Let’s catch up with some Sony A7rII related blogger posts:
Interesting insights into the new Sony A7R II and RX sensor technology by EosHD:
All this hybrid stills / video technology is in stark contrast to Canon with the 5D S which practically gives up on video, with Canon’s representatives recommending filmmakers use their other cameras instead of it. I am sure this A7R II sensor will end up in a video camera from Sony. (Though hopefully not a VG series one, but something more like a full frame FS7). With the film and video industry finally beginning to wake up to the benefits of full frame and 65mm over Super 35mm, the timing could be quite apt.
Finally it’s worth giving some praise to the behind the scenes organisational rejig that Sony have accomplished here. I don’t know all the details of what went on but it is obviously paying dividends. Sony’s imaging division has never been more productive, it seems.
Sony Artisan Brian Smith posted a new A7rIi field test and writes
In brief tests with Canon EF glass using Metabones, FotodioX and Viltrox Smart Adapters, AF is considerably faster than previous a7-series cameras. Not only is Continuous AF-C tracking possible with the lenses I tested – it’s fast! I’m waiting for a production a7RII with release firmware before I run more extensive tests to update my Canon EF Smart Adapter Compatibility Guide.
Unlike previous a7-series cameras that each have particular strengths or features, the flagship a7RII does everything well. Unless you need to shoot in near darkness where Sony A7S still has an edge at extreme ISOs, the a7RII would be my choice for everything I shoot.
Sony interview: Stills and video are “converging” (TheVideoMode).
Dominance and Submission: Sony delivers the ultimate mirrorless political statement (Eyesuncloudedphoto)
Sony A7R II Preview (Photographyblog).
A7rII and RX camera preorder list:
In USA:
A7rII at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Uniquephoto.
RX10m2 at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Uniquephoto.
RX100m4 at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Uniquephoto.
In Europe at:
A7rII at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT. Wex UK.
RX100m4 at DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT. Wex UK.
RX10m2 at DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT. Wex UK.
54 Responses
>I am sure this A7R II sensor will end up in a video camera from Sony
Why? Video sensors need low Mp, not high Mp, or am I missing something?
4k is only 8.8 megapixel…
I think he’s trying to say is we will see the same size BSI sensor later in video camera.
yes, but if this 42 mp sensor already reads all pixels (albeit with binning) there is little reason to make smaller mp one
Doesn’t make much sense unless he is insinuating 65mm ratio capture can be done at 8k.
4k downsampled from 42 mp is still better than from 8 mp
I think there is a better sensor layout with less mp possible and I am sure we will see this an A7S mk2:
– better high-iso
– full sensor readout without like-skipping and without rolling-shutter
4k at native resolution with no downsampling is best.
have you forgotten it’s bayer? have you forgotten about AA filter?
Sony could release a native resolution 4k camera (like a7sII) without an AA filter. Filtration and resolution are not mutually exclusive.
You’ll get moire then. And you probably want OSPDAF too, which isn’t possible with big pixels
Are you hinting that high res down sampling is beneficial for video due to the AA filter? I’m asking honestly.
The highest resolution sensors tend to forego filtration, why does it benefit stills but not video?
Best if 1- Foevon like sensor 2 – no AA filter on it
Sony is committed to CMOS. There is still plenty of life left in it.
they(sony) told use super 35mm area for video readout.
that is not full 42mp downscale ,look to red square.
AFAIK it doesn’t downsample, they just skip lines
This camera is a good balence with high iso , reasonably high resolution, and lots of good video festures, plus of course lens compatability.
The next A9? Camera should be similar to this but higher resolution.
While video is important for many people not every camera needs to be a video superstar.
The A9 should be optimized for the best still pictures.
We already have great low light and video in this camera and do not need another camera just like this, we need the A9 to be used when still pictures and super resolution are the only priorities, and we can use one of Sony’s other fine cameras when we care more anout these other features.
I am getting an A7Rii, and I very much like the camera, but this does not lessen my need for this other camera also.
I never carry just one camera when I shoot and would really lke 2 flagship Sony cameras with differrent strengths.
The A7Rii is cleary the best balence of features and performance yet available…the A9 should be the ultimate still picture machine so we can have both.
