HOT! The new Sony A7sII can be preordered at Adorama now (Click here). And also the new FS5 camcorder (Click here).
Newsshooter collected some more detailed info about the A7sII:
1) For low light shooting Sony is claiming the a7S II is better by approximately 2 stops than the a7R II.
2) The only difference between the sensors A7s and A7sII sensors is that the colour science has been tweaked on the a7S II and should offer results that are similar to that of the a7R II. This is something that a lot of Sony fans will be very pleased to hear as the a7R II seems to offer more pleasing skin tones than that of the original a7S.
3) A7sII has “S-Log3 Cine” with more filmic look. S-Log3 or S-Log3 Cine gammas has been lowered to 1600 ISO instead of the 3200 for S-Log2 on the a7S.
4) Strangely enough there is no option to record 4K internally in APS-C crop mode, you can only record 4K internally in full frame mode.
Update: obviously in crop mode there are less pixels so 4k is impossible 🙂
The A7sII is now listed at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
81 Responses
Why would it record 4k in aps-c if there is only 4k res in full frame mode? You could record in aps-c, but then you would have to upscale… Kind of defeats the purpose, right?
Number 4 is not strange at all. It’s pure logic.
If the full frame is only 4096 pixels wide,
how could the APS-C center crop also be 4096 pixels wide, hmm ? ;p
Maybe because it’s physically impossible.
If you crop the Full frame to APS-C, your image can only be 2779 pixels wide.
the APS-C cropped resolutions of the A7SII is 2768 x 1848, so it’s normal you can’t get 4K from that vertical pixel count.
They could offer this resolution in super 35mm, that would be awesome.
The sensor is a 3:2 12mp sensor, correct? So when you crop it to 4K, 16:9, you are almost using all the 8 million remaining pixels, therefore, to shoot in APS-C you would be at a lower resolution than 4K. That’s why the last a7s could shoot in APS-C, but only at 1080P. That’s the whole idea for having a 12mp sensor– ultimate low-light at full 4K?
I think that the A7s had an upscaled 4K in Super35 mode – it’s a similar tech that Sony had use in pictures in some of their previous cameras.
Really? I did not know that. Interesting. Though it sounds sort of unappealing I would rather have that feature than not have it. I wonder why Sony removed it?
Haha, I think we were all typing the same response at the same time. 🙂
I’m sure that the “no 4K in APS-C” will be a “no buy” reason, like the compressed Raw.
Meh….
It would have been cool if Sony implemented a 2832×1563 S35 option (2.8K, like the BMCC) on the first a7s. But Sony must’ve known that FF stabilization was in the works for the a7s back when they decided on the 12.2mp sensor– since it helps to have some digital stabilization to help out the optical stabilization, requiring a higher resolution sensor than the res you’re outputting.
12MP is cut down to basically 4K when using 16:9 crop.
When taking a picture in APS-C mode on the a7s, you get a resolution of
2832×1563– so I was suggesting using all the pixels in the APS-C area
(2.8K) instead of down-scaling it to 1080P or up-scaling it to a false
4K.
It’s not strange, it would be an upscaled 4K anyway, to get 4K in S35 I think you need at least 24MP, 12MP is too little.
OMG
We have discovered something this camera cannot do!
We shall have to remove the S from the front of its uniform !
Upconverted, false 4k in aps-c mode from this camera is a poor idea. Sometimes it is the “features” cut out of products that make them better.
You buy Full Frame for Full Frame and not APS-C mode you cheapskates….
It does not seem strange. The camera design / concept was based on shooting 4k on a natively 4k sensor. To
do this in aps-c mode, the resolution would be up converted by the camera, which you can do in post with probably better results.
It would be strange if the camera offered this feature since it is generally a bad idea.
Can it handle 4K without overheating like the A7RII? How much rolling shutter does it have? The A7s had quite a bit in FF video and this time Sony’s market didn’t say a word about rolling shutter, so maybe it’s the same?
Bridges, Many. Under. Been.
I swear crop mode better be assignable to a custom button.
I don’t expect my Grand-Parents to know about megapixels, sensor formats or 4k definition.
But I think that the Technical Editor of a magazine called News Shooter should at least have a clue !
