Review of Sony FS700! Both parts now live!!

Camera Reviews FS100 Other

ETHICS STATEMENT: I made this in my own time (and it took A LOT of time!) for the readers of my blog. I was not paid by any manufacturer to do this. The FS700 was supplied to me on loan as review cameras for 3 days by Sony Europe. I asked for the camera so I could review it. Sony as always have given me a free hand to be as honest as I want. No stipulations other than to say it’s a pre-production camera. I really appreciate that.

I have never and will never be paid by a manufacturer to review a product. My opinions are my own and always will be. If you think otherwise then you are wrong! 🙂

There are a few shots of my dad smoking a cigar in the video and I do not approve of smoking. It is bad for your health and my dad volunteered to do his signature shot for this video. I am trying to get him to quit. 

There are adverts for this product on this page as well as other adverts for other companies. This helps me make these reviews. I did not get paid to do this and it has taken over a week of my time to do it. If you decide to purchase this camera or other products clicking on my affiliate links help me make these happen. So thank you!

EDIT: Part 1 now up with part 2 to follow. It is at the bottom of this post.

My BAFTA/ RAINDANCE winning documentary “How to start a revolution” is available to buy on Amazon. You can purchase it below.

I own far too many cameras. Most do similar things, just some better than others. One camera I used to own but now no longer do (for previously documented reasons), the Red Epic, I miss enormously. Not for the problems associated with it but for the image and especially the slow motion. I was able to shoot 120 FPS at 5K and 300 FPS continuously at 2k cropped. I miss that. One of my favourite pieces I made in this mode was the Turin Brakes video “Chim Chim Cher Ree”.

You see we love time-lapse, we love slow motion. Why? Because it is something we cannot see with our own eyes naturally. I love to use both and am very much obsessed with ultra slow motion right now. The slowest I have ever shot, or the fastest frame rate to be correct, is 5000fps at 720p on the Phantom Flex. Mostly at 2564 at 1080p. You can see it in my piece “The Redneck Hippy”. Now I used the slow motion to give visuals to a story. Videos with slow motion just for the sake of it are very common, and I am as guilty as many. In fact, I will be posting one such video on this page. Why? Because I love the way things looks shot at ultra high speed. Should everything we watch have a story? Nope. Sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy visuals and evoke emotion that images can easily do (photography anyone?). BUT a story IS better for sure. Just don’t get your knickers in a twist if there isn’t a story! Let’s just call it “test footage,” there I just made up a phrase! 😉 But all kidding aside, the piece “Two Forty from Brighton” below for me sums up a weekend at an English beach perfectly!

We will see a lot of slow motion, ultra slow motion, soon. Why? Well the new Sony NEX FS700 is about to come out, and it shoots 1080p at up to 240FPS, or at lower resolutions at 480 fps and 960 fps. This camera will also cost around £6k+Tax. Crazy stuff. As soon as people get this camera they will use this feature to death. Why? Because it’s bloody fun, that is why and we love to over use our new toys. Of course after a short time the owners will start scaling back their slow motion shooting and just use it when they need to. I am pretty sure of that. Then of course other manufacturers will bring out their cameras with high frame rates to compete. GREAT! Competition is the best thing! Without it we would not be shooting on super 35mm sensors for a few thousand dollars right now!

BTS photos by James Miller
Sarah Estela shooting review on the C300
BTS photos by James Miller
BTS photos by James Miller

My review is in video form and yes, it focuses heavily on the slow motion modes but it also focuses on the image itself, the improvements and lack of improvements in the camera, low light and a lot more. It’s very in depth and I hope it is rather educational too! I don’t cover 4k as I didn’t have the feature enabled yet.

The FS700 is not a replacement for the excellent-image-producing but a wee bit plasticky and frustrating FS100. It’s a model up. Is it worth the upgrade? Have they improved on some of the more annoying aspects of the camera? Will I buy one?!

Both parts of the review are now up. Part 1 covers the slow motion function and initial impressions. Part 2 goes into the improvements and cons of the camera and analyses the image as well as takes a look at low light performance.

I have not been paid to do this review so if you do want to buy any camera gear if you could use any of my affiliates on my site it would help me take the time off to do things like this. Over a week of work went into this so I would be very grateful! Thanks.

CVP below are my preferred European dealer and clicking below will go to my specially chosen products in their store and B&H my US preferred Dealer.

 

Additionally here are two bits of video. One a short clip which is just a shot at 480 FPS in 24p. Shot on a 50mm F1.2 and hand focus pulled by myself. The resolution is slightly more than halved vertically but maintained horizontally. This causes some image issues as you can see on Sarah’s hat. I found the 1/4 resolution 960fps too poor to use in this pre-production camera. The other clip is a montage of some shots I got down in Brighton. Much BTS was filmed of this and will be part of the review, explaining what lenses I used, how I used the features and things to be aware of.

I used the excellent METABONES EF adaptor for the Canon lenses and the MTF services adaptor for the Zeiss ZF ones.

The vast majority was shot on the Canon L Series 100-400mm lens. A couple on the Tokina 11-16 and the Canon 50mm F1.2.

Picture profile was all over the place, as the pre-production camera kept resetting to default. So half shots were shot on the cine gamma I wanted. The rest were not!

 

Music is once again from the brilliant Music Bed

Big thanks as always to Sarah Estela who shot the BTS and James Miller who came along for the ride!

 

 

MATCHES! High frame rate comparison of 240, 480 and 960FPS on SONY FS700 from Philip Bloom extras on Vimeo.

I have not been paid to do this review so if you do want to buy any camera gear if you could use any of my affiliates on my site it would help me take the time off to do things like this. Over a week of work went into this so I would be very grateful! Thanks.

CVP below are my preferred European dealer and clicking below will go to my specially chosen products in their store and B&H my US preferred Dealer and their link is below the CVP one. Thanks!

 

227 comments

  2. Lovely Image, as always. You just seem to have a way with cameras.
    LOL!

    That last shot though. It looked like it suffered in low light, which is odd for it being the successor of the FS100.
    Is it possible to compare the two in the future?

