GEAR
SONY FS5 II TEST
It was very noticeable in a direct comparison between the new Sony and current FS5, which we have used for more than a year. The footage from the Mark II is far more natural and useable straight out of camera, while the original FS5 is more contrasty and harder to get right in grading. On both, it’s essential not to overexpose or the colours become very surreal when you try to pull back the exposure. There are nine additional Picture Profiles, some specifically designed for S-Log2 and S-Log3, and even one to give a DSLR-style look. To many this is bold and over-saturated but it may suit your workflow. In use, the FS5 II retains all the great features of the original, such as the built-in variable ND filter. Dial in one of the three filter settings, or set the camera to variable and change the ND value by adjusting a wheel. In this way you can choose shutter speed and aperture then dial in the correct exposure by turning the ND filter. For super slow-motion, there are frame rates up to 960fps, but at low quality. It shoots 240fps in HD but the FS5 II only lets you record up to eight seconds of action which it then has to buffer. The new HFR settings mean it can record 120fps internally with no waiting – a real bonus for action shooters. Like the original camera, there are loads of customisable buttons to aid set-up, but still no waveform monitoring. For that, an external monitor is a real bonus. “The footage is far more natural and useable straight out of camera”
ABOVE Pro style HDMI and SDI connectors are standard, and the battery slot is big enough for huge cells.
THE VERDICT
HOW IT RATES Features: 9
The FS5 was hugely popular but needed a grand spending on it to get it Raw compatible and shooting high frame rates continuously, and even then the internal codec wasn’t that robust. The FS5 II may look like a lacklustre upgrade, but it comes with the Raw and HFR built in, and the Venice colour science means its internal codec is far more useable with much better skin tones. It gives an improved cinematic look, and there are built-in picture profile options if you’re after contrasty and bold. Here you have a small, light and relatively affordable camera. Adding on accessories such as an Atomos Shogun Inferno boosts quality and flexibility you can only get from Raw. We said that the FS5 was the ultimate affordable camera that can be stripped down to a very small package, or dressed up with an external recorder into something that gives incredible quality with all the benefits and complexities that brings. And the FS5 II is even better, and no more expensive. That makes it a real winner.
Everything you couldwant, apart fromwaveformmonitoring and four audio channels Performance: 9 Shoot Raw and it’s sublime, and the new internal codec is a big improvement Handling: 9 It’s not a shoulder-mount camera for all-day use but can be rigged as one Value formoney: 9 Thanks to Raw, it can be rigged up to outperformcameras that are significantlymore expensive suitable and affordable camera for the vast majority of independent filmmakers Pros: For the price, it offers amazing image quality and all the pro features Cons: AF isn’t on a par with Canon’s dual pixel system, no waveforms OVERALL RATING: 9/10 It’s difficult to think of amore
BELOW The LCD screen can be hard to see in bright light, but there’s always the viewfinder just in case.
More information
www.sony.com
87
WINTER 2018 PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook