Hi, I’m Jonah with Magnanimous Media,
and these are Sony's FS100 and FS700.
The FS100 and 700 are e-mount interchangeable lens,
Super 35mm high-definition cameras. Both cameras
have a possible depth-of-field equivalent to Super 35 film
or APS H still. The FS700’s chip
is an 11 megapixel Exmore CMOS sensor, which is 4K capable,
and allows the camera to shoot at up to 240 frames per second
in full HD, and maxes out at 960 frames per second in standard definition.
The FS100’s 3-megapixel Exmore CMOS sensor is the same chip used in the Sony F3,
and shoots at up to 60 frames per second in full HD,
with a capability to show 100 frames per second in standard definition.
While the FS100 and 700 record to AVCHD internally
in 8-bit 420 color space, they also output
an uncompressed 8-bit 422 signal via the HDMI
or HD/SDI port on the FS700, which make them ideal candidates for external
uncompressed recorders.
These cameras are great solutions for indie filmmakers,
especially those looking to step up from DSLRs without the drawbacks of
traditional video cameras. They have the lightweight maneuverable build,
interchangeable lenses, depth of field, and low light performance that DSLR users
have grown accustomed to
with better dynamic range, professional image calibration,
and high frame rates. There is something uniquely
cinematic about high-speed footage. And while 60 fps has become
pretty standard,
it’s not always enough to let you know that something has changed,
something important has happened, or just getting them to pay attention to the scene.
And that’s where the FS700 comes in. It delivers
speeds at up to 240 frames per second in full HD.
When shooting at 120 or 240, you get a crisp image in full HD.
At 480, you’ll begin to see a fair amount of moire,
which you’ll also see at 960 with the addition of cropping the sensor.
are still worth consideration. Both of these cameras have a native
still worth consideration both these cameras have a native
ISO of 500, and that’s at 0 dB gain. You can take them up to about 6 dB or 1,000 ISO
before you really start to see noticeable noise. Both
perform extremely well in low light; you can go up to 16,000 ISO
and that’s at 30 dB gain, but you’re going to see quite a bit of noise at that level.
Both of these chips are native daylight balanced,
so they’re going to perform best in daylight. Similar to DSLRs, the FS100
does not have built-in ND,
so in most situations, this camera’s going to be best when paired with a matte box.
The FS700, however, has built-in ND at 2-stop interviews,
so you’re only really going to need a matte box if you want to fine-tune your image control,
or if you want to use filters like circular polarizers,
IR hot mirrors, or graduated ND. Our FS100 and 700 packages include:
The FS100 or FS700 body,
Sony e-mount 18-200 variable aperture F3.5-6.3
zoom lens, class-10 64 GB SD/XC
memory card, shotgun mic with bayonet mount,
2 batteries, charger, detachable hand grip,
component cable, and remote. The battery is installed by placing it with the
logo right-side-up
and sliding it into place until it clicks. The battery is released by depressing
the battery release button
on the bottom left side. Lift the monitor to reveal the display.
The menu button gives you access to the main menu. Use the arrow keys and select
button to navigate the menu.
Like many professional cameras, camera data can be displayed on the monitor.
To set display options, press the menu and go to “display set”. Within this menu,
you can access settings for histogram,
zebra, peaking, focus assist, frame marker, data display settings,
audio level display, LCD brightness, and display output to component and HDMI.
The scope is attached by placing it over the monitor
with the release button facing down and scoring it with the latches on either side.
The scope can be released for an unobstructed view of the monitor
by pressing the release button. The hand grip is installed by placing it
in the desired position and securing it with the hand screw. The record button will be functional
once you attach the connector to the control port on the rear of the camera.
The FS100 and 700 have start/stop buttons
on the hand grip, top rear, and front lower-right side.
The lens or lens adaptor is installed by pressing the release button
and removing the cap by twisting it counter-clockwise. Line up the lens
using the white dot and twist it until it locks. The e-mount is fairly snug, so it may
take more than usual
to turn the lens into place. Aperture, or iris control,
is located on the front of the camera. The wheel is used to adjust the aperture
up or down when using a lens that can communicate with the camera,
such as the provided 18-200 mm. If using our Metabone adaptor
with Canon EF glass,
you will retain fully-functioning aperture control. The SD card slot is located on the rear
left side. A 64 GB card and provide up to 5 1/2 hours
full-quality recording time. Simply pop open the door and insert the card with the
contact points facing out;
then replace the door. The FS100 and 700 accept
SDXC or SDHC, with a minimum data rate
of class 6, but class 10 is recommended. To format the media, go to the main menu,
others, and media format. Select memory card.