    1. Thanks Daniel.

      Is it noisier than the FS100…i would say so. I did some comparisons which come up on the video but this is only a pre-production camera so things may change. part of problem is the almost 3x more megapixels on the FS700 means it is no surprise the low light is not quite as good!

      OH and remember this was at 1/500th of a second of the slow motion so the ISO was pushed high in the low light conditions!!

      1. 1/500 eh?
        Yeah I suppose that would have more than a minor bearing on noise and low light.
        too bad the higher megapixel count interferes with sensitivity.
        Why can’t they just make a perfect camera?
        ~sigh~
        Oh well, It’s still has an INSANELY outrageous Image!

        -Cheers!

  4. Seems like if the 4K/RAW looks good on this camera it will be one of the best choices for the price point. The slow mo alone is worth the current price tag IMO. Actually, I say all of this assuming the 1080p normal speed stuff is as good as the FS100. Guess we have to wait until Friday to know for sure!

    1. Depends on the price of the future Sony 4K Recorder that they seems to be about to announce. If it like all the others coming to the market, it will be a $15000, which is more than the camera itself.
      And don’t forget that 4K is a HEAVY worlflow (did not say “difficult to handle”, just HEAVY because large files, huge processing power required and all that jazz)

      2. $15000?!?! The Ki Pro quad is only $3995 USD. They way I understand it, the box recaptures 4k raw/de-bayer/prores all all in one with a monitor! The de-bayer in the Ki-Pro can take a lot of the weight off of a HEAVY post workflow. It’s a recorder and workflow accelerator. I could easily imagine a non (de-bayer) 4K hyperdeck @ $750ish and/or a 4k Ninja/Samurai at $2000.

  5. Wow! I love it! Really looking forward to getting this camera. I film a lot of high speed action (Mixed Martial Arts using hacked GH2), and the images coming from this pre-production camera at high speed, slow motion etc are simply awesome, especially from the price point.

    Philip you really do put together great work.

    One thing I just love about your short Two Forty from Brighton, is that every moment seemed to have its own emotion. Amplified by your sound track for sure. Quite breathtaking really.

    Slow motion in general captivates attention, because it allows us to see the extraordinary things within ordinary moments… it’s simply magical, dreamlike and such a powerful way to bring us in to the story from your point of view. Really looking forward to your review.

    Thank you for all your effort. It makes such a difference to us enthusiasts and industry people alike!

  11. Great stuff, Philip. I hope in your review you discuss how this camera records slo-mo in eight second bursts and what that means to the filmmaker as they’re trying to film a live scene, like for documentary, not in a staged, narrative setting. I get the feeling folks just believe you press record and wah-la, I have 240fps footage! It’s more than that, and I hope you will address how easy/difficult it is to capture slo-mo with the FS700 in real-world scenarios. That kind of insight will help me decide whether it’s a worthwhile purchase!

  12. When you’re shooting at such high frame rates, do you still have to follow the rule where you double your frames per second and set that as your shutter speed? In other words, when you shot at 420fps, was your shutter set somewhere around 1/800? I noticed you had no motion blur. It was like you could take a still from every frame.

    1. ideally yes you would shoot double. but it depends on how much light there is around and high shutter speeds cause very nasty flickering lights as you can see in the very last shot.

      i shot, for the 240fps stuff mostly at 1/500th of a second.

  13. Every image I see of the FS700 just makes me think, “It looks like the ND filter barrel was just tacked on.” Then my mind wanders and hopes, “MAYBE Sony will make a hot adapter with the ND filters for the FS100!!!”

    A man can hope, right?

  15. I suppose you’ll be saying, “Sony has fixed all issues with the ergonomics of the FS100; the FS700 is a joy to shoot handheld.” 😉

    *sigh*

    I’d take the capabilities of this camera in an ENG-style body any day of the week. Pity it still appears to have been designed by the Borg! I might still be forced to buy one on technical merit alone, but damn… handheld without a rig would be super.

  16. That pull focus on the thrown stones was fantastic! Super excited to see decent quality, high speed footage at an indie level price point! Now I’m entirely undecided on what Camera I’d like more out of next years crop, the Sheer flexibility of the FS700, or the unique psuedo16mm RAW BMD Cam!

  17. Hi Phil,

    Quick question for you. I noticed you are using the rather heavy Canon 100-400 WITHOUT support and with the Metabones adaptor. I have the Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS Mark 2, which is about 1/4 lbs heavier. Do you think it’s OK to use these heavier lenses without some type of lens support? I’m afraid I will damage the mount when I get the FS700.

    Anyways, I cannot wait for this review as this is the camera I am 99% likely to buy next. Glad to see the Metabones is working. I’ve been trying to order one, but they keep telling me to wait until they do more tests on the FS700 🙁 But if you validate the Metabones, I’m sure it will work just fine.

    1. i had issues with that 100-400 on the metabones. not the weight with the camera. i think it was to do with the pre-prod nature of the camera and some lenses doing odd things! it kept on locking the camera up.

      should it have support. probably!

  18. Looks great Philip. Was the clip with Sarah tossing the rocks using the auto focus tracking or were you pulling focus which of course would be difficult but not impossible with a pro? That slo mo with shallow dop pulling focus is just killer. Really good stuff.
    -Randy

  19. Great shots!

    Have you done a post on how you interact with people? I assume you ask for permission to film but they always seem so candid so I guess you film them before and ask for permission afterwards.

    Also the long lenses help with not being physically close but with the 50mm some people still feel like you’re in their face.

    I would love an insight as to how you go about picking people to shoot and interacting with them.

  20. simply brilliant,
    Philip i will stay away from fs700 “test footage” examples from now on, that was simply enough for me im sold.
    the resolution looks gr8, this is a killer camera, back to the bank for another loan…

  21. I love the focus pull on the stones throw, thats great.

    Phil, do you have a link to where that lens can be bought?

    Canon L Series 100-400mm lens

    I can’t find one on sites like digital rev. Is that an old discontinued lens? or the contemporary model? (it reminds me of the straight 400mm, rather than 100 to 400?

