Just came across your review. I am a fs7 user after much deliberation and testing of other cameras. In the end, the codec, 4k 60p, 1080p 180 fps, xlr's, 422 10bit made my decision perfect for me. My biggest problem now is that I want to shoot with it ALL the time. Enjoy your search!
a note on the mounting of the fs7 on a gimbal, Had a playaround with one the other day and it mounted perfectly to the full size Ronin (no cinemilled extensions) with a Zeiss C.P2 on the front, with rear tilt clearance. Also was able to mount the sony evf with no problems to the ronin handle, the cord was just the right length when mounted in the right position! However, for future use with different glass i'll be grabbing the cinemilled extensions and dovetail weight plate.
You've made me feel good about my choice. I've had my eye on this camera for over a yr. And pulled the trigger on this camera and it should be arriving soon. Thanks cant wait.
Very nice review. A suggestion: in this kind of reviews it would be nice if you uploaded somewhere some sample ungraded footage. People would have a better chance to judge and could even experience what it means to color grade footage shot with the camera... A 15 second clip or something like that would be enough!
Tom Antos WTF I watched the video description twice but I didn't see that linked... thanks! It's a cool thing you should "advertise" more clearly, BTW, it's very helpful! Thanks again Tom.
Liked all your details given by this camera but do let us know which camera you've personally buying for your future projects so it will be a nice recommend for me to purchase mine.
Tom, what's the rig you're using w FS7 when you're shooting on the shoulder? You like it? I'm doing mostly documentary so do a lot of handheld shooting... do I need a rig to make the ergonomics work? tnx! like all vids, this one is great!
Hi Tom! Great video! I'm having difficulties to decide, whether I should invest in the Sony A7s II or the Black Magic Ursa / or BMPC. What are your thoughts on these cameras? Which one would you choose for the work you do? Keep up the good work! :)
+Daberk Studios the ursa is super heavy. awesome monitors and set up on it so many film positions can work with it, the one thing i dot like is its like a brick. we gear on it could get up to 20 lbs. so it will need top notch tripod and stabilizer
would you prefer this camera over the blackmagic ursa mini 4,6k? It's lighter than the regular Ursa, has a wider dynamic range than the FS7, and costs much less.
My work style is similar to you. I did not know that those camera bodies would not work on DJI Ronin. I use the DJI often. Im waiting for the canon 1dxm2 to see if the video functions are workable. They say its better than canon 1dc. Thx for post
I understand your dilemma, i really do. Owning a RED is a major selling point; my friends, who own REDs, get work solely because they own REDs, but just like you mentioned, they can't pay it off in 2 years, before the new version comes out. I also know ppl who bought the FS7 and they have an unlimited amount of work, from documentaries, to broadcast to short films. I love using the FS7, although it is a little heavy for all day use, and for reason I keep inadvertently hitting the "S&Q" button, near the ND filter switch. I don't like Sony's menu system, but at least it is consistent throughout most of their cameras. Try the FS5! I love it so much! It is lightweight, you can operate easily with one hand,(and keep it steadi). (however, I did encounter a weird flickering on the FS5. It wasn't fluorescent lights. I believe there's a firmware update & someone mentioned turning off "lens optimization.."). The FS5 focuses faster than the FS7; we weren't able to use the FS7 on the jib, but the FS5 did wonderfully. The FS5 is my favorite camera to use!
I would rather get the RED Raven. then u get the name associated with quality with a pricetag that doesnt gouge u. I've seen footage with the Raven and its dynamic range is at least 14 stops. prob up to 16. that or the kine is quite nice as well.
Photographic elements If you are prone to accidentally hit buttons over there, you may have bumped the Auto iris button which would create the weird flickering.
hello Tom. I would like to know how to present well in exposing slog2 and how to solve the noise problem that it causes in post production I have a sonyfs700r
I own this camera and it is the best all around camera I've ever owned however the color science has been really hard for me to work with. Its very difficult to isolate colors compared to grading RED, Canon or Panasonic footage.
Tom, thanks for your great reviews they are always very appreciated. I have a question regarding the FS7 in comparison to the FS5. I know the FS5 is considered the ideal run and gun camcorder due to its small size and innovative features, such as internal variable ND. However because it is so small, it would ideally require a shoulder rig for added stability and in my world this just equals additional gear to purchase (rigs can be so expensive!), and more things to carry. Furthermore purely from what I have seen, the FS7's image quality is significantly better than the FS5's, unless you hook it up to an external recorder- I'm sure raw or other codecs make it way better. But then prices drastically increase and there is even more to carry. Seen in this context I'm wondering just how feasible it is to use the FS7 as a run and gun camera provided you use it as is (maybe with an added view finder for the LCD ). Any thoughts on this?
