So are Canon and Nikon. They both could make an affordable/incredible Video Camera with mostly "Off the Shelf" parts.

Panasonic MAY be trying with the DVX200.

Yep, child that was born dead, and question how it is related to FF camcorder :-)

It's called the FS7. The only problem is it's price.

I can rephrase it. Only problem is our income :-)

Although the FS7 is a really great CamCorder, it only has a s35 Sensor which is half the size of the A7s with no where near the low light capability. I would be more likely to get the JVC LS300 with included Rokinon lens for less than half the price if I wanted a DX size Sensor.

I am not sure about whether the A7s Sensor is capable of UHD at 60 fps, but the processor can not even handle UHD at 30 fps when internal recording..

Sony FS7 for $8000 is not overpriced. It's really a pretty amazing deal actually when you look at Canon's offerings. The C500 costs twice as much, for example, and arguably is inferior across the board.

I'm going back and forth between the FS7 and the Blackmagic Ursa Mini.

Did you ever see the A7S and the FS7 side-by-side? I did.

In short: for professional work, I'd always go for the FS7. It's a very well designed camera without any major flaws, and you don't really need it's expensive and clumsy external recording option, it's quite capable on it's own.

If you can't afford it, the A7S is the best you can get for that money right now. But it has serious flaws (like all in this price range):

• The castrated S-Log2 is hell in grading skin tones.
• Certain wavelengths of blue can wreck your images.
• The RS (in FF) is massive.
• The ergonomics suck, in particular with an external recorder (which you need for 4K and success in grading)

Why not go for the G7 (if you need 4K), earn some money with it and then go for a FS7 (or it's successor)?

The low-light capability of the FS7 is quite good, BTW, and the A7S can get quite noisy when you try to grade it's internal recordings in S-Log2 and didn't overexpose (which is not low-light any more).

The castrated S-Log2 is hell in grading skin tones.

Have you graded S-Log2 from any other camera?

the A7S can get quite noisy when you try to grade it's internal recordings in S-Log2 and didn't overexpose (which is not low-light any more).

You just dial a higher ISO setting to get the right exposure in S-Log2. It's still good for low light.

@ balazer Yes, I did, and it's not easy too, because of the shifting (not strictly logarithmic) curve. There is a reason Sony introduced S-Log3…

But the 8 bit limitation makes it even worse. Very hard to get rid of the greenish skintones.

@astraban Thank you! I'll rent one next weekend to take it for a spin.

I don't necessarily need a VG900 with an A7s sensor in it.

I'd be quite happy for an "FS1" to come along to replace the FS100, just like the FS7 "replaced" the FS700.

Its specs could be:

Same form factor as the FS7 is (but even lighter??), and not shaped like the FS100/FS700!!

FHD 422 10bit

Slow motion of 120fps at FHD

Sticking with SD cards please (not XQD)

4K 420 8bit at 24/25/30 (maybe if lucky 4K 422 10bit over SDI?)

2x SDI

3 stage internal ND filters

Same sensor as is currently in the FS700

Priced same as a JVC GY-LS300

I'd buy one of these.

And its specs/price makes it a very attractive upgrade for FS100 owners (or even Sony F3 owners like myself! Even a FS700 owner might consider this as an interesting sideways move). And of course it will attract lots of interest from other non-Sony owners too, such as C100/C300 users, AF100 users, and BMD camera owners. And every DSLR/MILC shooter will of course be attracted to it!

Yet at the same time think it has a sufficiently restrained specs/price mixed that FS7/F5/FS700 owners won't get outright pissed about it being released (like the FS7 did to F5 owners...).

When Sony does come out with a CamCorder with A7s Sensor, please no 2.2 crop for 120 fps. I sent my A7sII back because the 1080P120 was unusable in low light. All my Videos were loaded with moire because of the poor light I have to shoot in.