  23. Nice shots! Please tell me you will bring the FS700 to Mallorca. Colourful British Beach life at its best. I miss Southampton and the Southern English coast 🙂

    Very unusual choice of music for you, sir!!

      1. I find it hard to believe a camera that can shoot such a high frame rates can’t process it more conveniently (ie more intermediate options and more felxible base rate options). But I hardly mind considering I wasn’t expecting a frame rate this high to be in reach of that price bracket for some time.

  28. Hi Phil,

    I read on another website that editing native AVCHD footage (FS100) with Premiere CS, the blacks get crushed a bit (obviously not good) compared to the original footage. And the only way to avoid this is to transcode the footage before editing with Premiere. Have you experienced this? It would be so nice to NOT have to transcode footage.

  30. Great Stuff!

    Assuming you’re on CS6, can give me insight on the cutting side? Did you have any problems editing, grading, and exporting the AVCHD footage?

  32. I’ve been shooting like crazy with the FS100 and have been loving the outcome.
    Does the 700 out in 10 bit or 8? Do you have any info on this 4K upgrade?

    I want to pre order the 700 for sure this coming week – your review may seal the deal or kill it…

    For alot of run and gun type of stuff with the 100, I’ve been amazed with the low light images this thing captures – where sometimes just a simple LED light has sufficed.

    I have a question pertaining to the Canon MRK3 – I’ve been shooting with both cams ( the MRK3 and the FS100) on several shoots, Are there profile set ups for both cams to help them match better in post? – It’s been a bit wicked to get them to match well… And will the profile set ups be the same for the 700?

    Much appreciate all you do for the indie film community!

  33. Hi Phillip, what happened with the other film you have made in Brighton? I did not see it anywhere in your blog. This one is kind of a Sequel. Both reminds me a lot of some photographs made by Martin Parr, but with motion.
    Talking about Metabones… have you made any contact with them? Or with the people from Birger…? Guess there are many of us expecting for some “smart” adapter to use all that canon (Sigma, Tamron, etc) lenses we have when we jump insanely over our new FS700.
    (By the way: does it works the same way as it does with the FS100?)

  34. I love the focus pull with the pebbles idea. Really gives a sense of other worldliness. I’m looking forward to a full review ‘cos I’m 99% sold already. I enjoy your blog and have great respect for your take on things, so here’s hoping you don’t completely slate it :0)

  35. great work – some of your best for sure

    looks like you were getting some good serendipity and flow judging by the way your shots came together

    the bird in the bin was a classic !

    Great focus pullon the rocks

    i am feeling Velouria by the Pixies – anyone remember that music video? 1 shot focus pull and zoom out of band running at camera – shot slo motion – brilliant.

  36. You got me Philip ! lol

    I just met two days ago the lovely Peter Sykes from Sony Europe (which says “Hello” to you and all your community^^) who was in Cannes (there’s a small film festival in here this week….) to present the F65 and the FS700 cameras…

    Since I’m a moderator on your forum I thought I’ll take pictures and write a little review post… But you got me on the FS700.

    Anyway, to me, the ergonomics is still odd and the camera feels bulky. Too expansive for a camera that doesn’t record better than H264 onboard. Even with the high frame rates. The future 4K upgrade is a joke. Peter didn’t say a word about price, but I don’t think it will be free. Plus it will need an external recorder that is MORE EXPANSIVE than the camera itself (BUT they said Sony is coming with one too, maybe at an accessible price).

    So as always to me there’s no really bad camera. “Every camera for avery kind of jobs”… But not my cup of tea.
    (I’ll make a post about the luxurious F65 this week-end)

  37. Philip,

    What has your experience been with comparing the FS700 or other “native” slow motion cameras vs a DSLR (7D) with slow motion in post? Is it worth the extra price most of the time?

    Also, your footage always looks great and it shines here!

  39. Hi Philip, great video 🙂 There a bunch of us Aussies who love your stuff 🙂

    Just a quick question on the slow motion, I couldn’t seem to find online, but do you have to conform the footage in post, or does the camera actually shoot it in these frame rates for you?? And does CS6 conform high frame rate footage post production like Cinema Tools did for FCP?

    Thanks mate… 🙂

    JD

    2. In PPro, one should use the ‘interpret footage’ option within the bin. Then you can pick any frame rate you want, or perhaps, pick the CORRECT frame rate for your sequence. That’s how I do it with my 7D 60fps shots.

      Philip, can you confirm this method with FS700 footage?

      Gus

  41. Dude, I’m literally on pins an needles waiting for this review. I’m very anxious to know if I’m going to be buying this or the FS100. I’m particularly interested in low light situations with the added megapixels.
    It’s 12:30 pm here in Texas (6:30 London time), and I’m starting to go crazy.
    Thanks for all the reviews, Philip. Just from this site alone I feel like I’ve learned truck loads.

    One question, is the stock lens worth the extra money if I don’t have a decent zoom? Or should I buy a different zoom in a similar price range? I plan to shoot docs.

        1. really looking forward to part two just a quick question, will it be up today, its late here in London, but if its up soon i will wait up with anticipation, I have already pre ordered the FS700 and am itching to know if its a winner

  45. Outstanding review Philip – my hat’s off to you and your crew for putting together such an in-depth and varied presentation. This is setting a new standard for getting information out there – no reason it shouldn’t look as good as anything else!

    I’ll admit I wish my 5D2 shot at least 60fps because we do all love the look of that slo mo, but hey, it’s damn helpful to have help figuring out what I should rent when I just have to have that capability on a shoot. Your videos, reviews, and information are always a welcome tool in my belt.

    Cheers,

    Jim
    WiseguyVisuals.com
    San Luis Obispo, California

  46. To say “very nice” doesn’t begin to describe the joy of your footage (particularly the seagull “head bob”). Questions: Are the HD-SDI and HDMI signals out compressed? Does the native AVCHD out have significant moiré issues? Is the native footage from either the 700 or 100 suitable for grading and then to DVD/Blu Ray (or even broadcast), as is, or will it be a “must” to record it directly to a ProRes recorder? Finally a general question: In your opinion, is there a significant quality difference in recording to ProRes from HDMI versus HD-SDI? Thank Phillip you for time and dedication to help us all !

