Less than two weeks ago, out of the blue, Sony decided to announce the Sony PXW-FS7 II, or the “upgraded and improved version” of the current FS7. Internally not much has changed, the sensor is the same, the codecs are the same, but the Sony FS7 II adds Rec.2020 colour space (which the higher-end PMW-F55 also features), the Electronic Variable ND from the Sony PXW-FS5, a locking-type lens E-mount, and more assignable buttons plus some mechanical improvements to the VF mount and hand grip extension. And while these new additions may be worth their weight in gold and sway certain users who were in the market for an FS7 towards the new FS7 II, many (especially) existing owners aren’t in a rush to upgrade. Whether the addition of Rec.2020 is such a huge benefit or not remains to be seen as we move into 2017.
However, the question that many have posed – is “how does footage shot on the new FS7 II look like”? Sony did release some promotional material last week, which you can see here, and now they’ve release more. Chuck Fishbein of Crazy Duck Productions shot some beautiful footage of New York City on the new Sony FS7 II, which he’s been using for the last few weeks.
Sony FS7 II Features
- 4K Super 35 CMOS Sensor
- 4K/60p & UHD/60p XAVC-Intra
- Full HD up to 180fps
- 4K/60p Raw and 2K/240fps Raw output to external recorder (requires XDCA-FS7extension box)
- Electronic Variable ND – ported from the Sony FS5
- Locking type E-mount
- In-camera Rec.2020 Colour Space for future 4K/UHD broadcast and HDR compliance
- 2nd knob on Extension hand grip for tool-less adjustment
- New “square” rod mount systems for VF/LCD
- New Sun hood for VF/LCD
- New VF/LCD Loupe with a hinge on bottom and lock on top
- 10 assignable buttons total – 4 new buttons placed on operator side
- XQD cards stick out more when placed in card slots – easier to remove them
- LED on top of On/Off Power Switch
- Audio Pot door now flips downwards
- Kit version with new Sony E PZ 18-110mm f/4 G OSS lens ($3,498 at B&H)
Here you can see the Vimeo version of the same test footage:
FS7 II Camcorder Test Footage from Sony Professional USA on Vimeo.
I quite fancy this new test footage from the FS7 II, and even though as I said above, it does feature the same guts and internal functions (except for Rec.2020) as the FS7, which should technically give you the same image quality, in the right hands it does really shine. The FS7 is no different of course, however the ergonomic improvements in the new model, kind of, elevate it a bit especially the new locking type lens mount.
If you are in the market for a Sony FS7 II you can order both the body only and the K version with the 18-110m lens via the affiliate links below:
- Sony FS7 II body only – $10,000 (B&H, Adorama)
- Sony FS7 II with 18-110mm f/4 OSS G lens – $13,000 (B&H, Adorama)
- Sony FS7 body only – $8,499 (B&H, Adorama)
- Sony FS7K (with 28-135mm lens) – $10,999 (B&H, Adorama)
- Sony SELP18-110mm f/4 OSS G lens – $3,498 (B&H, Adorama)
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
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