Rumor: Sony A7s will have 4K video

Makes me wonder how the Odyssey 7Q is going to figure in all of this. Remember the Atomos Shogun uses non-proprietary media, so a lot cheaper...
 
Quick recap:

The A7s is probably my next camera.
For me, it's basically a C100 for under half the price.
(with a much better EVF but without XLR or internal NDs, and with the option to shoot 4K by dropping another $2K for the shogun; which I can get in the future if I need it)

My alternative would be to go cheaper and get an A6000+speedbooster+ninja. That would give me:
* FF FoV and DoF (with SpeedBooster)
* mostly clean of aliasing/moire (though there's still some)
* good 1080p24 internally, great with ninja
* decent 1080p60 internally, great with ninja
* decent DR (better than Canon 5D2, slightly worse than Nikon D5300) (guessing it's the same as in the 5N)
* very nice screen and EVF
* very nice peaking

What the A7s adds over that, in order of importance (to me):
* much better internal codec (really: even if it's 8-bit 420, it's VERY NICE 8-bit 420; loking at the fstopacademy clip, I'd put this on par with the C100 in this respect)
* much better DR (still have to see how much, and this is probably going to be the deciding factor)
* completely free of aliasing/moire
* 120fps (albeit at 720p and with crop)
* one extra stop of high-ISO (guessing ISO 12K on the A7s has the same noise as ISO 3200 on the A6000, which gets a free stop with the SB) (this is absolutely crazy; at ISO 1600 + speedbooster, my 5N already sees better in the dark than I do)
* shoots 8-bit 422 4K if I drop another $2K on it

The first 3 points of that list are very compelling. And a price of around $2K seems very reasonable.


Also: note that BH has marked the C100 as "item is not returnable" ---> replacement probably around the corner
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/889545-REG/Canon_EOS_C100_EF_Cinema.html
edit --> I later found out that this is not there for the AF-enabled C100, so it's probably just that
 
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It's going to be a really interesting week, the A7s has set the price/performance bar high. I'm feeling pretty relaxed this year, the MK3 raw is working well for me but I'm a camera slut, I won't be able to resist something better as long as I can get my hands on it by August.
 
So I figure Blackmagic have another camera coming (hopefully with an OLPF), and there's the C200, anything else?

14+ stops and a global shutter are the 2 main things on my shopping list.
 
Dunno. It's not like Canon be update so soon but there's so much competition in the market who knows?
 
Personally, I doubt it. Canon is a very conservative organization. They typically have 3.5 year life cycles. I can't see them undercutting their line with 4K in that manner.
 
Yes, but...

Samuel H said:
Also: note that BH has marked the C100 as "item is not returnable" ---> replacement probably around the corner
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/889545-REG/Canon_EOS_C100_EF_Cinema.html
Click to expand...


edit: wait... that sign is not on the AF version of the C100, which is only available for preorder --> probably related to that, forget what I said
 
Since DR is going to be my deciding factor, and Sony's claims are identical to Slog2 on the F5 ("1300%")... here's what I've found around the web:

* I think the C100 has around 1 stop better DR than the 5D3+RAW
* The 5D2+RAW is an improvement from my 5N of around one stop (here)
* Everything I've found online points to the F5 Slog2 having clearly better DR than the C100/C300 (including this and this)

So I think the A7s should have at least 3 stops better DR than the A6000.
 
Samuel H said:

* completely free of aliasing/moire
Click to expand...


hmm ...either vimeo player is doing some funky stuff, but there was aliasing on fstopacademy video...first shots from areal footage, rocks and ground had aliasing, other shots were free of moire and aliasing...i hope its just vimeo player, other than that, i agree, a7s is very very interesting new camera.
 
mcnys said:
hmm ...either vimeo player is doing some funky stuff, but there was aliasing on fstopacademy video...first shots from areal footage, rocks and ground had aliasing, other shots were free of moire and aliasing...
Click to expand...

100% clean of moire and aliasing on my screen. You are looking at it 100% (fullscreen if HD) yes?
 
Samuel H said:
Since DR is going to be my deciding factor, and Sony's claims are identical to Slog2 on the F5 ("1300%")... here's what I've found around the web:

* I think the C100 has around 1 stop better DR than the 5D3+RAW
* The 5D2+RAW is an improvement from my 5N of around one stop (here)
* Everything I've found online points to the F5 Slog2 having clearly better DR than the C100/C300 (including this and this)

So I think the A7s should have at least 3 stops better DR than the A6000.
Click to expand...

And forget about the non existing internal ND - with that insane ISO you simply let the vary ND attached at night (not a totally serious comment).

Now the serious part: I would like to see heavy grading compared to the GH4 INTERNAL codec but giving the GH4 the advantage of 4K acquisition - but with the final output in HD. That's where things become decisive for me.
 
yoclay said:
Ok, here's a really dumb question.
Why the heck, with such a small form factor of the a7s, has Atomos chosen to make a 7" screen for it?
It's so much larger than the camera and people are going to mount it to the hotshoe?
Really, this kind of thing is just stupid. It says to me once again that the people manufacturing aren't shooters.
Unless of course it wasn't really made for it and that whole speech is a bunch of marketing malarky.
Click to expand...
Yes, the Shogun is obviously not only made for the A7s. Also, getting focus right with 4K is a *****. You need a good (large) monitor anyway.

I hope Atomos gets license to record FS700 raw/ProRes with the Shogun. Would be nice with an alternative to the 7Q...
 
mcnys said:
hmm ...either vimeo player is doing some funky stuff, but there was aliasing on fstopacademy video...first shots from areal footage, rocks and ground had aliasing, other shots were free of moire and aliasing...i hope its just vimeo player, other than that, i agree, a7s is very very interesting new camera.
Click to expand...

I see a few flying pixels in my better TV, nothing on cheaper screens. In any case, I would consider this basically clean.

I'm looking for it and can't find it: does anybody have a DR comparison between F5 or F55 and blackmagic cameras?
 
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Do autofocus & aperture for Canon lenses work with the A7 and the metabones adapter? This thing looks exciting enough for just the onboard HD never mind 4k. Could be a nice 5dmk3 replacement if so...
 
Samuel H said:
Also: note that BH has marked the C100 as "item is not returnable" ---> replacement probably around the corner
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/889545-REG/Canon_EOS_C100_EF_Cinema.html
Click to expand...

Good spot Samuel!

The C100, C300, & C500, are all marked "item not returnable" at B&H, Adorama, & Samy's Camera.

Hope that means an imminent announcement!

Best,
Bern

EDIT: Just saw your follow up post about AutoFocus. Hope that's not what it's all about.
 
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To me the A7s looks like it addresses just about everything I hate about my Blackmagic Pocket, namely the unusable rear LCD, controls and the crazy crop. I use mostly manual lenses anyway, namely Zeiss C/Y and Samyang on my 5d3/pocket combo and Metabones has the EF adapter so I can control the aperture on my EF lenses on Nex bodies. I'm already selling my pocket in favor of a GH4 and I may pick up a A7s when released if it comes in around $1700 - but that seems low IMHO. If that price holds and the internal 1080p is in the C100 territory, I'm definitively getting one.
 
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