Sony FS100 User Experience

The Sony FS100 has been used by our camera crews for a couple of years now. We mainly use it for shooting corporate and web videos.

It combines the large sensor, shallow depth of field look of DSLR with all of the advantage of a traditional video camera.
With the addition of a matte box, follow focus, and Ninja 2 Hard Drive recorder, the Sony FS100 becomes a truly powerful camera that punches well above its weight.
Our camera philosophy is to match the right equipment for the right job. There are times when we would reach for a large, traditional broadcast camera like the Sony PDW700. And other times when the Canon 5D Mk iii would be the ideal choice. The Sony FS100 is the perfect camera for web and corporate video productions.
The video camera is small enough to allow the operator more agility. It is  less conspicuous and intimidating than a broadcast video camera. At the same time, it’s large sensor, and ability to easily connect a wide range of lenses makes for a very filmic and contemporary look.

A broadcast camera like the Sony PDW700 would be too unwieldy and heavy in some environments. And once the video is compressed for the web, much of the the benefits of this camera will be lost. Besides, the Sony NEX FS100 records very high quality Prores HQ out of the HDMI port into a Ninja 2 recorder.
When well lit, the Sony FS100 is capable of producing images of staggering quality. With this camera, Sony have found a great marriage of the filmic look of DSLR with the convenience of traditional video camera functions. That’s why it’s often out go to camera for web video production.
What are your views on the Sony FS100? Have you used it, and what sort of results have you achieved? How does it compare to a Canon 5D mkiii? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.