Some poeple will say we should have an A7Sii, with the features of yhis camera in a low resolution super fast camera tjat shoots great video..I would agree with that, that would place the A7Rii in the middle as a great general purpose camera, and the A7Sii and A9 cameras as more extreme and specialized cameras on opposite ends of this camera.
Those 3 together would make Sony unstoppable.
sony‘s stacked cmos tech is going to change the world of image making.
the amount of photons can receive by each pixel in a single exposure is limited due to nature law, but if multiple exposure can be achieved in an extreme short moment. say, a 1 second shot is actually a superposition of 60 shots each with 1/60 second, the dynamic range can go crazy.
I am very optimistic about sony finally put BSI on full frame sensor making, which means stacked full frame is just a matter of time. if it happens, with the help of ultra fast read out speed. boy, you will see something like 20EV dynamic range
Stacked sensors are best for smaller sensor like the 1″ sensor, bit they would be a very poor choice for ff sensors.
The adittion of processing elements behind the the sensor increase heat build up…in ff sensors heat build up is a much more extreme issue than in smaller sensors.
FF sensors would be plagued with overheating issues.
The BSI Exmor R used in this camera is the best choice.
The Exmor RS would not be a good choice for FF,
Not to forget the increase of weight – that could be an issue for the IBIS-motors.
But I am sure we get stacked FF BSI sensors in future. Maybe in the next generation or the generation after that. But I am quite sure we get it within 10 years.
Heat dissipation and power supply seem to be the major bottlenecks now. The rest can go crazy!
i also think this is a great combination of features. I want one. Even if A9 is better resolution, if the A7rII = $3200. I’d guess the A9 would be $4k or more. That is REALLY hard to justify if that isn’t your business. for me, $3200 is out of my budget, But i think it go below $3000 soon. $2,900 sounds way different than $3200, for most non pros. Sony will realize they could sell so many more by reducing the price 10%.
Once people are i8n their ecosystem, they must buy into the lenses and accessories.
10% discount would sell so many more, after the initial run.
there will be no A9 is my guess 😉
I hear its steps…
well, it took them what, about a year and a half to develop the RII? If there is such a a9, I imagine it will be a long time coming..especially given that this one packs the state of the art tech Sony has at this point
it looks like even if it has dual SD slots and larger grip it will be enough to some to buy it rather than a7rm2
No reason that the A9 has to be more expensive than any A7.
Just as an example, they could make a larger “Pro” focused body with a focus on speed. 24ish MP sensor, A7RII style autofocus, dual cards, new processor. Completely different from A7 series, can be done for 3K or so.
it appears to me, that a7rm2 sensor actually handles high fps well enough and it’s only limited.
i’m afraid it won’t be easy to develop same OSPDAF for larger pixel
I guess A9 will have larger body, longer battery life.
higher burst rate, larger buffer, better AF, dual card slot (UHS-II / XQD),
From here:
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/0717419525/interview-kimio-maki-of-sony-the-customer-s-voice-is-the-most-important-data-for-me
His words:
“KM: I hope that our native lenses are better! But it will happen. I see
people using Sony a7-series bodies and Canon lenses all the time, for
video and for stills, because they already own the lenses. It works, but
our native lenses are much better and that’s the process [we see
a7-series buyers going through]. Of course we’re not putting them under
any pressure, but in order to make them shift, we have to guarantee the
quality of the lens. Our lenses have to be better than Canon’s. That is
my mission.”
The prime situation is going well, but the zoom situation needs working.
In order to enable a wide adoption of the Sony lenses, they have to make them usable for video. i.e., smooth, constant focus pull etc. If this doesn’t happen, I don’t see a wide adoption for these lenses.
What you are asking, for video, is only serviced by MF focus lenses because even Canon lenses, or Nikon for that matter, do not really have good MF ability.
Loxias do better than any AF lens, from anyone, because the helicoid design allows it to be so, so you are already served there with 2 focal lengths if you want: 1) native and 2) constant, smooth focus pull for video
All else, adapting any of the Zeiss CP lenses or Canon for Cinema would also do what you want but will also add better colour matching and better focus breathing (or lack of) as well as providing the teeth for follow focus and a standarised thread across all lenses along with T stop feature.
Alternatively, SLR Magic can also offer some of the Zeiss CP benefits, at a lower price.