  48. Im going to purchase mine at the end of the summer. Because that’s when I’ll have the money to. lol. I can’t wait. Can ask, what was the tripod legs and head you were using? It looked very stable and mobile. I need to invest in some mobile legs.

  49. Phil: Thanks so very much for such a truly amazing review. I cannot wait for part II !! (like waiting for Godfather II)

    I have 2 questions for you:

    1) Is it possible to record those 240fps uncompressed externally?

    2) Which recorders are capable of recording 240fps(from the FS700 or any other HD-SDI or HDMI source)?

    Your input very much appreciated!!

    THANKS A BUNCH!! 🙂

    BATman

      1. Alister Chapman’s test shows it outputs uncompressed to external recorder at either 50/60p or 25/30p (set PAL/NTSC).

        Recorders like the Gemini can record the former, and eg. Nanoflash the latter. The 25/30p drops every other frame of the slow-motion so you only get half the slow-motion effect with the Nanoflash – still very useful.

  51. Thanks Philip great review so far. I am an FS100 shooter myself and bought one only three months before the FS700 was announced, yes a little bit of me cracked when I heard however it costing almost double the price made me feel a little better. Look forward to seeing the pros and cons between the two and if it’s worth upgrading.

    For anyone looking at getting an FS100, I shoot with one, I love it, needless to say my HDSLR’s are currently collecting dust on the shelves as a result.

  52. c300 or fs 700?
    I shoot longform-documentaries (on an af100/nano) and think about buying either an c300 or an fs700.
    I don’t need slomos and 4K, 10 bit – I do need 422. So C300 seems to make more sense.
    But most important thing: highlight-roll-off, dynamic range, lowlight, zoomlenses with constant f2.8 and IS – and simply “the look” that comes out of the camera (not using any log-settings – I am no cc-expert and don’t want to become one).
    which would you prefer? which camera produces the “nicer image”?

    1. for what you want? the c300 for sure. better in camera image. way better highlight roll off. better dynamic range. better low light. great with canon lenses. C-log is best to shoot with and VERY simple to bring back in post with a simple s contrast curve and saturation.

      I am buying an FS700 for it’s “party tricks” mainly as they will be very useful. But my C300 is my documentary camera. A joy to shoot with

      1. thank you very much, that helped me a lot!
        PS: I just met Frank G. on an fs700 presentation in Germany – very nice guy (as you know), shoots really impressive stuff. He might say something different – in the end it is also a matter of taste …
        I for myself also liked the c300 instantly a lot when I recently played around with it on an expo.

      2. Thanks, Philip! What about for narrative work? I used to love the C300 until I saw the Zacuto Revenge shootout. It really fell apart in that shootout. The FS100 even looked better! Have you seen this yet? Would love to get your take…

      3. I will say this Phil in defense of the FS700. The slow motion stuff you shot on your FS700 like your mom cleaning and your dad smoking and the rocks being tossed at the beach. If that was shot on the C300 at the soft half res 60fps, it would not have nearly the impact as the FS700. Not even close. The slow motion is such a powerful story telling device as it give it so much more drama. This seems like it would be so valuable for documentary work. The girl throwing the rocks went from just rock throwing to a work of art. That something that just can’t be done on the Canons, and it’s a shame because with all the Canon lenses I own, I wish it could. So FS700 it is for me. Even though the C300 has the better in camera image, seems like the FS700 is a more well rounded camera, and for half the price. Plus when the RAW comes out, it’s going to really be a monster. I really hope there an option for 2.5K RAW, as 4K is kind of overkill for most things.

        Oh yes, and you made smoking look so cool. Even though I don’t smoke, makes me want to grab a cigarette. You are now doing the devil’s work Phil 🙂

        1. Hey Phil. In my last comment I hope I didn’t offend you. Of course all your shots had great composition and artistic merit, and would have been fantastic shots regardless. But the slow motion does add so much and turns your already great shots into great shots with way more drama and visual storytelling.

          1. On slow-motion, I think it’s a bit of a cheat. While I think shooting something like sports definitely benefits from slow-motion, as your audience is really interested in the breakdown, I think that extensive use of slow-motion is a bit of a gimmick, filling up your timeline with style rather than story, unless you really have a story-based motive for using it. I think the real challenge is filming action in real-time in a smooth and coherent manner.

  54. thanks for all your time putting together this awesome review. Sony should be paying you cos I want one for sure now!!… well unless part 2 has an unexpected plot twist!

    1. It is very important Dan, that sony does not pay Philip. What value would this review hold had he have been given the camera or X pounds for saying some nice things about it, then passing off the bad as a firmware update away from not being an issue. I have immense respect for Philips integrity, and to compromise it by taking money for reviews, would be a tragedy. I am sure professionals on Philips level do get “benefits” for doing such reviews, however I would think it is more along the lines of obtaining the cameras faster than what the average joe can pull off. I know Philip had a C300 before I could get a Sony Walkman!!!!! 🙂

      Buddy

  55. Philip you are my mentor, my guide, my idol and my hero. You are an incredible human being and I really, really hope you continue doing what you’re doing for as long as you possibly can. Thank you so much.

  56. Fantastic review Philip. Very nicely presented and some really beautiful shots – especially the slo-mo focus pulls.

    As I’ve just tweeted (but this is for other readers here), I recently wrote about some of the negative aspects of the camera that I feel (to an extent) outweigh the positives.

    No doubt the picture is beautiful and the slow-mo is great – both fantastic features for the price. But I am from the (apparently quite small) camp of people who are unhappy with the ergonomics and practicality of the camera.

    Have a look at my write up here (the 9th post down, not the original post): http://goo.gl/p5kOe

    Would be keep to hear people’s thoughts and opinions!

  58. Great review Philip. I just can’t figure out what camera to get. This review really helped. I can’t wait to see your review on some of the other new additions from NAB.

