I saw the Sony A7s when I was at NAB. Nice retro looking little 12 megapixel full frame mirrorless that also shoots 4K video, but not internally unfortunately. Retail price is $2498. Thats a little higher than I thought it would be since the Panasonic GH4 came in under $2K at $1698 and does record 4K internally and does so very well.
One impressive feature is how this camera can practically shoot in the dark with ISO levels going as high as 409600. That’s insane! And it looks really good. Samples at the end of the post.
The NEX mount is versatile allowing the A7s to use Nikon and Canon mount lenses. The Metabones EF to NEX adapter gives full control of the electronic iris making the A7s an easy camera to add if you own either Nikon or Canon lenses already. I wish an electronic EF adapter existed for Micro Four Thirds.
No line skipping here. The 12.2-megapixel full-frame sensor is doing a full pixel read out from the sensor making the image cleaner with less moire and aliasing. Internal 1080p is recorded at 50 Mbps XAVC S Codec. The A7s was designed as a video camera in a stills body. Truly a different turn for the Hybrid camera. And you thought the HDSLR was going away?
As for audio maybe the Sony XLR-K1M unit will also work with the A7s making it a very full featured video camera with proper audio inputs.
Check out the rig Sony had for it with the Atomos Shogun below.
Product Highlights
- 12.2MP Full-Frame Exmor CMOS Sensor
- BIONZ X Image Processor
- Gapless On-Chip Lens Design
- 3.0″ 921.6k-Dot Tilting LCD Monitor
- XGA 2.36M-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
- Full HD Recording in XAVC S
- 4:2:2 UHD 4K Output via HDMI
- Full Pixel Read-Out, S-Log2 Gamma
- Expandable Sensitivity: ISO 50-409600
- Fast Intelligent 25-Point AF System
The Sony A7s is available for pre order from Amazon and B&H for $2498.
Who would buy the A7s? Well I think I would love to have one but I feel I already own a few cameras that give me some of the benefits the A7s offers. Low light HD? I have a C100. 4K? I have the GH4. This makes it a tough decision.
For a stills camera low light shooting will be amazing but you will be limited to 12.2 megapixels. Thats about half what you get from a 5D MKIII 22.3 MP. For video no internal 4K. It’s hard to believe I’m actually writing this but the GH4 has it and it’s very good. Low light and full pixel read out is the big selling point for me with the A7s. It’s a pretty big advancement in video from a hybrid stills camera. For now I’m on a pre order but still weighing the options. I would need the $400 Metabones adapter and if I want to shoot in 4K then the $2K Atomos Shogun would also be needed. Now it’s getting expensive. I do miss not having a full frame stills camera. Oh the delema. What do you think? Is the A7s the hybrid you have been waiting for?
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How come people keep ignoring the dynamic range of this camera? BH Photo has stated that the expected DR is between 14-16 stops, which should be more important than 4K and all the other nonsense people are talking about. The DR coupled with the low light performance means that this is the perfect tool for a cinematographer!
I hadn’t seen this DR number before but I wouldn’t call all the other notables nonsense. When Sony adds S-Log2 gamma to a camera you know it it’s going to be able to take a grade in post. This camera is very impressive on a lot of fronts.
Nonsense is a strong word to use, but I think DR and sensitivity should come before 4K. It’s not that the A7s can’t record 4K it’s just not internally.
The fact that a camera this small with a full frame sensor can shoot in 4K is mind blowing to me. Add the low light sensitivity and S-Log gamma it’s impressive. I like 4K. Maybe the masses aren’t ready but for acquisition and editing in HD it really makes for a impressive finished product. The A7s is an impressive camera. I’m really curious how it will match the Sony FS700. If it does that would make the A7s a great B-Cam. You going to pick one up?
Totally forgot about S-log! I am most certainly going to buy it. Currently shooting raw on a 5D Mark III and to me this is the only camera I would use instead of the 5D (at that price point) I would never use a GH4 on a job, it might be reliable and have some nice features, but the final image means more to me. I haven’t been impressed with any of the footage taken yet – not because it isn’t done by talented people, but because the way the camera renders the images is, to me, not very pleasing.