60D vs FS100?

[Nicholas de Kock]

Is there anybody here that went from a Canon DSLR to the FS100 that can recommend the change? I'm itching to get rid of my 60D & lenses to switch over to the FS100 with Sony lenses however I'm conflicted if such a move is really worth it? I know the pro & cons of each I guess the real question is does the FS100 give a superior image over the 60D to justify a complete switch to a new camera?

[Chris Medico]

Absolutely. Without a doubt.

I have a F3 and also shoot with a 7d. I did a shoot where I used the F3 for all but the last scene and had to shoot the final scene with the 7d. Color wise I was able to get things to match up pretty well but when I was looking at the footage at full rez during the edit the F3 made the footage from the 7d look out of focus. The 7d was so much softer it was crazy. That along with no aliasing or moire would be reason enough to upgrade.

Not to mention other pluses such as better metering for video and an output signal you can actually record if you want to go better than the internal AVCHD codec.

If you can afford to change - do it.

[Chris Johnston]

+1 on what he said.

I still have my 60D for stills but use it zero for video now.
Currently have 2 fs100s and while the price points for 60D vs FS100 are totally different, so is the image/sound etc....
If you can afford to step up, go......

Love this cam, Haven't even touched the hmc150 in 2 months.

[Nicholas de Kock]

Music to my ears guys if the budget works out. Chris Johnston do you think the kit lens is worth it? As much as I love primes they aren't practical for live events I would most probably go for something like the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 as my main lens.

[Chris Johnston]

The kit lens is IMHO something I would get. The range is great for what I do. (I have to use a zoom mostly cause the fov for my shots is always changing and I typically can't move the tripod much)
The IS on it is awesome. The auto focus is OK most times, but it can occasionally get confused a little and stay focused on something you didn't really want it to. So AF gets a 8.5 on a 10 scale for me.

The down side of the kit glass is it's f/3.5-6.3 which isn't that fast on the long end and the fact that the apeture moves when you zoom can be a pain in the $$$ sometimes. (So I usually set it at 6.5 or so and zoom all you want after that.) (I use the zoom as a B cam and generally cut back and forth with the other cam on a wide shot)

Other down side is the focus ring. No hard stops so it just spins and spins.

Overall the lens gets a 8.5 out of 10 for me.

As for the Sony glass you mentioned, remember, it's an "A" mount so you'll need a LA-EA2 adapter, another $400.

Although I'm waiting for the firmware upgrade that should be coming soon. (Jan-Feb?) If everything turns out good with the update and AF/iris works well I'm planning on getting 2 LA-ea2 adapters and a Sony sal 1650 2.8 and a sal 28-75 2.8. The 28-75 is about half the cost of the 24-70 but still the same zoom range (about) so I'm gonna have to go there VS kicking out the $ for the Ziess

Also remember the A mount glass will have no IS on a FS100.

[Duncan Craig]

Chris. Are you recording internally then?
How do you find the codec?

Thanks, Duncan.

[Nicholas de Kock]

Originally Posted by Chris Johnston

Also remember the A mount glass will have no IS on a FS100.

That's a bummer but not a deal breaker.

[Chris Medico]

Originally Posted by Duncan Craig

Chris. Are you recording internally then?
How do you find the codec?

Thanks, Duncan.

Looks like I was answering for the wrong Chris.

[Chris Johnston]

Originally Posted by Duncan Craig

Chris. Are you recording internally then?
How do you find the codec?

Thanks, Duncan.

If this was meant for me, Yes I record internal (don't have an external recorder)
I'm probably not the one to ask as I've never really pushed it much.
For the TV stuff I do, it's usually somewhat fast turnaround so I don't do much in post. (minor color correction/brightness levels, etc) I've had no problems there.
For the stuff I know I'm gonna push I always transcode to cineform first before editing, So I don't really know how far you can go before the codec starts to fall apart. (if it actually does fall apart?)
I'm not really a pixel peeper so I just tend to go on what others say/show in their tests.

Most times I just look at the image on the screen as think, Damn , thats nice.

[Mike Watson]

Originally Posted by Chris Johnston

I'm not really a pixel peeper so I just tend to go on what others say/show in their tests.

Most times I just look at the image on the screen as think, Damn , thats nice.

And I thought I was the only one going this route.

Generally agree with everything said before me. I moved from 5D to FS100 and am not disappointed. The image isn't as creamy-smooth-bokeh, but using an actual videocamera again, with sound inputs and menus and smooth focus is priceless.

I am not impressed with the kit lens, but I did buy it. f6.3 isn't "not that fast", it's terrible - but it is the price you pay when you go 18-200 on a lens! As others have said, handy to go from wide to tight on one lens. When the new firmware comes out (and if a smart canon adapter ever arrives), I will re-evaluate.