In any case, I don’t know why you want to refer to that when the quote makes no mention to video usage except that you maybe wanted to say something for just saying something. Photography alone is wide enough to allow wide adoption of lenses.
I don’t say these lenses have to be cine-lenses, but they at least have to be usable for video. Sony lenses nowadays aren’t very much. This (for instance) is keeping me from getting those.
I guess lenses have to be multi-purpose (i.e., usable for video and stills) nowadays.
I did refer to the general usage aspect (including video) of the lenses in comparison to Canon lenses. If you want a flexible solution, Sony is not an option. This may be more important than the last bit of extra-sharpness. The Cine lenses you proposed work well, but they are not exactly the run-and-gun lenses you would hope for.
Nikon AF lenses may not have good MF ability, but the Ai nikkors rock, both for manual focus and cinema use. Please don’t conflate all Nikon AF lenses as having bad MF, love mine, and they work just fine on A7.
what is the reason for 30min record limit? Heat? Cache? not compete with video cameras? Which is weird because I work on features and a crazy long take is 5min. Is this a limit in the Video cameras that Sony makes? (not counting cine-alta of course)
European regulations for Import Duty purposes.
Could they ship 30min-enabled modifications outside Europe?
They could but I suspect it also works in Sony’s interest. Keeps the Grey Market from canabalizing EU sales and encourages videographers to pay the premium for dedicated videos cameras.
Seems like a lame reason. The video market it would disrupt is only the cosumer market where sony is making very few cameras and they all cost way less then A7’s Pro market isn’t doing takes that long very often either (weddings?) so It wouldn’t hurt that market much.
It also might push people to buy Ursa’s are Ursa mini’s that cost way less then a7 + atomos. I can live with an old stills camera quality wise since they hold up just fine unless side by side with something. Wth all the content buyers demanding 4k (8k probably soon) I can’t live without that. I’m sure its some BS that makes no actually since accept to some marketing or government official.
I don’t think so. In fact it might help sony to have that grey market. Will on hurt sales a small amount if at all. Normal consumer still wants local dealer or amazon.
Yeah wouldn’t apply to the 2 largest markets of Asia and the US.
I understand that, but I don’t know if they too have similar taxation bands.
We don’t. It could still be the reason for simplicities sake.
I was told it was because it would kill the video camera sales and this makes lots of sense. If you could record a hour or more straight with these cams most people would not purchase a separate video camera.
It’s a taxation issue. Cams that can record over 30 minutes are officially considered “video cameras”, and get taxed at a higher rate.
The problem with Sony cameras seems to be the resale value. I’m simply afraid to invest so much money in a camera body that can’t be sold even for a third of its original cost a year or two later. I simply don’t feel secure with the Sony brand. Leica (except the M series) is just as bad.
That is a problem and I believe the reason is because the tech is still new so every year there is a newer and better camera. I just decided I wont be buying another body unless its a crazy deal. I plan to just collect some lenses for now until a lower price body gets the fast AF with non native lenses.
So buy the two year old version on eBay (NEX 7 or 6) you are ascribing to your own predicament and you can resell it for a 10% loss if you don’t like it. Just solved your problems… anything else?
It was like this with Olympus, but has now leveled off quite a bit. I’m not sure Sony’s initial A7’s are a good indication of future resale value. They were more a beta then anything else. Curiosity drove a lot of purchases as well in addition to the sizable leap in performance we’re seeing in the Mark II’s.
The reason for that is because Sony is continually innovating and releasing new products, which is a good thing (IMO). I’d recommend buying cameras not as investments, but as tools. Get as much life out of your tools as you can, and it’s still money well spent.
Any news on whether the eye sensor sensitivity can be adjusted? My A7s is a bit disappointing because I cannot predict when it will flip from rear lcd to viewfinder. My nex7 and a6000 don’t have the same problem. Also, can you give us back one touch magnification, like on NEX 6-7?
This drives me nuts. It’s wayyyy too sensitive. It makes shooting from the hip often impossible without digging through the menu.
That being said, I cleaned the viewfinder the other day and it improved the sensitivity a lot.
A simple fix is to cover half of the sensor with some electrical tape
Right, buy a new $3000 camera and tape it. Problem solved, thanks Sony.
please share source(link) of a7rII video focusing,thanks