Django

literally labelled so despite what Sony marketing may have you suggest..

A7Siii came out well before FX3/FX30 and was way overdue with about 4 years in between A7Sii. Its kinda easy today to claim it as the "wrong camera" "for people who take video seriously". Many spent their hard earned cash on it upon its release. Regardless, breathing comp and a lot of the FX3/FX30 features are creeping into Alpha bodies. No reason Sony should withhold an A7Siii firmware update, aside from cripple hammer perspective.

FX3 & FX30 just got a major 3.0/2.0 update today that adds Anamorphic De-Squeeze, True 24p, 4K DCI Recording.. and Breathing Compensation: Excellent news for users wanting more cine features and this really starts to tie these cameras to the rest of the FX line. Pretty sure this is the first time an alpha camera gets DCI 4K. About time!

FX3 & FX30 just got a major 3.0/2.0 update today that adds Anamorphic De-Squeeze, True 24p, 4K DCI Recording.. and Breathing Compensation. While this is great news for FX users, this once again proves that AI chip or not, the A7Siii is capable of more but is getting ignored atm.

This looks great, good job with the manual focus too. Kids playing soccer/football at shallow DoF isn't an easy task! Those kids were going pretty hard too, maybe USA has a shot with this next generation. 😉 And yeah I shot a stills event on a 5DIV last week, it was years since I'd use an OVF professionally, and I absolutely LOVED it. To the point I'm thinking about grabbing a DSLR. 5DIII/5DIV or D780..

Nah I don't agree.. Nikon are in a coma.. at 2200€ for a Z6ii that can't even do internal log or 10-bit it's a hard no in 2023. Obviously an 8-bit cam is still usable and yeah it can do 10-bit external but best value it is not. I do like the company so I hope they wake up and announce the much anticipated Z8 with a maximum Z9 features in a more affordable package. Best value in FF has to be Panasonic with S5ii now that they've finally sorted out PDAF. Also nice they don't over charge here in EU like Canon & Sony are doing.

All he mentions is XAVC-HS which is the low bitrate LongGop codec. But he doesn't specify 4:2:0 or 4:2:2 or ambient temp etc. At the highest bitrate this guy got 15 minutes in 4K60p indoors 20 degrees Celsius. Also the recovery times seem terrible:

@Emanuel Not that simple, don't forget its also codec dependant. 8-bit xavc-s won't overheat nearly as fast as 10-bit xavc-i. Also depends on the bitrate (long gop vs all-i). And ambient temperature. That's why some tests show only a couple minutes before overheating and others get hours. The frame rate is just one part of the equation. I'm sure AI features reduce time as well. And since it can even overheat while browsing menus you have to also be mindful of that. Basically I wouldn't trust this camera for anything else than b-roll or as a c-cam.

what about sound? is it captured using the FX30 XLR handle and if so what mic?

@newfoundmass I'd say Sony is expecting precisely your friends pattern. They want to lure in young newbies into their ecosystem with ZV-E1 and then have them upgrade to a more capable camera once they outgrow the limitations. Most noobs don't directly invest in the most expensive flagship. I think his point was the 30mn record limit made A7iii a no go. As for C100mkII, meh.. that old sensor does not do good in low-light. I also find 4K/6K/8K invaluable for that type of work if you're on solo cam for punch-ins in post. I could actually see the new AI auto frame stuff being handy for quick turnover long format situations where you might not be able to move around like in a locked audience perspective stage performance. Obviously not the ZV-E1 but that tech in the next Sony cams may have potential.

Ah.. I see in the fine print of "Power Saving Mode" the restrictions (RAW, 8K mp4, XF-AVC Intra etc). So what does that leave you with? up to 4K60p mp4 & 8K XF-AVC Long GOP ?

I just watched the Japanese interview with auto-translation and what the rep says is 30% increased battery life in 4K60p (there is even a little text insert in the bottom right that confirms it at 20:14). I don't see no mention of it being only for XF-AVC but that might have been lost in translation so I trust its correct. From my understandings, XF-AVC is where the R5C battery drainage is the worst so makes sense that they managed to fix that. I wonder what the increase is for regular 4K24/25/30p. 30% or more? They explain the fan is the main culprit of the power drainage so this low power mode may turn it down or something. This is quite the game changer as with a grip and 2 batteries that's 60% battery gain which should make it quite decent right? The photo/video switch time improvement is also good news. Man, I had ruled this camera out but might be warming up to it again! Kudos to Canon for such a solid update. They've been on a roll with them lately.

