The Sony Alpha A7S was the third “system” camera to support 4K recording the second to do so with a 35mm format sensor and again, the first to use the entire sensor area across the width for video, and shoot the signal “honestly” from each diode, without sampling individual cells or groups of pixels. Not least because of this camera founders were able to achieve an incredible light sensitivity with a decent picture quality.
Digital compact camera with interchangeable optics Sony Alpha A7S
12.2MP – 3″ NEW
And this is equally true for both stills and video mode, where the camera at 102,400 ISO can really turn day into night. Complementing all this is an upgraded contrast sharpening system, capable of working at light levels of -4 EV.
Much like the other models in the A7 and A7R series, with the same rugged body, excellent viewfinder, advanced shooting control system, the A7S is designed primarily to be a videographic camera, designed for professional use in a system of equally professional specialized devices. For example, recording 4K video format QFHD 3840×2160 pixels with 4:2:2 color sub-sampling is possible only when outputting a video stream via HDMI to an external recorder. The camera is capable of using the special S-Log2 gamut when recording. With it, the dynamic range of video expands by 1300%, but clips in this case need a special way to bring to mind color correction. Optional attachment with XLR connectors makes it possible to connect the camera to specialized audio recording systems.
In the lightweight version without third-party add-ons, the A7S supports 1080@60p shooting on an SDXC card, 1280×720 picture at up to 120 fps, simultaneous shooting in full and reduced resolution. In this case, the first clip will be used for processing and final editing, and the second – for demonstration purposes. Encoding is supported in the common formats AVCHD and MP4, as well as in XAVC S, designed to produce video with minimal loss. Essential professional camera functions like time code, zebra, brightness, gamma and color profiling are fully available, along with a number of other tools.
With this camera Sony offers a new, specially designed for videographers FE 28-135 F4 Power Zoom. Built-in compendium, cogged control rings for transferring rotation from automatic iris, zoom and focus controls, and colossal compared to the camera, of course dimensions are its distinctive features. At the same time, it has its own zoom drive. The zoom speed can be controlled by the lever on the lens body itself.
How does the Sony Alpha A7S perform in low light conditions?
What are the key features and advantages of the Sony Alpha A7S mirrorless camera compared to its competitors?