  60. Have you guys heard of sand :)? It makes beach going much more comfy on the feet hehe.

    I am not interested in Sony cameras myself, but great review as always Philip.

    Buddy

  62. Great review as always, thank you. I have a question though, and sorry if it is an obvious one. I am a fashion photographer putting a reel together, to move into commercials directing. I am buying a Nikon D800 for my stills work, but am thinking of getting a FS700 as well, I have been using a canon 5D Mk 2 until now.

    Taking out the usability issues and just focusing on image quality alone, is the image from the FS700 better quality than the D800 before or after grading, and as I know the 5D image how does it compare to that . Also could I ask, would you recommend the FS700 for my needs, I am totally studio based, so everything is artificially lit with generally lots of texture. (I loved your boxing film on the FS100)

    I would like a camera which is easier to work with than a DSLR but if the quality difference is minimal I may just stay with the Nikon D800, I would really value your thoughts

      1. Can I ask how is it different, sorry to be a bit dumb about this, I know the shallow depth of field in DSLR is one area, but is the any other difference in image quality and which is richer and more filmic, I presume the Fs700 is easier to grade

  63. heh heh, i used that same flamethrower sfx for a halal slaughterhouse doc i did.

    small world!

    appreciate the review…! you always give that extra 10% of effort.

    1. Thanks for the review man. Informative and entertaining. More and more I see the C300 as the camera of choice for lots of my work. Might hire this or an epic when I need super slow mo.

    2. Ben, is that you? There can only be so many coincidences in this world and nobody else I know would make their screen name sasquatch…

  66. Philip,

    Thanks you for that again awesome review.

    Do you think it is possible to mount the camera on the tripod upside down to make (only very occational) shots from below without EV Finder?
    Or is the handle not strong enough, or any other major problem.

    Thanks.

  67. Philip, nice work on the two part review. They’re both informative and entertaining. I’m looking to buy this camera as
    a “B” Camera for my package, however I’m concerned about your comment regarding the camera’s broadcast quality worthiness . Are you saying that image quality from the camera is not of broadcast quality? What if you transcode the footage to prores, certainly the bit rate would be much better than what comes out of the camera. On two of my films, I’ve broadcast footage shot from the Canon T2i, once transcoded and colour corrected the broadcasters were none the wiser. Is the camera’s internal recorded at 8 bit 4:2:0 and output via HDMI or HD-SDI at 10 bit 4:2:2? Thoughts?
    Thanks again for your review.

      1. So Buying the AJA ki pro Quad Would not be a Bad Idea with this Camera.. I Mean If I have to Buy an external Recorder to Get Great Image Quality for Big Screen and Broadcast I might as Well get a 4k Right..

        Philip Is the 3g Sdi and Hdmi out Clean and What Bit rate is it?

      2. If I get you right…. the slow motion recorded on the Fs-700 will not be usable for broadcast…
        unless you’re saying that external recorders can record at that higher frame rate.

        Have broadcasters asked you what format you used for acquisition before they bought your projects?
        They’ve never ask me, I ‘ve delivered two films… all passed QC, both in North Americana and Europe
        (Especially German TV – they are the toughest to pass QC) As deliverables I’ve always supplied then
        with an HDCAM SR tape.. Thoughts?

        Thanks again.

  68. Hey Phil, once again, thanks for the great review. It was very informative and has pretty much sealed the deal on my getting an FS-700. With that said, many times I think about the FS700, I keep wishing it was the camera that Canon had made, probably because I have mainly EOS lenses and I like the Canon look. It also makes me think of how smart Sony is in seeing how Canon has repeatedly alienated their base, and how Sony seized on the opportunity and came up with a great camera and a great price. I actually feel happy to buy this camera, because I feel like Sony has tried to put their best foot forward to give us, the consumer, something we are excited to buy; instead of cameras that just feel like a compromise to something much more expensive in their camera line where people have to rip out the OLPF and post sharpen. A big THANK YOU to Sony for coming through for the “rest of us.” the people who can only afford to buy 1 good, all around camera. 🙂 I can hardly wait to get this camera in my hands.

    1. with e mount lenses and the alpha lenses using the e mount to alpha.

      you mean the zoom rocker and canon lenses? no. It’s designed for lenses with servo zooms. Not that I know of any for E mount!

    2. You can see how good the Auto Focus is in this video with the Sony FS700

      4 Days with the Sony NEX-FS700

      https://vimeo.com/40369782

      Please keep in mind these lens make noise when the AF is working. The only camera lens I know of that have
      silent AF is Panansonic. Maybe the Nex lens are silent I do not know because I never used one.

  72. Hi Philip! In regards to shooting the general public. I love getting video of people “in the moment”. How do you approach your subjects when shooting out on site without infringing? Do you let them know you are shooting and ask if they would mind if you used them for a shoot and provide a release form? Or does it depend on the shoot/subject/distance?

  75. Good to see part 2 Philip… glad you touched on some of the issues I have with this camera! Particularly the ergonomics and screen.

    I’ve decided not to buy one. I’d rather stick with my EX1R for now than switch to an FS700. I feel I need the bigger sense and flexibility of lenses. Slow-mo would be a bonus. But I just can’t deal with stepping backwards with practicality in so many respects. Not for the kind of work I do right now anyway. I can always hire when I need too…

    For those of you curious to see my write up about the negatives of the camera (it may bring up some things you haven’t considered and Philip hasn’t covered) have a look here: http://goo.gl/sxMle (the 9th post down).

    Cheers for the great review Philip.

  76. Hi Philip, great review. Does the FS700 make a sound when taking a photograph? I presume there’s no mechanical shutter present? Taking photo’s without making any noise would be great in theaters show with audience.

  77. That Slo-Mo and ND is tempting, but a bit out of my price range for now

    anyway do you know if sony sell that handheld handle (with the zoom rocker) separately? and would the FS100 support lenses with zoom motors.

