We’ve had news from Sony Europe that they expect that their shipments of the highly anticipated FS5 to dealers will commence in mid November.
Even though the camera isn’t available as yet, Sony have also told us that there will be a firmware update for the FS5 in January 2016. It will add a range of output options to the camera. The key upgrade will be the ability to select the video output destination if you are shooting 4K internally to the camera’s SD cards.
When recording in 4K internally, you can select either:
· View on FS5 screen without any output, OR
· No view on FS5 screen, with HDMI output, OR
· No view on FS5 screen, with SDI output
In other words, the moment you hit record, you can only use one of the three outputs at any time. This means that if you want to record 4K internally while you use the FS5’s screen/EVF, and also send a SDI or HDMI signal to an external monitor, recorder or wireless transmitter, then you are out of luck. The only way to run the FS5 screen at the same time as recording in 4K is to record to an off-board HDMI recorder like the Atomos Shogun or Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q+ instead. The output over SDI is also likely to be HD only.
These limitations on outputs are one of the key differences between the more expensive FS7 and the FS5. The FS7 can output 4K to its EVF and an external device at the same time as recording internally. The FS5 functions more like an a7S II in this regard.
Also this week, Sony posted a video that gives interesting insights into the minds of the FS5 developers. They include product planner Toshiyuki Kanayama, whom we met at IBC earlier in the year, talking about the ‘Grab and Shoot’ concept behind the camera. They give explanations of the various design choices including the fact that the variable ND control dial falls at your fingertips when you are cradling the camera, and the rounded design of the rear of the camera was a deliberate choice to allow users to tilt the camera upwards more easily when it is used at ground level – clever stuff.
