OTHER: Sony A7 V

Peter C.

Peter C.

Veteran
Was watching a pre release review from Gerald Undone. I’m tempted to upgrade my A74.

The improvements that I value:
1. No over heating in normal use
2. Faster read out 14ms
3. Reduced crop mode in 4k 60 has same angle view.
4. Higher res lcd
5. Two usb c ports to allow one to be dedicated power and the other data
6. Better battery life

These gains come from faster more efficient processor. Priced $2,800 usd seems reasonable
 
Looks like a good upgrade. Not sure why they couldn't give us 7K with an option to downscale to 4K. Looks like they tweaked color a little? Skin tones look slightly better than the a7iv
 
I'm not really in the market for a new camera, but it's amazing what you can get for sub-$3K USD from Sony with this new model.

All the pros Peter mentioned, plus 4K120 (S35 crop, but still) and HD up to 240. Also a bunch of codec options and what is easily the best autofocus of any camera system.
 
Peter C. said:
Was watching a pre release review from Gerald Undone. I’m tempted to upgrade my A74.

The improvements that I value:
1. No over heating in normal use
2. Faster read out 14ms
3. Reduced crop mode in 4k 60 has same angle view.
4. Higher res lcd
5. Two usb c ports to allow one to be dedicated power and the other data
6. Better battery life

These gains come from faster more efficient processor. Priced $2,800 usd seems reasonable
Click to expand...
I'm toying with the same idea... but finding it hard to justify, as the 7iv has done everything I need without drama. Using fast CF A series cards, that I have measured running half the temperature of SD cards and when using external power, USB-C 9 volt 3 Amp the camera has never overheated with the screen open. The biggest test of that was 4K Crop 50p with a non-stop run of 4 hours and 11 minutes. Also, I find the camera runs cooler in a cage than when naked. More metal to wick away heat, I guess? Re the temps. Run both types of cards simultaneously, then pop them out and whack a temp meter on them and witness the difference. With fast SD cards, I have witnessed the 'Temp' indicator come on, but the camera never stopped. Mind you, this is indoors at around 22 C. I did buy one of the 'clip in' fans and under test it did drop temps substantially. But I've never used it through necessity.

Recently, Amazon listed the A7iv as its top-selling mirrorless. What I think a lot of YT pundits miss is the market that Sony identified for the A7iv is a broad swathe of users. It's not aimed at the RAW, Open Gate crowd who want insane data rates because bigger has to be better. There are other cameras out there to cater to those needs. Gerald summed up that RAW, Open Gate scenario argument quite succinctly, I thought.

I think I would rather put my money towards a Tamron 35-150 mm at the moment. It offers me far more shooting options than changing bodies.

Chris Young
 
My A7IV has over heated on numerous occasions indoor for doc work or live events. Note LCD out, high temp setting, but filming on sd cards and external monitor. I have since got a clip-on cooler and shot a wedding without issue, but its worrying. The problem with live events is they're unpredictable and you can't stop recording when you want.

I bought the A7IV 2023 for $2,400. I might be able to sell it for $1,600 ($800 loss + $400 extra for the A7V = $1,200 to upgrade) That's a lot of money for something I only use for a few events. So it would still be a costly purchase that I don't really need since I've managed to get by with cooler on the A7IV.

I've cut back on camera purchases. My take away even if a camera has improved, it doesn't mean you need to buy it. This camera has useful improvements but I don't do as many events that require a it.
 
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Peter C. said:
My A7IV has over heated on numerous occasions indoor for doc work or live events. Note LCD out, high temp setting, but filming on sd cards and external monitor. I have since got a clip-on cooler and shot a wedding without issue, but its worrying. The problem with live events is they're unpredictable and you can't stop recording when you want.

I bought the A7IV 2023 for $2,400. I might be able to sell it for $1,600 ($800 loss + $400 extra for the A7V = $1,200 to upgrade) That's a lot of money for something I only use for a few events. So it would still be a costly purchase that I don't really need since I've managed to get by with cooler on the A7IV.

I've cut back on camera purchases. My take away even if a camera has improved, it doesn't mean you need to buy it. This camera has useful improvements but I don't do as many events that require a it.
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Yes, the age-old question. Do you 'need' it as opposed to wanting it? And as is nearly always the case, some of the newer cameras don't record internally what some of my clients want. Of all things, interlaced footage! It means I have to record externally on a Ninja as the A7 and FX6 can output interlaced footage. . For that reason I still keep an FS7 in the kit as that can record internally both XAVC and 422 MPEG2 in interlaced HD. I still have broadcast clients who insist on the traditional XDCam 422 50-Mbit 50i files.

Chris Young
 
I get a little NorBro in me and want to acquire new gear the problem is I don't return it to B&H I keep it.
 
cyvideo said:
Yes, the age-old question. Do you 'need' it as opposed to wanting it? And as is nearly always the case, some of the newer cameras don't record internally what some of my clients want. Of all things, interlaced footage! It means I have to record externally on a Ninja as the A7 and FX6 can output interlaced footage. . For that reason I still keep an FS7 in the kit as that can record internally both XAVC and 422 MPEG2 in interlaced HD. I still have broadcast clients who insist on the traditional XDCam 422 50-Mbit 50i files.

Chris Young
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Delivery requirements, especially for broadcast, are surprisingly low. It's been awhile, but the last time I did broadcast work the delivery was 720p :)
 
For my legal work it's HD but needs a burned time/date stamp. For theater it's HD and SD in the form of DVD. Luckily no interlace.
 