    *also can you get that high quality image with the matches on the fs100*

  78. I’m very upset it doesn’t shoot 50Mbs! I shoot TV documentaries with an EX3. I don’t want to go the nano flash route as I feel it’s dead money. So new camera it is, but none of these tempting new cameras shoot the required 50Mbs.

    I feel like crying.
    But I won’t.
    Not over a camera.

    Ed

  79. Hi,

    Sorry for questions if they have alrealdy aborded in the video but i don’t spek english well..

    What is the super 35 mm size captor compared to a 7d APS-C ?
    About the record format, is it better for gradding than the h264 of hdslr ?

    Thanks

  80. Thanks for this review Philip! Extremely helpful!
    I’m curious if I could use this on the PB Pocket Dolly or is it too heavy? I’m purchasing both and wondering if I should get a bigger dolly/slider.

    Thanks!

  81. Yes… Also picked up by Syfy – US and International, TF 1 – France, RTL – Germany. To be honest not all the film
    was shot on Canon… I’d say about 15% rest was shot with Red One. Interesting bit…. I had a few shots with CGI layered in with the Canon shots… surprisingly it held up to colour correction… the QC guys never noticed.

    Did you get a chance to test the Ninja at 240fps with the FS-700? I’d really like the FS -700 being my full time “B” Camera.. but it’s gotta hold up to the QC guys and broadcasters.

    Thanks Again.

  84. Great review, Philip. I love your realness the most.

    I have a question for you about audio. In the last 3 to 4 videos, I’ve seen a lovelier microphone hanging around your neck. the audio sounds great. Can you let us know the equipment you’re using to publish it? What microphone are you using? What cable are using around her neck? What wireless set up an recorder are you using? And then are you thinking everything in post using pluraleyes?

    Thank you for your willingness to share.

    1. thanks!

      that’s not a microhpone! it’s my necklace! the microphone is on me but it’s much harder to spot as I am wearing black. It’s a wired lav mic for the sit down stuff, a sanken cos11. The wireless set i use for roving is a sony uwp receiver and transmitter

  85. Hi Philip great review!

    We are looking at buying our new main camera and it’s a toss up between the fs700 mostly for the slow motion and the C300. what would you camera of choice be for narrative film work?

    Cheers

    Olli

  86. Great post. This really helps me better understand a camera like this and its uses. I just find it so awkward to look at… It has to be even more awkward to shoot on….

    Crossbowfilms.net

    1. Great review! I am purchasing. Two questions for you though. Do you have any canadian reseller to recommend? BH doesn’t ship this camera to Canada 🙁

      And when f, can you use a magnify function like on DDSLRs?

      Thank you!

  88. Philip, with the built in NDs on the FS 700, is there even ANY reason to use a variable ND filter such as the Heliopan?

    The built in NDs are in stops of 2,4 and 6. So when you need something in-between the 2 stops, do you just adjust the ISO to compensate?

  89. Quick question. I might sound newbish…but Two Forty from Brighton when the hula girl goes from normal speed to slow motion does the cam actually record the normal speed as well? I love that look!

  90. Hi Phil,
    I know review is not about 5Dmk3 but since you’ve used all cameras on earth could you tell how much worse 5dmk3 is in low light to FS100/700?
    I’m waiting and waiting for a low light comparison between MK3 and FS100/700 but nobody has done it yet 🙂

  91. I order a Red Scarlet in the beginning of november, as my camera that I use now is really yesterdays news. Then, there were this strange tone on their web site, and on top of that, users who had issues with the red squad, as might be familiar.
    ParalleI to this I was in negociation with resellers of used Phantom HD, another thread buying myself into a half of a Phantom Flex (hey – I am on a strict budget).
    Still waiting for delivery notice from Red, I heared about the Fs700, cancelled Scarlet and ordered the FS700 immediately!
    Sony is really leaping forward here, giving us a somewhat ugly beast but packed with goodies we all want.
    Thanks Philip for being both behind and in front of the lens.

    mmobacken

  92. Great review Philip, thanks so much for taking the time: incredibly helpful.

    For the first time I’m considering buying into a big sensor camera to work alongside my 2/3″ ones. I feel the slow-mo gives this camera a real selling point and while I realise every UK doc will feature absurd amounts for the next couple of years (just as every BBC documentary currenty features a celebrity doing PTCs to a big chip camera coming in and out of focus in a big landscape) producers just won’t be able to resist!

    A couple of questions… do we have a definitive answer yet as to whether it’s possible to record slow-mo at higher bitrates via the SDI? Messages seem to be a bit mixed here.. Even if not and slow-mo has to be recorded at 28mb/s it’s my understanding that the footage would still be acceptable as both BBC and Ch4 allow for a substantial amount of non-HD material in any film (up to 25% at ch4). Do you concur or do you read this differently?

    And here I am really being cheeky and picking your knowledge.. given that the camera will not be used for run and gun doco stuff, but mainly for interviews, GVs, wallpaper and the slow-mo stuff, what would be your advice on lenses, the fewer the better. I’m very sold (by Andrew Young’s excellent FS700 review) on the Sony Alpha 70-400 for the obvious tracking slow-mo shots: while the range of Sony’s cheap 18-200 would make it a great cover all, I gather the glass is just not very good. The Alpha lenses are well reviewed so maybe a 16-50 or the 16-105 ? And a macro ? Any thoughts would be very gratefully received.

      1. You’re right. Visual Impact put the question to Sony for me and the answer is that in order to achieve 50mbb/s or above you’d have to have an external recorder capable of recording at 50P or 60P which would give you 4x slo-mo. Output this in post at 25/30P and you’d achieve 8x slo-mo. Only Convergent Design’s Gemini recorder currently does this.. it also has capability to record 4K but only at 24FPS. We probably shouldn’t expect too much in the way of slo-mo when the 4K firmware is released (which is fair enough given the price of the FS700).

        Meanwhile let’s hope broadcasters take a pragmatic approach to bitrate rules for slo-mo.

