Designed as a camera that is at home on productions for documentaries, reality TV, commercial and corporate applications Sony’s PXW-FS7 XDCAM Super 35 Camera System is a flexible 4K camera system. It features a Super 35mm size sensor that allows you to capture images with cinematic depth of field. The camera can capture footage to optional on board XQD media cards in either UHD at up to 60 FPS or HD at up to 180 FPS. the camera can capture 4K (4096 x 2160) images and send the signal out over its SDI or HDMI connectors.
The dual XQD media slots support simultaneous or relay recording and you have a choice of XAVC or MPEG-2 codecs. The ergonomic SmartGrip sports zoom, start/stop, and assign controls and can be positioned at different angles. This system is suitable for documentary shooting, TV quality shooting, and corporate activities. The FS7 has remained one of the more popular cameras in Sony’s video line up, and it has a long list of what I would call design flaws. It seems someone at Sony has listened to our muttered complaints from the inspection table because they have bestowed upon us the FS7 II, a camera that adds quite a few quality of life improvements for heavy users.
The implementation of Sony’s electronic variable ND system is the biggest get and probably the reason you’d want this over the first version. The new locking E-mount is nice for added stability with large cine lenses, and new square tubed viewfinder rod gets rid of the LCD drooping you may have experienced.
