Industry News: Sony Alpha a7s III images leak ahead of tomorrow’s announcement

[cornieleous]

Who'd have thought that the YouTubers would be living in such a miserable time where there is such a shortage of affordable options for shooting cat videos. Hopefully Covid "magically disappears" so that the clickbait / faux outrage articles reduce to only 32.751 million per day and the "gurus" can get back to shooting cat videos in far off places instead of competing for YouTube clicks.... ;-)

Right? I still watch cat videos in 1080P no matter what they were filmed in. How are these amazing vlogger parasite influencers shooting today when all these new tools coming out are fatally flawed garbage? Except Sony, we all know their amazing brick shaped cameras can never do wrong.

It just makes me laugh how emotionally caught up people get when all of these cameras are pretty capable of making great content by anyone with even marginal skill. Some of these people see one spec. they think should be better and it's 'I'm changing brands and selling all my brand X gear!' In many cases these decisions appear to be made without even having tried the cameras.

Meanwhile, most people making good content (that doesn't mean boring youtube talking head garbage to me) ignore spec sheet battles and invest in good SYSTEMS of equipment, learn it well, learn the limitations, and work within them. I could truly not care less what brand people use of anything, but I will always, always call out the fanboy lunacy because it detracts from constructive discussion and evolution of all tools from all brands.

 

[agarabaghi]

Do we have any idea if the A7 will do 4k120 internal recording?

 

[Quarkcharmed]

You might want to consider a bigger CF Express card for video. 256GB isn't a lot of minutes of footage. Also consider saving some money and just using CF Express(perhaps even a bigger card), it is not some fragile SD card.

I shoot very little video. A few minutes of 8K will be more than enough. Most likely I'll be shooting 4K. If my style/preferences on video change, I'll get another bigger card. But the redundancy is very important to me, there should be 2 cards for redundancy.

 

[privatebydesign]

Not exactly - in order to be 16-bit capable, each pixel should be able to accommodate at least 65535 electrons. I don't know the well capacity of GFX100 sensors tbh. I suppose they are 16-bit capable. The 12Mp sensor in question will have a much greater well capacity, I suppose.
Now one-electron noise level will be four times less significant on a 16-bit sensor than on a 14-bit sensor, roughly speaking.

You don't need to have 65535 discrete numbers to divide any result by 65535.

But it's still better

Less than half a stop. If that is that important to you then get excited, I don't think less than half a stop is that big a deal, the 1DX III is 0.8 stop better at base iso than the MkII, nobody is suggesting a ground breaking improvement in DR happened there, just a four year incremental product cycle.

 

[JTP]

I am a Canon guy through and through, and I will have both the R5 and R6 for weddings. At least Sony kept the AF dial in the same place for changing focus points. The dial is so dang high on the R5 and R6. I have been trying to hold my thumb on my current R where the new dial will be and it really hurts my wrists with lenses like the 28-70 f2. I cannot imagine doing it for a full wedding. Also, for people who use the view finder with the left eye now have a thumb in their right eye. Not a very wise design concept for Canon...

 

[Quarkcharmed]

No it isn't, the differences between the GFX50 and GFX100 are down to the fact that they are different generation sensors.

They are, one is 14-bit one and another is 16-bit!

Compare the 14 and 16 but RAW files from the GFX100 and I haven't seen a difference until you go to stupid extremes of six stop underexposure.

Yes this is where it becomes noticeable. Extra bitness extracts dynamic range from the deep shadows.

 

[Quarkcharmed]

You don't need to have 65535 discrete numbers to divide any result by 65535.

You need the [0..65535] range to use all the values of a 16-bit pixel reading. Less than 65535 electrons will still be beneficial up to 32767 electrons, where there's no practical difference between 15 and 16 bits.

Less than half a stop. If that is that important to you then get excited

Tbh it's not very important to me, it's just a mental exercise while waiting for the R5 arrival.
But GFX100 has very low noise level at high ISOs at pixel level, compared to others. And the R5 btw looks pretty good.

