Why I'm Keeping the Sony A7S

[Erik Naso]

I have to agree the audio is really good on the A7s. I've been shooting news updates all week and I like how the camera looks and sounds. I'm just plugging the Rode Lavalier direct into the camera. The only A7s footage is the talent on camera. The rest is news footage.

https://vimeo.com/100945487

 

[wallrc]

Switronix is working on a dummy-battery to P-tap cable for this camera, which will help those who are good with building out via cage and external components like full-size batteries (which I would think necessary to help stabilize handheld given the rolling shutter complaints). Perhaps there will be a custom cage with a relocated trigger as well.

Aren't there already tons of dc couplers for the camera? I found quite a few on ebay and amazon.


A (related) battery question to all those who have tested the camera - the A7 was reported to have considerably better battery life when put into airplane mode - turning off the wifi radio and NFC, etc. Did you turn those things off when finding that the battery life was poor?

 

[cpc]

It's a great little stills camera. Thats why I'll keep it.

This is also my main reason for likely getting one. The thought of my collection of RF lenses finally getting a matching digital home makes me warm and fuzzy inside.
Also not overly excited about (internal) s-log. Results rather thin and lacking tonality for my taste, even though many seem to be fine with them. Hopefully external recording (and 4k-to-2K, eventually) will help a little bit with this.

 

[Dafilman21]

Great to know the audio into camera is great, that is something my pocket and my GH4 obviously struggled with. However my GH4 has been sent back to get the audio fix. If I decided to get the A7s I am keeping my pocketcam it is just to handy and I love the image. Keeping the GH4 might be another story...that depends on how the next few weeks go

 

[photochris]

Aren't there already tons of dc couplers for the camera? I found quite a few on ebay and amazon.


A (related) battery question to all those who have tested the camera - the A7 was reported to have considerably better battery life when put into airplane mode - turning off the wifi radio and NFC, etc. Did you turn those things off when finding that the battery life was poor?

Its better when in airplane mode, but its still not that great. The A7s burns through batteries faster than the A7 too, its power hungry. I've been meaning to compare each mode to see how long the camera will stay on or record before the battery goes kaput.

 

[True North]

I have to agree the audio is really good on the A7s. I've been shooting news updates all week and I like how the camera looks and sounds. I'm just plugging the Rode Lavalier direct into the camera. The only A7s footage is the talent on camera. The rest is news footage.

https://vimeo.com/100945487

Wow - so do they let you use whatever camera you want for in studio shots?

Looks good to me, just surprised they allow you to do it, thanks for sharing

 

[Kholi]

Its better when in airplane mode, but its still not that great. The A7s burns through batteries faster than the A7 too, its power hungry. I've been meaning to compare each mode to see how long the camera will stay on or record before the battery goes kaput.

I forgot to mention this, but HDMI output, especially 4K it seems, eats batteries alive. I guess it won't matter because you should be powering everything off of a D-Tap if you're going to do that.

 

[Erik Naso]

Wow - so do they let you use whatever camera you want for in studio shots?

Looks good to me, just surprised they allow you to do it, thanks for sharing

I use a lot of different cameras at work. If it looks good then no problem. These are shot and edited by me. I just set up and go!

 

[eddavid]

Kholi nailed the skin tones, especially daylight with that profile. Thank you for that. Now its an amazing deal. That dynamic range it has is so useful for a mostly doc guy like me who has to work in a bunch of terrible lighting setups.

 

[aly324]

I'm really torn between moving some gear around to bring an A7S home or modifying my 4K Blackmagic's face with an E-to-EF Speedbooster for 4K RAW almost-full-frame shooting.

Has anyone actually managed to stick a focal reducer lens in the BM4K's mount?

 

[ectobuilder]

But to be fair, have you shot (using AF) with a native E mount lens?

Yes, I bought the FE 55mm F1.8. It is slow and unpredictable since it can get stuck hunting. The AF Contrast Detection is really weak in this regard. I will post a real world test soon.

I just shot a basketball game with the 70D and it just proved again to me why it is the camera of choice for shooting action for video.

EDIT: Just did some quick tests with AF-C in movie mode with the FE 55 F1.8 on the A7S and it seems to know where to drive the lens. Hunting wasn't noticeable, but what was noticeable is it can get stuck on a subject and not drive the lens. To reset just move the camera to focus on another subject with a different distance from the lens. Will test it more later in the day. Problem is I don't have a native e-mount zoom lens to test, only the prime. I want to see how it grabs focus as I quickly zoom in and out. I can't seem to find a setting to change the focus speed in video like in the A6000 or 70D.

 

[Michael Erlewine]

My Sony A7s went back where it came from. As lovely as this little baby was, I don't need it, at least not now. Here are some of my reasons for those interested:

12MP is a tad small for me. 16MP would have been better, but I got used to 12MP and did alright. The low-light (and high ISO) of the A7s really work, but the only place I need it is with video, and here is the rub:

As nice as the video on the A7s is, and it is nice, it is still 1080p and 8-bits. What this boiled down, at least with me, is that here I was still grading 8-bit video and trying to make it look like 10-bit. If you are a perfect framer of shots (and light) and don't need to grade, then the A7s video perhaps is for you. However, I need (or like to) grade my video, and 8-bits still looks, acts, and feels like 8-bits. End of story.

