Sony 4K XAVC E-Mount Camera Will Be Announced September 12th

Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=viyBUD2H0Ds

The video above is teasing a Sony announcement on September 12th for a brand new camera, one which we believe already leaked last week. Judging by the leaked photo, we know it's going to be a 4K XAVC E-mount camera with XQD card slots:

Sony FS700 Replacement 4K XAVC

We have also found out that this will not actually replace the FS700, but will likely sit alongside it:

It will be interesting to see how this camera fits in with the F5, which does not have internal 4K (though a hack has enabled it), and costs significantly more than this XDCAM model is supposed to. We've heard rumors of both 4K RAW outputs and a price under $10,000, but we'll find out soon enough when the new camera is announced next week. Sony has a sign-up page if you'd like to find out right when the camera is announced, though we'll be sure to be right on it when it does happen.     

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13 Comments

Very excited about this. Glad I held out on buying the blackmagic 4k!

September 7, 2014 at 8:24PM

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Yusuf Amin
Director, Writer, Editor.
154

Does anyone think there's even a slight chance that this thing is going to be running the A7S sensor? Or does the fact that it's supposedly going to be an E-mount lens and not an FE preclude that from even being a possibility?

September 7, 2014 at 8:58PM

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David West
Filmmaker
1401

It doesn't preclude anything no. And given that we know nothing official about the camera, it could have any sensor, for all we know it's medium format, or s16!
There's no such thing as FE mount, it's just E mount. FE lenses are E mount lenses that cover full frame sensors. FE lenses mount on E mount and vice versa.

I would LOVE it have the A7S sensor with the s35 crop. It's just more options. It even has a s16 crop and of course full frame. The lowlight is otherwordly.

I would put my money on it being a s35 sensor though. The F5 one.

September 8, 2014 at 4:01AM

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Ebrahim Saadawi
Director, Physician (Radiologist)
275

Has anyone seen any footage from the a7S shot at s35 crop and at 4K? It would obviously be upscaled, since the chip is true 4K (UHD) at full frame.

September 8, 2014 at 1:01PM

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Scott Ressler
Director of Photography
283

I doubt it, but not impossible. Makes sense to put a FF sensor given the E-mount, but not likely due to the high frame rates. If FF sensor, it will line skip, if S35 - possibly global shutter - hence the $10K or more price.

The camera will probably sit between the FS700 and the F5. It is a slow-motion camera, with built in 4K 10bit 4:2:2 XAVC (which is always 10bit 422) however I don't expect the high frame rates to be in 4K, but only in 1080p/720p, possibly external as well for higher frame rates 180 as rumoured.

This new XDCAM 4K camera has been in development for a long time, and has nothing to do with the 4K "mod" for the F5, which will be getting 4K at some point internally, as it will be difficult to sell it.

September 8, 2014 at 1:23PM, Edited September 8, 1:23PM

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Ogy Stoilov
Director
227

Sony has to stop playing with peoples money. Why didn't they just make the f5 with these features? Especially if they're using it's sensor. They have way too many cameras, they're trying to be too many things to too many people. When a politician does that they loose. Sony is always introducing the next great thing till the next great thing comes out. For that reason alone their cameras are just too expensive.

September 8, 2014 at 5:19AM

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Anthony F. Marino III
produce shoot edit
286

I think it's easy to forget with how fast things move, but the F5 and F55 were announced almost two years ago. Nearly 24 months is a pretty good timeframe between announcements for cameras that may directly compete with each other in many ways.

And then we've got Canon on the other hand that is going on three years with the C300. So I guess you've got to pick your poison and invest in hopefully what will either get the job done for you, or rent well.

September 8, 2014 at 9:27AM

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Joe Marine
Camera Department
7277

I agree with that as long as they use another newer sensor, maybe from the A7s or even the F55 (though I want better lowlight). Like you said the f5/55 is 2 years old, my argument is, why come out with a new camera using old technology when they could just keep adding features to what's already out. Hey I'm all for new technology, there's certainly room for growth but if Sony uses the same sensor as the F5, adds internal 4k recording then I cant help to feel for anyone with an F5. Especially if the new xdcam has RAW and decent HFR. omg

September 8, 2014 at 10:29AM

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Anthony F. Marino III
produce shoot edit
286

Two years is not a good timeframe for high-end cinema cameras. It's fine for consumer products under 5K, but companies need to understand that when I invest >40K in a camera system, I need to be supported at least 4-5 years before releasing a newer camera making mine significantly depreciate both in physical resale and market value . Arri are doing this right, Canon are doing it right, Red are doing it right, even Blackmagic are offering interchangeable sensor for that specific obsolescence issue when they announced their high-end system. And Sony were doing it right too by the way, with very healthy timeframe and support for their F23, F35, F65, etc, but if it's true this camera is better than the F5 for less money, and coupled with the hack information, the F5 and FS700 have taken a enormous financial hit.

For this to make sense and not be unfair for the F5, FS700 users, It needs to exclude raw output and 240p. Let it be a fast internal compressed 4K camera with 120p for less than 10K.

September 8, 2014 at 1:21PM

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Ebrahim Saadawi
Director, Physician (Radiologist)
275

It seems like this is intended to directly compete with the AJA Cion and the Black Magic Ursa. My guesses: It won't have the build quality of those 2 cameras, or the F5, plus it will cost more once you add the RAW recorder ($5.5k?), but it'll have features the other cameras can't match... high frame rates, greater dynamic range, better low light sensitivity (better than the already ok FS700, I hope)... Which would make it the new king of the sub-$10K cameras. Even the C300 would now only have size and maybe a little more low-light sensitivity as an advantage (at a higher price). Though that Cion is an awfully nice camera.

My unlikely hope is that they've thrown in some features of the a7S... crazy high sensitivity, great dynamic range... without the bad rolling shutter effect.

September 8, 2014 at 12:50PM, Edited September 8, 12:50PM

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Scott Ressler
Director of Photography
283

4k raw in the $10,000 price range is heating up can't wait to see how canon responds to this

September 8, 2014 at 3:37PM

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David Sharp
Video Editor, Cinematographer, Teacher
370

4k raw in the $10,000 price range is heating up can't wait to see how canon responds to this

September 8, 2014 at 3:37PM, Edited September 8, 3:37PM

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David Sharp
Video Editor, Cinematographer, Teacher
370

Anyone heard anything yet? Or know what time this is supposed to happen?

September 12, 2014 at 10:08AM, Edited September 12, 10:08AM

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Scott Ressler
Director of Photography
283