 

[privatebydesign]

They are, one is 14-bit one and another is 16-bit!

That doesn't magically make a difference, it doesn't reduce shot noise.

Yes this is where it becomes noticeable. Extra bitness extracts dynamic range from the deep shadows.

So can you show us an example of that from two correctly exposed real world images? I can't find one. I did find a comparison that shows a sub 1 stop difference when the images are underexposed by six stops, but that doesn't mean it would behave the same if the shots had been correctly exposed. But most agree there no real point to the 16 bit option.

 

[Sibir Lupus]

This is so strange. Reading through those specs and seeing all the typical Sony Alpha Bois going nuts...I see a very mediocre camera by comparison. I also laugh at how wrong Alpha Rumors always is - they really do just make things up and credit fake sources. So this can't shoot 4K 120p internally... That means slow motion shots need to use a potentially bulkier cage/rig to support an external recorder or set off on a tripod versus the R5 which can easily be used for handheld clips (*if it's not too hot). A 600mbps bit rate....in what shooting mode? Is that the maximum?!

But, in all honesty, if the camera can shoot in all 4K modes all day, this is a winner. Canon swung for the fences and hit the foul poles. The R5 and R6 sacrificed reliability over winning the spec war and it may come back to haunt them. If these are the specs of the A7SIII, then I feel sorry for Sony shooters that were waiting for this camera for so long. It's internal recording capabilities don't feel that impressive, but if they work reliably, that might be all that matters to people who really use their gear professionally. It appears everyone just wants to stick with 4K. 8K is neat, but impractical for average use.

The R5 and R6 are more geared towards photography with video capabilities, so they really didn't sacrifice reliability in that sense. If Canon had added an external vent to allow for longer 4K 120 FPS and 8K recording, then they would have sacrificed the durability and usefulness of the camera for various harsh outdoor environments. The A7S III is geared towards videography with the ability to take photos, but only 12MP photos and no weather sealing listed. It's proof that even at the $4,000 price point that you really can't have it all (at least not yet).

 

[Dragon]

Usually sony fans complain about the soft 4k on Canon cameras, this camera will do a 1:1 readout of the sensor so i expect it to be pretty soft and not sharp like the A7iii oversampled 4k. We will see.

No way around that without grotesque aliasing. The Bayer grid is what it is.

 

[Sporgon]

Noise is measured in the shadows. When you're trying to untilise all the DR of your camera, you normally expose to the right.

Yes, but my point is that I doubt the 16 bit will allow you to exposure more to the right.

 

[BakaBokeh]

I am happy that Sony users get their long awaited camera, but my goodness that website is a hot mess. Never mind the comments section. The person who runs the site has trouble maintaining professionalism, taking jabs at Canon, using hyperbolic language that should stay in the comments section, and she/he pats herself on the back when she/he finally gets a rumor right... despite missing on so many rumors.

They say things like:
"The smallest rolling shutter effect in the world!"
" World’s best EVF in any mirrorless FF camera with 9.44 milion dot resolution?"

greatest anything "in the world" is usually something you hear out of couple kids bragging to one another. Usually, the more professional terminology is to say is "class leading" or "best in class".

And the way they get their sources is via an anonymous contact form. Bwahaha! That might explain why so much garbage gets published. One source they published said: " Dials: Looking from the back panel of the camera, video dial for video mode selection left to EVF, photo dial for photo mode selection right to EVF. Exposure dial unchanged. " Clearly wrong.

It does make me appreciate how information here is dispensed. Keep up the good work Craig.

 

[chrisgibbs]

how is the world's highest resolution EVF relevant in a video oriented camera?
also, a bit more pixels and that EVF would have been the same resolution as the sensor...strange choices, sony.. ))

The EVF is simply a proof of concept, it'll be in future Alpha bodies.

The a7siii shaping out to be a very compelling video camera option.

