So far we have only had Sony’s declaration, three cameras from the FS700 at 4K to the PMW-100 50MBps and the HXR-NX30. I will start with the weekest in my opinion the NX-30.
Sony seem to have this passion for building small cameras and an even stranger fettish for developing semi pro cameras from their domestic line up, the NX-30 comes with a projector built in. I may be wrong but do we really need a tiny projector on a semi pro video camera ?
The PMW-100 is far more interesting with its 4:2:2, 50Mbps, SxS…although for those of us who are cash strapped there is an alternative XQD card which is about £170 on the web, though it still does not compare to £70 for a 32G CF card that the Canon cameras use and CF cards are more accessible worldwide.
The big announcement is the NEX-FS700 with some very interesting new features not to mention the upgradable 4K output to a dedicated Sony 4K recorder.
The 10x Full HD slow motion will be a very useful feature and the camera finally sports an HD-SDI socket. We also see the addition of 3 sets of ND making this camera finally fit for purpose and the new handle design is also very welcome.
Once again Japan drives the “need” for 4K yet there is a very limited amount of 4K production houses in the UK let alone monitors to view 4K onto. It’s become obvious to all of us in the video line that 3D has not taken off so the boys in Japan are now driving 4K as the next big, must have format.
Will 4K be enough to persuade you to part with the best part of £6,634 not to mention the possibility of a paid 4K FW upgrade then a dedicated 4K recorder and media ?
Remember 4K is fine if the 4K picture is truly stunning but some of the tech boys I have been speaking to are worried that Sony are asking far too much from the Super 35mm sensor and noise may be an issue, especially at lower light levels. Sony do not tend to disappoint when it comes to video pictures so I am confident that the picture will be stunning…my man at NAB will tell me next week.
Feature-film production notwithstanding, is there any other reason for delivering in a 4K format? Greater resolution may have its advantages, but (for the most part) many shooters will not need go over 1080 HD when finishing their projects. This may change down the line, but for now I see 4K as slight overkill. Horses for courses I suppose.
4K should give you the capability of extracting a smaller frame size in post for different intents without loosing quality.
The downside is that you need to throw big, expensive iron in order to work with the format in post.
Interesting times ahead. How much time until you can edit 4K in realtime in a laptop?
I advocate the rule of obsolescence. Like a water fueled car, the technology is already there, but they don’t want you using it just yet!
Great post, very exciting times.
Noise may be an issue, compared to a C300 or an F3, true. But maybe this is just a camera for controlled environments where you can hire lights and shoot at a more moderate ISO. If the FS700’s sensor is 11.6 megapixels, pixel density should be comparable to a RED One sensor, and photosites should still be larger than those on the 18 megapixel 7D sensor for example. I mean, “4K” sounds like a lot, but shooting on DSLRs, you’re already shooting on a 5K, 6K, or 7K (D800) sensor, and ISO performance is reasonable (although the 7K D800 sensor is full frame, true). So maybe 4K isn’t “asking way too much” from an S35mm sensor.
We’ll find out soon anyway
Just give me a 50i to 50p firmware upgrade for the Sony MC50 and I’ll be happy!!!
Hear Hear! But that will not happen, they want us to buy a new NX30 while our MC50’s sit on the shelf.
As someone who will never like the forced shallow DoF of large sensor cams like the FS 100/700, I for one am still hoping for a successor to the NX5. Give it the WVGA screen of the PWM-100, AVCHD 2.0 with 1080 50/60p, 20x lens, and everything else the NX5 has. Heck, just give it the PWM-100’s single sensor, don’t really need three CMOS these days. But I’m not going to settle for 1080 60i and I’m not going to suffer with SxS cards! Phil, you seem to be able to talk to Sony – let them know we need a better choice for ENG in the NXCAM line! (And DO NOT suggest the NX70, it has huge problems with image quality and not enough zoom – I know I tested three different units over a period of 2 months and sent all three back).
About to jump ship to Panny, holding out as long as I can,
Steve