A Wedding Filmmaker's Review of the Sony FS5
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- My wedding filmmaking gear: kit.co/whoismatt
Welcome to my second (of hopefully many) video blogs aimed at helping wedding cinematographers. You can watch the first VLOG here: • A Wedding Filmmaker's ...
In the future, I'm planning on covering tips, tutorials, and training all about shooting and editing wedding films to help all of us become better creators. It feels good to start with the basics though, and you can't get very much more basic than the camera itself. Wedding days are notoriously difficult to shoot, with so many varied locations, lighting conditions, and an occasional crazy aunt on the dance floor. It is incredibly important to have a camera that can handle all of these scenarios well, especially when things get rough.
In this video review, I go in-depth with the pros and cons of the camera, while keeping focused on its uses for wedding cinematography. So if you are a wedding cinematographer/videographer/friend that was randomly asked to film a wedding/Uncle Bob at the back of a church with a camera/whatever, and you want to learn more about wedding cinematography and cameras, I hope that this video and my future video blogs are helpful to you.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave on below, or get in touch with me through my website, whoismatt.com.
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This is one of the most thorough reviews I've seen. The cool thing is that your not just reading a list of features but you tie it all into personal experience. Thanks for posting this!
+Kirk “C.” Barron thanks Kirk!
I'm not even interested in this camera, but you did such a good job reviewing it that I stayed around to watch. :)
Thanks so much!
Matt, two years later I realize how awesome that thumbnail is (I mean how it makes it look like your beard is that bride's hair)! If you had ditched the blue line in just that area it would have been killer.
Matt, it's a 10-bit camera too. The 4K is nice, but that's not necissarily "why someone buys a camera like this," as its 10-bit 4:2:2 HD footage is its most appealing feature to me, as the super slow-motion is recorded in this bit-depth too.
So for me, the appeal is (as far as specs go), in order of stoked-ness:
-10-bit 4:2:2 HD
-Variable LCD Internal ND
-High frame rates in 10-bit
-Center scan/clear image zoom
-4K
Oh and quick question, could you assign something to, say, custom button 6, for the quality settings? As a kind of work around for switching from 4K to HD-S&Q?
And I know this was announced after you made this video, but can't forget about the $500 firmware package, I think it brings raw output and 4k60p output too! Whaaaaaaaaaat
Edit: I see you responded to the 10-bit thing in a comment below. Still would've been a good mention, or, maybe this could be more of a "either-or" video between the a7Sii & FS5.
wow! actually Matt made me not to buy this camera, but having your comment I am already interested again. :) verrry nice. Matt also forgot to mention anything about external recording options...is there an SDI slot at all? or any external output belongs to the raw upgrade? cheers!
@@Rastinfilm this camera is still awesome and agree with the 10 bit comment
Such thorough reviews, so helpful. After I saw your review of the a7sii I decided it was time to make the jump to 4k so I picked one up. Love it so far. Keep up the great work!
Also, do you shoot weddings yourself or do you hire additional camera operators? I'd be really interested in tips for how you shoot a wedding as a one man operation if that's the case.
+kbkrisp Thanks so much! I usually shoot with one second shooter unless it is a huge wedding and I need to bring two. I started off shooting as one man but I really prefer to have at least two. I suppose it would be possible if you have 2 bodies and a PA to help come along and carry things, but when you're editing video it really helps to have 2 angles of things for cutting purposes etc. :)
I love how you extended your beard with the thumbnail picture with the bride's hair lol
hey matt your reviews are gold! i'm tired of channels using equipment for a day and trying to do a "review".
thanks for your effort. love the honest and chilled presentation by the way!
thanks Jim! Glad you dig it :D
I haven't read through all of these comments, so it may have been mentioned, but its worth mentioning about the center scan mode basically doubling your magnification. That is huge. Clear image zoom can be added on top of that...with minimal loss. This is a big deal...Your 70-200 essentially then tops out at around 600. Amazing
Hey! Great tip! :)
Great review. Fun conclusion at the end.
+Dave Dugdale thanks so much Dave! Your work is an inspiration, and I'm a big fan!
Dave is a great guy and his videos are really insightful, its cool to see him around.
Thanks for the thorough review! Even though I'm not a wedding cinematographer, your specific perspective is more informative than most "camera breakdown" videos I see on RUclips and Vimeo. Please make more videos! I would love to see more.
+Matty Sumida Thanks a lot Matty, glad I could help you out. I probably won't be doing any more camera reviews for a while (because I would be broke), but I've got some ideas that may apply to non-wedding cinematographers too.
