Sony A7s. Better than necessary

If we look at the photographic equipment market as a whole, we will see that the Sony brand more often than others pleases its admirers with interesting new products and innovative solutions. Quite recently, a completely new system appeared on the company’s shelves, consisting of mirrorless cameras coupled with original optics that were developed specifically for them.

Photography experts have already become acquainted with some of the participants in this system and have appreciated the reportage “machine gun” A7 and the multi-pixel A7R. Despite the enviable popularity of Sony gadgets among professional photographers, videographers - specialists who need a multifunctional, ergonomic and reliable tool not only for photographic purposes, but also for video recording - have shown well-deserved interest in the company's new products. This contingent does not count on chance and places very high demands on equipment and the quality of the resulting material.

It was the needs of both the former and the latter that Sony engineers tried to satisfy by modifying the brand new Sony A7S camera. Let's try to figure out what came of it and how the photography community reacted to the device.

So, the subject of today's review is the Sony A7S camera. The characteristics, appearance, capabilities, advantages and disadvantages of the model will be discussed in our article.

Brief Specification

The heart of the gadget can be considered the original 12 MP full-frame sensor from the Exmor CMOS series. Its capabilities have created a real breakthrough when shooting in low light and in the field of photosensitivity. The relatively small pixel resolution freed up the company's engineers and made it possible to create a device with an extremely low digital noise threshold.

As for the light sensitivity of the Sony A7S (photo ISO), the range of values ​​varies within very attractive limits - from 50 to 409,600 units. If you compare the new camera with its predecessors, the difference is fantastic. The A7 and A7R models have a maximum ISO level of 25,600 units. For devices of this class, this is a completely acceptable value, but our respondent not only overtook his competitors and brothers, but left them far behind.

The Bionz X processor, already familiar to users from the A7 series, is responsible for performance. The capabilities of the chip are very impressive: almost instantaneous saving of material in JPEG and RAW formats, with a resolution of up to 4240 x 2832 px, excellent work with noise reduction.

Contents of delivery

The Sony A7S camera comes in a nice and easily recognizable brand box. The kit comes with not one battery, but two. In addition, a charger is included in the kit.

If anyone is lucky enough to work with full-frame devices from the brand, then they know that they can charge the battery directly in the device itself using a micro-USB port. It is also worth noting that it is possible to recharge from any USB interfaces, for example, from the same laptop. This is very useful and convenient, especially on trains and travel - there is no need to carry an extra charger with you. All you need to do is throw a universal USB cable into a small backpack or suitcase.

If the work is intensive, and you need to quickly recharge all the batteries, then you cannot do without a charger - one battery can be charged in the camera, and the other in the charger. This point will be to the advantage of videographers, because when shooting videos, the batteries run out very quickly, which means they need to be charged often and for a long time, sometimes right while working.

The Achilles heel of all mirrorless cameras is the limited battery life compared to DSLRs, which is why the manufacturer equipped its device with a backup battery. As for specific time, field tests have shown that the entire S line, including the Sony A7S II (with E mount) can take up to 400 frames at maximum resolution on a single battery.

The rest of the contents of the box are equipped according to the standard: cords, manual, drivers, etc., that is, there will be no problems getting started - buy it and shoot it.

Appearance

If we put the entire “A” series of mirrorless cameras from Sony in a row, we will not see any differences. The brand decided not to tempt fate and “packed” all the models into the same cases, so if you migrate from one line to another, you won’t have to revise the controls or somehow relearn.

The engineers also took care of protecting their device from dust and moisture, which is very important for professional equipment of this kind. Almost all body parts are made of magnesium alloy. Weighing 489 g (SD drive + battery), the Sony A7S has more than acceptable dimensions - 127 x 94 x 48 mm.

Design elements

It is also worth noting that the device surprises with its compactness. When you hold such a small “toy” in your hands, you can’t even believe that this is a professional instrument.

