The New F

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I'll take a wild guess... basically an updated F3 at the same price point and like the FS700 upgradeable to 4k in the future... what would be nice if they could make a module mounted to the camera so that it could record to a card...

Really nutty idea... EF mount or PL or interchangeable... like I said just taking a wild guess...
 
I guess it will be named as F5 or F5x camera which may be also use as a B-cam for F65. Minimum 4K with external recorder to be announced together.
 
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Well, here we go again. Even before a "new" camera emerges from the hype we are all, me included, wondering when and how we will be able to fork out more cash to jump on the upgrading bandwagon.
As Ned Soltz says back in this thread the F3 is still a very good camera indeed, no question Ned. Ok there's some annoying "warts", but all in all most of us have been very happy with it.......But here we are probably only a year or so into ownership, ( some even less ), a year or so since we laid good cash on the table to buy our F3, expectant and no doubt somewhat eager to sell our F3's at a loss and step up to the next big thing, ( and wondering what lenses and accessories we bought for our F3's will be of any value with the new camera, or have to be put aside and sold off ).
I'm sure that Sony has learned a lot from the F3, hopefully learned a lot from the invaluable input, suggestions and real user's advice from forums such as this. I'm sure that if indeed it is a "new" F coming out of the fog, it's going to be a good one. If it's half as good as the F3 when it appeared not so long back then it will be very desirable, of course it will, and of course many of us will go for it.
Me?.....well $$$$ comes into the reckoning, plus hopefully some acquired "owner's wisdom" gained over the past 35 odd years in this game during most of which I have owned my gear.
The digital equipment world is nothing like the film world that I still hang on to. Film gear was good to go for at least a decade and more and designed and built that way too.
Now we're switching up every two years or less it seems. Not easy to do with declining production budgets and therefore declining return on gear we own and rent out with our DP/Cameraman services.
I'll drool no doubt over what may be coming up as the new F, lust after it of course like I would a new faster, thinner, sexier Mac, but I will try to sit this dance out and be content with the F3 I have, the way I've made it work well for me despite the "warts" and hope that when the third incarnation of the F rolls out I will have work and cash enough to be able to afford it.
Or, like I've done before I may just throw reason to the wind, it wouldn't be the first time!
Peter
 
Stick or twist is the art.

I skipped the F3 and got FS100, as a 'holding camera' awaiting something better.

As you say, F3 is great.

S
 
I'm going to the Canon event hosted by CVP next week. Might have a few questions about Sony too since they seem pretty stoked about this announcement...
 
+1 Peter

Basically, if the camera does what you need it to do, no need to shell out additional $$

And there is always something called renting.

With today's GoPro announcement of a GoPro 3 that will do 2.7K 24fps 1080 and up to 4K at 15fps (all for $399), we are definitely into a trend of resolution beyond HD. I also feel this is ultimately more viable than the 3D fiasco which they tried to force on us a couple of years ago. New Sony hardware is in part capitalizing upon this resolution revolution.

Yes. Sony is very stoked about the upcoming technology.

Ah.. film cameras. While I may yearn for simpler days, I wouldn't have much of a profession as a technology writer....

Ned
 
The thing about 'beyond 1080' is that IMO 2-2.5k rawish is a mile above 4k muzzovision - who wants 4 5d files stuck together!

My feeling is the Fxx will provide the latter

S
 
Ah.. film cameras. While I may yearn for simpler days, I wouldn't have much of a profession as a technology writer....

Ned

I'm not so sure anymore, I was just reading the ASC Article on The Dark Knight Rises over dinner, they did a fair bit of chemical processing and optical printing on it (skipping the DI) and the workflow for that put my head into a complete spin.

Though perhaps that's why I'm so in love with the ProRes/DNxHD shoot-to-edit workflow, it's the simplest workflow I've ever used.
 
This Sony PMW-F4 and it's internal 4k RAW recording. What does it record to? SxS or SSD? Something fast I believe.
More likely the F5 - the Japanese avoid the number 4.

SxS is a Sony standard, and the 64GB cards can handle the Alexa ProRes at 120fps, so I'm betting Sony stays with SxS for internal recording, and will likely push their SRMemory Cards for 4k &/or RAW external capture.
 
This is kinda fun.
So let's gather up the hints from Ned, who seems to be the one person in this discussion that actually knows what he's talking about.


"There have been concerns voiced about internal codec, viewfinder, handle, form factor and menu structure. I think users will find that these issues have been addressed and then some."


Better internal recording...50Mbs or better?
Viewfinder...improved or dropped completely?
Handle...removable or beefed up?
Form factor...shoulder mount?
Menu structure...improved or new menu?


"Sony definitely answers many of the issues raised around the F3 while preserving the F3 within the product line. Lots of excellent improvements and I think users will find much to praise."


So I take that to mean the F3 will remain in the lineup and this new camera will fall in between the F3 and the F65?
 
That would be a fair asumption. If that photo which looks like an EX3 is real it does make less sense thou. F4/5 if something between the F3/F65 would probably look more like the F65 than the F3 or Ex-series I think. Maybe it fits iin somewere else?
 
I'm expecting...

PMW-F5
4:4:4 with S-log
10 bit
1080P out of the box
4K output to a recording deck that Sony will produce (probably compatible with Aja, Codex, and Cinedeck's)
4K at 120fps via 3G output
4K Raw output
PL Mount
S35 sensor (possibly FF but not likely)
Internal recording on SXS
Internal recording 50mbps 4:2:2 using the XDcam codec
$25,000 price point
Sony 4K recording deck for $4,000

That's what I've been speculating for a while and I get to see the camera itself tomorrow, but like Ned I'll have an NDA.

On a side note, I highly doubt Sony will use any variation of ProRes.
 
This is kinda fun.
So let's gather up the hints from Ned, who seems to be the one person in this discussion that actually knows what he's talking about.


"There have been concerns voiced about internal codec, viewfinder, handle, form factor and menu structure. I think users will find that these issues have been addressed and then some."


Better internal recording...50Mbs or better?
Viewfinder...improved or dropped completely?
Handle...removable or beefed up?
Form factor...shoulder mount?
Menu structure...improved or new menu?


"Sony definitely answers many of the issues raised around the F3 while preserving the F3 within the product line. Lots of excellent improvements and I think users will find much to praise."


So I take that to mean the F3 will remain in the lineup and this new camera will fall in between the F3 and the F65?

Sure a revamped F3 more ENG friendly with 4k option add-on, or included. We shall see. Indeed exciting but I already know I can't afford one. :(
 
Ah.. film cameras. While I may yearn for simpler days, I wouldn't have much of a profession as a technology writer....

But it wasn't simpler really. I had an Eclair 35mm camera. It gave you less options, costs a ton more, and you're stuck with whatever you get. Digital cinema is faster, easier, more creative, cheaper, etc. I'm never, ever going back to film.
 
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