You will then be prompted to accept or decline formatting. You can use the arrow keys
execute key to select at the on camera monitor
and execute key to select, but the on-camera monitor does function as a touch-screen in this instance as well as in playback mode.
To set recording format for the camera, go to the main menu, then record/
out set. FX represents the highest data rate encoding
and square pixels for the best possible image quality.
FH represents lower data rates for extended recording.
HW represents lower data rates and 0.75
pixel aspect ratio for further extended recording times at the cost
of quality. The FS100 has an HDMI
HD component RCA, SD composite RCA,
and left/right RCA audio outputs. In addition to those outputs, the FS700
includes HD/SDI
output. Settings for the output can be modified
in the main menu under the record/out set submenu.
Autofocus, focus push, and expanded focus are also on the front of the camera.
The switches on the left side of the camera control gain or ISO preset selection
and white-balance preset selections. Gain or ISO mode can be toggled under the
main menu
in camera set. Once you’ve set your preferred ISO settings
for high, medium, and low, you can toggle between them with the switches.
Switching between manual and automatic gain or ISO
is done by pressing the gain button above the gain controls.
White balance A and B can be set by selecting one
and aiming the camera at a white card and pressing the white balance button next to the switch.
If the preset is selected and set up to a custom temperature, the white balance button
also allows you to use the selection wheel to change that balance.
Once you’ve selected the desired temperature, press the button to lock that setting in.
The shutter is controlled by activating the shutter with the shutter speed
button above the wheel. Once selected, use the wheel to select the desired shutter speed, or angle, and press the wheel to lock the setting in.
The FS100 and 700 are capable of slow shutter speeds
down to 1/3 of a second. Switching between shutter speed and angle view
is done under the main menu in the display set menu.
If using the Sony shotgun mic, you will need to install the bayonet mount.
The bayonet mount is installed by sliding it into the shoe mount and tightening the
bolt to secure it.
You can then unlatch the mic mount and secure the shotgun mic.
The XLR cable will reach the XLR input on the right side of the camera.
The FS100 and 700 have two 3-pin XLR inputs
and phantom power. To set up your audio format, go to the main menu
and audio set. Here, you can select audio formats,
audio limit, headphone output, AGC length,
trim, and wind filters. To set phantom power,
input channels, and audio levels, use the controls on the top of the camera.
Audio can be monitored via the 1/8th inch headphone jack on the rear of the camera.
S&Q mode is where you will access the camera’s ability to over and under crank.
To set presets for S&Q motion, go to the main menu, camera set,
and S&Q motion. From here, you can set the time base for your
over or under cranking. It is wise to match your time base to your standard
shooting format.
When you are prepared to enter S&Q mode, simply press the S&Q button
located on the front side of the camera. Pressing the menu button or S&Q button
will automatically take the camera out of S&Q mode.
In S&Q mode, the shutter speed, gain, and aperture can be controlled in the same
manner as before.
S&Q motion will set up in the frame speed and time base presets dictated in
the main menu.
However, you can change the frame rate by holding down the S&Q button
until the frame rate is highlighted. Then you use the wheel
to dial in and lock the desired frame rate.
In this mode, you can shoot at 120 frames per second for a 16-second burst,
240 for 8 seconds,
480 for 10 seconds, and 960 for 19 seconds.
Pressing the start/stop button before the bust ends will begin image processing.
The FS700’s super-slow mode, or FS100’s smooth-slow-record, can be triggered in a
in a variety of ways to facilitate whatever situation you need to capture.
Start trigger will begin the limited recording time as soon as you press the button.
Start trigger is best for situations where you have control over the subject
and can elicit the desired response with accuracy.
When triggered, you will see a message saying “buffering”, which means that the
camera is recording.
When you see the message “recording”, the camera is processing the footage.
End triggering will set the camera to buffer the image, so that you can trigger the processing
and recording above to 16 seconds, depending on the frame rate, before
triggering the record.
The rendered clip will end at the point at which you press the record button,
so careful timing should be kept in mind. End triggering
is best for use with an unpredictable subject, such as wildlife
or any kind of documentary work where you have little control over the response
that you wish to trigger.
Middle trigger will buffer half the allotted recording time. Middle trigger
is generally good for the same situations
as end triggering.
Playback is entered by pressing the visual index button
on the top of the camera. In visual index mode, the monitor functions as a
touch screen. You can select between media
and filter by HD and SD footage, as well as still images.
Selecting a clip and pressing it will play the clip. If you enter the menu,
you will have the option to change LCD settings, output settings,
and protect, erase, or copy clips.
So that’s the basic setup for the FS100 and FS700. For more videos and tutorials, check us out at magnanimous.biz.