Rumor: Sony A7s will have 4K video

Refrain your criticism gentlemen, please. He is an usual reader over these boards and we owe him respect as to any other human being on earth. Aside the fact, he runs one of the most successful corners on web dedicated to indie filmmaking, whether who likes him, whether doesn't. That said, I am used to read his stuff in a regular basis. And I am grateful for his work. As this community should be, aside his polemic character. To be honest, it doesn't bother me not even a bit. Internet would be a much more boring place without him.

E :-)


PS -- OK Christopher, I've just read where is coming from your criticism today and your corrigendum to his homework... In any case, Errare humanum est. The guy is a human, buddy ;)
 
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* A bigger grip would sometimes be better, but I love how small my NEX is
* This could definitely be the camera I've been waiting for... depending on codec and DR (I still think I don't need 4K for anything, but these GH4 crops are SHARP!) (but yeah, no matter how sharp they are, what I want most is better codec and DR)
* 4104x2736 is 11.2 Mpix, that's why I think it will be more like 4230x2820, which takes a 1.03x crop for 4096 and 1.1x for 3840
Exciting times. Hope so.
 
Refrain your criticism gentlemen, please. He is an usual reader over these boards and we owe him respect as to any other human being on earth. Aside the fact, he runs one of the most successful corners on web dedicated to indie filmmaking, whether who likes him, whether doesn't. That said, I am used to read his stuff in a regular basis. And I am grateful for his work. As this community should be, aside his polemic character. To be honest, it doesn't bother me not even a bit. Internet would be a much more boring place without him.

E :-)

I like his posts, because he has that enthusiasm that a lot of us have for new things....but, I also try to remember that his enthusiasm can sometimes color a particular product review.
 
I would love to see 4K at 60fps using XAVC-S at 150Mbps like the AX1 and UHS-II SDXC cards like the new Sandisk 280MB/s Extreme Pro .
 
I sum up Andrew in one word: Hyperbole. I don't hate Andrew. In fact I've defended him on more occasion than criticized him. But his statements on XAVC-S are wrong. At 24P the codec is able to reach 100Mbits and at 60p upwards of 150Mbits. So his "research" was wrong. He's already trying to defend the Gh4 which is driving his traffic this week. The guy rubber necks cameras like no other. One week it's the Gh2, then the hacked MK3, then the BMC2.5k, then the BMC4K, then the Kinfinity, then the FS700, then the pocket cam, then the this cam that cam cam over here cam over there. All of them tested and set to hipster music and he calls himself a cinematographer. Never seen a thing from him with a story of context. Just video blogs of Berlin. I won't even call myself a cinematographer.

Even Philip Bloom will test a camera and pick a storyline or subject and film it in context. So I bet Andrew doesn't know what to do now with the Sony 4K coming. Maybe another 4 day "Production Diary" is in order? Production Diary? Filming in the park needs a Production Diary? I hope his "Production Assistant" isn't getting a back strain holding his "Production Rig".
G44C0107b-660x990.jpg

His post on the Sony A7s is just too speculative. One only has to wait less then TWO DAYS to obtain the facts. The fact that he uses "my inside sources say" is becoming ridiculous. I thank GOD that Andrew doesn't anchor a news program!
 
I think EOSHD is a great source as long as you take everything with a handful of salt. Nowhere near as bad as Wolfcrow.
 
I think EOSHD is a great source as long as you take everything with a handful of salt. Nowhere near as bad as Wolfcrow.
He provides some good stuff. And some over the top stuff. His comments section where he snaps at criticism is what gets me though. If you can't handle the heat, don't run a blog.


I hope this Sony does well. Give us the XAVC-S 100 Mbit 24p and 150Mbit 60p with a handle on RS/moire/aliasing and clean feed out of the HDMI and it just becomes another option to think about. Sony really is stepping up the game though. Lots of products for lots of shooter types. They seem to want to push 4K the most. From the AX100 to the F55 and all in between. 4K for all levels....
 
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He provides some good stuff. And some over the top stuff. His comments section where he snaps at criticism is what gets me though. If you can't handle the heat, don't run a blog.


I hope this Sony does well. Give us the XAVC-S 100 Mbit 24p and 150Mbit 60p with a handle on RS/moire/aliasing and clean feed out of the HDMI and it just becomes another option to think about. Sony really is stepping up the game though. Lots of products for lots of shooter types. They seem to want to push 4K the most. From the AX100 to the F55 and all in between. 4K for all levels....

They know they'll make the most off new 4K TVs, so might as well do their best to make the content ubiquitous.
 
One thing i like about Andrew from EOSHD is that he really tries to push camera companies to give us more quality for lower a price. If it were up to him, we'd all have RED cameras for $3000! I don't go for everything he says, but it's a bit of fun when it comes to rumors and hoping for higher specs.
 
I have some E-Mount lenses for my FS700. I've been holding off on buying the Odyssey 7Q (which looks amazing now) just in case something trumps it at NAB. I'm not sure about a stills camera for video any more, but if the codec is amazing.... who knows.
 
Dusty

Homework - I guess he is, correctly, talking about Sony definition of 4k for television being a few pixels shy of cinema 4k.

http://www.sony.co.uk/pro/article/broadcast-xavc-white-paper-1211

this will make a difference in terms of FOV.

As for his rig (the gorilla pod) it belongs to his assistant who has shot a bunch of widely watched Vimeo staff picks with the set up.

i find it refreshing that they adhere to the simple joy of filming with simpler smalle cameras. I spend too much time weighed down with "production gear" as I guess do you.

