Sony NEX-FS700R and NEX-FS700RH announced with new firmware

Sony has announced two new camcorders, the NEX-FS700R and NEX-FS700RH, to replace the current NEX-FS700 4K video camera series.

The Sony NEX-FS700 has become official earlier in 2013 as a camcorder capable of recording 2K and 4K RAW videos. This device, like many others, supports E-mount lenses, which are aimed at Super 35mm CMOS image sensors.

Sony NEX-FS700R 4K video camcorder is now official alongside the NEX-FS700RH version, which also comes with the SELP-18200 lens. The two devices will be released soon.

Sony introduces NEX-FS700R and NEX-FS700RH 4K video recording cameras

There have been a lot of talks that the NEX-FS700 will be replaced by two versions as soon as this summer. However, it seems like Sony has been waiting for the fall to show up. The new NEX-FS700R and NEX-FS700RH 4K video camcorders have been unveiled officially, but they do not represent huge upgrades over their predecessor.

According to the Japanese manufacturer, there are only two changes available to videographers. The first allows users to record 4K and 2K RAW videos on external recorders, while the other one enables S-Log2, a gamma mode to provide a broader dynamic range.

Sony NEX-FS700R and NEX-FS700RH camcorders are almost identical

Potential customers will immediately notice that the product names of the Sony NEX-FS700R and NEX-FS700RH are very similar. If they are wondering what the difference is between the two models, they should know that it is all about the SELP-18200 lens.

The company says that the NEX-FS700R comes without the 18-200mm 11x optical zoom lens, while the NEX-FS700RH will also pack the optic. Both models sport a built-in ND filter and support slow-motion recording at 120fps.

The SELP-18200 E-mount lens features Optical SteadyShot technology and it is aimed at camcorders. Its maximum aperture spreads across f/3.5 and f/6.3 depending on the selected focal length. It is available for purchase at Amazon for $1,198.

The two 4K video cameras to be released in the near future

Shortly after that, videographers will notice that it is also hard to distinguish the new versions from the older one. In reality, the reason for that is because the Sony NEX-FS700R and NEX-FS700RH come with firmware version 3.0 pre-installed.

Owners of the NEX-FS700 can get this update, too, with both the aforementioned features. However, they cannot do it themselves, so they will have to ship it to Sony, which will perform the necessary adjustments. The downside is that this procedure is fairly expensive, therefore new customers will save a lot of time by getting the new camcorders.

Sony says that the new pair will be released in the following  weeks for about $8,100 and $9,050 for the SELP-18200 lens version.