Sony PXW-FS7 vs. PXW-FS5

Ever since we added the younger sister of the PXW-FS7 (PXW-FS5

) to the SYNTEX lineup, questions like "What's the difference between the FS7 and FS5?" have been abounding We have therefore decided to describe the most significant differences in the following article.

DESIGN

The PXW-FS7 is a shoulder-mount model, the FS5 is a handheld camera, which you'll feel in the light weight of the camera (the body itself is just over 0.8kg). The FS5 is equipped with a swivel grip, which makes this camera a versatile device with the ability to shoot handheld, from below or from above. The presence of an OLED viewfinder and the possibility of placing the LCD display in various places on the camera body will also be a pleasure.

Recording in 4K

In reality, the PXW-FS5 does not offer the option of full 4K shooting. It allows you to record inUHDresolutioni.e. 3840x2160px with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The ability to record video in full 4K resolution will only give you the PXW-FS7 model with a resolution of 4096x2160px. The FS7 can also shoot at 60fps, while the FS5 is limited to 30fps. The bitrate of recorded video is also higher on the PXW-FS7 model at 600Mbps, with the option of10bit 4:2:2intraframe recording. The FS5 gives the option ofLong Gop QFHD 4:2:0 8 bitrecordingwith a bitrate of 100Mbps.

HD RECORDING

When shooting in HD resolution, like the FS7, the FS5 allows10bit 4:2:2recording, although again we should add that the high quality intraframe codec is only available on the FS7.

SLOW MOTION

The PXW-FS5 gives us the ability to shoot up to 240 frames per second in Full HD 1080, but with a maximum recording length limit of 8 seconds. There's also the option to record 960 frames per second, but it should be noted that in this case it takes its toll on the recording quality. The PXW-FS7 is capable of recording "only" 180 frames per second but at 1080 resolution continuously

ND FILTERS

The FS7 has a built-in ND filter with the following values - Clear,1/4, 1/16 and 1/64. The FS5 essentially outperforms the FS7 with its variable built-in ND with settings from1/4 to 1/128.

AUDIO

The PXW-FS7 dissonates through 4 audio channels. FS5 has only 2 audio channels.

3D LUT

The FS7 has the ability to record a 3D LUT and apply it to both outputs and/or the viewfinder. It is very flexible. FS5 does not support 3D Lut to the same extent. So when recording in S-Log mode, you should use an external monitor/recorder with 3D Lut support. You can use similar devices like the Atomos Shogun and you will not only get a higher quality recording, but also a monitor capable of displaying a 3D Lut-enabled image.

So those are the major differences between the PXW-FS7 and FS5 models. If you care about higher quality 10bit 4:2:2 recording, Sony's answer is the FS7. While you still have the option of using an external recorder, you don't get the ability to record 4K material at higher frame rates. With the launch of the newer PXW-FS5, however, you do have a choice.