New Sony PXW-FS5

[Mark Watson]

The specs show HFR files are in 60i/50i format only. Odd choice. Marketing segmentation? I'd be interested to see how the slow-mo looks once it's rendered out in a 30p format.

Mark

[Andy Wilkinson]

I have just read elsewhere on the web a summary of points learnt yesterday during a Sony FS5 demo in Canada. The FS5 will NOT have have a Wave Form Monitoring option at launch. It will have Histogram, Zebras and Focus Peaking.

[Andy Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Mark Watson

The specs show HFR files are in 60i/50i format only. Odd choice.
Mark

Surely that must be a typo - I blummin well hope so! From what I have just read the HFR option seems to operate very much like on the FS700 (which it seems to share a lot of its guts with). So, are the HFR options on that camera interlaced only?

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

So, are the HFR options on that camera interlaced only?

Highly unlikely. My guess is that they are progressive, but somewhere along the line are being transposed into psf - which is then being seen as interlace.

[Christopher Young]

On the FS700 HFR it is true progressive but you can select output as 25p or 25PSF or 50p (pull down) and I would imagine that the FS5 would follow that lead.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Dave Mercer]

Can anyone who's handled the FS5 comment on it's size / weight compared with Canon C100? With and without top handle / grip?

Also, C100 can often pass for stills camera (handy when working in places where playing the tourist is advantageous). From the photos I've seen, Sony FS5 looks to have too many dials / buttons on the side to play that card ... any advice?

Many thanks.

[Mark Watson]

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

Surely that must be a typo - I blummin well hope so! From what I have just read the HFR option seems to operate very much like on the FS700 (which it seems to share a lot of its guts with). So, are the HFR options on that camera interlaced only?

No, the FS700 saves the HFR video as progressive, user selectable as 24p, 30p or 60p.

Mark

[Walter Brokx]

I held the FS5 in my hands: felt good.
I saw someone compare it to a PD150: I don't share that feeling.
I doesn't compare to the PD150 at all: the handgrip is much better and rotatable like on the EX1(R).
The variable electronic ND will really give you more control over DoF.
I see it more like a little brother of the FS7 and a nice S35 successor of the EX1R with a bonus: it can be stripped down to the body alone, so it can be used on a MoVI M5.

One downside I learnt from Alister: while recording there is no HDMI out, at the moment: he said it will be added by a firmware update.

@Zack:
Read this blog by Vincent Laforet about the cost of doing business:
How to succeed as a creative long term: know your C.O.D.B. « Vincent Laforet's Blog
It's very informative if you struggle about what to charge.

And go networking: there must be networking clubs or events you can attent to make new contacts. I understand you find it hard to make new connections: maybe you can ask someone to join you to 'break the ice' or even better: ask if you can join someone who is going there anyway. That person might introduce you to some new people.
And change your mindset: a proper rate is not insane.
Your 'friend-clients' might think it is insane, but they have become used to insanely cheap.
Years ago I heard someone telling about this same situation: he was fed up and sent an email to all his clients explaining that he needs to raise his rates to survive and that he will have to say goodbye to bad paying clients. What happened? He indeed had to say goodbye to a part of his clients, while others were willingto pay better rates, because they felt it was worth it.


The EX1R is still a very good camera. I also still use it (although not for everything.)
In times you have nothing to do, you could go make something you'd like to create. This way you can expand your portfolio with something to target clients, so you can up your game.
Never do nothing: always learn to improve your skills, so you can offer more quality.
4K doesn't automaticly improve your work's quality.
Actually buying the newest stuff isn't the quickest way to better rates/more work: stuff is just tools.
Make your clients feel and understand you make THE difference because you know how to tell their story in a compelling way that helps their businesses.

[Jeroen Wolf]

Originally Posted by Dave Mercer

Can anyone who's handled the FS5 comment on it's size / weight compared with Canon C100? With and without top handle / grip?

Also, C100 can often pass for stills camera (handy when working in places where playing the tourist is advantageous). From the photos I've seen, Sony FS5 looks to have too many dials / buttons on the side to play that card ... any advice?

Many thanks.

I held a C100 maybe once but from what I remember it has a more DSLR-factor designwise and the FS5 is a real videocamera. With a lot of dedicated buttons, yes, so passing as a stills camera would be hard. Over at Newsshooter I saw an unboxing of the FS5 and the maker commented that it did remind him of the Canon Cinema series.

I held the FS5 and it felt great- very light also. I felt I could handhold this camera for a long time, looking down through the viewfinder. The weight, handgrip and small size got me very excited. Not to mention the chip and variable ND...

[Andy Wilkinson]

This video of Tom Crocker of Sony talking about the FS5 at IBC has just been released.

Sony PXW-FS5, in-depth interview: Tom Crocker, Sony, Europe

[Glen Vandermolen]

Thanks to those of you who've actually held the camera. Your input is invaluable. It does seem to be a very versatile, little hand-held camera.

[Jamie Roberts]

This camera looks like it would satisfy my yearning for a 4k version of an ex1 type camera but I have some concerns around editing the XAVC-L footage. I have a fs7 and have tried filming and editing using this codec and found it difficult. I have a decent computer and playback was a pain in the arse.

I'm tipping many buyers will also be shelling out for a new computer in order to edit the footage the FS5 produces without pulling all their hair out!

Hope I'm wrong cos I'd love one of these!

[Andy Wilkinson]

I hear you on that one. Good point.

I am hoping my pretty high spec new Mac Pro ("trashcan") and G-Raid Studio-R 4-Bay Thunderbolt 2 system (where all my work in progress media sits), running Adobe CC and/or FCPX, will handle the Sony XAVC-L 4K codec pretty well - especially the HD 4.2.2 50 Mbps codec which is what I'll be using 80-90% 0f the time I expect - at least for now. But time will tell - roll on November!

What type of spec is the Mac or PC that struggles with clips from your FS7 with the XAVC-Long GoP codec? And is that 4K or HD you're talking about?

[Walter Brokx]

At IBC I saw the FS5 side by side with a C100.
The sizes are pretty close to each other.
2 major physical differences are the position of the LCD screen and the handgrip: the FS5 can easily be adjusted while holding the camera, while a C100 has to be but down to unsrew the handgrip if you want it to be rotated.

@Jamie,
difficulties with playback can have various reasons: the harddrive can be the bottleneck, or the GPU or CPU.
So maybe the solution isn't a new system, but identifying the part causing the problem.

[Jack Zhang]

Well, got to check one out for real today and I'm hoping for a "output only" mode to be included in the RAW upgrade that would allow the sensor to scan at 60p without any internal recording functions active. The photo below was the menu option that gave me hope. If the FS5 can in the very least output 4K 60p out the HDMI with duplicate frames, it can very likely do so natively if the internal recording functions were disabled, which the RAW upgrade probably would do.

If that option is HD only, then there is no hope for 4K 60p out the HDMI, but rather the RAW upgrade only.