Your review is excellent, albeit focuses on shooting 4k in S-Log, which is something I don't intend on using often for weddings. One thing I want to point out though is that Sony has already mentioned they plan to do a paid firmware overhaul that will allow RAW 10bit 4k out in the future *in addition to other things -essentially what they did with the FS700. When you buy the A7S MK II, you're likely going to have to buy another $3000+ camera in the future to unlock all the new functions, while on a proper cinema camcorder you can pay less for an optional upgrade. There is are many options for a camera like this, as SD cards are getting faster and faster transfer rates withe UHS-II. There's the potential for 10-Bit 422 4k at 300mbps.
+ingaman I'm definitely interested in the 10bit Raw at 4K, but typically for weddings I prefer to travel as light and quick as possible. Sony has said that the Raw will only be output and saved via an external recorder. This is going to add more weight and make the whole camera more cumbersome, something that I am attempting to avoid when shooting weddings.
***** Very good point! Plus after the 5 or 6th wedding of the year your storage will probably be exhausted. I'm think the only thing holding them back from 10 Bit 4K is the compression. These cameras are barely getting by with 8 Bit 4K at 100mbps, so either SD card technology will need to improve, or Atomos will need to release a 4k version of the Ninja Star.
+ingaman It's called the atomos ninja assassin ;)
Wow Matt. That was probably one of the the best user reviews I think I have ever watched Thank you!
+UWHealthMPA awesome! Thanks!
I think what you said here nails it on be head. The tricky part about going high end is that manufacturers put so much focus into some of the cinema-based features of their cine cameras that they become impractical to use outside of controlled environments like film shoots. The A7S II strikes that perfect balance between cinema quality and ease of use.
My friend and I have started to do weddings together, and we are kinda drooling over the A7S II. Unfortunately, college is a thing, cameras aren't cheap, and it's hard to get clients that pay well in my experience.
+Cubical Productions thanks! I shot a lot of weddings in college for cheap. :P Just keep raising your prices as you shoot more and you'll be able to afford that A7Sii in no time!
Again an awesome review. Keep the helpfull videos coming. Looking forward to your future content!
thanks Greggy! More coming soon!
What a great review, actually one of if not the the best I have found. One nit to pick, you can change WB just like any other camera in LOG simply by using another color palate. Sony does themselves NO favors by not clearly explaining the PP settings/options and I can't (wont) go into much detail here but set gamma to what ever you want (SLOG3 as an example) then in that menu select another color palette (with adjustable WB) from the options... you have MANY options PRO, STILL, STANDARD, CINE
s, SLOG2, SLOG3+temperature choice)..... also the Sony names are rather misleading, seems like nobody would ever use STILL or STANDARD as a color choice with sweet sounding options like PRO or LOG available but its color NOT gamma and I found the STILL setting to be have the best skin color (attractive color in general, even though probably not as scientifically accurate at PRO could be) also anyone with a Sony camera really need to try the push button WB function using a grey or white card... so much more to WB than a single kelvin dial can deal with... the push button removed the green spike from some nasty dirt cheap Ebay LED light that were completely useless (same thing for stadium lights)
+Ray Bradlau Thanks so much for the insight Ray! I'm still learning all I can about SLOG so your comment helped me out a lot. :)
Thanks for the review. I'm debating between this and the Ursa Mini 4.6K. the slow switch to 240 FPS is a bit of a bummer, but I imagine they would fix that with a Firmware update eventually?
We can hope! Depending on what you are planning on using the camera for, the Ursa Mini may be a better choice for you. It makes a beautiful image as long as it has enough light. If you are shooting weddings etc where you don't have control over the light, I would get the FS5. But if you are wanting something for more of a studio setup, I would go with the Ursa Mini.
One of the best reviews i've seen for a while, thanks man it was really informative.
Thanks so much!
Having fixed WB in a gammut is not weird. Red/Arri/Canon all do it. WB is gain, and log and gammut are tuned to certain parameters. So if you dial in a custom WB, you're actually risking ruining the algorithm set by the manufacturer.
+SittingNow Haha I'm sure I've ruined some algorithms, but when I'm shooting a wedding and often not having full control over different lighting situations, it often helps to have a white balance dialed in as precisely as possible. :)
Good walk through - pretty thorough.
Around the 9min area, you talk about codecs, and infer the FS7 can only record to the XAVC-I format. The Fs7 can be set to XAVC-I & XAVC-L (same as the FS5), and a few other formats that nobody uses.
Thanks for the clarification James! At the time I recorded this video, I didn't have much experience using the FS7 yet so I wasn't super clear on all the codec options available with the camera.
