A74

Peter C.

Peter C.

Veteran
I recently saw the A73 go on sale that is a signal to me they're getting ready to release the A74. What do you want to see added or improved and do you think they will actually upgrade from the previous version? What features do you think they will leave off so it doesn't compete with the A7S3? I've been holding out for this camera because the S version is a great camera but it's a little too expensive for what I need mainly a low light and gimbal camera.

Autofocus: this seems like a no brainer
4k 60p: this also seems likely
No Time limit: not sure if this will be included
Flip Screen: again would make sense but not sure
Higher resolution LCD/viewfinder: I don't see them doing it because this is an R feature
10bit: Nice but not sure.
Price: $2,200 this would be reasonable
 
a7III dropped $150 or so 6 months after its release in 2018. (It's down $300 now, so that's nicer.)

Just the way of the camera world...99% have sales after 6 months, less if they aren't moving.

___

Some think the a7C has replaced that line but if we're playing...

Most likely 4K/30p, 8-bit (422 external) with improved AF and no limit (like the others). Flip screen exists on the a7C so that's most likely a standard moving forward (for $1K+).

All of the above is the a7C.

IMO, Sony cannot provide 4K/60p to any camera below the a7SIII for a year or so.
 
Peter C. said:
I recently saw the A73 go on sale that is a signal to me they're getting ready to release the A74. What do you want to see added or improved and do you think they will actually upgrade from the previous version? What features do you think they will leave off so it doesn't compete with the A7S3? I've been holding out for this camera because the S version is a great camera but it's a little too expensive for what I need mainly a low light and gimbal camera.

Autofocus: this seems like a no brainer
4k 60p: this also seems likely
No Time limit: not sure if this will be included
Flip Screen: again would make sense but not sure
Higher resolution LCD/viewfinder: I don't see them doing it because this is an R feature
10bit: Nice but not sure.
Price: $2,200 this would be reasonable
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A74 may inherit the 10bit feature, but because it is the base model, totally unknown. In my opinion, the A7 and A7r shoot just as well as the A7s, but the A7s just usually gets the better video features first. Seems to help it fill a niche of being for low light shooters and videographers, and hybrid people are more likely to go A7, and avid stills shooters may prefer the A7r and A9. Overall, Sony has a better eco system than Red's DSMC and Canon's line up. Just that until recently the A7 series has not had very good codecs.
 
I think the rumor is that the a7iv is coming late next year. I wonder what the codecs will be. I'm guessing 10-bit but no alI-intra. 4k60 but no 120. I think I'd rather have an A7SIII and a7iv than 2 a7siii's because the differentiation gives you extra versatility. Plus it should be a bit cheaper than the a7s. But I'm really going to try not to buy another camera next year because I kind of have all my bases covered now
 
A lot depends on the price. If it replaces A7III in the sub-$2,000 category, Sony will definitely cripple the codec (although 8-bit in 2021 might turn it into a paperweight). In which case, the 10-bit XAVC at 100 Mbps should be the ballpark guess. If it's $2,500, as speculated on SAR, then it should have 10-bit H265 at 100 and 200 Mbps. 4K/60, 1080/120. Nay on the external recordings.
 
DLD said:
A lot depends on the price. If it replaces A7III in the sub-$2,000 category, Sony will definitely cripple the codec (although 8-bit in 2021 might turn it into a paperweight). In which case, the 10-bit XAVC at 100 Mbps should be the ballpark guess. If it's $2,500, as speculated on SAR, then it should have 10-bit H265 at 100 and 200 Mbps. 4K/60, 1080/120. Nay on the external recordings.
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Yeah, 8bit in a 4K HDR world is a no-go, even for consumers. If sony sells the A74 with 10bit, then users will also have to upgrade their TV. Win win for everyone.
 
BTW, A7III is down to $1,700 in Black Friday/Christmas promotions. Maybe Sony won't have to wait until the next fall for 7IV. If one looks at the releases from their full frame competitors/customers, Panasonic released S5, Nikon Z6II/Z7II and Fuji announced a pixel-shift firmware upgrade to GFX 100 (medium format but Fuji doesn't make full frame). Sony's turn should be coming up.
 
DLD said:
BTW, A7III is down to $1,700 in Black Friday/Christmas promotions. Maybe Sony won't have to wait until the next fall for 7IV. If one looks at the releases from their full frame competitors/customers, Panasonic released S5, Nikon Z6II/Z7II and Fuji announced a pixel-shift firmware upgrade to GFX 100 (medium format but Fuji doesn't make full frame). Sony's turn should be coming up.
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Such a strange time.

For the last 12years they have been improving too slow, and now it is going so fast. Yet, they still have that 13stops DR ceiling.
 
There's also an "education discount" that brings the price down to $1,450. (I've been self-educating for about 30 years. I wonder if I am eligible).

As to releases, there was a long delay after the 7.0 Kumamoto Earthquake (April, 16, 2016) that heavily damaged the Sony sensor plant. And since, Canon aside, everyone buys their sensors from Sony, that put a kibosh on new product for about a year. Even after the plant had returned to full capacity, there was first a need to restock the store shelves with the existing models.

