A lawsuit from rival RED hasn't stopped the Sony F5 and F55 cameras from shipping on-time, and now we've got some more concrete information about what is currently enabled and when we can expect future features to be implemented. For FS700 owners, we also have a pretty good idea of when you can expect full 4K support from Sony with their AXS-R5 recorder, which needs a separate piece, the HXR-IFR5, to interface with the camera. Click through for all of the currently supported frame rates and resolutions, and when you can expect them to be updated.
Here is the timeline for updates (click for larger):
Sony has talked about enabling 4K RAW for third-party recorders, but to keep it simple, we'll just assume that you are using the AXS-R5 (which is the cleanest and smallest solution either way). As you can see above, you're not going to be shooting 2K at any resolution, RAW or otherwise, for quite some time. Whether or not that is a big deal is up to each individual production, but even if you're not going for a cinema release, 2K does give you a few more pixels of wiggle room over 1080, especially if you're framing for a 2.39 output.
You're also not going to be shooting any slow motion in RAW until the fall/winter of this year. Yes, you'll be able to shoot at a higher frame rate and conform, but in-camera slow motion is not coming for a while. For FS700 owners, you're also not going to be getting RAW support with the AXS-R5 recorder until July. Again, it has been mentioned that the FS700 may be able to use 3rd party recorders, but if you're going to be using Sony's solution, you will have to wait another 6 months.
I think the F5 and F55 are going to do very well, and while they will probably be rock solid, the trade-off is that you're not getting all of the capability right off the bat. This is kind of how it goes for any camera system: wait for all the good features later on or get them immediately and risk having a few hiccups.
What features were you looking for out of the box with the F5 or F55? Do you think it's better to wait for those features or find another camera that can do what you need right away -- either as a purchase or a rental?