Thank you for this review! I was already convinced to buy the FS5, but I still enjoyed watching this video. Better than most other reviews. I am not a wedding cinematographer, but I work a lot for a university so I think the FS5 will be a perfect upgrade from my current Canon 70D.
+Daniel Dreadson Thanks Daniel, glad it helped you out. I think you'll love it!
Thank you for posting!
I'm a starter and that's why I immediately subscribed to your channel.
Man, this camera is my dreamcam (I recently bought the Sony HXR-NX100).
+Mario C. Castillion Thanks Mario! That is a great camera. When I started out, all I had was a little Sony point-and-shoot camera. :)
+Matt Johnson I've just watched some of your videos on whoismatt.com and I am really really REALLY impressed, man.
Thanks for your fast reply by the way. Only for this you get extra props in my book.
I bought this camera for corporate work. I also did the RAW update and record with the Atomos to ProRes422. Love it. I also match the profiles to my a6300, also recording to Atomos Ninja, as my B camera and they look identical and grade easily using your methods. Its a great combo for corporate work. Thanks for the posts!
M Ho hello,
I have an FS5 Atomos Shogun inferno. I’m struggling to get good exposure. What’s your preferred method when shooting slog with this setup? I’d appreciate if you can answer. Thank you
The main reason I would use this over an a7Sll - as a wedding videographer - is battery life. That is crucial for weddings, almost enough to justify the added expense. Then, of course, there is the appearance. Many clients are still a bit pissed off when the videographer shows up with a smaller camera than the photographer (who is almost always using a Canon 5D). Otherwise, nicely done review.
Thanks for sharing :) I find that using the battery grip on the A7Sii gives me plenty of battery life to get through a long a day with only 3-4 batteries.
I've shot a few ceremonies that went over the 75 minute mark and I was glad I didn't have to worry about the 59 minute shut-off or the battery life. I think the a7Sii is one hell of a B camera for weddings - especially for the reception where the low-light capability is really essential. And, at that point, I think people "perform" better in front of a smaller, less intimidating camera. Anyway, keep up the good, thorough reviews. You're hitting the essential points!
Great tip about the SQ button. Hope that there is a hack around that in the future for super slow motion.
me too Maria!
Another awesome review! Keep making these- super helpful for documentary filmmakers also!
+Jayme Joyce Glad I could help you out too!
The thumbnail for this video where your beard turns into her hair is just about the best thing I've seen on YT in forever. Insta Sub! Thanks for the review of the FS5 by the by.
Thanks! Glad you noticed my hard thumbnail work. :D
These reviews are great Matt. Keep 'em coming!
thank you!
Great job good sir , i love both your reviews , it's very difficult to have professional real world reviews on youtube from people who use it on ACTUAL JOBS. keep up the great work
+Philippe Maurice Thanks so much Philippe! Glad you liked the reviews. :)
Best review i have seen for the Fs5. Honest and clear.
+Senthil Nathan thanks so much Senthil!
What a review Matt! Thank you so much!
+RAWMOTION thank you for watching!
Thanks for the in depth thoughtful review! Coming from the camcorder era, it's fun hearing people talk about how how "big" everything is..lol
Hahaha! Very true, we've come a long way from shoulder-mounted, VHS-recording, cameras haha.
Another awesome video man! dont know how this has so few views, your in-depth reviews are honestly up there with Phillip
Bloom's. Anyway I was just wondering if you could make a video explaining the best shooting scenarios and when to use what picture profile. Essentially what is the best pp for low light, indoors, outdoors. trying to get the best lighting exposure with the lowest amount of noise, Thanks a lot buddy keep up the good work :)
+Alex James Thanks Alex! I'll definitely keep that in mind for future videos. My current go-to picture profile is Cine4 with the SGAMUT3 color space. It has great color and good highlight roll-off for most scenarios. Hope that helps you out!
No worries man! Thanks for replying. I'm definalty gonna try that out. Is there any sort of lut for that or all just manual grading, thanks man:)
+Alex James with a bit of tweaking in post it should be capable of taking all SLOG3 LUTS. :) You can read more about it here, this is where I found out about it: www.marienho.com/how-to-use-slog3-luts-for-the-sony-a7s-ii-without-banding-in-the-highlights/
Ah that looks great thanks man :)
Another great review video! You mention using glidecams and monopods--I'd love to hear a review on which stabilising contraptions are your favourites, and how you use them.
+Ayisha Synn thanks Ayisha! I'm planning on doing a video about stabilizers etc. I'm still a big fan of my Glidecam HD-4000. Maybe once the second or third generation of stabilizers like the Movi and Ronin come out I'll get one of those too.