[Matt Davis]

I went DSLR to FS100 specifically because of the alias/moire nightmare and haven't looked back.

I still have the Canon kit, and thankful for it: there are times when a DSLR is the right tool for the job. The Canon DSLRs do something to faces and to skin tone which is unique. It's a curious sort of alchemy. And the form factor is usefully discrete.

But very, very happy with the move to FS100.

In the corporate world, people like sharp pictures with nice detail and well rounded tones with no noise. Something the FS100 empties out in bucketfuls along with the trademark bokeh of your favourite glass. You can take detail out but you can't put it in. The FS100 can be very filmic or very 'HD'.

FWIW, I too am currently happy with the AVCHD from the camera for most assignments, though hiring in KiPro or similar when I need it (long records for fast turnaround edits) and for higher end (motion matched) chromakey.

Sony's 18-200 is a useful bit of glass, but it's not going to be your main lens by any means. It converts your FS100 into an EX1 - the DoF at f8 is the same (maybe a little better) than an EX1's 1/2" chip at f2.8. And yes, the manual control sucks, the auto mode gets confused, so push-auto is a useful mode.

I'm sure you'll end up with the FS100 'trinity' - Tokina 11-16, your choice of 17-55 f2.8 and the kit lens. After that, it's a litany of the fastest/best primes you can afford/find.

[Dennis Murphy]

I went from a 7D to FS100 - FS100 eats the 7D in every way.
Moire-aliasing-rolling shutter 90% reduced, super long record time, full HD overcrank, XLR audio, better LCD, longer battery life, better codec etc.
Sold my 7D within a week of getting the FS100 - there is literally nothing that I like more about a DSLR than this.

[Mikko Topponen]

Originally Posted by Dennis Murphy

Sold my 7D within a week of getting the FS100 - there is literally nothing that I like more about a DSLR than this.

Highlight handling? Way more easier to adjust ISO? Smaller package? Weather sealing? Would you use the FS100 in light rain? In dusty environments? My 7d has been all over the place, under water & beer, blasted with dust and water. Still works great.

And how about those stills?

The fs100 makes a better resolved image + audio synced straight in. That's about all the plusses.

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Mikko Topponen

The fs100 makes a better resolved image + audio synced straight in. That's about all the plusses.

Plus mostly negligible moire, virtually no aliasing, long takes, no fear of overheating, lower noise, better sensitivity, arguably wider dynamic range, and some people would say the ergonomics are better though I'm sure plenty would disagree.

Samyang 35mm f1.4 compared with EX1 and Canon 50mm on Vimeo

The DSLRs have a lovely look, except for the aliasing, and moire, and the irritating Custom White Balance, and the lack of detail when you want it.

Hey, not dissing the DSLRs - I'm shooting on Canon all next week. But if you're bashing your head against the limitations of DSLR, the FS100 is spot on.

But it's REALLY great to have both, as the DSLRs do work surprisingly well as stills cameras, and a stills camera is welcome on every shoot.

[Nicholas de Kock]

Originally Posted by Mikko Topponen

Highlight handling? Way more easier to adjust ISO? Smaller package? Weather sealing? Would you use the FS100 in light rain? In dusty environments? My 7d has been all over the place, under water & beer, blasted with dust and water. Still works great.

And how about those stills?

The fs100 makes a better resolved image + audio synced straight in. That's about all the plusses.

Mikko this is not so much about the pro's & con's of each camera but rather about the feel, quality, skin tones & reliability of the final image when working for a paying client.

I understand your passion for the DSLRs I myself have a love/hate relationship with DSLRs, the one thing I find unacceptable is how the entire image falls apart when I'm filming 720P over-cranked & never being sure your shot is in focus when filming events. I currently own two Sony EX1's and a 60D, I've used the 5DII & 7D extensively the only thing that really matters to me is the quality of the resolved image, the ability to do a perfect focus rack on the FS100 is worth mentioning. I'm in Africa the 7D doesn't last 30 minutes on a hot day without over-heating. The ability to take still are great but in 3 years of working with the DSLR's I've never taken a photo on the job.

Matt thanks for the Vimeo video, that was exactly what I was looking for, the three best camera's compared. I did a skin tone grade on the footage as I usually grade everything to begin with and the FS100 & 5DII compare very well. The footage from Vimeo is a compressed 720P source so there is no point in doing a resolution comparison, only consider the feel of the image, the grade is in my own personal taste.

SONY NEX-FS100 Custom Profile & In Camera Slow Motion - YouTube
Sony NEX-5N vs FS100 vs Canon T2i - Quick Comparison Test - YouTube