        Best wishes

  93. Another great review… purchased FS100 in part on your review and love the camera. But where did you purchase the Metabones Smart Adaptor for your Canon lens. I have looked for one here in States for months with no luck??:(

  94. I must sa Phil, this is the BEST review poece you have ever done! I havent bored a single bit in part 1, the slo mo images you placed are absolutely stunning. I especially loved the smoking scene of your dad. Fantastic! This is most possible next camera pirchase for our studio because of the 4K future and the current super slo mo’s. The Black-cam might be our Bs and Cs.

  95. Awesome review as always M. Bloom. Two questions for you though!

    Are there any resellers you would recommend for this camera in Canada? BH doesn’t ship this item to Canada for some reason.

    Also, when focusing, can we use some kind of magnufy function as available on DSLRs? Thanks!

  96. Philip, can you please tell what is the shoulder bag what Sarah Estela is using. (she is wearing it in this post..) Thank you! Of course thanks for review too! Its simply great! 🙂

      1. Hi Philip

        I am huge fan of you and always follow your blog. I just want to ask you if you have any future plans for workship in Dubai I really love to attent the class.

        Also Waiting your feed back about Blackmagic Cine Camra.
        Thanks.

  97. Hi Philip, quick question from an ignorant man considering the FS700: is it possible to record to an external recorder to bypass the native codec and thus the sub-BBC standard 24Mbps? It would be nice to know that this camera could comply with the 50Mbps that the BBC require.

    …how good would it be if the FS700 and the C300’s features were amalgamated?!

    ps Philip looks like a very busy man, if any of you guys can answer question for me (the former) I’ll be equally grateful.

    1. Yes you can but you’d need a recorder capable of recording 50/60P to achieve 8x slo-mo and only the Convergent Gemini does this at the moment.

      However the BBC will allow a certain percentage of sub-standard footage into any HD programme so as long as you’re not overdoing it you could probably slip FS700 footage in this way. In reality 24mb/s is unoticeable to the viewer (and isn’t it a joke anyway that Broadcasters are so stringent on technical standards but are willing to overlook the appalling sub-standard craft of much footage on TV!)

  98. Excellent Review, So I am now considering the Sony FS700 for the ability of 200 F/S Slow Mow for filming Rugby Games from a cherry picker specifically for the 7 sec 200f/s reply feature when the refs blow their whistle to help teach the players and coaches.
    Will the narrow depth of field be a problem and is this camera suitable for this application?

  100. Hey everyone,

    Sounds like a great camera. I have heard that if you have an EVF hooked up to the camera via HDMI the camera only outputs the timecode (if you switch it on) and not the rest of the lens/camera data? Also apparently the expanded focus does not work through HDMI, only through the built in viewfinder. Did you find this to be true Philip? I am looking to rig out the fs700 into more of an off the shoulder XD-CAM/EX3 type rig and not being able to see camera data and expanded focus through a 3rd party EVF would be a bummer!!

    Great review Philip. Also love the shoot you did in Rundle Mall in Adelaide! I began my career shooting news there!!

  101. It’s great to see that you’re able to make pictures that get underneath the skin of people. Normally we make this kind of shots with a 22 times zoom lens. I’am curious about how these type of camera’s affect your way of filming.
    Is it more a photographer’s approach? I mean do you need more time to set up the right shot and get in contact with the people, while doing so? Or what? How do you get ahead of the action?

  102. Hi Philip
    First of all thanks so much for your work and to show us your impressions…for me it is a guide and i learn a lot of things….(i need to improve mi english, as you can see… jjj)
    I´d like to ask you if this camera records sound, i mean if you can plug microphones….if the answer is yes it will be perfect for me.
    Thanks so much for your attention.
    Sergio Ocaña.

  103. Great footage!

    I have used the kit lens on the FS100, and was not impressed at all. I did some asking around at NAB about EF adapters, but the ones I saw did not have full aperature control, which was my biggest turn off to using the camera.

    How well does the metabones adapter integrate with the FS700 body for complete manual controls? Being able to effectively use my EF lenses would be a huge draw to the FS700.

  104. HI Philip. I have just discovered your superb blog!

    The flip up viewfinder obviously does not work very good working handheld.!
    Any ideas on a good setup to work handheld with the FS700?
    Wich shoulder rig and external Evf would you choose?
    (the FS100 has too much delay on the HDMI output to work with a Zacuto, same problem with the FS700?

    All the best/ cinematographer Anders Lofstedt DFF

  105. Hi Philip.
    I haven’t worked much with slomo so I have a quick question. I’ve seen in a lot of videos (yours and others) a slomo trick that I am curious about. The trick is that the subject seems to be moving in normal 24fps but then all of a sudden switches to super slow motion. I am wondering how this is done? In my experience when I shoot in say 60fps then conform to 24fps in Cinema Tools, that is the end of it. In my head, in order to get the super slomo I’ve seen you would have to shoot at 120 or 240fps, then conform to 24fps, right? Then how do they get the seeming normal 24fps part? Because when I shoot at 24fps and try to slow it down it is obviously choppy. Maybe I’m not making any sense. If needs be I’ll send a link to a video that has what I’m talking about.
    Thanks!
    Ian

    1. You shoot t the higher frame rate desired and ramp to 24fps or what ever you choose. I suggest a faster shutter as well to adjust for motion blur once it is slowed down. Though this can look a lil like a staccato effect on the slower motion portions. This is more in the lines of personal preference and trial and error for your personal desired effect 🙂

  107. Hi Philip (and everyone else for that matter!)
    I’m looking to buy the fs-700 but what is putting me off is I’ve yet to see much use of it in the real world. Apart from on a few review sites like yourself where it seems to be treated as a B Camera.
    Have you seen or heard of it being used much in the field of TV, docs, adverts or indie features as a main cam?
    I just fear I would invest in this and an atmos samurai and struggle to get it accepted as a main cam, being too pricey for the low budget stuff and not quite good enough for the decent paid gigs.

    Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

  109. HI Philip

    Thanks for the great review. I watched it a bit back and waited for the review of the BM cinema Camera. I currently own a EX1 and a letus 35 mm adapter. But having a super super 35mm sensor would certeainly be nicer and then there is the super slo motion..
    So I will probably get a fs700 sometime soon – But I still would have a few questions and back in the day it was you who helped me with the letus and lenses. And it was an excellent choice up to today..
    So I would like to ask you – what adapter is there for the fs700 that supports NIkon lenses. Then I would also like to invest in a few Zeiss primes – should I get the ones for the e mount or would it make more sense to take PL Mount ones and use an adapter, and I may be able to use those on upcoming cameras in a few years?
    And last but not least, I four sure woule like to get some sort of rod system do attach external screens, and stuff – to support longer lenses and so on..and attach a shoulder mount.. and handles – which ones are there and what would you recommend..

    Would be very cool if you could give me a short answer, as these decisions are not easy and wrong ones cost a lot of money..
    thanks and regards..
    Frederik

      1. Thanks for the answer, that’ also what my reseller proposed. So I guess it'”safe” to listen to him 🙂 thanks so much for your great blog. If you’re ever shooting in Switzerland near Basel., you’re invited for a beer or two …

  110. Great, non-biased review! I have been going back and forth for some time now deciding whether or not to purchase this camera. I received this camera today and I love it. Thankfully, I have been making money with my Panasonic HPX-250 and Canon 7d; I figured the Sony NEX FS 700 would complete my purchasing for a few years. Anyhoot, I feel overwhelmed; I have spent a lot of time and energy creating a website, learning editing programs, cold calling, and taking care of legalities. I have been taking numerous jobs ranging from weddings, birthday parties, baby highlight films, and even a side gig photographing kid’s sports pictures to learn stills. I love the work, but am in need of a bit of direction. If you, or anyone reading this post have any good links or personal advice, I am all ears. If anybody has any ideas on how I can make more of a living with the aforementioned equipment or simply have useful links to help it would be appreciated.

  113. Hello Phil,

    thank you for your great helpful enteraining reviews, I really enjoy your positive mood!

    Please, help me and other buyers with following “big” problem of slow-mo external recording of Sony FS700:
    I need tis camera for slow motion (200 fps) and real time shoots (50% to 50%).
    How to record full HD slow-motion externally and not to ruin my wallet?
    To get the full benefit of external recording you need to set the FS700 to output 50/60p over 3G SDi and then you must use an external recorder that has 3G SDi and can record at 1080 50/60p which the SAMURAI CAN NOT DO!!!.
    – What to do now and how to solve it?
    – What is Samurai good for in this case (I have an external monitor)?
    – Combine ProRes Samurai´s real time external recording with internal AVCHD internal slow-motion? I would have to buy another recorder with this option later anyway.
    – Record everything internally in AVCHD and wait for a better recorder – for how long? Is it´s quality good enough for pfofessional needs?
    – To buy Gemini 4.4.4. (it is too expensive for me) – does it solve the problem?

    My conditions: I make only music videos (short shoots and a lot of cuts in final music videos), I have a new MAC + Finalcut and a new DaVinci Resolve software, a lot of colour changes and stylizations in postprocess.

    Thank you very much,
    Petr

  115. Hi Phil,

    I also feel that the Sony fs700 is a great cam for a small price. But when we tested it, the lag on our external Monitors was quite distracting(over SDI, didn´t try HDMI) we shot in 25p mode. does it get better, when you use different settings?
    did you experience lag too? Is sony taking care of this??

    CU!

  116. Philip, as your opinion is much respected (rightly so) can I please ask that you feedback to Sony the need for an expanded focus option via HDMI, in their next FS700 firmware, so we can use it on an EVF. I’ve been using the Zacuto built in expanded focus, but dedicated would be so much better and it’s soooooo frustrating that the technology just needs a wee tweak to make such a useful thing work..

    Many thanks

    Dave

  117. Hey Philp,

    Big fan, love your site.

    This review turned me on to the fs700. We were about to buy a red scarlet and decided the Sony was a better fit.

    We just got it in today, I love it so far. Question in super slow motion mode is there a way to not have the camera convert the high frame rate down to your regular framerate. Like when I record in 240fps it outputs to 24fps but I’m interested in being able to do it myself so I can use twixtor with it if I want to go even slower….

    Anyway if you get a chance to respond I will really appreciate it but I know you’re probably really busy so no worries if you don’t. Thanks so much for this detailed review, it really helped us a lot. I’m sure it took a lot of work.

    Btw I run a group on linkedin called “video editors” with over 14,000 members, and you have a lot of fans in there, people quote you all the time, still there’s plenty who don’t know you and could benefit from your information. We’d love to have you, and if you join the group I’ll be happy to do some promotions for you. In the past we’ve done contests with red giant, noise industries, videoguys etc. But either way thanks for all your hard work, it definitely made a difference to us.

    I’m definitely tipping and encourage everyone to do so.

    Lowell

  118. Hey Philip, I get my FS700 next week. I’ve also got the Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS and I was wondering if you think you would need a tripod mount at the front of the lens? I see you’re using the 100-400mm in this video which is heavier but you are not using another mount for the lens. Do you think this could be an issue over time? I have a Zacuto shoulder rig that I will use at events and my other hand will be on the lens to focus so it will be ok then but at weddings etc when I need the tripod with the 200mm lens I was concerned it could damage the metabones adapter or worse still, the lens mount on the fs700. Thoughts would be appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Dan Taylor
    LFXproductions

  120. Hello,

    First forgive me for any error or confusion in writing. I can not speak English well.

    Congratulations on your site, I have learned and taken good questions with you!

    I’m about to buy some cameras for my church and I wonder if you could get me some questions about it.

    I’m kind of torn between the Canon C100 or C300 and Sony FS700. My questions are:
    – Miscellaneous Environment, ie have various cults, they are for young adults, traditional, old, etc.
    – What is the best benefit? I mean the picture.
    – I need to record the times for up to 2 hours without stopping.

    I thank you in, awaiting a reply!

      1. Philip, I suspect #1 is referring to the the people who will be using the camera. So maybe which of these cameras is the most user friendly or referring to the fact that it will be used in different scenarios.

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