Sony NEX-FS100UK Super 35mm Sensor Camcorder with 18-200mm Zoom Lens, 3.5" LCD, 1920x1080p Quick Motion, Memory Stick, SD/SDHC/SDXC Recording

Awesome camera

I've divided this review into 3 sections: Design, Image Quality and Pros/Cons (summary)DESIGNBefore I start, let me clarify that this is my first Super 35mm camera, and my previous camera was a Sony HVR Z5U which was stolen. I know that, while my previous Z5U was made mostly for handheld, this camera is mostly intended for use on a Tripod... and in fact I own a nice Sachtler precisely for that purpose. But I do all sorts of videos (event coverage, TV commercials, corporate, promotional studio pieces, etc) so very often I end up having to get off my tripod to get more dynamic shots. And when it comes to hand-held, this camera sucks: the handle is way off to the right side, and the camera is so wide that its center of gravity is far from your hand. The result? It takes a lot of strength to keep it level, and even after a few minutes of doing so, your hand will let you know it does NOT like what's happening. But I knew this even before I bought it, thanks to other reviewers on BH Photo, who also warned me about the lack of a handle, servo zoom, and built-in ND filters. So I bought a shoulder brace, a variable ND filter, and practiced manual zooming a lot, and that fixes MOST of the problem. However, if you have both the side handle and a shotgun mike connected, their respective cables tend to get in the way of you grip, which is not great. And a shoulder brace restricts a lot of the movements you can make, so I'm finding myself learning to shoot again, after 10+ years in the business! Pans and tilts now have to be done with my whole body, not just my arms...Another design problem that bothers me is how important buttons are located UNDER the LCD screen, so if you're using the included viewer, it is tough to, for example, make audio adjustments. Now that I mention the LCD screen, you can 'hold' it in a fixed position using a friction wheel, but it doesn't seem to work perfectly, and I always forget it's 'locked' so I end up trying to move it, which surely will deteriorate the mechanism over time. It is also hard to reach/see the Manual/auto focus, expanded focus, and iris dials, particularly if you're locked into a fixed position by the shoulder brace.The main menu and picture profiles were very similar to my old Z5U, so for me they were extremely easy to use, although I do remember that my first time around they took a little concentration and memory. It's nice to have access to the main menu from two spots: on top (yes, underneath the viewer) or to the side. One huge surprise: NO TIME LAPSE FUNCTION!!! There's even an iPhone app for that, and a camera of this caliber doesn't have it? Crazy.IMAGE QUALITYNo complaints here. Obviously the huge sensor can handle much more than the kit lens can throw at it. Speaking of the kit lens, its range is great (18-200), its definition is average (not as crisp focus as my 24-105 Canon L Lens, which in turn is not as crisp as a fixed 50MM lens), autofocus is a bit on the slow side and one thing I didn't expect: the zoom ring is pretty tough! It takes some serious practice to pull off nice steady zooms. Now, if you're a serious videographer you will want both Prime lenses and the NEX-Prime adapter, and you won't mind that there's no autofocus because you'll have some sort of focus assist. I'm planning on updating this section soon with a short video to demonstrate quality differences compared to my Canon 5D MkII, since Image Quality is such a subjective topic. I can say it has the equivalent of ISO 16000 (yes, 3 zeros) so the light sensitivity on this is spectacular.SUMMARYPROS:Image Quality (as good as the lens you use)Versatility (can be configured many ways)LightLogical, easy to use shortcut buttonstwo XLR inputsexcellent sound managementCan use SDHC cards or a special Flash drive for storage, or both simultaneously.Can dump your files directly to a USB device, no need to go through a computer.CONS:No top handleNo Time Lapse FunctionTerrible for hand-held"boxy" designWill post updates with more details once this thing gets some heavy-duty use.

VERY NICE

Good seller. Great camera.

All right, I recommend.

Excelent product

I have owned one of these for well over three years and when they dropped the price recently I bought another one. The camera is super durable, and it's about as good as you get in low light. I don't know of any camera that performs as well in low light. That said, be warned that this is not a great camera for people who are used to things like power zoom, built in microphones, etc. There is a separate mic that comes with it and get really good audio actually, but it is a separate piece, so if you forget to bring it your SOL. Some people have complained to me about the button configuration, but honestly I have used it for so long I'm very used to it so I wont comment beyond that if you find it confusing, you'll get used to it. Biggest and really only flaw in my opinion is the stock lens sucks... That said, I have used it many times in a pinch, but I bought a metabones smart adaptor and put on a sigma 17-70 and the results were amazing. Truly night and day. I would honestly recommend buying this camera without the lens and buying a better lens with the saved money... It has 2 channel XLR inputs, which work great. I am impressed with the quality of the auto audio setting. It doesn't bounce around much, and it really works great when needed. Likewise, the slow motion shooting option is amazing. I have used in many times, and it is really great looking! The touch screen is a nice plus as well though I generally like using the buttons, but you do get both options. I feel like I'm missing something, but I will tell you that at the new price point for this camera, it's a complete steal. It's such a great quality camera that it's my go to day to day camera for shooting interviews and B-roll. Are there better new cameras out there? Sure, but they're also gonna cost you 4x as much $$$.Edit June 23, 2015: I wasn't thinking about it as I generally don't use autofocus, but the metabones adaptor wont allow for autofocus with the Canon glass.