SONY FS7 II GEAR
ORIGINAL FS7 HOLDS ITS OWN The Sony FS7 II was a step ahead of the original FS7, but both still perform well, sharing the same sensor and AF system. You can score a used FS7 for around half the price of the Mark II model. When new, it cost the thick end of £10,000.
allow the viewfinder to be mounted closer to the body. Other changes included an LED next to the on/off switch to see if the camera is turned on, and XQD cards that stick out 4.3mm further and are therefore easier to access. The viewfinder loupe was modified with a new attachment and fitted with a foldable sunhood. And the round LCD attachment rod was replaced with a square-section version to stop the LCD tilting. Everything from the sensor to autofocus system was the same, apart from the addition of BT.2020 colour space, ideal for 4K broadcast productions in HDR. The camera has everything: full genlock and timecode connectors, twin SDI outputs, four audio inputs, full LUT support, Cine EI mode, custom user menus, gammas and picture profiles, waveform monitoring, multiple peaking and zebra options, 180fps HD recording and even more besides. Add on the EXCA-FS7 extension unit, still around £1500/$1600 used. “The camera has genlock and timecode outputs plus twin SDIs”
HDR from the Mark II, but the camera retains both the sensor and AF system. If you don’t especially need that, the FS7 is an incredible used buy and easier to find. Just be sure to check out the general condition and hour meter to see how much use it has had before making your purchase.
What you don’t get is the variable ND, lever-lock lens mount, improved ergonomics or Rec. 2020 for
This means V-Lock batteries can be used as well as an external recorder, boosts high-speed recording to 240fps in HD with no buffering – and full Raw recording capability in 12-bit. Without the extension, you get internal 4K recording and 14 stops of dynamic range. In UHD, you have two different codecs – 10-bit 4:2:2 XAVC-I or 8-bit 4:2:0 XAVC-L. The XAVC-I is 600Mbps while XAVC-L is 150Mbps as it saves lots of space and is ideal for long-form work. Two separate modes feature - either Custom or Cine EI. Custom enables you to apply white-balance settings of your own, but does not output in Raw and gives no monitor LUTs or S-Log options. To use any of the S-Log2 or 3 settings, you need to select Cine EI. This disables auto modes for white-balance, gain, shutter speed, iris and exposure. There is no custom white-balance option and no suppression of moiré or noise. Cine EI gives the best quality, though a more involved post-shoot workflow is required in order to get the desired result. In low-light shooting, the performance is excellent over both modes. Custom does have built-in noise suppression, so results look good out of camera, while Cine EI files need post work. Image quality is excellent and provides a cinematic
ED’S CHOICE Editor in chief Adam Duckworth (above) with his personal FS7 – still in regular use
look in wide apertures to give a shallow depth-of-field. The FS7 II is built with a solid top handle and mic holder, intelligent hotshoe, second threaded adapter for fitting accessories as well as the monitor mount. Additionally, the camera comes supplied with a plug-in Wi-Fi unit that can then communicate with a smartphone or tablet – but you can’t stream video. If that’s important, you have to buy an extra plug-in unit which costs around £1000. But the beauty of a real pro-spec camera like the FS7 II is just about anything you want to control can be bought as an add-on, tailored to your specific needs. Find it on the used market for around £4100/$4500.
More information
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