I think this looks to be a solid camera and an improvement over the A7iv. Since the A7iv is nice as well, I think I will wait for a better viewfinder in the future A7vi. The faster readout is a great improvement but in my mind, unless the sensor is fast enough to throw away the mechanical shutter, it has a more limited use for photography. Luckily the shutter sound on the A7iv does not bother me so I am not affected by a slow sensor readout.

Imho, the $1,200 upgrade would be worth it if the camera is getting used enough.
 
The faster readout besides reducing the jello effect, I believe helps stabilization. I almost exclusively use it for hand held event work, to move around quickly to grab as much variety of shots as possible or follow people. I don't use gimbals because they're unwieldy, draws attention, and is heavy to hold more than 5 minutes. The question I'm weighing is the DJI Pocket a better use of funds. Sure it doesn't have as good of image quality but is good at that one task.
 
The Pocket would be a lower $$ commitment for sure. I wonder if they are working on a v4 of the Pocket? If they can fix the bobbing while walking it would be quite an upgrade. But are all DJI products at risk of a ban?
 
Bassman2003 said:
The Pocket would be a lower $$ commitment for sure. I wonder if they are working on a v4 of the Pocket? If they can fix the bobbing while walking it would be quite an upgrade. But are all DJI products at risk of a ban?
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There has been a discussion around a ban. DJI has setup a shell company selling an identical Pocket and Action camera for about $100 less. It’s assembled in the USA to get around the potential ban.

I was tempted to get the Pocket clone during the Black Friday sale for $420. Main reason I held back is it doesn’t have native support for DJI mics. You still can plugin a receiver although not as convenient and it also isn’t offered in a creative combo kit with mic and bigger battery.

I speculate native mic support was removed to differentiate the lower price but could be added in the future if DJI was banned.

There has been speculation and fake images that a Pocket 4 release is eminent that it would have multiple cameras like a smart phone ie wide and telephoto lens. This would be useful but hard to tell if this will happen or just reflects sensible desires but might be beyond the engineering or business/profit considerations.

As far as the bobbing seems like the simplest solution is to use same electronic stabilizer found in action cams. Currently you have to perfect your ninja walk there are spring loaded arms but they’re weird to use in public. I can’t see DJI physically redesigning it with z access stability.
 
The Pocket 3 was almost perfect and with serious improvements the Pocket 4 would be a perfect little tool. I hope they find a way forward.

As to the A7V, I am looking forward to the dynamic range tests to see how much can be gained in one generation. All things being better in cameras these days, I am focused on dynamic range and usability comforts etc... Some day in the future we will be able to relax about the highlights not blowing out!
 
I filmed b-roll last night for a medieval holiday performance. I’m glad I didn’t run out and buy the pocket. Not because it wouldn’t have worked but the A74 would have been sitting.

Was able to shoot 4k 60 without overheating because there were breaks in filming, segments were only 15 minutes at a time. But I could still feel the camera getting hot.

I had a question about 4k 60p. Because this was low light and I still wanted to slow down footage I was using 40-60fps to let in more light.

Does the video still have the same slow motion capabilities? What’s the downside? I only ask because Gerald Undone recently did an over heating test with the Canon R6ii and said he inadvertently filmed at a lower fps and the camera then doesn’t film 60p. I don’t understand the mechanism behind it.
 
Not sure I understand. What does sitting the A74 mean? Sitting because it needed a cool down period? So the A7V would have been a help then?

Are you speaking about the difference between 40fps and 60fps and the look of the slowed down footage? Any footage can be slowed down, it will just not look as smooth the slower you go.?
 
Peter C. said:
I filmed b-roll last night for a medieval holiday performance. I’m glad I didn’t run out and buy the pocket. Not because it wouldn’t have worked but the A74 would have been sitting.

Was able to shoot 4k 60 without overheating because there were breaks in filming, segments were only 15 minutes at a time. But I could still feel the camera getting hot.

I had a question about 4k 60p. Because this was low light and I still wanted to slow down footage I was using 40-60fps to let in more light.

Does the video still have the same slow motion capabilities? What’s the downside? I only ask because Gerald Undone recently did an over heating test with the Canon R6ii and said he inadvertently filmed at a lower fps and the camera then doesn’t film 60p. I don’t understand the mechanism behind it.
Click to expand...
Personally with the A7iv I stick to standard, 25/50 frame rates. I prefer to maintain the cadence that goes with those frame rates. If the light is very low, I'm quite happy to bump up the ISO on the A7iv. Starting from its second base of 3200. It's a surprisingly quiet camera. Even at 25,000 ISO I find I only need around 4-5 points of Spatial Threshold noise reduction in Resolve to bring it back nice and clean. Then do all my slo-mo in Resolve or externally with Flowframes if I require extreme slow speed interpolation.

Chris Young
 
Bassman2003 said:
Not sure I understand. What does sitting the A74 mean? Sitting because it needed a cool down period? So the A7V would have been a help then?

Are you speaking about the difference between 40fps and 60fps and the look of the slowed down footage? Any footage can be slowed down, it will just not look as smooth the slower you go.?
Click to expand...
I mean buying new gear instead of using what you have. Sitting at home not being used.

When shooting at 60p the correct frame rate is double (120fps). Gerald if I'm understand is saying if you shoot under that frame rate the camera isn't really filming those extra frames. So does 60p @ 60fps half the frames are the same or skipped yielding the same as 30p @ 60fps?
 
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