Having used both cameras, I can say that BOTH are excellent options for run-and-gun shooting, provided you use the right lens (the Sony 18-110 f4 zoom lens is the perfect choice). In 4K mode, the FS7 is the superior camera. It records 10-bit color in 4K, whereas the FS5 records 8-bit color. This is not a disaster because the 8-bit images from the FS5 still look very good and are still usable for much professional work. However, the 8-bit images can't be pushed as far in the color grade as the 10-bit images from the FS7. The 8-bit images from the FS5 will begin to fall apart if they are color graded too aggressively. The 10-bit images from the FS7 hold up very well even when doing intense color grading. So the FS7 is a more "forgiving" camera in the sense that images can be corrected/improved in post more easily without losing their quality. In HD mode, the two cameras produce identical image quality - beautiful 10-bit HD images. The FS5 has the advantage of higher frame rates - up to 240p slow motion in short bursts. The image quality starts to deteriorate a bit once you surpass 120p, but it's still usable for most purposes. If you are primarily shooting HD but you want to still have 4K (albeit only 8-bit) as an option, the FS5 is a better value. If you primarily shoot 4K and you need the added robustness of the 10-bit codec, then the FS7 is the better choice. I would recommend the FS5 to the HD shooter who occasionally shoots 4K, and I would recommend the FS7 to the 4K shooter who needs the best quality. Ergonomically, I prefer the FS5 for run-and-gun shooting because it is incredibly lightweight and I find it to be extremely stable for handheld shooting when braced against my chest. The variable ND filter is also extremely useful, especially in partly cloudy outdoor scenes where the sun keeps going in/out of the clouds, forcing you to constantly adjust exposure. Shooting handheld with the FS5 works for me because I have a very steady hand. If you have a less steady hand and prefer shoulder-mounted cameras for the added stability, then the FS7 is the better option for you because it can be shoulder-mounted as-is with no need for additional rigging, although you may want to add a v-mount battery to the back to help even out the weight distribution - otherwise the camera is a bit front heavy. Yes, it is possible to shoulder mount an FS5 with additional rigging, but if you are planning to shoulder-mount your camera a lot, you are better off going with the FS7 because it is actually designed to be used that way.
Hi Tom I'm following you a bit I'm wondering if you could help me with one settings of FS7 I noticed that I can't turn on Monitor LUT I can only turn on SDI1 & Internal Rec, than all MLUTS are on, but I can't turn it on separately and yes I'm in Cine EI mode they are on only if I turning on sdi1 and internal rec. Please give me some advice Thank you.One more time I noticed SDI1 HDMI is yellow color and Sdi2 viewfinder is gray out and orange any idea what settings I need to change? when I'm changing SDI2 there is communicate "Cannot Proceed" please help me solve this problem thank you.
Hi I was playing around a lot trying with many different possibilities but nothing help so I had to do factory reset and than I was able to do it I have no idea why it was like that. Thank you for answering my comment all the best
Idk, and maybe it's just my taste, but your lighting seems too harsh. It's like you have the lighting done right as far as positioning and stuff, but it seems like the hair/rim lighting is too harsh in a lot of your work. I know that's just my opinion and my taste, so I'm not knocking you, but it is a little distracting and kinda takes away from the tone/mood of your scenes. Your key/fill always seems to be spot on tho. Just a suggestion.
I was going back and forth between the FS7 and FS5. I could afford the FS7, but I just like how the FS5 feels, and I love the electronic ND. I figure I can throw on a Shotgun or a Ninja if I need higher bitrate recordings. That being said, I'm getting nice looking stuff in HD and UHD. They have also put out a new firmware that fixes some of the compression issues people were complaining about when recording on SDHC cards.
+Chad Johnson Plus a future firmware update for the FS5 will support raw an an auto setting for the electronic ND. Cannot wait to see the impact of those two features. I just wish the camera had IBIS and 10-bit recording.
+Chad Johnson Plus a future firmware update for the FS5 will support raw an an auto setting for the electronic ND. Cannot wait to see the impact of those two features. I just wish the camera had IBIS and 10-bit recording.
+Best Android Gameplay FS7 is smaller and lighter than the URSA... even the URSA Mini is bigger since it requires Vmount battery. so with that battery its bigger and heavier.
This definitely appears to be an awesome camera. I still think the footage looks a bit boring compared to some other camera (Black Magic, etc.), but it still looks like it may be the better camera, overall.