Great professional review...Need more like you..Well done..
+Howard Davidson thanks Howard!
Excellent review, which is sealed the deal that the FS5 will be my next camera. It's a long way from the Sony TRV-740 I started my business off with. =D
Do it!
Really enjoying your videos, they're a great help. keep them coming!
You are right. I don't see this being better than the A7sII or even the A7RII for Weddings. With the A7RII you even get the same crop in 4k. The lack of the same stab is pretty much the big thing for me. The codec is mostly the same so what do you really get with the FS5 for $2.5 k more?! You get build in NDs which is good and an XLR mike, more buttons, the zoom thing and the form factor.
I always use lavs for ceremony and hook up to the DJ during reception and speeches. The sound from the camera is only used for syncing purposes and I don't need an XLR for that. The build in mike does fine. The form factor does nothing for me, I'm perfectly fine with the DSLR form factor, its more compact. It looks like things are sticking out left and right on this thing and you can't put away/tuck in the LCD, it just sticks out. Yeah having the NDs is fine and the zoom is nice but I don't think that is worth $2.5 more especially since you give up a lot of low light performance for it.
Actually the better, more useful comparison will be between the A7SII and the A7RII. The more I read the more I see people picking up A7RII over the S now that the overheating is fixed. And they are basically the same $$$.
Can't wait to see more videos about Weddings. Thanks
+Todd Stoilov Thanks so much Todd! Glad you enjoyed the video. I'm interested in doing a comparison with the A7Rii in the future, but I doubt my wife would let me buy one. :P Sony also released an update for the A7Sii that they said helped with overheating, so I'll be testing mine to see if it has any issues with overheating now that it is updated.
pros seem to outweigh the cons but the major cons for me is the WB, the 240fps buffer restriction, and it having now stabilizer. Other than that, this would be perfect for skating.
Great review man. You've got a talent for these educational videos... you're a great communicator! Detailed, yet to the point... Much better than Phillip Bloom! :)
+RealWorld Endo Thanks so much! That is such high praise! :)
Love these new videos! :) Could younext time do a wedding day workflow video instead of camera review? :) Or maybe talk about what and how you shoot a wedding day to differ from other shooters? :) Thanks, David
+David Sklenar Thanks so much David! I just put those ideas down on my notepad for future videos. Workflow would probably be a whole series of videos on it's own haha. For making your films unique, remember that you have a vision that no one else has. Even if you may feel like it isn't as good as other people's (something I struggle with all the time), it is still unique to you. I try to watch wedding films from people that I want to be more like, and while I wouldn't directly copy them or anything like that, other films can be very inspirational.
Ive Shot with the Fs7 on a wedding Its easy when you got an assistant. Saying that Im getting this camera because Ive got jobs that I can't carry My fs7 due to weight restrictions.. Also just to note the a7 series have a Xlr Mic module you can buy. I own a A7rii and a7s as well :p
+One Universe Studios - haha I just need an FS7 and an assistant!
Great review and thanks. However, I would in fact buy this for manly recording HD. Some may think that wasteful, but just MHO. I think there are enough plusses in this baby over the A7S and other contenders just regarding HD: the codec itself, which has better compression, also 4:2:2, 10bit in-camera, slo-mo, extended color profiles, as well as the form factor; this is a real video cam with all the control, handling and convenience that implies, XLR audio inputs, a great ND filter implementation etc, etc. And it has cinematic potential in a gun & run small-body format. As a 4K camera I think it is barely OK, mainly due to compression limitations that I believe has the bottle neck baked into the hardware itself. If 4K really was important to me I would certainly jump to the FS7.
+kipling1957 glad you liked the review! I totally understand, and if I was doing more than shooting weddings then I would definitely have held on to mine.
The Fs5 vs A7sii debate is tough. Really depends on what you would be ok with giving up in each camera. I love the feature sets in each camera.
Very true Henry! Not an easy choice. :)
This was so close to going into my cart... that end conclusion totally made me step back and rethink though.
Love to see a vid on audio
Haha glad to help you save your $$? :)
The new updates for the fs5 do make it a much better camera, however, the updates require more equipment and much more money...
Great reviews! I wish these had been around before I shot some weddings! Very helpful information (I am a big Sony guy - have the A7s). Can't wait for more videos!
+dbratnickproductions thanks so much! Glad I could help you out. :D
Such a well informed video!
Hoping you do one on the C100 Mark II as well.