I don’t get what is so “strange” about not recording 4k in crop mode (article’s point #4). 4k needs 3960×2160=8.5 megapixels. The a7sii has 12mp in full frame mode, which means in crop mode will only have 12mp/1.5^2 = 5.3 megapixels…which is not enough for a 4k readout. What IS strange is that point #4 was even made in the first place.
the 4th statement made my day.. major derp
not sure if this is a joke..
Full Frame mode on a 12MP camera is perfect 4k full sensor read out……
so if you crop it to apsc u have 5MP and dont have enough pixels to make up 4k duh……..
“Strangely enough there is no option to record 4K internally in APS-C crop mode, you can only record 4K internally in full frame mode.”
Huh? How are you going to make 8 mpix of UHD from 4mpix 16:9 crop of 5 mpix APS-C crop?
To admin : why your website is soooooooo slow, constantly crushing etc on iPad when other photo-sites like dpreview.com are running like rolls-royce …
This sight is functioning perfectly on a desktop PC.
Because D-Bags like you don’t realize this site is ran by one guy, using freeware blog platform, backed by a few ads and links to B&H and such. Whereas DPreview is backed by Amazon now, you know the multibillion Amazon, running on world’s best platform available.
Besides, it works like a champ for the rest of us. Peace.
D-bag? Just for complaining about load times? You must surround yourself with an elite group of people. Plus, the reference to Rolls Royce; that’s not funny to you? Anyway, the site is owned by a company that owns many other sites and it’s Andrea’s job to manage this one. Just look at their SEO ranking and web traffic– it’s hardly a bootstrapped, minimal effort like you suggest.
I use this site on several devices and none of them work flawlessly. But that’s probably more a function of WordPress being kinda crap. (IMHO)
this will change soon. i ave a new design coming in 1 month.
Is this new desing rumor “SAR4” like your “new lenses” yesterday ? 😛
lol.
I am sorry dud, that I am a Douchebag to you … I wish to be so smart like you are but then those are just a wishes since I know. that I can’t catch up on your I.O. … ever …?
Alright, I went overboard with my comment, admittedly. Guilty. Taking the DBag name calling back… see, I can be civi 😉
Far from elite, Larry. But your point is taken, I must’ve forgotten my Prozac this morning… And the RR reference went over my head, I’m usually good with that $hit!
Edit: it does irk me when folks complain about the site…sense of entitlement is overwhelming sometimes – it’s it’s up there for me with bitching about “missed rumors”.
… you are funny … at least …
There is nothing wrong with it on the iPad. Get a new iPad.
“To admin : why your website is soooooooo slow, constantly crushing etc on iPad”
Because your Safari does not have an adblock installed?
… then why rest of Internet is going like a speed-train … ? … I wonder …
its started getting slow for a while now as soon as I close this website my browser is fine
I have noticed the same thing. Crashed without fail every time I loaded it recently. Ever since we started getting that cookies alert, don’t know what they’ve added.
…
rather buy the a7rii
not surprised at all, in APSC mode it doesn’t have enough pixels for 4k, only FF has 4k resolution and it was designed to be like this.
have some common knowledge please admin
I guess the only ‘strange’ part was that the A7S had 4K in crop mode, that was a strange choice.
4K is 8.85MP. How can you record this in corp mode, which has about 5MP?
Only 2 stops better than the A7RII, that sounds pretty bad seeing as the A7RII has almost 4 times as many MPs. Maybe they should have bumped it up to 16MP if that is the best they could pull off with 12MPs
16mp would make it worse!
1 stop = 2 times more light
2 stops = 2×2 = 4 times more light
3 stops = 2x2x2 = 8….
2 stops better than A7Rii sounds reasonable, but I think there is less than 2 stops difference
Dying to know the following:
1) Any heat issues when running at 4k internally?
2) I know this isn’t widely asked for except for a select group of us event videographers, but I’d love to see the ability to adjust WB while recording!!! For long events where you don’t stop and during dusk when light changes like crazy and AWB is inconsistent between cameras, this small feature is a no-brainer on real “video” cameras, but with the A7s is was absent.
