A_Urquhart

Some good info here

Apparently the new camera isn’t called ‘pocket’ anymore. Lots of people complained that it didn’t fit in their pockets I guess. Pretty silly really. I had a Kessler Pocket dolly many years ago…..it didn’t fit in my pocket either but I never complained about it but then I try not to take things too literally 😜

Hang on!! just noticed that the new P6KFF only shoots BRAW and low res H264 proxies???? no ProRes at all or anything even remotely comparable. massive fail!!

New Full Frame 6K camera looks great (internally). Love the sensor, OLPF, BRAW, open gate, DR looks impressive despite BMD still claiming 13 stops, internal proxies and a far better mirrorless mount (than EF) means adapting lenses is much easier. If using EF lenses, these is an adaptor that has a built in VariND ( I think Meike make it) so I’m not even too fussed about the lack of ND filters. Biggest issue for me still is the form factor. I’ve had a few BMD Pocket cameras from the P4K to th 6KPro and I hate the form factor. With this new full frame sensor, Black Magic have kinda made a budget Alexa Mini LF (BUDGET!) but I can’t see many film makers wanting this body style anymore.

In another forum when people were speculating that it would probably just be ‘broadcast stuff’ John Brawley said “it will be worth watching” . As we know he’s pretty heavily involved in Blackmagic Cinema line cameras so 🤞

Oh that’s a shame. Hope it’s better on the 15. I’m still on an 11!

Can record ProRes to an external USBC SSD. 🏆

It looks like it only has two audio inputs. As a solo operator, I'm using 3 or 4 channels of audio more and more. Apart from that, looks great although I'm not a fan of the EVF. Sony NEED to develop an EVF similar to the one on the Alexa Mini. It's the best of both worlds with an EVF and flip out screen in one.

Yeah, if the FX3 had a good crop mode Id probably chose it as a second camera as I do sometimes need a B/C Cam when working with the FX6 and FX9 so having a FF sensor makes sense but while I can’t shoot S35 on FX3 I CAN shoot full frame on FX30 with the Metabones speed booster so to me, the FX30 is the more versatile choice. Also, when I’m B or C cam-ing to the FX6 or 9 it’s almost always with cine lenses so the lack of AF with the speed booster is a non issue. I’m also a big fan of the over sample the Fx30 sensor does. Looks great and makes the clear image zoom super usable. As an example, I used it today on a small shoot with my Sigma 18-35. Clear image zoom gives me an 18-52mm 1.8 internal zoom lens with amazing AF if I need it and an image that rivals many primes. So versatile!

Of you watch the behind the scenes video I linked to above, you can see that most of the shots are actually done with a fairly minimal rig. P&S technik lenses and most surprisingly for me, a Tilta Nucleus M follow focus system! I have that system as a backup to my Teradek RT kit and really don’t know why anyone would choose it unless there were very strict budget constraints which this film wouldn’t have had. Interesting either way and with Cooke announcing native E Mount lenses l, it’s interesting to see where things are heading. as Iron Film said, I think the FX30 is a better buy. I’m a big fan of fast APSC lenses and pretty impressed how good the Sigma 18-35 1.8 performs on my FX30 with the MC11 adaptor. The AF when on a gimbal is extremely useful, fast and reliable. I’m now looking at replacing my Pocket 6K Pro with another Sony camera and while I initially thought about going FX3, I’m leaning more toward the Fx30. I like the native ISOs of the fX30 better and the price difference will be better spent on lenses I think

One thing to keep in mind is that the FX3 (and FX30) are getting more video centric features via updates in firmware that the A7 series are not getting. It seems that for video creators, Sony is steering people to the FX series. I'd go for the FX3 unless you NEED an EVF

Greg Fraser's latest film 'The Creator' is ENTIRELY shot on the FX3 and apparently getting an IMAX release...... Pretty impressive!

Interesting but just because Samyang say they are 'Cine' lenses, doesn't mean they are. They are AF stills lenses that you can put an adaptor on to get a manual focus ring with hard stops. This will make lens changes all the more complicated as you have to remove the adaptor off the front, change the lens and then re attach the adaptor. A few extra steps. That's not to say they won't be a good option for many here.

If there is enough light indoor to play sport, there is more than enough light for an FX30 to get decent images.

ooops. Got my FX30 mixed up with my Pocket4k!

I was just about to pull the trigger on the Sony UWP-D27's when I noticed this! https://deitymic.com/products/theos-digital-wireless/ Wideband UHF which isn't limited to any frequency range, it can be changed for the region you are in via your phones gps coordinates and a firmware update! Transmitter can sync to TC-1 wirelessly so your internal 32bit files are TC synced. Most importantly, UHF AND 32bit internal float recording AND not Zaxcom. I hate being an early adopter but if Deity deliver on reliability of signal, this could be killer.