+Marc Bangera thanks! I don't own a c100 haha :-/
Aw snap! Well if you get a chance to use one long enough to make a full review on it, I'll be sure to watch it :D
Cheers!
3 years on. Still no A7sIII :(
I shoot with the Sony EX1 and have the same batteries. There are aftermarket batteries for about half the price of the sony batteries that work great. I got mine at B&H. Great review, very comprehensive. I'm looking at getting it to replace my EX1, which has a heck of a great picture, and the hand grip that tilts. I've become so used to the hand grip, it'll be great not to have to give it up!
+Todd VanSlyck thanks Todd! Yes, there are aftermarket batteries, but I've had issued with aftermarket ones for my Canon 7D and Sony FS100, so I tend to try and stick to officially branded ones.
I'm also a big fan of the EX1, it was an incredibly solid camera when it first came out.
I actually do shoot weddings with an FS7, but you are right, the thing can be a beast to carry. At the same time though, I'm getting some great looking footage. I've been considering the FS5 and A7sii, but I think you summed it up nicely on the pros/cons. A7sii seems to be a better fit for what I need it for, especially because of the low light capability.
Thanks! Friends of mine use the FS7 and LOVE it! But it is definitely heavy.
Many thanks for sharing this great review, very to-the-point, informative and I really appreciated your thoughtful conclusions at the end.
+microbroadcast thanks! I tried to keep it short and ended up with a 30 minute video. :X Oh well!
Hi Matt
Great videos as always. Greeting's from South Africa. This week I bought a Sony FS 5 great camera !! After 20 years with ENG camera's.
Regarding audio options have you considered using the Sony EMC-XYST1M Stereo microphone works great on the smart horse shoe. Then select Mi shoe mic in menu to get stereo I think you need to set both Channel 1&2 on to Mi shoe mic
I Had mine from my Sony RX10 camera
Hey! I haven’t tried the Sony hot shoe mic, but it’s definitely an option
Wow! The clear image zoom looks suuuuper good. Would make wedding preps 1000X easier! Jealous.
+Mitch Lally It's pretty sick!
Thanks Matt this video helped me out a ton. Gonna pass on the FS5. I'm thinking of trying to get a used A7s as a second camera or may shell out the cash and get another A7sii. If you're ever in Houston Texas drinks on me.
+Henry Adegbite Thanks Henry! The A7s first gen is still an amazing camera. I'm down in Houston every couple months, so I'll let you know for sure. :)
I have a couple of questions on how you handle these problems (related to some issues and/or features you discussed in these videos). 1. You never discussed whether the FS5 will record more than 30 minutes at a time. I find myself, during weddings/receptions/plays/dance recitals needing to make sure that all of cameras are all recording from beginning to end at the same time cause I hate every time I have to sync footage. longer recording time means you can just let them run and be done with it. 2. Which camera is better on additional costs you expect on buying? Lots of lenses, batteries, cards, adapters, filters etc.3 (most curious question). Why do you need to switch back and forth between slow mo and regular speed? Here is a point of frustration for me. I currently shoot in 60P because I can time stretch ALL 60P footage to 50% and have frames enough to produce 1/2 speed slo-mo in a 30fps sequence. I find this to be phenomenally helpful because I want to shoot the bride walking down the aisle in real time, but I don't have ANY time to swap settings AND I also want to create a highlight reel later on that shows that same clip in slo-mo... using a faster FPS allows all that. And as you alluded to earlier, 250fps is way too slow. double frame rate gives you a rich sultry feel without showing skin jiggling on thighs during a hard dance step (lol). Why not just shoot in double frame rate and use time stretch in post? So to my follow up Q, why don't these cameras have 48fps as an option because that would allow you to create a 24p sequence and have the option of slowing it down at ANY moment in post? I found 50fps as an option, but I'm not sure if that will result in some "pull-down" in a 24p sequence. Any thoughts?
+Nothing Much Hey! To answer your questions:
1. Yes, it can record more than 30 minutes at a time. It is a full-featured video camera and can record for as long as your batteries and media last.
2. With accessories the A7Sii is around $4,000. Still way less than the $5600 of the FS5, not counting batteries and media etc.
3a. I need to switch back and forth because I like to shoot at 24fps. 60P footage doesn't have the same motion blur as 24fp. I prefer 24p at full speed, or 60fps slowed down, not 60p at full speed. I need to be able to switch quickly.
3b. No idea why the FS5 doesn't support 48fps, maybe they will add it in a future firmware update. 50fps is probably as close as you are going to get.