If anyone gains access to this camera somehow at IBC and could report that would be amazing…
3:25 in the video. The question about overheating.
And the answer ‘Quite identical with a7r2’
Identical overheating issue
Does this mean it’s quite big step backwards from the original a7S?
“Strangely enough there is no option to record 4K internally in APS-C crop mode, you can only record 4K internally in full frame mode.”
How is that strange??? When you shoot in APS-C mode on the a7s you have 5MP. How exactly are you going to get 4k video from that? Really? This is embarrassing for a site called Sony Alpha Rumors…
You need 3 pixels colours RGB to have 1 pixel image, so 12Mpix. In crop mode you’ll not have enough pixels to make APS-C Crop Mode 4K. It’s why the A7RII have a 4K APS-C Mode and not the A7SII, but maybe enough to 1080p
Is that so?
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Oh, but that is horrible!
I mean 3:25 in the video. The question about overheating.
And the answer ‘Quite identical with a7r2’
Identical overheating issue??
Hmm. Why no 1:1 4K crop mode.
You still need full frame glass – But you could choose …
Better low light and full frame or 1:1 pixel crop and less rolling shutter.
(That way you could even work with full frame lenses, which aren´t perfect in the extreme corners ^^.)
There simply aren’t enough pixels on the sensor for a 1:1 4K crop mode…
Argh. You´re right.
I forgot about the 16:9 crop which you need anyway …
(It´s already a 1:1 crop -> The full frame mode.)
Would still have been great to get a faster readout (2nd BIONZ-X for example).
The rolling shutter is just too extreme on the A7s (and now also on the A7s II).
Especially at THAT price – And with basically the same sensor.
To sum up: Still HUGE rolling shutter, still low battery power & still no 10 bit HDMI out. An A6100 (aka A7000) with good specs would have been WAY more interesting -.-
Let´s hope it´s coming soon (together with the new lenses).
Any new rumor about FE lenses to come?
Rolling shutter ?
Same as A7s.
Have you checked it or some prrof? Because what Kiril says does make sense.
A Sony representative said it in an interview.
(To know it for sure we need to wait for the first tests ^^.)
There is slight chance to be improved as Sony added to 120 frames per second mode i.e. faster readout.
It is not bad as is.
And for most type of jobs (or shots), it’s just an overstated problem.
hahahah if you crop the 12MP sensor you would get almost 4 million pixels in 16:9. This is by far not enough for 4K 8 million pixels.
The best 4K camera could be 24MP (or round about) A7iii as that will allow 4K in both full frame and crop mode. I hope Sony work out the maths well so that the crop mode be exactly 4K and full frame mode be 6K
That update lol lol lol
Fakmī! Still no phase detection AF pixels on sensor, like A 6000? Will wait for A7S III !!!!!
a6000 pdaf is poor anyway.
Mine is good.
How should the cam record 4k in APS-C mode if it has not enough pixels to cover 4k?!
This is why I had hoped to see a MP bump, so s35 in 16:9 is 8mp for full sensor readout. Now it’s FF only and likely the bad rolling shutter that plagues Sony cameras. I like being able to choose between FF and S35 on the A7rII.
Though I do agree with others, a 2.8k full pixel readout in crop mode would be cool for reframing, and eliminating aliasing and moire.
The bad rolling has nothing to do with pixel size. If S35 would have enough pixels (~18 MP) it would take just as long as reading it from this sensor in full frame mode.
Sony really missed the chance here to produce something that competes with the likes of the 1DX and the D4s, they have the technologies to do so. With a modest increase in MP they could’ve implemented PDAF and a redesigned shutter to allow continuous shooting to more than 5FPS. They already have the fast data readout from the A7Rii through copper, moving 12MP with copper could’ve even resulted potentially in a global shutter. I always thought the S in the a7s could be for sport and not just sensitivity as well. They have just set the bar too high for themselves with the A7RII
I guess no one here actually owned the original A7s that had 1.1 4k upscaled crop mode (APS-C 4 K Crop and it looks amazing) … Get the A7rii and the A7s (original) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSeMpEy-O1E
Why they would “remove” the 4k crop mode from the original A7s (albeit through a monitor) is very strange.