3 Reasons the Sony FR7 is a Fantastic Studio Camera for Video Production

The Sony FR7 is mounted on a custom-designed platform to allow for adjustment of the vertical elevation.

In our work designing and installing broadcast video studios, we evaluate all kinds of equipment, but the camera is the key to a great system. We recently evaluated Sony’s new FR7 PTZ video camera for a new studio for a corporate client who needs to communicate with employees worldwide. The camera combines the cinematic look of Sony’s highly sought after cinema cameras with the flexibility and automation of a traditional studio camera.

Here are three features we liked for broadcast studio application.  

 

Control

The Sony FR7 has several control options. Here we are using the Web App and the full-size remote-control panel to showcase a vehicle in our studio space. The monitor allows our video crew to keep an eye on the image, similar to the Web App.

The camera can be operated from a full-size remote-control panel with a joystick for movement or Sony’s new Web App, which can be accessed via a tablet or laptop when connected to the same network. Where the control panel allows for precise camera movements, the Web App’s strengths are in its comprehensive and easy-to-use camera settings layout. Switching between controllers is seamless and intuitive. Your video production team can even create preset camera positions that can be brought up with the push of a button and swapped between with ease. 

 

Flexibility

The Sony FR7 shows off its wide range of motion while a multi-colored light plays over it. This piece of video equipment has multiple options for lens as well, adding to its flexibility.

Unlike other PTZ cameras, the FR7 features an interchangeable lens mount, allowing additional flexibility with the positioning of your subjects  

The FR7 can rotate within 340 degrees of the horizontal axis and 225 degrees of the vertical axis, making it very flexible for capturing moving or multiple subjects without needing to change the camera’s position. 

 

Auto-Focus

With Sony’s Real-time Eye Auto-Focus tracking there’s no need for your camera crew to worry about your subject falling out of focus, even when moving at high speeds. For other kinds of productions, Sony’s Web App makes it easy to set your auto-focus with touch focusing. Just tap or click on your subject and the FR7 will keep them in focus. 

 

Case Study

 

In our most recent broadcast studio development project, our client needed to mount the camera vertically. We designed and created a custom mounting option to fit the measurements of the camera, without blocking any of the necessary connection ports. This allows the elevation to be easily modified, compared to traditional mounting methods, making it ideal for high-level corporate video meetings.   

In summary, Sony’s FR7 video camera is great for studio production. With its easy-to-use web app, someone without any camera operation experience can set up multiple preset camera angles, allow auto-focus to keep their subjects sharp, and adjust brightness levels automatically. Sony’s cinematic focus brings this camera a step above its competitors, with an image quality just as detailed and appealing as in modern films and commercial videos. 

Talk to one of our experts and see if this camera will work with your next broadcast studio. Production Craft has installed broadcast studios for almost 40 years, all around the country, for clients such as William Blair, Lockton Companies, and CNBC.  

Production Craft is a video production company based in Chicago, serving markets worldwide.

We are proud to be a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) certified by the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP) and the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC).

Video StudioDawn ArnoldVideo equipment, Broadcast Studio Integration, Video studio