Among other design attributes, what catches your eye is the interesting top panel, which is made in retro style, or with a hint of it. There is a chrome shutter button, unsmoothed end corners, and a convenient dial for selecting exposure compensation. The appearance attracts not only experienced photographers yearning for retro, but also those who are looking for a stylish and eye-catching item.

Interfaces

In addition to the impressive exposure compensation dial, on the top panel you can see the shutter button, a wheel for selecting shooting modes, a power lever and a standard “hot shoe” for microphones, flashes and other external accessories (universal).

The Sony A7S review showed that the camera can only accept one external SD drive. Moreover, it is worth noting that high quality video (>50P/50M) can only be saved on UHS-I class cards (64 GB+) or on a slightly slower version - SDXC (C10). The drive connector is universal, so it supports both of the above-mentioned classes without the use of additional adapters.

Arrangement of elements

The right side of the device is reserved for Wi-Fi and NFC sensors, which will be useful if you decide to use, for example, a smartphone as a control panel. On the left side you can see the main inputs and outputs of the device. Videographers will appreciate the presence of an interface not only for a microphone, but also for headphones.

All the main controls are concentrated on the rear panel, on the sides of the display, which, by the way, has an adjustable tilt. Some owners of the Sony A7S complain that the buttons are too specific, which are great for people with thin fingers, but those who have been blessed with lumberjack hands will have to get used to the keys for a long time. There are no questions about the ergonomic characteristics or the location of the interfaces - everything is in place and to the point.

Photo

After you take your first photos with the Sony A7S, you will immediately understand that this is a full-frame camera and the output photo quality is appropriate. Excellent detail, wonderful “plasticity” of the picture, competent background blur and three-dimensionality - all this pleasantly distinguishes our model from a number of other gadgets.

Exposure determination is more than predictable, and the intelligently located exposure compensation wheel helps to accurately and quickly make the necessary changes to the operation of the machine. In general, the Sony A7S automation is very pleasing with its literacy, especially with regard to the light sensitivity parameters. This moment almost completely relieves the photographer of the appearance of moire or other blurring in the photographs. Automatic calibration will be especially useful for novice amateur photographers, who very often get blurry shots due to the fact that they did not have time to keep track of the shutter speed.

Video

One of the highlights of the model is the extended work with video functionality. The brand's engineers managed to achieve phenomenal results in this area. Moreover, those that seriously and for a long time interested professional videographers.

Here we can note the excellent performance of the processor, the noise characteristics of the matrix and decoding capabilities. The output picture is not blurred and as sharp as possible, which is what most competitors in this segment lack.

The camera can record video in 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 px). That is, we are dealing with a video whose quality is comparable only to a high-end photo, and we get an almost 8-megapixel stream. It is also worth noting that such features can only be implemented in tandem with external media, in the absence of which the quality drops to Full HD (50 fps).

Summarizing

The A7S model can be considered a unique device. Despite the lowest resolution of the matrix among other full-frame representatives of the segment, this point can be attributed more to the advantages of the device than to the disadvantages. This made it possible to achieve excellent results when shooting in low light, as well as significantly expanding the dynamic range for both photos and video.

Here we can add competent and thoughtful controls, universal interfaces and multifunctionality - as a result, we get an excellent and innovative device in its class that is worth the money spent. The model will certainly be of interest to both amateur beginners and professionals.

04.05.2014 21723 Tests and reviews 0

No sooner had the first mirrorless full-frame cameras shocked the minds of photographers than Sony again offered amateurs and photography professionals another innovative system camera aimed at video shooters. Sony Alpha A7s is the name of the new product, which differs from its predecessors by the letter “s” in the name, which means “sensitivity”.

Alpha A7s received a completely new full-frame sensor with a resolution of 12 MP and allows you to shoot video in 4K resolution, using almost the entire area of ​​​​the matrix. Videographers will also appreciate a number of specific options, such as S-Log2 Gamma and timecode output. But that's not all. Let's take a closer look at the new product.

