The Sony FS5 II is Officially Out, Z190 and Z280 Announced

Gear News

by Olaf von VossApril 9^th, 2018

Sony just revealed its lineup for this years NAB in sunny Las Vegas. Major news here is the introduction of the Sony FS5 II along with some other freshly introduced cameras. Fans of the much anticipated a7S III have to remain patient, though.

The 2018 Sony NAB camera lineup hits the street. Headed by the new Sony FS5 II, the Japanese company introduces a bunch of new smaller 3CCD cameras, namely the three 1/3“ sensor PXW-Z190 XDCAM and the three 1/2“ sensor PXW-Z280.

PXW Z190 XDCAM & PXW Z280

One thing stands out due to the fact that it‘s not being introduced today: the successor of the very popular and highly video related Sony a7S II. In the aftermath of the recently introduced a7 III, Sony seems wanting us to wait just a little longer for the a7S III.

Sony FS5 II

The Sony FS5 II is the newest addition to Sony’s lineup of professional super 35 sensor cameras and its features outperform its predecessor in some ways (but not that many), especially the new RAW output options and new color science are worth a closer look. Let’s dive right in with the bare facts. But before that, make sure to watch this short video introduction by Sony:

Key features of the Sony FS5 II:

• New color science for better skin tones / Instant HDR workflow.
• High frame rates / RAW output without the need of an expensive firmware upgrade (see below).

external recording to a compatible recorder:

• 120fps (at 60Hz mode, 100fps at 50Hz mode) in 4K (4096 x 2160) RAW in a 4-second burst or
• Continuous 240fps (at 60Hz mode, 200fps at 50Hz mode) in 2K (2048×1080) RAW or
• Continuous 4K 60fps (59.94fps, 50fps at 50Hz mode) RAW output to a compatible external recorder.

internal recording to SD cards:

• 4K internal recording
• Full HD 10bit 4:2:2 @ up to 240 fps of 8-second cache recording.
• Continuous recording of up to 120fps in Full HD.

HDR workflow: The new Instant HDR workflow (in HLG/BT.2020 mode) allows users to save time in post production and still output beautiful HDR content without long grading sessions. If you have more time in post, footage shot in S-Log 2/3 lets you refine the HDR image using your favorite color grading tool.

The Sony FS5 II still sports a very lightweight 0.8kg body, making it pretty versatile for all kinds of jobs, including gimbal or drone shots. The electronic Variable ND filter with Auto ND function is still there, of course.

The camera now offers ten picture profile settings. This makes it easy to switch between different shooting situations, think of it as presets in terms of color and gamma settings.

Sony PXW-Z190 XDCAM and Sony PXW-Z280

The two other new Sony cameras are smaller in size, yet pretty impressive in terms of specifications. Sony’s new PXW-Z190 XDCAM camera delivers 4K 50p/60p imagery with three 1/3″ Exmor R CMOS image sensors.
For the third camera of today’s announcement Sony claims that their new PXW-Z280 is the world’s first 4K 3-chip camcorder with their new 1/2″ Exmor R CMOS image sensors.

Sony PXW-Z190 XDCAM

Both cameras share an almost identically design in terms of size and form factor. And both share pretty nice specs when it comes to internal recording:

PXW-Z190 XDCAM:

• 4K at 50p/60p
• 4:2:2 10-bit @ HD resolution
• XAVC-Long, DVCAM, MPEG HD 422 and MPEG HD codecs available
• dual-slot SD card (relay recording or back-up recording is supported)
• built-in 25x optical zoom lens (up to 50x digital zoom when recording in HD, due to the 4K sensor)
• Advanced Face Detection Autofocus (AF): “Face Priority” and “Face only AF”
• Variable ND
• HLG compatible to support Sony’s instant HDR workflow.
• Dual MI shoe: audio and lighting at the same time.

Sony PXW-Z190 XDCAM

PXW-Z280:

• 4K at 50p/60p
• 4:2:2 10-bit @ 4K
• XAVC Intra/Long, MPEG HD422, MPEG HD and DVCAM
• built-in 17x optical zoom lens with three indvidual rings and hard stops
• Variable ND
• S-Log 3
• With the addition of an optional adaptor, SxS and SD cards can be used for media recording.
• Four-channel audio recording with independent volume dials.

Sony PXW-Z280

Although bot cameras share lots of features, the PXW-Z280 is the bigger brother here. So if the Sony FS5 II is overkill for your workflow, the PXW-Z280 might just be the right piece of gear for you due to its professional features such as S-Log 3 recording or the support for the superior XAVC-I codc.

Pricing and Availability

The FS5 II will begin shipping across Europe in May. The PXW-Z190 will be available from September 2018 and the PXW-Z-280 is scheduled for July 2018. The FS5 II is $4,750 without the lens and $5,250 with a kit lens.
The PXW-Z190 XDCAm is $4,000, the PXW-Z280 is $6,950.

Stay tuned to this channel for more information and exclusive video interviews on these cameras, especially the new Sony FS5 II, obviously!

Links: Sony.com (FS5 II) | Sony.com (PXW-Z190 XDCAM) | Sony.com (PXW-Z280)

So, what are your thoughts about the new Sony FS5 II and the other new cameras? Let us know in the comments below!