+Matt WhoisMatt Johnson Thank you for your quick answers. If I may, I want to follow up/clarify my meaning on question 3. Is there a reason that you don't use 50fps as a main recording mode (or is motion blur still an issue at this speed?)? I'm asking because I use double frame rate recording as often as I can because of the ease of slo-mo in post, but if you don't do that, then it tells me that there are things that I'm not considering that I might need to think about. Will 50fps in a 24P sequence result in "jumps" or something? Thanks again.
+Nothing Much To clarify, recording at faster speeds results in a different feel to the video than if it is recorded in 24fps. Try watching a video recorded at 24fps and a video recorded at 50fps and played back at 24fps and you will see what I mean. That's why I try to make the decision when recording if I should shoot in 24fps or 60fps etc.
+Matt Johnson I own the FS5 and a7sII. Great review!
+TennisUnleashed - Unleash Your Game Glad I could help you spend all your money! :D
3 years later and still no A7siii for you :(
Didge Project ;)
Thanks Matt, your conclusion is so useful.
Thanks so much!
With the external RAW output now available there is a disparity between the FS5 and A7s II in terms of image quality.
+Cameron Spink (Spinkscapes) if you buy an external recorder then you are definitely correct. :)
Awesome review, thanks Matt
The new Sony A6300 could be a contender for wedding cinematography, too. You thoughts?
+Matthew Winne it looks really good on paper! I may pick one up when it comes out, it depends on how good it is in lowlight. :)
luv luv luvin these videos. More please :) !!!!!
+2009hoopy thanks!
Thanks Mr Matt for your great channel and tips
+Ali Zahedi thanks Ali!
Not sure the white balance issue is such a big thing - if you are shooting in that flatter colour space you have to grade anyway. Provided you get your balance close then it shouldn't be a big issue to tweak it in Resolve or Lumetri.. Alister Chapman just recommends 3200 for normal warm indoor lights, 5500 for daylight, shade and white light and 4300 for anything in between.. The menu shortfalls thoug are something Sony can and should address in firmware. It still won't be quick to switch between 4K and 1080 as the camera has to reset but a lot faster than digging throug menus.
+MondoTV really hoping Sony makes that 4k and 1080 transition faster 😊
Matt, thank you for what you do. Could you do a video about the lighting you use for reception dancing? You have mentioned it in previous videos, but I would like to know more.
Thanks Cory! That's definitely on the list to cover in the future. ;)
everything I watch about the fs5 just makes me incredibly happy I have the gh4
Haha the GH4 is a great camera! I would stick with it if you are already invested in the Micro 4/3 ecosystem of lenses.
Hey Matt! I'm a huge fan. Actually I use old Nikon photography lenses with a speedbooster
Amazing review! Thank you very much!
+Opie Productions Thanks so much!
I feel like selling my cameras and giving up videography altogether after watching this man. If being good means to get to know all this dude knows I am giving up. How is it possible? 😕
+Giovanni E Romero hahaha! You'll get there Giovanni! Just make videos and you'll learn!
I read it can only do something odd like 560p when shooting 480fps. Although you say 720p at 480fps. Great review!
+Shaun Stone-Riley It was my understanding that, much like the FS700 before it, it could do 720p at 480fps.
Matt I have dual XLR's on the a7s ii via the Sony XLR-K1M .
One more reason to choose the a7 series
+Vick Broushet Hey Vick! How are you like the XLR-K1M? I've heard good things but I'm wary of attaching things like that to the hot-shoe of my A7Sii with the fear they may break off etc. Thanks!
+Matt Johnson yes I had that same fear also about it breaking off so that's why I got the K1M instead of the K2M. The K2M attaches directly to the hot shoe and The K1M has a cord that attaches to the hot shoe the module itself needs to be attached to a cage, which works out perfect with the movcam cage. Previously I was using a Rode video Micpro Rycote. The Sony XLR set up is most definitely superior.
Great review Matt! I received my FS5 today and I've noticed there's a lot of rotational wobble (play) in the grip mount, no matter what position it's locked in. Is your camera doing the same?
+RCvolo Hey! I ddin't notice any rotation in mine when I had it. I would check the screws on the mount and see if any of those are loose? Otherwise, you may want to exchange it for another.
just received mine no wobble at all
Do a video about color grading, like with LUTs.
+BEN. thanks for the idea! I'll add that to my video list. :D
Love the content man. You know your stuff. Cheers
Thanks! :D
Amazing review, exactly answers every question I have! Kudos.
+Jamie Eichar thanks Jamie! Glad it helped you!
Cool review.
A lot of the work flow you've described also applies to shooting documentaries.
