Sony Updates the A7s MKII with Internal 4K and 5 Axis IBIS

I wasn’t expecting Sony to be updating the A7s today but hey why not! I mean it’s Sony we are talking about here. Okay so whats new in the A7s MKII? Here are the highlights

• 12.2MP Full-Frame Exmor CMOS Sensor
• BIONZ X Image Processor
• Internal UHD 4K 30 & 1080p120 Recording
• S-Log3 Gamma and Display Assist Function
• Slog3 base ISO is 1600
• 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
• 0.5″ 2.36m-Dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF
• 3.0″ 1,228,800-Dot Tilting LCD Monitor
• Up to 5 fps Shooting and ISO 409600
• Fast Intelligent AF, 169 AF Points
• Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC
• Record trigger now can be selected to any programable buttons except the shutter release. Ugh!

The A7s MKII retails for $2,999.00 and available for purchase on Thu, Sep 17 12AM

The big one is internal 4K and the 5 Axis Image stabilization with added S-Log3 Gamma and S-Gamut3 in addition to S-Log2. The base ISO for Slog3 is 1600. Much better than than the 3200 ISO of the A7s. Slog3 is the preferred log format for the A7s MKII.

The A7S II doesn’t do pixel binning when recording 4K in full frame mode. The image will be better than the a7R II since there is much less pixels to work with compared to the a7R II 42 mega pixels. Unfortunately the A7s MKII cant record 4K internally in APS-C crop mode. 4K recording is in full frame mode only.

The α7S II offers 120fps Full HD recording and 4x/5x slow motion recording.
Full pixel readout without pixel binning at 120fps (100fps) in combination with ultra-high sensitivity allows the α7S II to record high-quality, low-noise, high-frame-rate Full HD movies*. 120fps (100fps) capability also makes possible internal recording of 4x/5x slow motion movies with frame rate set at 30p (25p) or 24p. Otherwise, Full HD footage shot at 120fps can also be recorded with 100Mbps high bit rate.
* Pixels to be read are limited to the sensor area that is required for Full HD movies.

The A7s MKII has a Gamma Display Assist that helps to preview imagery with natural contrast by converting S-Log2 and S-Log3 settings to the ITU709 gamma for easier on-camera viewing. This is a very helpful feature. Basically it’s a built in LUT.

The EVF seems to be the same as far as pixel count. It has a high 0.78x-magnification Tru-Finder OLED electronic viewfinder. With a resolution of 2.36-million dots and a Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating, this finder benefits working in a variety of lighting conditions and is capable of previewing exposure and settings adjustments prior to recording. A rear 3.0″ 1,228,800-dot LCD screen is also available.

The auto focus points have been much improved to Contrast Detection:169 as compared to the Contrast Detection:25 This should make AF work much better.

A7s MKII Video Resolution

3840 x 2160: 30 fps, 24 fps, 25 fps
1920 x 1080: 120 fps, 100 fps
1920 x 1080: 60 fps, 50 fps, 30 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps

As for higher frame rates the A7s MKII improves to full HD at 120 fps compared to 1280 x 720: 120 fps of the A7s.

This one is surprising and maybe a miss-print but the physical size or the A7s MKII is smaller that the original.
It’s now 4.6 x 2.7 x 1.5″ / 116.8 x 68.6 x 38.1 mm
The original is 5.0 x 3.7 x 1.9″ / 126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2 mm
How this will deal with overheating is a mystery to me. The A7MKII has a record limit of 29 min.

The inputs have moved to the same location as the A7rII. I don’t think the HDMI lock will be available anymore since the doors are plastic. I liked the original design better for inputs.

These are the big differences that I can see. I’m still looking for a official Sony release so if things change I’ll update the post and send out a message on Twitter.

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FULL A7S MKII SPECIFICATIONS

Lens Mount – Sony E-Mount

Camera Format  – Full-Frame

Pixels Actual: 12.4 Megapixel

Effective: 12.2 Megapixel

Max Resolution – 4240 x 2832

Aspect Ratio – 3:2, 16:9

Sensor Type / Size CMOS, 35.8 x 23.9 mm

File Formats Still Images: JPEG, RAW

Movies: AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MP4, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, XAVC S

Audio: AAC LC, AC3, Dolby Digital 2ch, Linear PCM (Stereo)

Bit Depth – 14-bit

Dust Reduction – System Yes

Memory Card Type SD

SDHC
SDXC
Memory Stick PRO Duo (High Speed)
Memory Stick PRO HG-Duo

Image Stabilization – Sensor-Shift, 5-Way

AV Recording

Video Recording – Yes, NTSC/PAL

Resolution – 3840 x 2160: 30 fps, 24 fps, 25 fps
1920 x 1080: 120 fps, 100 fps
1920 x 1080: 60 fps, 50 fps, 30 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps

