. It has the features inside to do without any add on stuff if you like.

Looking at the PXW-X180 Sony could just put in a S35 sensor and this would be about the best camera to operate and it would follow the "handycam" tradition of the F3. I want smaller batteries than V-lock, I want an integrated monitor/EVF, I want to use dual SxS/QXD slots, I want XAVC in all its glory, I want Sonys excellent S35 exmor sensor, I want s-log, I want the PXW-FX3 today!
 
Osslund said:
I for one love what the F3 can do although there are many outdated things on this camera. Sony have the FS700 and F5/F55 if you want to have an s-log image but there's nothing like the F3.

Comparing FS700 and F3 the FS700 is lacking in the fundamental quality construction of the F3. On its own the F3 is so much better to give you a high resolved image with exceptional dynamic range. Even with the internal recording on the F3.
On the other hand comparing F3 to F5/F55 they are completely different cameras in the way they are meant to work.

I certainly don''t think the form is that good on the F3 but despite that it's so easy to operate without any fuzz. It works great for a one person crew. It has the features inside to do without any add on stuff if you like.

I absolutely love love my F3. The images are human, if that makes sense. Flawed, real, yet graceful. A camera capable of magic. I really believe I can do my best work with the F3 - either as a one man show, or with an actual crew with this machine. The kind of work I do affords me to not have to have the latest gear, and I chose the F3 because the exmor sensor (which I treat as a type of film stock when using S-log) is an excellent base for further color timing in Davinci. I feel my own limits as a filmmaker as I feel the F3 pushing me to do better. It's just a tool, but is becoming a beloved one.
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Couldn't agree more, for all it's standard Sony complexities I was able to customise the F3 so that I virtually NEVER had to press the menu button - everything I needed I could access quickly from the switches on the side of the camera - I WISH the F5 was as easy to use (there's just so much more you can stuff up with the camera's current setup - which is actually vastly improved over how bad it was when it first came out!).

But really it's the images from the camera that sing. I've just started grading the last project I shot on my (now Paul's) F3, it's a music video and we shot 90% of it in 720p50(!) for slow-motion, and even at that paltry resolution there's life in those lovely SLOG images.

Whilst we're dreaming though - I would have thought an F3-level cam in an F5(5) body would be the way to go - F3 sensor, 1080p at up to 60fps, F-camera codec options, lower-price. As much as people drone on and on about 4k - those specs, and that image quality would have it flying off the shelves if the price were right.
 
The F35 sure looks sweet but it's a much more complex camera to set up. It's also heavier and you have to use V-lock and other things that make it big, bad and beautiful. I want something smaller, just as bad to make beauty!
 
hahaha Mark, yes it will take a while to get use to some of the simple things in life missing from the F5 that are easily found on the F3! I know exactly what you mean about all those little switches missing!

Speaking of F3 wow I just saw one listed on DVX with armour for $5000. This is an insane price and surely will sell quickly.
 
I saw one going for $2500!

My guess is that the F3 has been hugely popular and sold very well so there should be lots of buyers for a PXW style F3. I did consider FS700 and F5 but they are the wrong cameras for what I do.
 
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