Just came across your review. I am a fs7 user after much deliberation and testing of other cameras. In the end, the codec, 4k 60p, 1080p 180 fps, xlr's, 422 10bit made my decision perfect for me. My biggest problem now is that I want to shoot with it ALL the time. Enjoy your search!
Sony's camera game has been on point the last few years.
a note on the mounting of the fs7 on a gimbal,
Had a playaround with one the other day and it mounted perfectly to the full size Ronin (no cinemilled extensions) with a Zeiss C.P2 on the front, with rear tilt clearance.
Also was able to mount the sony evf with no problems to the ronin handle, the cord was just the right length when mounted in the right position!
However, for future use with different glass i'll be grabbing the cinemilled extensions and dovetail weight plate.
BM ERSA mini was really nice when I used it briefly, lack of buttons may be annoying.
You've made me feel good about my choice. I've had my eye on this camera for over a yr. And pulled the trigger on this camera and it should be arriving soon. Thanks cant wait.
Very nice review. A suggestion: in this kind of reviews it would be nice if you uploaded somewhere some sample ungraded footage. People would have a better chance to judge and could even experience what it means to color grade footage shot with the camera... A 15 second clip or something like that would be enough!
+David RF We've made sample footage available for download. Please see the link in the video description.
+David RF You can download the sample footage along with all my other free downloads here: tomantosfilms.com/downloads/
Tom Antos WTF I watched the video description twice but I didn't see that linked... thanks! It's a cool thing you should "advertise" more clearly, BTW, it's very helpful! Thanks again Tom.
BMD URSA Mini 4.6k when it comes out , or the URSA 4k then upgrade to the 4.6k sensor turret assembly. 15 stops dynamic range with the 4.6k :D
So why did you end up purchasing the Mini Ursa instead of the FS7 or FS5?
Will be interesting what you think about the fs5. offhand that 4.2.0 8 bit in 4k is the main reason I didn't buy it.
Liked all your details given by this camera but do let us know which camera you've personally buying for your future projects so it will be a nice recommend for me to purchase mine.
Tom, what's the rig you're using w FS7 when you're shooting on the shoulder? You like it? I'm doing mostly documentary so do a lot of handheld shooting... do I need a rig to make the ergonomics work? tnx! like all vids, this one is great!
Hi Tom! Great video! I'm having difficulties to decide, whether I should invest in the Sony A7s II or the Black Magic Ursa / or BMPC. What are your thoughts on these cameras? Which one would you choose for the work you do? Keep up the good work! :)
+Daberk Studios I would go with the Sony A7s
+Daberk Studios the ursa is super heavy. awesome monitors and set up on it so many film positions can work with it, the one thing i dot like is its like a brick. we gear on it could get up to 20 lbs. so it will need top notch tripod and stabilizer
Well, the FS5 would be a beast. However, it comes in at 5.6k which i simply cannot afford yet.
hey tom. for the ronin u gotta use the extension arms and all ur problems will be solved :)
would you prefer this camera over the blackmagic ursa mini 4,6k? It's lighter than the regular Ursa, has a wider dynamic range than the FS7, and costs much less.
Do you think Panasonic will release a GH5 later this year?
My work style is similar to you. I did not know that those camera bodies would not work on DJI Ronin. I use the DJI often. Im waiting for the canon 1dxm2 to see if the video functions are workable. They say its better than canon 1dc. Thx for post
The fs7 basically works on the Ronin as-is, but definitely works if you get the extended arms for the Ronin.
I understand your dilemma, i really do. Owning a RED is a major selling point; my friends, who own REDs, get work solely because they own REDs, but just like you mentioned, they can't pay it off in 2 years, before the new version comes out. I also know ppl who bought the FS7 and they have an unlimited amount of work, from documentaries, to broadcast to short films. I love using the FS7, although it is a little heavy for all day use, and for reason I keep inadvertently hitting the "S&Q" button, near the ND filter switch. I don't like Sony's menu system, but at least it is consistent throughout most of their cameras. Try the FS5! I love it so much! It is lightweight, you can operate easily with one hand,(and keep it steadi). (however, I did encounter a weird flickering on the FS5. It wasn't fluorescent lights. I believe there's a firmware update & someone mentioned turning off "lens optimization.."). The FS5 focuses faster than the FS7; we weren't able to use the FS7 on the jib, but the FS5 did wonderfully. The FS5 is my favorite camera to use!
