By technical editor Matt Allard:
Earlier this week we saw a massive discount of $10,000US on the list price of Sony F3. Today the FS700R also had its price dropped and is now available for just $3999 US at B&H including a free Metabaones EF to Sony E-mount smart adapter.
This is the third price drop that the camera has received in recent times. In September last year it dropped to $5999 US and in June this year it was further reduced to $4999 US. I previously owned a FS700R and found it a very capable camera.
This is a great deal for a camera that is capable of producing some lovely imagery, especially when paired with an Odyssey 7Q or Atomos Shogun 4K recorder. In combination with the right external recorder the FS700R is even capable of recording 4K/2K 12-bit RAW from its output. Even more impressive is that fact that the camera has an internal buffer that allows it to output 120 frames of 4K RAW for around three and a half seconds, which can then be recorded as ProRes using a Odyssey 7Q+. This is a feature that the more expensive FS7 doesn’t have, even if you add the XDCA-FS7 expansion pack.
The squat, boxy design of the FS700R is actually well suited to mounting onto a shoulder rig like the Movcam one pictured above, or the Zacuto VCT plate. The low centre of gravity keeps the camera well balanced and if you add a decent EVF and grip relocator then its ergonomics can become almost like that of a mini ENG camera.
The new price drop certainly makes the camera an interesting proposition for shooters looking for a feature packed camera that is 4K capable and also high speed capable. Of course with the IBC show just around the corner it might be wise to hold off on any major spending decisions for one more week until we find out what new cameras are coming out. I suspect these are not the last price drops we are going to see on currently popular cameras from the likes of Canon and Sony.
Here’s my review of the FS700 from three years ago. Some of the specs have changed thanks to firmware updates, but much of what I had to say still holds true:
If you are tempted to get one right now then you can order it here.