I have three other cameras that give me 10-bits, two of them 4K, so what is the A7s offering me and the work I am doing? The only thing I can think of is that in the 4th quarter of this year, when the 4K recorders like the Atomos "Shogun" are released for around $2000, I will be able to record externally in 4K. And my guess is that 4K from the A7s recorded externally will be gorgeous. Sony knows what they are doing; they just don't give me everything in one package, but dribble it out in this or that camera, etc.

I agree that the Sony A7s is a svelte little camera that is really, really nice, but not for me, at least without that 4K or 10-bits. I kind of bought into the idea that Sony 8-bit video somehow might be better than other brands of 8-bit, but if I do the math, 8-bit is still 8-bit and no more.

If, when the 4K recorders come out and Sony proves to me that their 8-bit 4K is a home run, I will just buy another A7s. By that time I will see if my Convergent Design "Odyssey 7Q" external recorder will take the A7s stream. That would help. I have the FS700, the GH4, and the BM Pocket Camera (with their new codecs just released) and several DSLRs.

Those are my thoughts.

 

[philiplipetz]

I have to agree the audio is really good on the A7s. I've been shooting news updates all week and I like how the camera looks and sounds. I'm just plugging the Rode Lavalier direct into the camera. The only A7s footage is the talent on camera. The rest is news footage.

https://vimeo.com/100945487

nice footage. Does your Rode Lav work plugging directly into the 3.5mm a7s jack without any external power? It seems to work on some cameras but not all. I need a compact solution to carry when unexpected audio interview opportunities arise. Does it also work as an omni for distant sound or is it tuned to short distances?

 

[Erik Naso]

nice footage. Does your Rode Lav work plugging directly into the 3.5mm a7s jack without any external power? It seems to work on some cameras but not all. I need a compact solution to carry when expected audio interview opportunities arise. Does it also work as an omni for distant sound or is it tuned to short distances?

The Rode Lavalier works perfect when plugged directly into the A7s. The camera supplies the required 1V of power. I found it works with the GH4 too.

It's a omni-directional polar pattern. I set the record level to 4 or 5 depending on the talents voice. I also used the 10 foot kevlar cable. It's so tiny and fits in the palm of your hand. One great feature is being able to change the connector on the mic to what you need. I have XLR, 3.5, lectrosonics and Sennheiser 2000 wireless lemo. Now I can use one mic for several different cameras and wireless units.

I did a blog post on using the Rode Lavalier with a GH4.

 

[ectobuilder]

I just took the 70D and A7S, both using native lenses, for some sports photography, just downloading the images to my PC now and from the looks of it the A7S seems to have beat out the 70D in terms of clarity. Seems as if the Contrast Detection of the A7S beat out the 70D's phase detection.

I'm still going through the images so we need to reserve judgement for now, but if true, then my guess is the cleaner iso of the A7S allowed the camera to shoot at much higher shutter to reduce motion blur and to freeze motion better.

The A7S was at 1/1250 while the 70D was at 1/320 to properly expose the image.

 

[squig]

I shot a few raw stills @ 16000 ISO and they look great, I just cut the chroma noise to 25 in ACR and left the luma noise in. I think it likes to expose slightly to left or dead on in raw photo mode instead of to the right like movie mode.

 

[vincent thomas]

Ecto: Just curious, which lens have you used?
Has someone tried to use a cannon 70-200 IS L II with a metabones Ef--E mount adapter version III?

 

[lyrov]

I just took the 70D and A7S, both using native lenses, for some sports photography, just downloading the images to my PC now and from the looks of it the A7S seems to have beat out the 70D in terms of clarity. Seems as if the Contrast Detection of the A7S beat out the 70D's phase detection.

I'm still going through the images so we need to reserve judgement for now, but if true, then my guess is the cleaner iso of the A7S allowed the camera to shoot at much higher shutter to reduce motion blur and to freeze motion better.

The A7S was at 1/1250 while the 70D was at 1/320 to properly expose the image.

Without being an expert in photography, I assume this significant difference in shutter speed plays a big role especially in fast motion, right? Anyway Ive also heard the 70D has some big issues with focus (in photo mode) if you re using open apertures! Never tested anything myself though, as Im using the camera only for video.
I would really love to hear your opinion for the AF of A7s in VIDEO mode comparing to the 70D. Im really spoiled by the dual-pixel AF but I love the images and the potential of that little Sony...

 

[cyork]

DXO does one bangup job bringing in more detail and lessening noise for the stills side of the camera. Man, I need to buy a full version of that thing. Much better than ACR.

 

[ectobuilder]

Ecto: Just curious, which lens have you used?
Has someone tried to use a cannon 70-200 IS L II with a metabones Ef--E mount adapter version III?

For photography I only use native E-Mount lenses as it is faster for AF. I don't own a metabones adapter so I haven't tested EF lenses with AF.