New Sony PXW-FS5

[Brian Murphy]

I have to agree with Tom here! I shoot for major networks in Canada and the USA. They have no interest in anything above 1080 and several INSIST on 720p. My interest in this camera and 4K is simply for its ability to shoot a single cam and re-frame. Mostly for those corporate clients that want a two camera interview shoot. Certainly 4K is a reality down the road but I have yet to hear any of my colleagues saying they lost a gig for not having it yet, though it will come.

Originally Posted by Tom Gresham

" When 'good enough' is all you can accept, some think of that as admitting of defeat."

Hardly. Our TV series run on networks which have no plans to go 4K. We are cranking out two 30-minute episodes a week during the busy season, for two series, plus a digital series (14 episodes) where we'll run 6 to 9 cameras at a time. Lots of editing on that sucker.

I could spend more on cameras, and that money would be completely wasted. These shows are not evergreen. They will run, and then they are done. No need to "future proof" them.

Not cinema. Just TV. Providing employment for several people, entertaining a lot of folks, and making the shows as good as the time/budget/advertising will allow.

Way back in my magazine photography and editing days, in my first job as assistant editor (1975), the managing editor explained it this way. "We never get the issue to the point we would really like. We do as much as we can, but then we have to send it to the printer." Same with TV. It has to go to the network on a certain day, even when you know that if you had another week it would be better.

Many times, "good enough" is all you get.

[Ron Evans]

For me the sole use for QFHD is to re-frame, pan and zoom the image down to 1920x1080. I got my FDR-AX1 to try this out and it works very well with pans and zooms much smoother and more precise than I could achieve manually. Of course for a stage show I would not miss anything on stage either. A bit like re-framing an interview using a wide QFHD shooting angle. For archive I could have a QFHD full stage view.

As to availability of 4K TV's in Costco yesterday there were a lot of 4K TV's at similar prices to HD TV's. I am sure by next year it will be the norm. Content will need to be good quality HD to upscale well or will start to look like 4:3 image on a 16:9 set, dating it.

I think Jack`s and my desire for 60P is echoed by Brian saying some networks insist on 720P ( for smooth 60P motion ? and of courses transmission bandwidth ) we would just like it in QFHD which I am sure is where they will go for the next system move.

Ron Evans

[Glen Vandermolen]

Originally Posted by David Heath

I agree that the SD card decision may be why they are limiting the bitrate, but 4K at 60p is a separate issue with a long-GOP codec. It's the I-frames that devour most of the bitrate, and if you keep to (say) 2 per sec (so double the GOP length), 60p doesn't need much extra bitrate than 30p.
.

So is it possible 4K 60P can be a future upgrade?

[Ron Evans]

Originally Posted by Glen Vandermolen

So is it possible 4K 60P can be a future upgrade?

I think that may depend on what SD hardware Sony have put in the camera. There are plenty of SDXC cards that will record 150Mbps which is what is needed and that is what the Panasonic DVX200 is doing.

Ron Evans

[Jack Zhang]

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

I think that may depend on what SD hardware Sony have put in the camera. There are plenty of SDXC cards that will record 150Mbps which is what is needed and that is what the Panasonic DVX200 is doing.

Sony cares too much about XQD sales to allow higher speed SD card tech in their cameras. If they want to support 60p, add UHS-II support, but they've stalled on that for 2 years likely because they're seeing XQD sales not meeting expectations and they want to keep XQD alive.

[Mike Watson]

Originally Posted by Brian Murphy

Certainly 4K is a reality down the road but I have yet to hear any of my colleagues saying they lost a gig for not having it yet, though it will come.

Bid on my first 4K corporate shoot last week. They want all shooting AND post done in 4K, including animation. It's unclear whether they can really project 4K or whether it's just the latest buzz word, but at least in small pockets, the demand is here.

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Glen Vandermolen

So is it possible 4K 60P can be a future upgrade?

Don't know, it would depend on many facts - but I don't think bitrate/speed of SD cards etc is one of them. With a long-GOP codec 60p doesn't need much more bitrate than 30p, for the reason I gave earlier - certainly nowhere near twice as much, as you may first think. (Witness AVCHD, and the 28Mbs versus 24Mbs rates.)

[Andy Wilkinson]

Really glad to read that the FS5 does have a Waveform Monitor :-) ...especially because of his comment about nailing exposure with 4K at 4.2.0.

Interesting to read the comment that it is MORE sensitive/lower noise than the FS7, despite the same sensor being used in both cams, I guess because of improvements in processing since the FS7 first came out?

Really glad I got my pre-order in last Friday! Roll on November.

[Mike Watson]

Is the eyecup viewfinder the same as one used on another Sony-line camera? I'd like to put my eye on it before I buy one sight-unseen.

[Brian Rhodes]

Sony is introducing a new cinema camera positioned between the FS7 and the FS700 in their lineup. Sony's product manager Juan Martinez gives an exclusive briefing on the new Sony PXW-FS5 cinema camera to Newsshooter's contributing editor Chuck Fadely on the 35th floor of Sony headquarters in New York City. The PXW-FS5 is a smaller and lighter little brother to the FS7.

Newsshooter at IBC 2015 - Sony PXW-FS5 briefing on Vimeo

[Dylan Couper]

Originally Posted by Jack Zhang

A little disappointment is a huge understatement when my clients pressure me into shooting 60p all the time.

Jack, if your clients demand 4k-60p but aren't willing to pay you enough to get a camera that can do it, you don't have a camera problem... You have a client problem.

[Jim Stamos]

the stock lens thst comes in the kit,is the fo us ring 8n finite like the x70 or where u can focus fast like the one on the ex1r,?
This is my main complaint with the x70 coming from the ex1r.
I can focus fast without having the keep turning the focus ring to get it in focus

[Ron Evans]

Jim the quickest way of focusing any of the small Sony's like the X70 is to use touch focus. I never use the focus control on my NX30U, CX700 or the AX100 only touch focus. Something I wish was on my NX5U and is on the new Panasonic DVX200. It is something that is implemented on the EA50 too.

Ron Evans

[Jack Zhang]

Originally Posted by Dylan Couper

Jack, if your clients demand 4k-60p but aren't willing to pay you enough to get a camera that can do it, you don't have a camera problem... You have a client problem.

What am I supposed to say? Stop asking for 60p and get out?

My upgrade path was going to be the PXW-X200, but with the numerous hardware limitations of that camera and the numerous lens issues, I have to leapfrog 1080p60 and go to 4K 60p.

The tech just isn't there, but for this, the tech is there, just they chose to artificially limit certain things so that it's just bad enough to sneak in a new model in 6 months. (cause you know that's what they're going to do)

Sorry, the "30p is fine" argument is one that really pisses me off, both in video gaming and video production.

[Monday Isa]

Jack why is it the PXW-FS7 wouldn't work for you?