Sony recently unveiled the PMW-F3, the company’s first professional-grade, handheld digital camera equipped with a Super 35mm imager.
The camera was designed with a variety of uses in mind including documentary, commercial, education, government, television and feature film. The quality and price are also appealing to independent filmmakers, given its base list price of $16,000. When coupled with an inexpensive PL-lens kit that features 35/50/85mm T2.0 fixed focal lenses, the possibilities broaden significantly.
Based on Sony’s XDCAM EX workflow, the F3 employs an SxS ExpressCard media format. The Super 35mm CMOS imager offers high sensitivity, low noise and a wide dynamic range. An HD-SDI dual-link output enables footage to be inter-cut with content from a Sony F35 or SRW-9000PL model.
Available recording formats include 1920x1080, 1440x1080 and 1280x720. Users can also take advantage of “slow” and “quick” recording, from 1 to 30 fps at 1920x1080 (17 to 30 fps in dual-link mode) and 1 to 60 fps at 1280x720 (17 to 60 fps in dual-link mode).
The PMW-F3 will be available February 2011.
