Sony announces the PMW-F3K & PMW-F3L

Sony have officially announced their answer to the shallow depth of field requirements of videographers and digital film makers in the form of the PMW-F3K & PMW-F3L.

The K version is supplied with three Sony S35 lenses in the form of a 35mm, a 50mm and an 85mm. Sony have not shared much about these lenses so far although the feature list does include mention of a max aperture of T2.0. Interestingly the camera is also supplied with a PL lens adapter.

Based on a Super 35 sized version of their excellent Exmor chip as used in the EX1 & EX3, the F3K’s sensor is close in size to the one used in Canons 7D DSLR. Super 35 is standard cinematography sensor size unlike those used in Canon’s APS-C or 35mm still based sensors.

For an EX1 / EX3 user like me one of the main benefits of the F3 is that it uses many of the EX1’s components and specifications including the following…

• XDCAM-EX codec
• SxS media
• 3.5″ LCD & EVF (same as EX1R)
• BP-U batteries
• Uncompressed Linear PCM audio recording
• Slow & Quick Motion
• Slow Shutter function
• Selectable resolution & framerates
• HDMI & HD-SDI outputs
• 2 x XLR audio inputs

Prices are expected to be around €20,700 (US$28,850) for F3K (F3 & three lenses) or €14,500 (US$20,195) for the F3 body alone. This put’s the F3 in a much higher price category than than DSLR’s or even EX1R’s & EX3’s so it’s going to be interesting to see how well it performs.

I’m extremely excited about this camera and thrilled that Sony have based the camera on the EX series existing technology and accessories. For an EX1 user like me this means I can continue to use the media and batteries that I’ve already invested in for my EX1 as well as the knowledge and experienced I’ve gained in using that camera.

I can’t wait to try one!

Check out my F3 Anatomy & Thoughts page

For a full run-down of the F3K’s tech specs and features check out Sony’s official product page.