I would rather get the RED Raven. then u get the name associated with quality with a pricetag that doesnt gouge u. I've seen footage with the Raven and its dynamic range is at least 14 stops. prob up to 16. that or the kine is quite nice as well.
Photographic elements If you are prone to accidentally hit buttons over there, you may have bumped the Auto iris button which would create the weird flickering.
Hi Tom, in your experience, which camera gave you a more cinematic look, the Ursa Mini or the FS7?
hello Tom. I would like to know how to present well in exposing slog2 and how to solve the noise problem that it causes in post production I have a sonyfs700r
I own this camera and it is the best all around camera I've ever owned however the color science has been really hard for me to work with. Its very difficult to isolate colors compared to grading RED, Canon or Panasonic footage.
Amazing full info video
Just little question
Does it have autofocus and face detecting features ?
Nope... I don't think any cinema cameras have autofocus other than the Canon
Tom, thanks for your great reviews they are always very appreciated. I have a question regarding the FS7 in comparison to the FS5. I know the FS5 is considered the ideal run and gun camcorder due to its small size and innovative features, such as internal variable ND. However because it is so small, it would ideally require a shoulder rig for added stability and in my world this just equals additional gear to purchase (rigs can be so expensive!), and more things to carry. Furthermore purely from what I have seen, the FS7's image quality is significantly better than the FS5's, unless you hook it up to an external recorder- I'm sure raw or other codecs make it way better. But then prices drastically increase and there is even more to carry. Seen in this context I'm wondering just how feasible it is to use the FS7 as a run and gun camera provided you use it as is (maybe with an added view finder for the LCD ). Any thoughts on this?
Having used both cameras, I can say that BOTH are excellent options for run-and-gun shooting, provided you use the right lens (the Sony 18-110 f4 zoom lens is the perfect choice).
In 4K mode, the FS7 is the superior camera. It records 10-bit color in 4K, whereas the FS5 records 8-bit color. This is not a disaster because the 8-bit images from the FS5 still look very good and are still usable for much professional work. However, the 8-bit images can't be pushed as far in the color grade as the 10-bit images from the FS7. The 8-bit images from the FS5 will begin to fall apart if they are color graded too aggressively. The 10-bit images from the FS7 hold up very well even when doing intense color grading. So the FS7 is a more "forgiving" camera in the sense that images can be corrected/improved in post more easily without losing their quality.
In HD mode, the two cameras produce identical image quality - beautiful 10-bit HD images. The FS5 has the advantage of higher frame rates - up to 240p slow motion in short bursts. The image quality starts to deteriorate a bit once you surpass 120p, but it's still usable for most purposes. If you are primarily shooting HD but you want to still have 4K (albeit only 8-bit) as an option, the FS5 is a better value. If you primarily shoot 4K and you need the added robustness of the 10-bit codec, then the FS7 is the better choice. I would recommend the FS5 to the HD shooter who occasionally shoots 4K, and I would recommend the FS7 to the 4K shooter who needs the best quality.
Ergonomically, I prefer the FS5 for run-and-gun shooting because it is incredibly lightweight and I find it to be extremely stable for handheld shooting when braced against my chest. The variable ND filter is also extremely useful, especially in partly cloudy outdoor scenes where the sun keeps going in/out of the clouds, forcing you to constantly adjust exposure. Shooting handheld with the FS5 works for me because I have a very steady hand. If you have a less steady hand and prefer shoulder-mounted cameras for the added stability, then the FS7 is the better option for you because it can be shoulder-mounted as-is with no need for additional rigging, although you may want to add a v-mount battery to the back to help even out the weight distribution - otherwise the camera is a bit front heavy. Yes, it is possible to shoulder mount an FS5 with additional rigging, but if you are planning to shoulder-mount your camera a lot, you are better off going with the FS7 because it is actually designed to be used that way.
This review is awesome as usual. Can you please review the JVC GY-LS300 camcorder? Please and thank you.
hey Tom what lights did you use on that short film? they look really portable and would be awesome to use
+Abeisgreat1 Those are the Came-TV thin LED lights.
+Tom Antos (Tom Antos Films) how did you like the came-tv ultra slims? Particularly since you've used the Aputure light storm as well.
Which camera please did you film yourself presenting with? Tnx!
GH4
Can you tell the price....
Beast of a camera!
GREAT REVIEW NICE CAMERA
Thanks Tom. Great video.
what is the name of that flycam please on that DSLR?
tom what about the jvc gy-ls300 or the samsung nx1 6.5k sensor
whats that wireless monitor setup the director(?) is holding?
