First off, I should admit this was one of the funniest and most entertaining camera comparison videos I’ve seen lately. And, it just can’t be any other way when you have Ryan Connolly and his comrades in front of (or behind) the camera.
Meanwhile, there is a ton of useful information one can learn from this hilarious video, so if you’re wondering which one of the two cameras is more suitable for your next project make sure that you don’t miss a second of the following episode of Film Riot where the team puts the Sony FS7 against the Canon C300 Mark II to find out how these units stack up against each other.
In the first part of the video, Ryan walks us through the external controls and the menu system of the Sony FS7. Apparently, one of the flaws that he found right off the bat was the way one need to switch between the viewfinder and the LCD display itself.
As Ryan pointed out, this setup is pretty flimsy, so some extra caution is needed while operating. Furthermore, the quality of the display is also far from perfect. The side buttons for direct access to Contrast, Peaking and Zebra are a nice feature to have, though.
In terms of the overall camera ergonomics, it seems that there is still room for improvement. According to Ryan, the center of gravity of the FS7 is too far forward when you are using the camera in conjunction with the dedicated handle that otherwise provides a handful of options to control the unit when shooting hand-held. So, if you really need to operate the camera this way you’ll definitely need to add some extra weight to the back to make this setup more comfortable to work with.
Another feature that frustrated Ryan was the menu layout of the Sony FS7. However, he found the User menu option to be quite practical as you can easily add the functions that you are using the most on top of the menu for quick and easy access.
In terms of image quality, Ryan also concluded that shooting in Cine EI mode in S-Log 3 and utilizing the XAVC-I codec produces the best results when recording internally. The Aspect Ratio Markers and the ability to toggle between 4:3, 1.66:1, 1.85:1, 2.35:1, 2.4:1 modes is another great feature and a highly welcomed option to have.
In the second part of the video, you’ll find plenty of comparison examples between the two cameras and the way they perform in terms of colour rendition, low-light capabilities, slow-motion and more.
We’ve already covered most of those aspects in a previous post, yet it’s good to have those presented from the perspective of another professional in the field. Overall, the Film Riot’s episode has brought a ton of helpful insights to the table so if you really have 10 minutes to spend we highly recommend it. It’s definitely worth watching.
[source: Film Riot]
B&H Order Links:
Sony PXW-FS7 XDCAM Super 35 Camera System
C300 Mark II Cinema EOS Camcorder Body with Dual Pixel CMOS AF (EF Lens Mount)
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