F3: What would you say is the most important accessory to buy?

Just to verify one important item: if I want to shoot 60p, I need an external recorder, correct? Internally the camera records 1080-30, even with the SLog option? I definitely want 1080-60p, preferably ProRes.

And if I ever want to shoot for broadcast, an external recorder is a must, correct? Isn't the top XDCAM-EX data rate 35Mbps?

Thanks!!
Dave
 
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Dave,

most of my work is "solo shooter". And I love my F3 much more since installing body armor. One thing mention here before is wrong: YOU CAN MONITOR SOUND once the armor is installed. You do it via stereo sound "out" jacks on the side of the camera just bellow XLR inputs. What is needed is a $2 adapter for your head set. I did it and never had issues. Yes, you can not control volume of the "output" sound in headset, but it NEVER bothered me while shooting on all kinds of locations from noisy plants, airports to silent operating room. I am not a sound person. I'm a cinematographer. I stress this on every interview with future "employers". If they are overly concern about sound, I kindly suggest them to find money in the budget for... Yes, you guessed it: SOUND PERSON. And, at any point I had chance to work in a team with these wonderful people (of sound recording), never had issues monitoring sound out of my "armored" F3...

What bothered me far more (before installing armor) is the stupid eye piece on the rear that I used only ONCE since having the camera (always concerned I will brake it when shooting in tight spaces), the fact that zoom rocker is useless (never used a Sony "mega" zoom), that original design was hard to pack in my traveling gear bag, that camera lack mounting points (berkey plate is great- had one, but not even close to versitality of armor, sorry).

If you shoot with Nikon glass, get ProLock mount. Nothing else comes close!
if you want base plate, get Tilta for cheap, or used Element Tehnica...
if you want EVF, go for GraticalHD (big bucks, big gains...).
Skip adapter cards and go for genuine Sony SxS cards.

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A good quality external monitor is by far the most valuable accessory in my kit. I have owned a few 3rd party EVF's(zacuto, alphatron, f&v) but never really enjoyed the experience of shooting with one(especially for smaller productions). A 7" monitor with a good mount / sun hood is a much more versatile tool for composition, color, exposure and now externally recording. O7Q seems like a no-brainer for Sony owners!
 
The camera will record 60P in 1080x720. Most people using it found that the camera was sharp enough that they didn't notice it when switching in the midst of 1920x1080 footage. Test it yourself.
Re Broadcast. Boy that's a roughy. Technically you're right it doesn't hit broadcast specs which mainly call for 422. However there are far worse looking cameras that shoot 422 100Mb ( panasonic HVX200) . I know people who've shot Broadcast with this and many who get away with it on FS700 and no one asks. I have no answer for this question.

Re- One man band audio. Great - tell your clients they need to get an audio guy or you won't do the job. I have a friend who sends me all his one man band job shoots. He can afford to turn them down , I can't. More and more everyday I'm expected to do my own audio. Doesn't really bother me that much.
The alphatron EVF is more than good enough though not cheap either. i love it. If you 're budget strapped - I found that I just popped it on the handle of my F3 with a "mafer clamp" . Looks a little odd, but it worked great .
Also I never bothered with a shoulder rig which I think tend to be cumbersome. i just used a monopod with a tilt head and rested that in a fannypack on my waist. Very fast and flexible. Pretty steady as well. Generally on indoor shoots I mounted a TV logic 5.6 " on the hot shoe.
 
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