Hi Tom I'm following you a bit I'm wondering if you could help me with one settings of FS7 I noticed that I can't turn on Monitor LUT I can only turn on SDI1 & Internal Rec, than all MLUTS are on, but I can't turn it on separately and yes I'm in Cine EI mode they are on only if I turning on sdi1 and internal rec. Please give me some advice Thank you.One more time I noticed SDI1 HDMI is yellow color and Sdi2 viewfinder is gray out and orange any idea what settings I need to change? when I'm changing SDI2 there is communicate "Cannot Proceed" please help me solve this problem thank you.
let me know if you haven't figured this out and I'll try playing around to replicate the problem.
Hi I was playing around a lot trying with many different possibilities but nothing help so I had to do factory reset and than I was able to do it I have no idea why it was like that. Thank you for answering my comment all the best
call me crazy but alnt the fs7 better then fs5 ?
Unusual Suspect Yeah, it is.
Idk, and maybe it's just my taste, but your lighting seems too harsh. It's like you have the lighting done right as far as positioning and stuff, but it seems like the hair/rim lighting is too harsh in a lot of your work. I know that's just my opinion and my taste, so I'm not knocking you, but it is a little distracting and kinda takes away from the tone/mood of your scenes. Your key/fill always seems to be spot on tho. Just a suggestion.
have u check Red Raven Tom. $5.999/body out yet?
Doug Jensen's MasterClass will sell you on this camera. The first class is free on Vimeo.
Where is 3-axis stabilized gimbal in these videos? The camera shakes. Not the way to film things.
Great review, very informative thanks for sharing.
Have you had a chance to look at the Kinefinity Terra?
S Fino yes its great but not perfect
Good practical review =)
great video !
How's slow motion on the Sony fs7?
How many GB is a 10 Minutes File?? :)
I was going back and forth between the FS7 and FS5. I could afford the FS7, but I just like how the FS5 feels, and I love the electronic ND. I figure I can throw on a Shotgun or a Ninja if I need higher bitrate recordings. That being said, I'm getting nice looking stuff in HD and UHD. They have also put out a new firmware that fixes some of the compression issues people were complaining about when recording on SDHC cards.
+Chad Johnson Plus a future firmware update for the FS5 will support raw an an auto setting for the electronic ND. Cannot wait to see the impact of those two features. I just wish the camera had IBIS and 10-bit recording.
+Chad Johnson Plus a future firmware update for the FS5 will support raw an an auto setting for the electronic ND. Cannot wait to see the impact of those two features. I just wish the camera had IBIS and 10-bit recording.
+genjii931 Yeah seems like we can't have 10 bit in 4k. Maybe I'm wrong. I think with a shogun we get 8bit 422.
so is this as good as an iphone?:
Amazing review. Thanks Tom :)
+Sushil Ahire Thank you! Happy to hear you liked it.
+Tom Antos (Tom Antos Films) Waiting for FS5 review.
great video,and good colour,everything is good.have a cam
Thanks so much Tom!
+Dark Horse Films You are welcome!
Best review ever
Crazy I’m doing all my research because in 2024 I just purchased this camera off eBay for $1200 with the kitchen sink.
I'm happy UA-cam has 1.5x speed, but it takes this dude a lot of time to make a point.
Why you dont use Blackmahic URSA? :) Or just try :)
You say is bih, but... FS7 is not smaller :) and not so cheap...
+Best Android Gameplay FS7 is smaller and lighter than the URSA... even the URSA Mini is bigger since it requires Vmount battery. so with that battery its bigger and heavier.
Ok, battery :) but... is lot a cheaper :)
Is the FS-7 made in China like the FS-5?
tom Antos should i buy the fs100 for sony
festus mansaray I think these days there are other better options
for the price point?what better option that beat the fs100 that i can get on the same price range?
with the same picture quality.
This definitely appears to be an awesome camera. I still think the footage looks a bit boring compared to some other camera (Black Magic, etc.), but it still looks like it may be the better camera, overall.
The footage isn't boring. The color grade in this guy's film was boring. Check out some of the other FS7 footage on UA-cam!
terrific!
The Sony XQD cars are much cheaper now. !28GB is less than $165.
29:07 you must have big balls because camera is really close on the edge of the table :)
+Siniša Svetec my balls are fairly normal size... I think. Never had a chance to compare them to what would be considered average.
i see my friend cynthia
Love your reviews but watch this one and give me $1 every time you say “like I said” and I’ll be able to buy this camera
I know we can do all these things with a $2000 camcorder or camera. Knowing this i will not buy a $10000 camcord.
J
Thanks Tom. Great Information