I've maintained this stance right from the first day I heard about this camera. There is too much hype about the on board gadgets rather than the real day workability, and essentially it seems to be a flawed piece of technology. It almost does what it should, but then disappoints. It's advertised as 4K but but not real usable 4K. It's run n gun but doesn't have stabilisation, and the list goes on. Your comment about this eating into higher costing kit is right on the money. It can't do every thing it should, otherwise we'd only purchase this and not the FS7, etc.
All in all, it would be refreshing if Sony didn't start with a fanfare about how revolutionary this camera is. Looking at 'all' the web traffic about the FS5 should, at the very least, teach Sony that they can't pull the wool over our eyes and feed us tons of misinformation that will be challenged by informed users in the real world!
Good work Matt.
+Drew Bennett Thanks Drew. I still think that Sony has put some super cool technology into this camera, but if it came down to it, I would get the A7Sii or FS7 depending on my needs.
Without a doubt Matt, but they give with one hand and take away with the other. The largest badge on the camera is '4K' but at 100mbps it's a joke. It's like when they said that 720 TV's were HD 'ready' - what a sales job they did there?
The variable ND filters is a great piece of tech, but I've seen clips where they have introduced horrible graining.
Sony has even had to produce a 'how to use it' series of videos due to limiting codecs.
I just wish that they would be realistic with their claims. This camera has a great form factor but it isn't a small FS7 as was 'implied'.
It seems to be a useful piece of kit, as long as you have something else!
I love my FS5 for all the reasons you mentioned, but one area where both the a7s AND the FS5 both fall somewhat flat for weddings is with gimbal action: the FS5 has almost no rolling shutter issues, but requires a Ronin M (pain in the ass to have at weddings) ; the a7s is perfect weight for a portable one-hand gimbal such as the pilot fly, but has very bad rolling shutter. I was hoping the new a6300 would be the solution to this for me but apparently it has bad rolling shutter as the a7s....maybe you could do a review/ comparison of the a6300 or provide some tips as to which Sony cam you'd recommend for portable gimbals...
+carlos izquierdo hey Carlos! I'm planning on checking out the a6300 soon. I haven't had any issues with my A7Sii and rolling shutter. I don't whip the camera around a lot though when shooting. That pilotfly looks pretty cool too.
It feels wild that six years later I still use this camera every week for work. My strategy for switching frame rates is kind of like how bruce banner keeps from turning into the hulk, I'm always in HD. I don't bother much with 4k unless I know I'll be sticking with 25 frames. And if I need more than that I have my A7s3, which perversely I also mostly use in HD
😂 whatever works
Excellent video Matt. I really enjoy your laid back style. Not taking anything too seriously is the way to go :). My wife and I do wedding videos and we own an a7rii and an a7sii. We want a bigger camcorder for xlrs, nds etc that we do miss. We also do other work but 75% is weddings. I was about to pull the trigger on the FS5 but now after watching your video I really want to get an FS7. Do you think it's too big and clunky for a wedding? We generally use smallish contax zeiss glass and prefer to be mobile, but it doesn't seem too heavy ? What do you think? Will it be too intrusive in weddings?Thanks :).
+James Ramsay Hey thanks James! A friend of mine just picked up the FS7, but I don't believe he will be using it for shooting weddings. Maybe just the ceremony? It is definitely quite heavier than the A7Sii and FS5. The FS7 weighs over twice as much as the FS5, and carrying it around all day probably wouldn't be the easiest.
You may want to try renting it for a wedding and seeing how it goes? I think the 10-bit quality is definitely nicer than the FS5 and A7Sii. Hope that helps!
Hey Matt, are you currently using the FS5? If so I just wanted your take on your time with it and if you used a external recorder to take advantage of raw and prores. Also your thoughts on the auto nd feature and if it is as frkn amazing as it looks. I'll be renting one in a week to film for a team at MotoGP and think the auto nd is the one feature that will be so useful filming running in and out of the paddocks. Thanks!
Hey! Nope, I returned it 2 weeks after making this video. I think the auto-ND is great and it would be a great camera for motoGP filming.
Great review I'm a little late to the party but hey I'm here...
i share your sentiments on the fs5. i think the phrase is "frustratingly awesome." to me, the main problems with this camera could easily be fixed with a firmware update. "..mops the floor with the c100," love it! have you ever used the sony 18-110mm zoom?
Thanks! Haven't used that zoom lens as I stick to primes mostly.
Awesome video! Very helpful and informative
+DjAlmanza88 Thanks so much!
On the FS7 you can create a 'custom menu' and assign what ever buttons to your liking - I'm sure you can do this on the FS5?