Video Format

4K

XAVC S
3840 x 2160p / 29.97 fps (100 Mbps)
3840 x 2160p / 29.97 fps (60 Mbps)
3840 x 2160p / 23.98 fps (100 Mbps)
3840 x 2160p / 23.98 fps (60 Mbps)
3840 x 2160p / 25 fps (100 Mbps)
3840 x 2160p / 25 fps (60 Mbps)

High Definition

XAVC S
1920 x 1080p / 120 fps (100 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 100 fps (100 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 120 fps (60 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 100 fps (60 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 59.94 fps (50 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 29.97 fps (50 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 23.98 fps (50 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 50 fps (50 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 25 fps (50 Mbps)

High Definition

AVCHD
1920 x 1080p / 59.94 fps (28 Mbps)
1920 x 1080i / 59.94 fps (24 Mbps)
1920 x 1080i / 59.94 fps (17 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 23.98 fps (24 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 23.98 fps (17 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 50 fps (28 Mbps)
1920 x 1080i / 50 fps (24 Mbps)
1920 x 1080i / 50 fps (17 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 25 fps (24 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 25 fps (17 Mbps)

High Definition

MP4
1920 x 1080p / 60 fps (28 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 29.97 fps (16 Mbps)
1280 x 720p / 29.97 fps (6 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 50 fps (28 Mbps)
1920 x 1080p / 25 fps (16 Mbps)
1280 x 720p / 25 fps (6 Mbps)

Aspect Ratio 16:9

Video Clip Length – Up to 29 Min 59 Sec

Audio Recording – Built-in Mic: With Video, Stereo

Optional External Mic: With Video, Stereo + Mono

Focus Control

Focus Type Auto & Manual

Focus Mode Continuous-servo AF (C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus (M), Single-servo AF (S)

Autofocus Points Contrast Detection:169

Viewfinder/Display

Viewfinder Type Electronic

Viewfinder Size 0.5″

Viewfinder Pixel Count 2,359,296

Viewfinder Eye Point 23.00 mm

Viewfinder Coverage 100%

Viewfinder Magnification Approx. 0.78x

Diopter Adjustment – 4 to +3 m

Display Screen 3″ Rear Screen   LCD (1,228,800)

Screen Coverage 100%

Exposure Control

ISO Sensitivity Auto, 100-102400 (Extended Mode: 50-409600)

Shutter Type: Electronic & Mechanical

Speed: 30 – 1/8000 second

Metering Method Center-weighted average metering, Multiple, Spot metering

Exposure Modes Modes: Aperture Priority, Auto, Intelligent Auto, Manual, Movie, Programmed Auto, Scene Selection, Shutter Priority, Superior Auto, Sweep Panorama

Metering Range: EV -3.0 – EV 20.0

Compensation: -5 EV to +5 EV (in 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps)

White Balance Modes Auto, Cloudy, Color Temperature, Color Temperature Filter, Custom, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent (Cool White), Fluorescent (Day White), Fluorescent (Daylight), Fluorescent (Warm White), Incandescent, Shade, Underwater

Burst Rate Up to 5 fps at 12.2 MP for up to 200 frames

Up to 2.5 fps at 12.2 MP for up to 200 frames

Flash

Flash Modes

Auto
Fill-in
Hi-Speed Sync
Off
Rear Sync
Red-eye Reduction
Slow Sync
Wireless

Built-in Flash – No

Max Sync Speed 1 / 250 seconds

Flash Compensation -3 EV to +3 EV (in 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps)

External Flash Connection Hot Shoe

Performance

Continuous Shooting Up to 5 fps

Self Timer 10 seconds, 5 seconds, 2 seconds

Connectivity 1/8″ Headphone, 1/8″ Microphone, HDMI D (Micro), Micro-USB

Wi-Fi Capable – Yes

Power

Battery 1x NP-FW50 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery Pack, 7.4 VDC, 1020 mAh

AC Power Adapter AC-PW20 (Optional)

Operating/Storage Temperature Operating

32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)

Physical

Dimensions (WxHxD) 4.6 x 2.7 x 1.5″ / 116.8 x 68.6 x 38.1 mm

Weight 22.12 oz / 627 g with battery and memory card

Filed in: 4K • A7s • Mirrorless • New Release • Sony
Tagged with: A7s MKII