Hello and welcome to Up to Speed, ProAV's news show where we keep you up to date with
the latest news in the world of video equipment.
Now its been two years since sony released the fs7 and since then its gone on to be one
of the most popular cameras in our industry.
Offering specs which were unheard of for the price two years ago, and still to be honest
beat most of the competition in that price point.
The camera was incredibly popular so im sure its a camera that many of you are familiar
with.
And now Sony have given us an updated model.
The FS7 II.
So lets make our way through what's different.
As a whole, Sony's approach with the FS7 II seems to be to fix some of the niggling issues
with the original fs7, rather than designing a whole new generation of camera.
So if you have recently bought an fs7 you can rest easy, your new camera isn't completely
obsolete after the announcement of this mark II.
However if you have owned your fs7 for a while and your very familiar with it or youve been
looking at buying the original fs7, this mark II is definitely the better camera.
My favourite addition to the FS7 II is the variable ND from the FS5.
This was one of the biggest selling points of the fs5 and in my opinion is something
that should be on every camera.
Having the ability to set the exact amount of ND you need for each shot completely changes
the way you shoot outside in the sun in run and gun situations.
You can get the exact look you want with your ISO and Aperture, then use the variable ND
to control your exposure.
It makes your life as a solo operator so much easier and its very welcome on the fs7.
Another welcome addition is a new Locking E Mount system.
Normally with Emount you have to put your lens into the mount and twist it to lock into
position, same as other stills lens mounts like canon's and nikon's.
Now with video lenses that's not ideal, bigger lenses have servo grips on the side and wider
front elements, plus you often have rails, a follow focus, all these other things which
can get in the way of the lens and mean you cant twist it when changing lenses.
This lockable E mount works in a similar fashion to the cinema standard PL mount.
You hold your lens in position, and rotate the lens mount to lock it rather than rotating
the lens.
Sonys version also has a little release catch as well for added security.
This is not only more convinient when using large lenses, its also safer.
As it should be a much stronger mount with a secure locking system, meaning theres less
risk of the weight of your lens damaging the camera.
Another change that is going to make a huge difference every day to owner operators is
the amount of assignable buttons.
The original fs7 had 6, the fs7 II has 10.
This may seem like a small change but when you use your camera every day in a run and
gun situation, having quick access to the features you want is so important.
You really can never have enough assignable buttons.
The grip arm was one of the highlight features of the original fs7.
It showed that this was a camera designed for traditional shoulder mounted solo operation,
and people loved it.
What we didn't love though was the actual arm itself as to adjust its length you needed
a screwdriver.
It was one of those designs where we just couldn't figure out why Sony had designed
it that way at all.
Luckily third party manufacturers gave us some fantastic replacement arms with quick
tooless adjustment which were almost a must buy with the fs7.
Now Sony have come to their senses and given us some simple knobs to adjust the arm, why
they weren't there originally who knows.
Now lets take a look at the viewfinder.
This was one of the weakest points of the original fs7.
The screen itself was fine, but it was slightly clumsy to adjust and would occasionally twist
and droop down which was very frustrating.
Sony have fixed this by changing to a square rod meaning the horizons on the screen will
always be level.
Plus they have made some big changes to the eye piece that's included.
It still seems a big longer than ideal, but is easier to attach and detach.
Plus theres a completely new foldable LCD hood which is something I can definitely see
myself using.
The only real change in internal video quality that I can see from Sony's announcement is
support for BT.2020 colour space.
This future proofs the camera for HDR workflows so its great sony have added that.
The rest of the recording specifications remain pretty much the same but that's ok, the current
fs7 is already a very solid performer after all.
The last thing that caught my eye in the annoucement is that Sony are claiming the fs7 II is dust
and splash proof.
They don't mention anything more than that, so I doubt it fits into the IP66 certification
which tells you a device is dust and rain proof.
So it probably cant handle being left in the rain, especially here in the wet and dull
UK.
But it would be interesting to see just how much rain it can take before you get issues.
Hopefully Sony release details as to the IP certification the camera fits into, as if
it does achieve an IP66 rating that would be a big deal.
So that's about it for the main changes, we have a variable ND filter, a PL style locking
E mount, a redesigned grip arm and View finder ergonomics, 10 assignable buttons instead
of 6, BT.2020 colour space and possibly dust and rain resistance.
So what do you think?
Have sony made enough changes here to get you interested?
Which new feature are you most pleased about?
Let me know in the comments section and make sure to like this video and subscribe to the
channel as it really does help us out.
I'll be trying my best to get some hands on time with the camera as soon as possible so
keep an eye on the channel if your interested in that.
Thanks for watching and ill see you in the next video!