A Decade of Game Changers, Part 1: Cameras

Super35 or APS-C Interchangeable-Lens Video Camera

Shawn: Picking a winner in this category is very difficult, as there still are so many trade-offs. But I’m going to go with the Sony PXW-FS5 (Figure 5, below), released in 2015. By the time the FS5 was released, it benefited greatly from proliferating lens options in the Sony E-mount lineup, including the parfocal 28-135mm f/4 power zoom digital cine lens, the more affordable, smaller, and nearly parfocal 18-105mm f/4 power zoom, and the 70-200mm f/4 telephoto lenses. The standout feature on this camera that sets it apart from other large-sensor video cameras is the 2.0x HD and 1.5x in UHD 4K Clear Image Zoom.

Figure 5. The Sony PXW-FS5

The 2018 FS5 MK II version was a big disappointment for me because it failed to address issues with the 2015 model, like upgrading the 1080p60 3G HD-SDI out to 2160p30 6G HD-SDI, allowing the HDMI and SDI to work at the same time, and enabling the LCD monitor to work while internally recording in UHD and outputting HDMI externally. The focus assist could also have used a big upgrade too, especially when filming in UHD 4K. Sony of these issues could be solved by moving-up to the Sony FS7/FS7 Mark II, but it lacks the FS5’s very useful Clear Image Zoom feature.

I also like the Canon C200 (2017) and the Panasonic EVA1 (2018). While the EVA1 has simultaneous 6G HD-SDI and HDMI outputs, both lack Clear Image Zoom.

Anthony: JVC’s GY-LS300 (Figure 6, below), while not as successful and market-dominant as the GH4, leveraged the same Micro 4/3 lens mount, with a larger APS-C sensor, and dynamic sensor-cropping to deliver video without vignetting from APS-C all the way down to 2/3" sensor mapping (HD).

Figure 6. JVC GY-LS300

JVC’s advantage is a more production-ready camcorder form factor, with dual media cards, XLR, HDMI 2.0, SDI, LCD, and viewfinder all usable at the same time. Firmware upgrades have even doubled 4K output to 60fps on the HDMI out and offered different internal recording capabilities.

The LS300 is also one of JVC’s “streaming” camcorders, with an internal streaming encoder, and software that enables you to deliver a polished live stream with little more than the camcorder and a tethered phone with 4G LTE service. All this makes JVC’s LS300 more than just the sum of its parts.

Full-Frame Interchangeable-Lens Video Camera

Shawn: The obvious game-changer that came to mind for this category was the Canon 5D MKII, the first full-frame DSLR to film in 1080p HD. But it was released in 2008, so it’s a game-changer for another decade. The breakthrough full-frame camera for the 2010s is 2014’s Sony a7s (Figure 7, below). Its standout feature is a native ISO up to 102,400 that makes this an amazingly sensitive low-light video camera. The a7sii, released the following year, added 4K support. But a7s fans have been eagerly anticipating and speculating what the a7siii (expected to ship in 2020) will offer.

Figure 7. The Sony Alpha a7s

Anthony: I agree that, once Sony got into the mirrorless game, they came in heavy with crop sensor, and then full frame, to the point where they’d have multiple very similar models flooding the market at the same time. While Panasonic finally delivered a full-frame camera, I have to hand it to Sony for the sheer number of powerful, capable, and affordable solutions delivered to end users.