Free Firmware Update Will Allow Full 4K XAVC-I Recording at up to 60p
Sony announced new details of an upcoming free firmware update for the PXW-FS7 camera that enables 10-bit 4:2:2 4K recording in the XAVC-I format. The update also enables the promised ProRes 422 and 422 HQ options for HD recording, which require the optional XDCA-FS7 extension unit and a compatible power supply to support encoding the camera's uncompressed 16-bit signal. (The extension unit provides 12-bit raw output over a single BNC cable to third-party recorders such as the Odyssey 7Q and 7Q+ and the Atomos Shogun, but sends the ProRes data back into the camera for on-board recording to XQD cards.)
In addition to those previously announced capabilities, the new firmware also ups the audio-recording capability of the FS7 from two to four 24-bit 48 kHz audio channels. Two of the channels are associated with the camera's built-in XLR connectors, while the other two are accessed via the camera's multi-interface (MI) shoe. The release also includes a number of bug fixes.
The new firmware will be available by the end of March, Sony said. Here are the final release notes.
This isn't the end of the line for the FS7's capabilities, Sony told us. "This is not a one-time thing," said Senior Product Manager Juan Martinez. "We will continue to increase the value of the FS7, just like the F5 and F55. We understand that our customers are concerned by premature obsolescence, so we will continue to add major functionality to the camera."
With the v2.0 firmware installed, the FS7's 4K capabilities will top out at a maximum frame rate of 59.94p at 600 Mbps, with slow and quick modes allowing recording to be set in single-frame increments from 1 to 60fps. ProRes recording will be HD only, with a maximum progressive frame rate of 29.97p (interlaced video can be recorded at 50i or 59.94i). Higher progressive ProRes frame rates will be added only if customer demand warrants, Martinez told StudioDaily.
As far as 4K ProRes recording, don't hold your breath. Sony says the overhead associated with the ProRes codec at that resolution is just impractical compared to the in-camera recording options. "I think ProRes is a great codec," Martinez said. "However, it is not an acquisition codec. It is very inefficient. Compare it to XAVC-I at 4:2:2, where we can crack 60fps with excellent image quality with a modest 600 Mbps bit rate. If you do the same thing with ProRes, it's 1.76 Gbps. That is even higher than recording 12-bit raw on the camera."
The implementation of four-channel audio recording will dramatically expand the FS7's sound-recording options. Martinez cited Sony's UWP-D wireless system as an option that would allow the same audio signal to be transmitted to multiple on-camera receivers at the same time. And he also recommended the XLR-K2M module that includes a shotgun mic and windscreen as well as two XLR connectors with phantom power and volume controls. "With this, you now have four honest-to-goodness XLR inputs," Martinez said. "We've had an immense number of people who have asked us for this, so this is a huge benefit for them."
As for the FS7 itself, Sony won't reveal exactly how many units have shipped into the market, but Martinez said production capacity has been doubled to keep up with demand. Asked specifically about the XDCA-FS7 extension hardware, he said it's not necessarily a must-have for shooters happy with on-board XAVC-I recording. "We're hearing from users that they are extremely happy with the performance of the basic camera body and lens package for documentary and feature production," he told StudioDaily. "That [package] also began shipping earlier than some other accessories. The added functionality of the extension unit and other accessories just expands the camera's capabilities."
