Description
The Sony FR7 packs a full-frame Cinema Line sensor into a remote pan-tilt-zoom head. So a single operator can cover angles that would normally need a full crew on sticks. It carries a 10.3-effective-megapixel Exmor R sensor and 15+ stops of dynamic range. The body also runs the Sony E-mount lens ecosystem and operates unmanned on set.
A cinema sensor in a PTZ body
Unlike a conventional PTZ camera with a small fixed sensor, the FR7 carries a full-frame 35mm Exmor R sensor. It’s the same sensor Sony uses across its Cinema Line. As a result, footage matches FX6 or FX9 material in depth of field and noise floor.
Dual base ISO of 800 and 12,800 keeps low-light scenes clean. In addition, S-Log3 and Cine EI shooting give colourists the same grading latitude as a standard cinema camera.
Because it takes Sony E-mount glass, the FR7 runs lenses from a compact prime to a remote Power Zoom. That flexibility matters on a shoot where the camera position stays fixed but the framing still needs to change mid-scene.
Remote pan, tilt and zoom control
The head pans from -170° to +170° and tilts from -30° to +195°. Speed adjusts from a crawl of 0.02°/s up to a fast 60°/s.
Operators can store and recall up to 100 presets. This puts repeat setups, such as a fixed interview angle or a wide establishing shot, one command away. So there’s no need to re-light or re-frame each time.
Control runs over IP, either through a dedicated panel or a browser-based interface. PoE++ powers the camera entirely over one cable, carrying power, control and video return together. Meanwhile, built-in linearly variable ND and Fast Hybrid AF with real-time Eye AF handle exposure and focus remotely. No first AC needs to stand next to the rig.
Where it fits on a shoot
Productions reach for the FR7 when a position is too tight, too high, or too exposed for a full crew. A cooking demo is one example, where the operator would otherwise block the shot. A panel or podcast recording that needs a consistent second angle is another. So is a live event where the camera has to sit in the crowd.
It also suits multicam broadcast and virtual production stages. In addition, crews can genlock and timecode-sync several FR7 units to a switcher there.
Because output matches the Cinema Line, editors can drop FR7 footage into an FX3, FX6 or FX9 multicam edit. The PTZ shot won’t look visually separate from the rest of the coverage.
Key features
- Full-frame Exmor R sensor with 15+ stops of dynamic range
- 4K up to 120fps in HFR mode; XAVC Intra and XAVC Long recording; RAW output over 12G-SDI
- Sony E-mount, compatible with Power Zoom and prime lenses
- Pan -170° to +170°, tilt -30° to +195°, 100 presets
- Built-in variable ND, Fast Hybrid AF with Eye AF
- PoE++ powered, IP remote control, genlock and timecode for multicam sync
