Sony PMW-100

[Brent Dunn]

I would wait and get the FS-700. It fixes and upgrades many issues with the 100.

I haven’t used the camera, but after research and knowing someone with the camera, Sony fell short with this camera. Again, they took my advice and added features and updated the camera.

The 100 doesn’t have ND filters, a deal breaker for me. I would rather get the Panasonic AF100.

The FS700 has ND Filters and shoots up to 960 fps for those cool super slomo shots. It also has a better sensor. Ships in July.

Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.net

Sony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut Studio

HP i7 Quad laptop
Adobe CS-5 Production Suite

[Michael Palmer]

Brent, the Sony PMW-100 is not the FS100 you are thinking of. It is Sony’s little surprise 4:2:2 handycam.
It goes to show that the EX series could easily be a firmware upgrade to 50Mbps codec.

Good Luck
Michael Palmer

[Mark Thompson]

I think the comment about ND filters is just as valid though 🙁

The only independent review I’ve seen so far is also critical of the lens cap (or lack thereof, but it was a preproduction model).

[David York]

Used it last week. Very good for very specific applications. EXT run and gun doc for EG. Nice crisp image, better lens (image wise) that I thought. PRORES 422 recording which helps A LOT in pulling colour out.

Ergonomics… You have to live with swithchable zoom and focus ring, and fiddly aperture knob. UGH, PD150 stuff.

1/3 ” chip … but pretty good in my limited experience. DOF forever because of chip size; but for run and gun doc, this is OK.

Lens … slow, and not wide enough for my purposes even with Century WA adaptor.

For me… semi-disposable run and gun camera, cheap, great in a situation where I could put it in a backpack and look unobtrusive, and get NEAR pro quality image. A compromise, but in a situation (rough 3d world country, no filming permits) where having a full pro camera would be a BIG problem, It was a good solution.

But this is a very specific application.

[Mark Thompson]

David,
hanks. I hadn’t planned on 3rd world, but I would like something mobile..

[Ken Mitchell]

I thought the PMW 100 had a 1/2 chip?

[David York]

Nope… Check specs – 1/2.7 or 2.9 or something.SLIGHTLY larger than 1/3, but not much.

[Ken Mitchell]

Yeh I guess it is just a half inch..1/2.9″ 1920×1080. Kind of wish it would have had a bigger chip in it.. I guess for $3400 you would never get 3 chips or a bigger chip.