Specifications Sony Alpha A7s

Sony traditionally, as with the NEX series, uses body design for a whole line of cameras. The Sony A7s is no exception, and has the same body as the Sony Alpha A7 and A7R, which is slightly heavier.

In front, in addition to the Sony E mount, there is a small rubberized handle (which is clearly not enough for balanced video shooting), in the upper part of which the front control wheel is mounted. Closer to the bottom of the handle there is a window for the infrared sensor, and at the very top there is a built-in autofocus illuminator lamp. There are no differences from previous models, only the logo in the upper right corner.

The top panel houses the mode selector, exposure compensation dial, shutter button with power switch, and one of the programmable buttons. Above the viewfinder there is a connector for connecting an external flash and a stereo microphone. The camera does not have its own flash.

Most of the rear panel area here is occupied by the display, which has not undergone any changes compared to the Sony A7/A7R - the A7s is equipped with a three-inch LCD display (non-touch) with a resolution of 921,600 dots and a tilting mechanism that allows you to install the screen at a 45-degree angle downwards or tilt it 85 degrees up. Above the display there is a menu entry button and another customizable key. The thumb rests on the rear scroller, immediately below which lies the focus mode switch. A little further down there is a button for calling up the quick menu, a rotary dial and buttons for entering the mode of viewing and deleting pictures. There is a recessed button for quick start of video recording on the left edge.

The camera, like its predecessors, has an electronic viewfinder, the OLED matrix of which contains 2.36 million dots, which is equivalent to a resolution of 1024x768. The viewfinder provides 100% frame coverage and a magnification of 0.71x. A full-frame sensor with a modest 12 megapixel resolution was developed especially for the Sony A7s. This is half the size of the Sony A7 and three times the size of the A7R, due to improved light sensitivity and increased dynamic range. The ISO range has reached the limit of 409,600 units. The camera sensor also boasts a new technology that automatically adjusts the dynamic range depending on lighting conditions.

The camera interface has been slightly redesigned to reflect the camera's new video capabilities - it includes a main menu, a quick menu, as well as several information screens, an electronic horizon function, a histogram and volume level.

The processor remains the same - the latest generation BIONZ X, the same as the Sony A7 and A7R. In terms of photo processing, the company does not offer anything new: the burst shooting speed is 2.5 frames per second in full resolution with continuous autofocus, a focal-type shutter with a shutter speed range from 1/8000 s to 30 s, focusing using the Fast Intelligent AF contrast method 25 points, and for manual focusing there are focus peaking tools and frame magnification of 5, 9 or 12 times. It is worth noting that the focusing system has been improved and now works in extremely low light conditions down to -4EV, that is, even in weak moonlight.

The left side wall is occupied by a pair of compartments with connectors for external connections. The top one hides the headphone and microphone jacks, and the bottom one hides the microUSB and microHDMI connectors. The memory card is installed in the compartment on the opposite side, where the Wi-Fi and NFC modules are located. Also nothing new.

The main distinguishing feature of the Sony Alpha A7s is its advanced video shooting capabilities. The camera is capable of working both with full frame and in APS-C matrix mode. In the second case, it is possible to record videos in HD quality at a frequency of 120 frames per second. In full-frame mode, the video resolution is 3840x2160 at 30 frames per second, but such video can only be recorded using an external 4K recorder via the HDMI port. In Full HD resolution, frame rates can be 60p, 60i, 30p and 24p. Such videos can be simultaneously recorded on a memory card and output via HDMI in uncompressed form. In addition to the AVCHD and MPEG4 codecs, the camera can compress video with less loss using the XAVC S codec, and the bitrate in this case reaches 50 Mb/s for Full HD resolution.

Preliminary conclusions

The Sony A7s sets a new benchmark for cameras with video recording and low-light focusing capabilities at an affordable price. We have no doubt that the quality of the photographs will be quite high, but the independent laboratory DxOLab will give a real assessment of the capabilities of the new sensor - we look forward to the results!