Yes yes I'm aware of that. But a lot of things like focus compensation and basic animal eye AF don't require the new AI chip. They were there in A7IV which doesn't have it. The AI chip obviously enhances the AF and allows all the auto-framing stuff and that's not something you'd expect to be ported over to older models. But even simple things like the new menus for A7SIII or shutter angle for the FX3/FX30 should be really easy to implement but no dice. The most frustrating for those users is complete radio silence despite numerous rants from even Sony ambassadors. Sounds good shoot me a PM next time your coming up! 😉

It's more than just a legacy thing. Canon & Nikon at the DSLR height really took care of their customers with loyalty programs, pro services etc. For major sporting events they have their infamous stockpile rooms available to sponsored photogs: Canon I feel go a step further and since they have the cine line offer services at their Burbank facility in LA. Here in Paris, if I have an issue I can call and meet someone. Nikon used to have a walk-in office Boulevard Beaumarchais, as well as the Nikon School. They do have Nikon Plaza now in the 6ème, pretty cool location too with interesting events and of course the Nikon Film Festival which has become a huge thing in France. Leica are on a similar but different path. Much more intimate. You have official boutiques in every major city. The staff there are extremely knowledgeable and passionate and every shop has their own certified Leica engineer in his white lab coat. Its not just for show as he will fix your camera on the spot. It's basically the traditional experience you'd get at a high-end watchmaker or hand tailor. This type of service to me is invaluable and definitely builds a human connection with the company and hence, loyalty. Sony I'm afraid has nothing of the sort AFAIK. You have an issue, you file a ticket online and have to send the camera/lens back to some warehouse in the Netherlands, if they even accept your claim (I've had mine rejected, no dispute possible). Imaging is just a fraction of their other core businesses. What they have been very strong at, is social media presence, especially YouTube. They keep converting influencers by basically buying them out, luring them to exotic locations for camera releases and then making deals with them. Its fair business I guess but a little disheartening. I've had several Canon shooters I follow switch overnight, no real explanation. Anyways, I am a Sony shooter. Not really by choice but because the industry basically demands it. They make good products no doubt, lousy policies though. Its strictly business to them, zero customer care. So yeah, loyalty wise its no surprise people dip in & out with them. My $0.02c.

archaic motion? 24p is still the current cine standard. double frame rate output is literally what is called the soap opera effect: Creating frames in-between the 24 original frames makes the movie (24FPS) look like a soap opera (30/60FPS), and this is something that many viewers don't like. Why does 60fps look like a soap opera? It's due to motion. Soap Operas use cheaper cameras that shoot in 60 FPS rather than film that is 24 FPS. Basically, you've become accustomed to the dreamlike motion of 24 FPS being interpolated for 60 Hz TVs and now attribute higher frame-rates like 48 FPS to that of a lower quality production. haven't we been through this before? not sure why you're getting so offended, you're the one throwing the word "cinematic" around. Sure takes more than a LUT to achieve the look. correct fps is a good place to start but hey keep ignoring this advice and do as you please. just don't get mad if people call out the videoish look of such motion, I'm far from being alone on this. in fact you are probably the only person I know around here or even on YT who consistently outputs 60p on a cine cam.

60p output will always have the dreaded soap opera camcorder look. Just convert the file in a 24p timeline if you want it to look "cinematic". Even the ZV-E1 knows this and switches to 23.98p when you enter cinematic mode.

true lol but that was before the dan watson review where he got the camera to overheat in 5mn as well as on his couch without even recording. if the camera actual had decent thermal management I wouldn't be so harsh on it myself. then again the intended market will probably shoot short 8-bit baked files. and when the camera overheats in 4K60p/4k120p they will switch to their phones and call it a day. ignorance is bliss.

