Every year at NAB, Sony dazzles us with new products in their camera and video lineup and this year is no different. CES 2014 made it clear that Sony is going all in with 4K and NAB continued that promise with the announcement of the full-frame Sony Alpha A7s. As the name suggests, this isn’t a rethinking of the Alpha line and instead, an improvement on the full-frame A7 that was announced last year. In short, Sony is bringing 4K video recording to the party with vastly improvement sensitivity which is what the “s” in the name refers to.
Interested? Lets talk details.
As we stated above, the Alpha A7s isn’t meant to be an entirely new product category, nor is it meant to be a new lineup. To that end, the A7s looks nearly identical to the A7, down to the button layout. That means that you can expect features like Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and NFC for easy pairing and transfer of content to tablets and smartphones. Adding additional accessories like flashes as well as Sony’s XLR mic adapter kit, the XLR-K1M is a breeze with the Multi Interface Shoe, though its worth mentioning that no price point has yet to be announced for the XLR-K1M.
On the photo side of things, the Sony Alpha A7s packs a 12.2-megapixel full-frame sensor and an ISO range of 50 to 409,600. See why Sony put the “s” in the name now? While the expanded ISO range is surely to benefit professional photographers, it’s the 4K video capabilities of the A7s that make the camera standout from rivals.
The Sony Alpha A7s is capable of recording native 4K content with 3,840 x 2,160 (QFHD) 4K video. It’s worth noting that 4K content cannot be stored locally and instead must be outputted via an external recorder that Sony would be happy to sell you. Those less adventurous can opt for local (or external) 1080p recording. While in 1080p, the A7s allows for APS-C cropping where recording in 720p gains you 120fps.
Sony has yet to announce a price but has assured us that the camera will be on store shelves come summer.
Discuss:
Are you impressed by the Sony Alpha A7s?
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Sony’s α7S Full-Frame Camera Realizes a New World of Imaging Expression
by Communications 04/06/2014
Features newly developed, wide dynamic range sensor with awe-inspiring sensitivity
SAN DIEGO, April 6, 2014 – Joining the acclaimed α7 and α7R family of the world’s smallest full-frame interchangeable lens cameras1, Sony’s new α7S model puts extraordinary sensitivity, low noise and spectacular 4K video quality into the hands of professional photographers and videographers.
The innovative α7S camera features a newly developed, 12.2 effective megapixel 35mm Exmor® CMOS sensor paired with a powerful BIONZ X image processor, allowing it to shoot at a sensitivity range of ISO 50 – 4096002 with unprecedented dynamic range and low noise.
The new model is also the world’s first camera to utilize the entire width of a full-frame image sensor in 4K video acquisition, and does this without cropping or line skipping as it can read and process data from every one of the sensor’s pixels. This allows 4K video shooters to utilize all of the artistic and creative benefits provided by the unique sensor.
“The α7S gives Sony the most complete, versatile lineup of full-frame cameras in market today,” said Neal Manowitz, director of the interchangeable lens camera business at Sony Electronics. “Between the α99, VG900, RX1, α7, α7R and now α7S models, we have completely revolutionized what it means to be a ‘full-frame’ camera, bringing a new level of quality and portability to enthusiast photographers and videographers.”
Wide ISO Sensitivity (ISO 50 – 409,6002) and Impressive Dynamic Range
Sony, the world’s largest manufacturer of image sensors, has developed a unique 12.2 MP sensor with extraordinary sensitivity that allows the α7S camera to collect dramatically more light than traditional cameras and to produce beautifully detailed, low-noise images in even the darkest environments.
The camera also features a newly developed on-sensor technology that allows it to optimize the dynamic range throughout the entirety of the ISO50 – 409,600 sensitivity range. This on-sensor technology also broadens the range of tonal gradation in bright environments and minimizes noise in dark scenes, allowing the camera to deliver impressive results in these extreme conditions where other cameras (and image sensors) typically struggle.
World’s First Full-Frame Camera with Full Pixel Read-out3 (without pixel binning) during Movie Shooting
With the new α7S camera, the high-speed read out of the 35mm full-frame image sensor combined with the high-speed processing of the BIONZ X processor enables significant improvements in video quality.
These powerful components allow the camera to process data from all of the sensor’s pixels and output stunning HD and 4K (QFHD 3840 x 2160 pixels) video3 while utilizing the full-width of the sensor. In addition to the benefits for low-light shooting, the read out of all pixels frees the video from aliasing, moiré and false color artifacts (as opposed to pixel binning) to achieve the highest quality video.
Additional Pro-Quality Video Functions
In video mode, the α7S can output 4K video4 at QFHD (3840×2160) to an optional external 3rd party 4K recorder, and can record full HD (1920×1080) at frame rates of 60p, 60i, 30p and 24p directly to a compatible memory card. Video modes can be changed from full-frame to APS-C (super 35mm equivalent) if desired, and in this crop mode, the camera can support high frame rate 120fps shooting at standard HD resolution (1280 x 720p), creating a 5x slow-motion effect.
The α7S camera is also equipped with S-Log2 gamma. Common to Sony’s range of professional video cameras, S-Log2 expands the dynamic range by up to 1300% to minimize clipped highlights and loss of detail in shadows. Additionally, for the first time ever in a Sony α camera, the α7S adopts the workflow-friendly XAVC S recording format in addition to AVCHD and MP4 codecs. XAVC S format allows for full HD recording at a data rate of 50 mbps with lower compression for improved video quality.
Other specialist video functions on the new camera include a picture profile that can adjust settings like gamma, black, level and color adjustment, and can be saved for use in a multi-camera shoot. It also has Full HD and 4K base band HDMI® output, time code/user bit for easier editing, synchronous recording feature with compatible devices, various marker and zebra displays on both the LCD screen and viewfinder and can dual record XAVC S as well as MP4 (1280×720 @30p).
The camera also has a Multi-terminal interface shoe that is compatible with Sony’s XLR Adaptor Microphone Kits (XLR-K1M plus a new model under development), allowing the use of professional microphone systems.
Low-light Shooting Advantages
The high ISO sensitivity range of the α7S camera is extremely effective for still image shooting, especially in low-light conditions, where the camera can shoot at high shutter speeds while keeping noise as low as possible. This is particularly useful for shooting indoor, dimly lit sporting events or other situations where most cameras typically struggle.
The camera is also equipped with the same high-precision Fast Intelligent AF system as the α7R camera, with drastically improved low-light AF sensitivity that can go as low as -4EV.
Expanding α Mount System and New Power Zoom Lens for Movie Shooting
Directly compatible with the growing family of E-mount lenses, the α7S camera can also be used with A-mount and others lens systems with optional adapters. Sony’s complete α lens system now includes 54 total lenses for both A and E mounts, including several premium offerings from Carl Zeiss® and G Series Lenses.
As a whole, Sony’s E-mount lens system is particularly well-suited for video shooting, with a variety of models containing “movie-friendly” features like smooth focusing, powered zoom control, and silent iris/aperture control. Building on this, Sony has announced development of a brand new, full-frame power zoom 28-135mm F4 lens E-mount lens that is an ideal match for the powerful movie capabilities of the α7S model.
Pricing and availability of the α7S full-frame interchangeable lens camera will be announced at a future date. To learn more about the product in the meantime, please visit www.store.sony.com, and follow #SonyAlpha on twitter for the latest α camera news.
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