Official test video:

From its very appearance, this camera aroused great interest. With this test we tried to understand to what extent these interests and expectations are justified.

Why is it so wonderfulSony A7s? It’s interesting because it doesn’t play by the rules of the market, because manufacturers are trying to introduce cameras with an ever-increasing number of pixels: 24, 36, 50 MP... Here - everything12 MPand since there are fewer pixels on a full-size sensor, each one is quite large. And since they are large, they do not produce any noise in low light conditions, which gives opportunities that were previously unthinkable.

I photographed a birthday party at the dacha, in conditions where a 50 W light bulb stood 4 meters from me, the walls were dark - in a word, it was so dark that it was impossible to read the text from a sheet. Filming with any known camera in such conditions would be absolutely impossible. The Sony A7s filmed as if during the day. With good shutter speed, without blur when shooting handheld. There was no need for a tripod, flash, or additional light, i.e. do not need anything. You can photograph any event, for example, gatherings in the dark, especially considering that in St. Petersburg most of the year it is gloom and darkness. This camera expands your shooting capabilities so much that you significantly increase the number of potential subjects. Moreover, both in the photo and in the video.

In addition to amazing sensitivity, the camera also has amazing video functions. This is a 50 megabit codec that carries more information; this is the ability to record lightly compressed video on an external recorder... complex and professional things. The camera has special video profiles that allow you to expand the dynamic range when shooting. I would not use these profiles, and specifically the S Log 2 profile, since it requires super-professional processing after the end of shooting, that is, it will not be possible to straighten the video by simply tightening up the contrast and colors. But usually there is no time or desire to engage in serious, professional post-processing. Moreover, the camera in its normal mode shoots video of excellent quality. However, the test shows video shooting without and using the S Log 2 profile.

What else is interesting? Shooting the Sony A7s in low light allows you to shoot in high quality even if your face, for example, is backlit from the monitor screen. And the quality of the shooting is such that the captured video can be immediately sent on air, without making any effort to illuminate the space.
Of course, having profiles is a nice bonus. These profiles have no meaning when taking photos, since they only apply to jpgs. Raw opens completely standardly and you can extract incomparably more from it than from a jpg, even after processing with profiles.

One more small nuance. The jpg that the camera creates looks better than the jpg that Lightroom converts from Sony's raw one. Moreover, the difference is significant.

During the test, video shooting in automatic mode with Sony A99 and A7s cameras was compared. True, the comparison of cameras is not entirely correct, since the A7s has no restrictions when shooting video, while the A99 cannot independently set the aperture in “auto” mode. In manual mode it is possible, but in this case, the A99’s autofocus does not work. The A99 has phase focusing, the A7s has contrast focusing. They work differently. Phase shifts focus sharply, contrast shifts focus smoothly. Of course, it's worth considering that the A99 is an older camera and can't compete with the video quality of the A7s. Nevertheless, it seemed interesting to compare them.

To avoid the impression that the Sony A7s is perfect, let's talk about the problems. They are.
These problems are typical for the entire A7 line. This is a small battery capacity, and very small. Therefore, it is worth having a spare power source on hand. Previously, the problem was the lack of optics, now there is a lot of optics, but they are expensive. True, smart people install non-native optics through an adapter, including preserving autofocus. The compact size also has both pros and cons. The camera is small, it is not as comfortable to hold in your hands as a DSLR with a comfortable grip, but, in principle, it can be put in your pocket and it will not be burdensome when walking.

For those who don't need crazy resolution when shooting photos and want advanced video capabilities, the A7s is probably worth choosing from Sony's A7, A7r and A7s lineup. Still, the video mode offers impressive capabilities. I was interested in the question “does pixel size somehow affect the dynamic range during daytime photography? Does not affect. The photos were just as good as with the Sony A7r and A7r II, but no benefits were noticed. Just really good pictures.