Gerald Undone covers this in his ZV-E1 review. Same sensor and processor. The only clue this gives us is that Sony likes giving new units new features, not old ones. This is an obvious commercial strategy of theirs and not limited to these cameras. I shoot Sony professionally. But I have no qualms in calling them out on their shenanigans. Many others are as well including Sony ambassadors. The fact that you seem oblivious to that and keep giving them excuses is why I said that, no offence meant.

amazing shots as usual! are those stills or frame grabs? I would thing IBIS would be a huge benefit when shooting handheld at such focal lengths but I guess there are the odd hiccups which you can't afford to miss in your extreme shoots.

how exactly is the image improved? sounds super vague lol.. and yeah the power drainage situation is the number one deterrent on this otherwise mega capable true hybrid camera.

you keep overlooking the one major caveat: overheating. all the FF / A7S3 / Z battery / AI stuff is worth zip if your camera bricks after couple minutes. and it will. this camera could potentially ruin whatever summer travel vlog in an exotic location. also very skimpy hardware for a "high-end" vlog camera (single card slot, micro HDMI, cheap plastic body) that is why I consider this camera a trap/scam. its the R5 all over again but much much worse (R5 never overheated in 5 minutes) due to the horrible thermal dissipation such a body with that kinda horse power emits.

..this is simply not true. ZV-E1 is 2699€. That's only about 30% cheaper. and you are not getting the mechanical shutter or the full IBIS. or the passive cooling. and you are losing a lot on the outside starting with the EVF (which is useful for video too in bright daylight). and in the end the high-frame rate and chunky codecs end up unusable because of overheating. all you are really benefitting from that sensor is high ISO and low RS. All the rest is crippled. Even all the cool AI features end up ruining the IQ because the 1:1 4K sensor can't oversample. A shameful "cinematic mode". Zero vertical shooting options. Piss poor mobile communication. Really this is what you applaud? This is the best Sony can come up with for this market? No competition? So you mean to tell me "VLogging" can only be done on a "ZV" camera? Sorry I find that a bit ridiculous. I follow a few "vloggers" and none use a ZV camera. The pre-existing ZV lineup is pretty awful too. No I'm not the target but I know people that are and they wouldn't touch this camera with a 6-foot selfie pole. To me they got everything wrong with this cam. Its all hype and fluff. Basically a tourist trap for hype beasts.

I'm not confusing anything. You are starting to sound like a Sony apologist. The ZV-E1 is total proof that AF, breathing comp etc can totally be ported to the A7S3 as the ZV-E1 uses the same sensor and processor. That old excuse of outdated hardware is not valid anymore. As for the FX30, you are twisting my words. What I said was that the FX30 is worst than the A7S3 at low-light. Meaning it has indeed more noise at high ISO. That being said it also has less aggressive NR which is of course a better thing. As for Cine EI, its been my understanding from shooting with it for some time on FS/FX cams that it also affects NR, sharpening and other image processing: It optimises the camera so that settings such as the recording ISO, noise reduction and sharpening are all optimised for recording the highest possible quality S-Log3 or raw material with the largest possible dynamic range. https://www.xdcam-user.com/2020/12/a-guide-the-the-fx6s-cineei-mode/

And 5 minutes may be the max they can ever shoot before the camera overheating. This is just unacceptable, I don't care what kind of content creator you are or who this camera is marketed towards. And no camera should overheat while browsing its menu, that's just wrong. Reminds me of R5C getting its battery depleted during menu diving. This just completely breaks usability. Stop giving these cameras excuses. As for "extensive color correction" well this is a 2699€ camera with some high-end specs. Why even offer 10-bit or XAVC-I if the camera can't handle it? Sony do it for the spec list but in real world conditions the camera fails to deliver on that. I called it before the announcement, this camera will have severe cripple hammer. and it does, not on paper but in real use.. straight out of the Canon playbook. Its important to call these companies out for their shenanigans. Canon has learned via firmware updates and subsequent camera models that no longer overheat to ridiculous degrees. A lot of Sony ambassadors including Bloom and other big influencers are starting to rant over their crippling strategies and lousy firmware policies but on deaf ears it seems. Sony is sitting comfortably in its leadership position and only seems interested in pushing new cameras with the latest specs.

Actually Clog1 is the less flat profile, followed by Clog3 and Clog2 is the flattest. Neither Clog2 or WideDR are available in non cine line cameras though. S-Cinetone is Sony's version of a flat non log profile. Personally, I can't ever go back to 8-bit. I actually wish we could get higher than 10-bit in hybrids. YMMV.