Sony Adds S-Log for Free on the F3 (Unless You Already Bought S-Log or Own an F3)

Sony, likely fearing the growing competition from the C300 and all of the new DSLRs coming out, has decided to make S-Log a standard option on all new F3 purchases. It would have made a lot of sense to offer this feature as standard in the first place, but Sony decided to charge $3000 for what amounts to little more than a firmware upgrade. What should be great news is terrible news for those who already own an F3.

This is from Notes on Video:

Sony has announced it has "discontinued" the PMW-F3K, PMW-F3L models and re-introduced them as PMW-F3K/RGB, PMWF3L/RGB with the 10 bit S-Log package as standard, with no price increase.

The 10 bit S-Log package, CBK-RGB01 will now sell for $899.00 (for those existing owners still without it.)

Here's another link to the Twitter CineAltaNews which is run by Peter Crithary, a marketing manager for Super 35mm acquisition at Sony. The product page for one of the newer models is here.

If you go to B&H, the only F3 currently searchable is the 3 lens version that tops out at almost $20,000. If you do a Google search however, you can find that a link still exists to the old version. New F3 owners will not have to pay an increase in price and get the same features that owners had to pay $3000 for only months ago. Current F3 owners have the option of purchasing S-Log for $900 here.

So what does this really mean? It means that Sony is worried about overpricing their mid-range camera, and they either listened to customers or saw the change in the market and decided that it's not a feature new users should have to pay for. Unfortunately, what they have done in the process is upset those who have already paid good money, and for those early adopters of the F3 but not S-Log, they still have to pay almost $1000. It seems that the Scarlet and C300 are really giving the F3 some competition, even if the Scarlet is slightly cheaper, and the C300 is slightly more expensive (basic packages of course - they are really all similar in price).

I don't believe this means we will see a new camera soon - it's certainly possible, but considering the camera has barely been out a year, it would be a huge surprise if they upgraded the current model and released one at a higher price point. We'll just have to wait and see at NAB if Sony decides to upgrade either the FS100 or the F3.

Anyone own an F3 who already purchased S-Log? Let me know what you think.

[via Notes on Video and @CineAltaNews]