Sure, I’d rather the use the FX6 over the FX3 but as a B Cam I much prefer the FX3 and FX30 to the A7 line. They are made for video, have internal fans, much easier to navigate video focused menus and a proper top handle with XLR inputs that actually screws into the body so no cage required if you don’t need it. I like the rear tally light of the FX series and the time code support as well as the ease of witch you can easily record four channels of audio. Lots of little things that make the user experience far better for video.

There is a lot more to a camera than 'image quality' and he did say it was a 'Superior video tool' to which, for video shooters, the FX3 IS superior to the A7SIII. While it's a shame that Sony doesn't bring some of the new features to the A7 line given that we know the hardware can probably take it, I guess that is now Sony's way of saying "the FX line is for the video shooters" and they don't want to blur the lines. I'd be pissed too if I bought the A7SIII as Sony did market it as their video centric hybrid but it seems they now want to charge direction. There is a lot that Sony does that makes no sense to the end user.....

100%! Most people just look at specs when it comes to cameras but reliability and usability for professionals (and even amateurs) shouldn't be overlooked. Timecode support, better ergo body, no overheating, multiple tally lights etc etc all play a big part of why the last Hybrid camera I bought for video was a GH3 way back then. I hated using the a7 series for video, It just wasn't designed for it and had far too many shortcomings. I'm guessing that the 'Cinema Line' cameras have different product managers and fall under different departments at Sony compared to the Alphs cameras and this may be why Firmware updates on one product line don't automatically apply to the photo line despite the hardware being very similar. Don't know. There is a case for buying a tool designed for the job you want to do. While it may not have a mechanical shutter, EVF etc etc at least buying a 'Cinema Line' camera if you just need video means you know that the main focus of the product developers for you camera apply 100% to your use and not stills.

I suppose this is a necessity when you have Arri's poor wireless track record. The WCU4 was absolutely terrible when it came to wireless performance so whatever can help the situation is good I suppose. The Hi5 is supposedly a big step up ....which it needs to be.

That's the world we live in now. I've even seen YouTube videos showing how to paint your camera body! Camera's have become fashion items rather than tools of the trade. I wonder if carpenters/electricians etc take the time to paint their tools flashy colours?

For 'run n gun' I'd say the camera is MORE important than if you are taking the time to light. You wan't something robust, that has most of the controls at your fingertips and allows you to plug in and control/monitor a microphone easily. You also want something that has good Image quality, a good codec and good dynamic range to handle the vast variables that Run n Gun has to deal with. When you have more time and control over the scene, you can get away with less Dynamic Range as you can light for the camera. I wouldn't run n gun with an iPhone but after that, C70, R5, Pocket 6K,FX30, S1, S5, GH6 etc etc are all great cameras and will not hold you back. IDK what camera you have but if looking to buy, I'd recommend the Pocket6k Pro or G2 for it's BRAW Codec and super intuitive menus. RAW for Run n Gun is not necessary but does give you more of a chance of recovering a shot when it comes to exposure and white balance in post. There is a reason why most productions I work on shooting Alexa 'only' shoot ProRes, big crews can light accordingly so RAW is not required but for Run n Gun it comes in handy. I also personally don't recommend AF for Run n Gun. If you have one chance to get the shot, you don't want to risk the AF losing the subject and throwing focus off wildly while it searches for it again. AF systems are getting better and better but the viewer would rather see a shot where you might lose focus momentarily and pull it back organically that a shot where AF goes crazy looking for the subject. AF has a time and place, but manual focus is my pick for Run n Gun work. This is also why I prefer APS-C sensors, for the same light gathering, you get a slightly deeper DOF to work with that is still shallow enough to look pleasing by today's standards. Most importantly, choose a lens that is easy to work with. For fast paced doc work, a Par focal zoom will make your live easier.

Just out of interest, why do you need to shoot 8K on a phone?

I have the P4K, 6KPro and FX30. By far, my favourite to use is the 6K Pro.....mainly for the internal ND's and the better battery life compared to the P4K and regular P6K which use the small LPE6 batteries. I only got the FX30 as a B Camera to the FX6 for quite a few clients that want Sony but I can't say it brings me 'joy' to use or is a 'fun' camera. I've never really found Sony's user friendly but use them more out of necessity. Technically the FX30 is fantastic, specs wise it's amazing but if you wan't a camera that is easy to use and allows you to focus more on creativity, the 6K Pro is the pick of the bunch. Also has the best image quality IMO even if I do 'only' really ever shoot in ProRes 4K on it. I also love the fact that the Pocket Cameras can record to inexpensive Samsung T5 and T7 SSD's and this saves you a ton of money compared to Sony where if you want to shoot 10bit ALL-I, you need to buy expensive CFexpress type A cards. With a Tilta cage on the Pockets and using the Tilta Samsung T5 holder, it feels like the SSD's are an integrated part of the camera rather than add on external storage.