Sony PXW-FS7 Super 35mm XDCAM 4K Camcorder (E-mount)
The Sony PXW-FS7 4K reflects years of intense conversations we’ve had with documentary shooters. In response, we completely redesigned the grip, improved the viewfinder, optimized the balance, and refined the ergonomics. Of course, the Sony PXW-FS7 4K also reflects Sony’s expertise in 4K and HD codecs, Super 35 sensors, and memory recording. The result is the ideal camera for documentaries, and the optimum tool for magazine shows, reality TV, unscripted TV, and more.
Shoulder mount comfort without rigs or rigmarole
It’s ironic that so-called affordable cameras need to be outfitted with expensive rigs, cages, hand grips, and accessory viewfinders before they can be properly handheld. The Sony PXW-FS7 4K is different. It was designed from a clean sheet of paper to rest comfortably against your chest or sit well on your shoulder.
Zoom, Start/Stop and Assign controls are carefully located on the sculpted, telescoping smart grip. Sony supplies a proper viewfinder that’s perfectly offset to the left with a huge range of fore-aft adjustments.
Mount flexibility
Sony’s mount lens system offers unsurpassed compatibility with both Sony and third-party lenses. The Sony PXW-FS7 4K E-Mount can take Cinema lenses and SLR lenses with a third-party adaptor, as well as Sony’s E-mount and A-mount lenses. So whether buying new lenses or making use of lenses you’ve already purchased, the Sony PXW-FS7 4K makes it easy.
180 fps High Frame Rates
High Frame Rate shots can turn everyday actions into slow-motion ballet, a visual feast of elegant movement. Sony PXW-FS7 delivers a maximum of 180 frames per second (fps) of continuous shooting in Full HD. If your project plays at the cinematic 24 fps, you get beautiful 7.5x Super Slow Motion. There’s no sacrifice in bit depth and no “windowing” of the sensor.
So there’s no crop factor, no loss in angle of view. The camera also performs Slow & Quick (S&Q) motion from 1 to 180 fps in 1 fps increments. So you can alter the narrative by selectively speeding up or slowing down the action.
Sony engineers were on a mission. To provide a sculpted, handheld design that remains comfortable even over the course of long shoots. To support hour after hour of recording.without changing memory cards. To provide the latest in resolution, exposure latitude, and color reproduction. And to deliver it all in one affordable, practical package. With the Sony PXW-FS7 4K, that mission is a success.
4K Super 35 Exmor sensor
When it comes to image sensors, size definitely matters. Sony’s Super 35 sensor delivers “bokeh,” the defocused backgrounds made possible by shallow depth of field. A common technique for directing audience attention within the frame, shallow depth of field is far easier to achieve with a large sensor.
Other things being equal, a bigger sensor also equates to better low-light sensitivity and lower image noise. And with bigger sensors, the field of view is wider for any given focal length lens. With the Sony PXW-FS7 4K sensor, size is just the beginning.
To learn more about 4K Camcorders
Ryan Seet –
The Sony FS7 is by far the most versatile and cost effective camcorder solution in the market today. As a company, Pacific TV, was searching for a system to fulfil our varied needs for the longest time. Not only must the camera have great capabilities but ergonomics is a very strong factor in our decision. I will be honest, the ergonomics is not perfect, but its a far better than anything out there today. We do a varied portfolio of work, ranging from documentaries for Discovery and National Geographic to corporate films for Volvo to TVCs. Here’s the thing, in more than 90% of the cases, the FS7 fits the bill for the jobs. Here’s where I mentioned versatility, we got one camera to provide solutions for a wide range needs.
The FS7 is of course modular, enabling us to custom fit the camera for each project. But again, without spending a bomb, the FS7 is good to go with minimal modifications. Unlike, a brand I shall not mention where the cost to retrofit and gain a semblance of ergonomics will set u back almost the price of an FS7. For us anyway, the functionality, cost and ergonomics are hard to beat. That’s not to say its perfect, far from it. But as compared to the options available today, its by far the best. And it takes a fair bit of beating as well! Our shoots bring us into some pretty tough situations where the camera has been abused and after some heart stopping moments, carries on working as normal. We at Pacific TV have a philosophy in our acquisition process. We are out to buy a capability or capabilities, not a toy. And if im honest, the FS7 has provided us with a fair few capabilities.