Full-size test images can be downloaded

The Sony Alpha 7 series of full-frame mirrorless cameras turned out to be revolutionary in many respects. All three of its representatives and their updated versions can do almost everything: the Sony Alpha A7 takes excellent pictures, the Sony Alpha A7R provides cool detail, the Sony Alpha A7S is completely tailored for video shooting.

Sensitivity

The symbol “S” in the model index means Sensivity (translated from English as “sensitivity”). This refers to the phenomenal performance of the camera in low light conditions. A usable and low-noise picture is obtained even when shooting at maximum ISO values ​​(in the extended range this figure reaches a record 409600 units). All thanks to a 12-megapixel sensor, information from which is read without skipping pixels. Professional photographers look at such a sensor (due to the limitation in the ability to crop a photo) with distrust, but it is just right for videographers.

Main hobby

The main element of a mirrorless camera is video shooting. All sorts of ports are adapted for connecting almost any external devices, there is a huge selection of video lenses, both native and working through adapters, it is possible to shoot in full-frame mode and in Super35 format with AVCDH and XAVC S codecs. And much, much more. The only “but” is that video recording in full 4K resolution is carried out only with an external recorder. So you will have to fork out extra money to purchase it.

A dark horse

Sony Alpha A7S has been nicknamed a “dark horse” - at first glance, its characteristics do not shine at all. But if you look closely, you may not find such an analogue among all existing cameras. Who else can produce a beautiful picture taken in almost complete darkness? Only strictly professional models.

The abandonment of the optical viewfinder and pentaprism is a bold move by Sony, taken at the time of the release of the first Alpha with a translucent mirror. Since then, all Sony cameras have been equipped exclusively with an electronic viewfinder. In this case, it is an OLED matrix with a resolution of 2.36 million pixels, which in terms of pixels is 1024x768 pixels. The viewfinder covers the entire frame, and the magnification level is 0.71x. This is one of the best electronic viewfinder sensors available today. Only Fujifilm can compete with Sony in terms of output picture quality. The viewfinder displays the same information as the camera display. The image refresh rate is 60 frames per second and no unpleasant flickering is noticeable to the eye. In most cases, such a viewfinder successfully replaces the classic pentaprism viewfinder, and sometimes even surpasses it.

The software shell of the Sony A7s is practically no different from the shell of the A7 and A7R models. We already got acquainted with it while testing the Sony A7R and even then we were pleasantly surprised by the wide possibilities for customizing the interface to suit ourselves. A total of 47 functions are available for reprogrammable keys. We respect the menus of Nikon DSLRs, but Sony is also doing great with soft ergonomics. The Quick Menu consists of 12 slots, each of which can be filled with one of the 27 available functions. Sony will probably stop at the current form of menu organization and no experiments await us in the coming years.

Functionality

Until the release, almost nothing was heard about the upcoming camera. Therefore, the decision to use a 12-megapixel sensor was unexpected at first. The camera uses an all-new full-frame sensor with a top ISO of 409,600. The sensor exhibits a dynamic range of 15.3 EV and is capable of adjusting signal gain depending on lighting conditions. Is 12 megapixels enough for today's needs? On the one hand, the relatively low resolution imposes restrictions on the maximum print format. On the other hand, it offers tremendous capabilities when shooting in low light conditions. And since the camera is also positioned as a solution for shooting video, the user will only benefit from a moderate resolution.

Pixel area is directly related to dynamic range and noise levels, and here the Sony A7s takes the lead. For still photography, the ISO setting ranges from 50 to 409600, while for video recording, the range is ISO 200 to 409600. By the way, during testing an interesting feature of the camera and its sensor was noticed. At low ISOs, the quality of the pictures may be inferior to its closest competitors, but once you exceed the ISO 6400 threshold, the camera has no equal. What does this give to the average user? At a minimum, confident shooting with slow-aperture optics. With an aperture of F3.5, you can rely on automatic ISO selection and go shoot the evening city. It is also worth noting that DxO experts thoroughly tested the camera and, according to the test results, the Sony A7s sensor became a leader in terms of performance in low light conditions. We, of course, conducted our own tests - we’ll talk about the results below.