S
 
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Dusty

Homework - I guess he is, correctly, talking about Sony definition of 4k for television being a few pixels shy of cinema 4k.

http://www.sony.co.uk/pro/article/broadcast-xavc-white-paper-1211

this will make a difference in terms of FOV.

As for his rig (the gorilla pod) it belongs to his assistant who has shot a bunch of widely watched Vimeo staff picks with the set up.

i find it refreshing that they adhere to the simple joy of filming with simpler smalle cameras. I spend too much time weighed down with "production gear" as I guess do you.

S
No Sam, Andrew clearly states in his blog that XAVC-S is capable of 60Mbits comparing it to the AX100. Were as at 24p and 30p XAVC-S can do 100Mbit/sec. The link you provided is for XAVC, not XAVC-S which is the "consumer" variant of the codec which is still capable of 100Mbits or even 60p 150Mbit/sec.

The only thing mentioned in the white paper link you posted about XAVC-S is this: "In addition, MP4 wrapping format is also introduced and branded as XAVC S to serve the consumer market. This expansion will encourage growth of 4K content in the consumer market."

If you read that white paper you will see what XAVC is about. And it's summed up to what is says here: "The active pixel count of most 4K home displays will be restricted to 3840 x 2160, a quadruple of 1920x1080. (Quad HD or QFHD), which is different from the Cinema presentation standard that has 4096 pixels across the image plane. The XAVC format covers both 4096 & 3840 horizontal sampling formats, allowing the XAVC production tools to be used in both cinema and television applications." Meaning, its a multi standard format for cinema and broadcast solution. But nowhere do they talk about the maximum bit rate of the 3840 pixel variant in the link you provided.

So Andrew used a lazy report of what the AX100 delivers in it's 60Mbit ability to define XAVC-S and determined and reported to his readers this falsehood based on the broadcast XAVC-S. Well, if the Sony A7s has 4096 pixels and at 60P, it should have 150Mbit XAVC-S just as we see in the FDR-AX1. XAVC is a MXF wrapper and XAVC-S is a MP4 wrapper.

Now, if you would like to brush up on the codecs here is a link that was posted on April 16th, 2013. http://nofilmschool.com/2013/04/sony-expands-xavc-s-consumer-4k/

It looks like you googled XAVC-S and copied the first top hit which is the XAVC white paper. Just as lazy as Andrew....
 
Let's stop the flaming please. Or start and "I hate Andrew" thread or whatever. But leave it off this thread.

I for one quite enjoy his blog and his filmmaking style. The Herdwhite video he directed last year was brilliant.

Now, back to SONY!
 
Dusty.

Sorry - Im sure you are correct.

I didn't google the white paper I knew it already.

I would speculate two things however..
1) the cam will have a consumer variant codec not a really fat codec that would compete with the F55
2) the pixel count will be QFHD not cinema4k which may imply a slight crop on FOV

I thought that was what he meant.

To me FOV is quite a big deal as my preferred lens (for 'one lens work') is a 28-80 and 28 is not quite 'wide enough' even on a full frame camera with no FOV restrictions.

S
 
Dusty.

Sorry - Im sure you are correct.

I didn't google the white paper I knew it already.

I would speculate two things however..
1) the cam will have a consumer variant codec not a really fat codec that would compete with the F55
2) the pixel count will be QFHD not cinema4k which may imply a slight crop on FOV

I thought that was what he meant.

To me FOV is quite a big deal as my preferred lens (for 'one lens work') is a 28-80 and 28 is not quite 'wide enough' even on a full frame camera with no FOV restrictions.

S
Of course it will have a consumer codec. But as of now the FOV is all speculation. Will the video feature be 1:1? We'll find out in about 24 hours. But as of now all we can do is speculate or even hope.

To Cosimo. That's just it though. Some bloggers like to jump the gun and go into more speculation with horrid research skills. In Andrews case it's like he's already defending (fanboying) the Gh4 by his XAVC-S comments. He might even be right in the end where the A7s does in fact pack a 60Mbit rate. But to say that the codec is limited to 60Mbits is misleading. Why? To defend his pink videos of Berlin shot on the Gh4 with Alexa looks from filmconvert?

In 24 hours we will get the facts. Until then lets hope the camera delivers an option to think about. Sony just might announce the first full frame 4K video capable camera and at 12MP theoretically it should produce a clean moire aliasing free image. For the shallow DOF nuts out there this "could" be huge. But hyper sensationalising it all within 24 hours of announcement makes me stand by my comment of "Thank God Andrew is not a news anchor".
 
High five to dustylense :)

i dont need 4k but looking at 12mp 1.1x crop would make it resolute. Awesome. Same as gh4.

Now where do we find that 4K hdmi recorder? ;-)
 
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For the shallow DOF nuts out there this "could" be huge. But hyper sensationalising it all within 24 hours of announcement makes me stand by my comment of "Thank God Andrew is not a news anchor".

Of course he is a sensationalist, but vey well meaning :)

As for 'DOF nuts' I really dont see 'fullframe' as that. My (brilliant quality for the cash) zooms 35-70 3.5, 28-80 4.5 and 50-300 4.5 (or the 24-105 on canon) on a ff give similar DOF and reach to lenses like a 17-55 2.8 S35 lens, but they are optically an mechanically in a different (higher) class. 90% of stills glass is designed for FF and is best used on FF. IMO S35 only really sings with S35 cine lenses which are great if you can afford them. Of course shooting at FF1.2 is best left to, well, Andrew!
S
 
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