Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 12, 2012. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The Super Slow Motion function of the NEX-FS700, which can capture up to 960 frames per second, could be an extremely practical everyday feature for many filmmakers.
High Sensitivity, Low Noise, Minimal Aliasing
According to Sony, the camcorder produces Full HD quality at 120 and 240 frames per second in burst mode, as well as 480 or 960 frames per second at reduced resolution. At the heart of the NEX-FS700 is a new S35mm Exmor CMOS sensor with a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. The image sensor is said to have more than 8.4 million active pixels (11.6 million in total) for HD recording and can output uncompressed 4:2:2 HD via HDMI or HD-SDI and 1080/50p, 60p via 3G HD-SDI. Connections on the NEX-FS700 such as 3G HD-SDI and HDMI are intended to enable Full HD 50p and 60p signals in addition to the HD frame rate with embedded timecode and sound. According to Sony, a firmware upgrade is planned that is also intended to make a 4K RAW bitstream possible via 3G HD-SDI.
Better Handling
The integrated ND filter is intended to receive a new control option. The newly developed filter-wheel system includes the positions Clear, 1/4 (2 Stop), 1/16 (4 Stop), and 1/64 (6 Stop). The detachable handle mounted on top of the camera is also said to be a new development. Underneath are a cold shoe as well as two 1/4” and 3/8” holes for attaching heavy accessories. A rosette mount holds the “Active Grip” handle, whose equipment is intended to include four buttons with the functions "expanded focus", "automatic aperture", "still-image recording", and "Start/Stop".
Up to 99 different camera profiles are intended to be created and stored using flash storage media. According to Sony, transferring the profiles to other cameras is also possible.
Design Study
The camcorder’s design is said to have been improved with the help of customer feedback. According to Sony, it is now possible to attach accessories from various third-party providers, and control is also said to have been simplified. The E-mount fitting of the NXCAM series is intended to enable the use of a variety of lenses through inexpensive adapters.
The E and EK versions (with E-mount lens, 18-200mm) of the NEX-FS700 are expectd to reach the market in June 2012. The cameras are expected to be available for a price below 10,000 dollars.
Further information can be found here.
In this video, the 200fps mode at 1080p of the Sony NEX-FS700 is tessted:
VS – 1080p Film shot on Sony NEX FS700 from HANGMAN | F-STOP on Vimeo.
This test video shows 480 fps; in real time, only 10 seconds were filmed.
FS700 480 FPS Test from Andy Shipsides on Vimeo.
In this video, you can see 240, 480, and 960 fps in a direct comparison.