Shutter noise is an important issue for a certain category of photographers, and here the Sony A7s performs brilliantly. A completely silent shutter is set in the camera settings, but at the same time the rolling shutter effect makes itself felt. This effect is associated with the peculiarity of reading information from a CMOS sensor - data is read line by line and not instantly, so the risk of frame fragments “floating away” is relevant. When shooting fast-moving subjects, it is recommended to turn off Silent Shutter mode. The shutter itself is capable of shutter speeds from 1/8000 s to 30 s and is equipped with an electronic front curtain. Flash synchronization is available at shutter speeds up to 1/250 s, just like the Sony A7.

As for the processor, it is the same as that of its closest relatives - the Sony A7 and A7R cameras. Sony does not mark processors with a generation indicator, and in press releases it says that “the latest generation BIONZ X processor was used.” For us, what is more important is not the markings, but the capabilities of the chip. Thus, the continuous shooting rate is 2.5 frames per second in full resolution with active autofocus. Focus fixed on the first frame will allow you to achieve a rate of fire equal to 5 frames per second. Frankly speaking, the values ​​are quite modest for 12 megapixels. The processor works at full strength when shooting video, reading the full frame without skipping lines or binning pixels in 4K resolution.

The Sony A7s focuses its optics exclusively using the contrast method, unlike the original Sony A7, which has hybrid autofocus. The focusing system operates at 25 points and, by and large, is not far from the autofocus of the Sony RX1. In reality, this means a noticeable delay after partially pressing the shutter button, but we were once again convinced of the superiority of the autofocus system in Panasonic and Olympus mirrorless cameras. At the same time, it is worth noting the reliable operation of the system in low light conditions - thanks to the large pixels of the sensor, which perfectly capture light. What Sony does well is manual focusing. All conditions for comfortable work have been created for owners of manual optics. There is a high-quality focus peaking function, as well as the ability to enlarge the frame by 5, 9 and 12 times.

Sony A7s was created specifically for the needs of videographers. To talk about complete satisfaction would be an exaggeration, especially if you compare the camera with the Panasonic Lumix GH4. However, the Sony A7s does not yet have full-frame competing analogues.

Let's take a closer look at the video modes and start with an analysis of the 4K format. Formally, there is a recording function in a resolution of 3840x2160/30p, but you cannot save a video file to a memory card, and this sharply limits the use of this format. All that the developer offers is the output of uncompressed data via the HDMI port in 4:2:2 8 bit format to an external recorder, and today there are practically no portable recorders capable of receiving and processing such data. The recently announced Atomos Shogun display/recorder costs nearly $2,000 and isn't scheduled to go on sale until the end of the year. Of course, more affordable solutions will appear in the near future, but for now, the ability to record 4K video using the Sony A7s looks like an almost useless marketing statement. A comparison immediately arises with the Panasonic GH4, which can record 4K video on a memory card. Almost the entire sensor area is used to capture a video frame without downsampling or binning. This ensures a low depth of field when required, and also eliminates line-skipping artifacts when reading sensor data.

Recording in Full HD resolution is available on a memory card with simultaneous uncompressed output via the HDMI port. The following set of frequencies is available: 60p, 60i, 30p and 24p. For Full HD, compression with the professional XAVC S codec and a bitrate of 50 Mb/s is also applicable. In addition, video can be shot in the one-and-a-half crop sensor mode. In this case, shooting in a resolution of 1280x720 with a frequency of 120 frames per second is available. The Sony A7s supports custom video settings profiles that can be copied from device to device, and has a timecode recording feature. Of course, fully manual exposure settings are available for work.

The camera does not contain a built-in flash, but this is quite forgivable. The lack of light is successfully compensated by increasing ISO, and no one has canceled the “hot shoe”. The “shoe” is combined with a multi-interface connector, so all kinds of accessories are installed here. Worth mentioning is the all-new XLR-K1M interface unit, designed for connecting external professional recording equipment.