A7SII 4k LCD Monitor Brightness Dealbreaker

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blafarm

Active member
I just started testing the A7SII outside on a sunny day, set to record XAVC-S 4k, with the LCD Monitor Brightness set to Sunny Weather.
In every shooting mode, after hitting the record button, the monitor dims to a point that makes it nearly impossible to see in bright sunlight.
This happens whether Live View is enabled -- or not. And it does not happen when shooting 1080 HD (although the screen dims a little bit).
Interestingly, the same thing happens in the EVF.
This could very well be a deal breaker for me. I can't shoot -- what I can't see.
Am I missing something here?
 
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Yes that is normal operation, in 4k mode the camera doss not support the brighter LCD settings. I assume this is related to heat or power consumption but it's built into the menus. I think if you try to select bright mode while in 4k mode it gives you an error and says it is not available because of 4k mode.
 
I see no reason why this decision is being made for us. I shoot clips that are typically no longer than 60 seconds. Therefore, the chance of overheating is zero. However, this default (and unchangeable) behavior makes it impossible to see what I am shooting in bright sunlight without using the EVF -- which is impossible for a good number of shots. I bought this camera to avoid the necessity of lugging around extra equipment -- now it seems and external monitor is required for bright exterior shoots. Very disappointed.
 
I would assume it is a power consumption issue. I remember the Odyssey 7Q had similiar brightness issues when doing high frame rates. They eventually found a work around, but the explanation was that there is only so much battery & CPU power to go around, and in order to be able to record so much data they had to pull power from somewhere else or else there would be recording errors. Given the tiny batteries that are used with the A7s ii, I would assume something similiar is happening. They can either dim the screen, or you can deal with occassional glitches and errors. Not surprising that Sony went with the first.

Obviously, none of this helps you so it may be worth returning. I personally never shoot without an external monitor, and don't find it to really be much more of a hassle even. I'm actually surprised you found the on camera monitor even usable in sunlight at full brightness since whenever I used the A7s, I found it pretty worthless for judging exposure and focus. The smallhd 501 (or 502) is a pretty ideal pairing with the A7s ii if you decide to go for one.
 
I do find it annoying but it's hardly a deal breaker. They sure for a lot of features into a body half the size of an SLR so it's not crazy to imagine there would be some limitations. Maybe invest in a nice evf eye cup and use that in bright environments?
 
Strouty said:
The smallhd 501 (or 502) is a pretty ideal pairing with the A7s ii if you decide to go for one.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and yes, I've thought about that.
Just can't use an external monitor for some of my work.
Also wondering if SmallHD will release a high NIT version of that form factor at NAB 2016.
 
nyvz said:
Maybe invest in a nice evf eye cup and use that in bright environments?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a frankensteined Hoodeye that I use with a Kinotehnik Blue Star Oval Small Eye Cushion. It does vignette the EVF.

I'm hoping this upcoming Hoodeye product, made specifically for the A7 series, solves that problem:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1165087-REG/hoodman_heyesg_hoodeye_for_glasses_sony.html

Still, there are plenty of situations where having your head glued to the camera simply does not work.
 
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