Sony has today announced the PXW-FS5, the latest addition to its rugged range of professional camcorders that combine flexible shooting with superior creative features. The versatile “grab and shoot” style PXW-FS5 enables unsurpassed on-the-go shooting in the most demanding of conditions. Complementing the successful PXW-FS7, this compact camcorder delivers high quality imagery suitable for a range of professional applications, from event videography to corporate and online video production.
The PXW-FS5 is ergonomically designed with the user in mind - the light 0.8kg body has excellent weight balance ensuring reliability and comfortable all-day handheld shooting, for almost any location, even airborne mounted on a drone. Ease of use for a variety of shooting applications is possible with the one-touch rotatable grip - all of the key controls are at the user's fingertips allowing for ultimate shooting flexibility and fast switch-over between low or high angle shooting. In response to user demand for more ergonomic flexibility, the 3.5-inch type LCD panel can be attached to different positions on the handle or the compact camera body, further supporting easy handheld operation and offering customisable shooting.
On-board 4K and HD XAVC recording combined with a Super35 Exmor™ CMOS sensor incorporating 11.6 million pixels and 8.3 million effective pixels allow capture of detail and image texture that even HD sensors cannot see. The high sensitivity and large size of the sensor delivers background defocus, increased low-light sensitivity and lower image noise coupled with stunning picture quality. High quality imagery is further ensured by High Frame Rate cache recording at 10-bit 4:2:2 in Full HD with an incredibly high frame rate of up to 240fps, in 8 second bursts, making 10x Super Slow Motion possible without sacrificing bit depth or loss of image quality.
The PXW-FS5 is the world’s first* Super35mm camcorder to feature built-in electronic variable ND filters, further supporting the use of shallow depth of field with the large-format sensor and enabling flexible exposure control, encouraging the user to reach their full creative potential. Professionals can push their work to the next level with a high-end cinematic look to footage, coupled with the mobility of the camcorder.
Integrating easily with other camera lenses, the α Mount System offers unsurpassed compatibility with both Sony and third-party lenses. The PXW-FS5’s E-mount can take virtually any lens – from Sony’s E-mount and A-mount lenses to a whole world of other SLR lenses via adaptors, ensuring the camcorder can be used in many shooting environments.
The PXW-FS5 is available body only, or as the PXW-FS5K kit model which includes a compact 18-105mm F4 E-mount power zoom lens (SELP18105G), enabling single-handed zoom operation and allowing ease of framing, even in difficult shooting locations.
The camcorder offers enhanced interfaces include 3G-SDI, HDMI output and SD dual card slots for recording. Equipped with Wi-Fi and a wired LAN terminal, the PXW-FS5 features enhanced network functions such as file transfer and streaming transmission. Furthermore, a future firmware update will provide RAW output.
“At last year’s IBC we launched the PXW-FS7, which changed the way many television programmes, documentaries and film productions could be made. With that in mind and building on the great success of the PXW-FS7, we’re introducing a lighter more compact camcorder, the PXW-FS5,” said Nick Buchner, Senior Product Manager for Content Creation with Sony Australia and New Zealand. “The PXW-FS5 presents unrivalled flexibility coupled with complete creative control, equipping professionals with all the tools needed to exceed any brief. It stands apart in the current market as a comfortable handheld, lightweight camera, which at the same time delivers high quality imagery for content creation spanning genres such as corporate shooting, indie production, cinematic wedding videography, online and event videography. Users will have all the practical and creative functionality at their disposal, leaving them without any limits to realise their full potential.”
*as a Super35mm camcorder with integrated electronic variable ND filter, based on Sony research.
Key features of the PXW-FS5
- Flexible handheld shooting with a compact 0.8kg lightweight body
The lightweight body with excellent weight balance ensures comfortable handheld shooting as well as an easy fit with a drone or gimbal. The one-touch rotatable grip makes it quick and easy to switch between low or high angle shooting. Shooting parameters can be changed with one hand even during recording thanks to the multi-functional grip. In the same way a power zoom lens can be operated with a single hand. The detachable handle, one-touch rotatable grip and flexible LCD panel support varied shooting styles.
- Creative expressive performance, including 4K shooting and 240fps high-speed shooting
The camcorder is equipped with an 11.6 million pixel Super35 Exmor™ CMOS Sensor, enabling 4K XAVC long GoP video shooting. It is the world’s first Super35mm camcorder with a built-in electronic variable ND filter, supporting linear control from 1/4ND to 1/128ND and further expanding the creative use of depth of field. 10x times Super Slow Motion capture is possible thanks to the 10-bit 4:2:2 Full HD 240fps High Frame Rate, with no sensor cropping. Low light capabilities and background defocus are heightened by the high sensitivity and large sensor size. On top of this, the 14 stops of exposure latitude deliver strong grayscale rendition without crushing shadows or blowing-out highlight details.
- Variety of shooting applications and rich network functions
The camcorder is equipped with enhanced interfaces including 3G-SDI, 4K HDMI output, Multi-Interface shoe, dual SD memory card slots, integrated Wi-Fi and wired LAN terminal, supporting various system configurations. The Clear Image Zoom feature allows users to zoom in up to 2x, even with a fixed focal length lens.