+Chris Bishop you can do a similar thing with the FS5. I believe there are 6 programmable buttons all over the camera and handles that you can customize to adjust many settings.
Great video, thanks Matt!
+Freddy “Swiftstyle” Garcia Thanks Freddy!
I like our style man. Is this still a reliable camera? I heard a Fs5 m2 will come out soon.
+Michalis A. Hey Michalis! I returned mine 2 weeks after I bought it and instead bought a second A7sii. I think the fs5 is still a great camera and very reliable.
Good Review. Thanks for the heads up on the slow motion!
+Eugene C Jones Thanks Eugene!
Nice video. I would mention about the 10bit in full HD. Also I like the screen better on the Fs5 and the focus peaking works great unlike on the A7sII that everything looks in focus when it's really not.
Thanks!
The FS5 has 4k as a bonus...not as its main feature. The 10 bit 1080p video written to cheap sd cards is its main feature... Plus the variable ND filter.. Is expensive right now because is a new.. But I'm sure it will drop to 4000 in a year. The FS100 used to be 4600 now is 2000...
+Daisy Travesty I guess that massive text on the side of the camera that says "4K" doesn't mean it's the flagship feature. :P
+Matt WhoisMatt Johnson
You're right 4k is a feature of the camera but is 8bit 4k . The A7SII and GoPro cameras offer 8bit 4k too. I just think color depth is more important than hight resolution. 10bit 1080p at 240fps is something only few cameras offer. I mean 4k isnt special anymore.. even the LG phone now has a 4k 8bit video.
the best honestly review thank you and good luck bro
+Alkhashti75 Thanks for watching!
You can get to super slow motion super fast by hitting the s&q button twice!
Not in 4K.
Did you mention the codec it shoots in 1080? Thats the selling point for me IMO. A7Sii cant beat that 4.2.2 10 bit baby
+wolf52525 I realized I neglected to mention that after recording, but my main focus was on 4K video. From what I've read from reviews on EOSHD.com etc., the 10-bit on this camera is constrained by the 100mbps codec and doesn't work nearly as well as 10-bit on the FS7. :-/
Another great video, Matt!
Would be amazing if Sony put the variable ND on the a7s 3 (not sure if its even possible due to the small camera size, but with Sony anything seems possible lol)
+Pedro Erthal Thanks Pedro! I could see them doing it with a thin piece of glass in between the sensor and lens. It would be really tight though because of the lens Flange distance. Anything is possible. :D
+Matt Johnson its the same flange distance on the fs5 so i dont see why not.
+Pedro Erthal same distance between the lens and the sensor on all the E mounts.... camera size is irrelevant other than were to place the mechanics and the dial. I bet we will see this feature on more and more cameras from now on.
+Ray Bradlau Exactly!
Can you just shoot in 1080p 10bit 422 24p then hit S&Q for slomo?
Great review. This helped a lot! Have you done production videos/commercials with the a7s ii?
Could you please do reviews on the Sigma Art lenses from a video perspective, your reviews have been really informative and useful so far i'd love to see your reasoning and uses for these lenses
+GrumpyLewis thanks! I'll add that to my list of video ideas. :)
However there is an upgrade that will enable the FS5 to record in 4k 16 bit RAW that will enable you to overcome the 8 bit 4:2:0 limitation.
With an external recorder. ;)
Any chance you could test the auto focus?
+JohnFelipo Hey John, unfortunately I returned the camera but if I can borrow a friend's I will be sure to check it. I know Philip Bloom just posted a clip of the FS5 autofocus and it seemed to work well.
Awesome review Matt! I just wanted to know if you still have your fs100 and if you think it's a good idea to get rid of it to upgrade to the a7s II.
+Richard Martinez Thanks Richard! I still have my FS100 and plan on holding onto it for any shoots that I only need 1080p for (conferences, etc). It's still an awesome camera, but resale value isn't very high on it, so it is worth holding onto.
+Matt Johnson Yeah, it's crazy how much the resale value went down. Thanks for the advice.
how is no one talking about the thumbnail, hahahaha
Absolutely DIG that thumbnail 😂
So I just got two Sony FS5 Mkii for a bargain and I'm putting the images side to side with my Sony a7s Mkii images and I feel like I am doing something extremely wrong because the image of the Sony FS5 looks so much better them the A7s II?... Also, when I use my Atomos ninja V, which has my A7s II Luts and hookup the FS5 with A7s luts on, the luts are extremely dull as if I can still crank the colors and contrast way beyond the levels of the A7S image. What am I seeing here, FS5 is actually putting out more color and dynamic range than the A7s?...