Now, it's Covid. Olympus is (almost) down and out and Nikon is leaking water in all directions. Panasonic is floating aimlessly without releasing a new MFT GH piece. Which bring the industry down to 2 1/2. Canon, with its newly found "damn the torpedoes" attitude, is leading the pack.
 
Sony Alpha Rumors relays a bit from Nokis/hita that Sony registered a new ILC. He thinks it'll be an R5 challenger, something with A9 in the name. If so, A7IV may be delayed a bit.

Or it could be A7IV. But probably not.
 
DLD said:
Sony Alpha Rumors relays a bit from Nokis/hita that Sony registered a new ILC. He thinks it'll be an R5 challenger, something with A9 in the name. If so, A7IV may be delayed a bit.

Or it could be A7IV. But probably not.
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Thinking they might make an A9R variant?
 
James0b57 said:
Thinking they might make an A9R variant?
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Sony has to. They can't just yield to Canon on the 8K exclusivity in the "enthusiast" sector. If the rumors are correct - big body, 50 MPX for stills, 8K, no overheating (fake or otherwise).

Now, that will do to FX-6 is another story. The FX line comes from the pro division but the big money is, obviously, in the consumer sector. So, much like with Canon, the performance can be far superior to both FX-6 and FX-9.

Canon is supposed to respond with C-50 (low end) and C-90 (higher end) to round off their C-XX lineup. That would give them three different models at/under $10,000. Sony then could/should issue FX-9II with 6K external Raw without the interface and a high bit rate internal H265.

PS. FX-6 seems to have a lot of quirks. Some might be subject to firmware upgrades; some to the individual workarounds, some to permanence. Until FX-6II.
 
DLD said:
Sony has to. They can't just yield to Canon on the 8K exclusivity in the "enthusiast" sector. If the rumors are correct - big body, 50 MPX for stills, 8K, no overheating (fake or otherwise).

Now, that will do to FX-6 is another story. The FX line comes from the pro division but the big money is, obviously, in the consumer sector. So, much like with Canon, the performance can be far superior to both FX-6 and FX-9.

Canon is supposed to respond with C-50 (low end) and C-90 (higher end) to round off their C-XX lineup. That would give them three different models at/under $10,000. Sony then could/should issue FX-9II with 6K external Raw without the interface and a high bit rate internal H265.

PS. FX-6 seems to have a lot of quirks. Some might be subject to firmware upgrades; some to the individual workarounds, some to permanence. Until FX-6II.
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The FX series has BNC and internal ND, so they are fine. They just literally "F"d up by ignoring the EVF situation. Other than that, the disparity between bodies is a big enough reason to go for the FX over A series cameras in the professional video world, and for everyone else? Well, they were already just going to get the A series anyways.
 
My take is that, unless there are comparable and comparably priced pro cameras, there'll be a lot of Frankenrigs similar to those in the 5D MKII/GH-3 era. The allure of the 8K will be too enticing for a lot of narrative filmmakers, who are not under time or shooting conditions constraints. On top of that, consumer style units are perfectly suitable for the gimbal work. So, if one can conjure up an 8K A7SIV, it'd probably sell like hotcakes.
 
Nokis'hita is reporting that Sony registered two (secret) cameras with FCC (which it has to do due to the WiFi connections). Them could be the expected R5 competitor (named A9 something) and A7IV.

Or it could be an electric car. Who knows.
 
Doubt that Sony will let the a7mk4 be a big enough improvement (otherwise steps on the a7Smk3 toes) to beat the very capable and well priced Panasonic S5.

Maybe if they wait until late 2021 to release it. But by then Panasonic/Fujifilm/Nikon/etc will have lots of their own new cameras released, and yet more firmware updates released for the S5 / X-T4 / Z6mk2 / etc
 
IronFilm said:
Doubt that Sony will let the a7mk4 be a big enough improvement (otherwise steps on the a7Smk3 toes) to beat the very capable and well priced Panasonic S5.
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I dont think they'll worry about protecting the A7S3. The market for the a7iv is vastly bigger. Plus the A7S3 will still be distinguished (4k120p, faster RS, better lowlight) and many of its potential buyers may have already bought in (like me).
 
ahalpert said:
I dont think they'll worry about protecting the A7S3. The market for the a7iv is vastly bigger. Plus the A7S3 will still be distinguished (4k120p, faster RS, better lowlight) and many of its potential buyers may have already bought in (like me).
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Low light Sensitivity is very important in video because we are locked into 1/48th to 1/120th shutter speeds most of the time. And Holding focus at f1.2 is swimmy.

For stills, shallow dof and slower shutter speeds and frame by frame denoise in camera, as well as AI noise reduction tools exist and make sensitivity less of a concern these days.
 
I can see them holding back something video centric like 10bit to differentiate the A7S3 from the A74. They can’t have the same features. I think it will be a larger version of the a7c with 4k 60 being differential between those cameras.
 
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I dont think they can or will hold back 10-bit. I mean they could but I doubt it.

Didn't the a7iii have similar codecs etc to a7sii?
 
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