Videography wins for R5:

• Detail in 4kHQ due to oversampling from 8k
• Internal raw
• stabilization (I think - due to larger mount opening)
• Autofocus (I'm guessing, we'll have to wait to see for sure)
• Ergonomics (subjective)

Videography wins for a7siii:

• Dynamic Range
• Raw footage at a more usable resolution
• Higher framerate HD (oversampled 240 FPS 1080 will probably look awesome)
• raw video bitrate (16 bit!?!)
• no record limit (why you do this to us Canon?!?)
• no overheating (we'll see on this, but given you're dealing with 1/4 the pixels, I'd think it'd have a much easier time and this is going to be a dealbraker for the Canon for a lot of people doing interviews/docs/other longform stuff)
• less rolling shutter (probably, we'll see)

Overall, if you're primarily a video shooter, I'd think that the a7siii would be the camera to get. It ticks many of the boxes that drove me to pick up a used C300 that the R5 doesn't address (Canon, will you ever release a <$10k camera that can shoot a whole interview without hitting an artificial record limit in modes where it doesn't overheat). Pair this thing with an external recorder that has XLR inputs and you're looking at a package that offers a lot of what you get with a C500ii for 1/3rd the price. Of course, having to use an external recorder for a lot of the nicer modes is going to be a major drawback for certain genres of videographer. And I don't see it being a particularly compelling option for stills photographers, although I'm sure it would make very nice 12MP images (and at a rate of 120 frames per second).


***An additional thought***
Just occurred to me that if you were to use an external recorder with the R5/R6, you would bypass the record limit. So that somewhat diminishes that advantage on the part of the Sony (although to be fair, any video mode the R5/R6 is able to record for longer than 30 minutes without encountering thermal issues can be recorded internally by the a7siii, so the a7siii still holds a considerable advantage in this regard).

Sony are crafty here, they're going to sell two cameras *again* both the A7RlV and A7Slll. This is exactly what they did at the original launch of the Alpha 7 cameras. We bought both. The A7S became our defacto *backup* for stills and the A7R backup for video.

 

[Nelu]

The EVF is simply a proof of concept, it'll be in future Alpha bodies.


Sony are crafty here, they're going to sell two cameras *again* both the A7RlV and A7Slll. This is exactly what they did at the original launch of the Alpha 7 cameras. We bought both. The A7S became our defacto *backup* for stills and the A7R backup for video.

I don't remember getting one, I think I ran out of Kool Aid

 

[mariosk1gr]

Guys the R5 is an amazing class leading stills camera that shoots also exceptional video with some drawbacks. Sony a7s III is something different. Its a milc body that does video mainly. Its like you comparing apples to oranges! As I have seen from all these tests so far, R5 is delivering at last 15 stops DR in stills world and it's not anymore behind competition regarding DR. That's a huge step for me! Also with exceptional Af performance, 12/20fps, HEIF 10-bit files, 8 Stop IBIS, and weather sealing to last, this is a Dream stills camera for the professional protographer, period! Sony is not even close to this! Now regarding video specs, R5 has the most innovative specs in Milc world as of now! That's another period! 8k Raw, 4K oversampling from 8k, 4k 120fps and all these internally is insane really but with a big drawback that we have to see how Canon will address it! And I say this cause Canon and the word "reliability" is the same thing for a very long time! What I have seen from video image quality so far from R5 is pretty impressive. DR is on another level, highlight rolloff is great for the first time and slomo 120fps is free from artifacts. Canon heard and did massive steps in the right direction... BUT they had to sacrifice some video features in favor of photographers that expect a body that will last no matter the case! Does that make me angry as a videographer also? OFC and today I canceled my R5 preorder also with a pain in my heart. I hope that there is going to be solution in the near future. As for A7S iii, if it doesn't overheat then in video area Sony will have a win-win. BUT for a hybrid shooter and the professional photographer there is no competition between the two!

 

[Kit.]

...and some upscale like the ARRI Alexa and Amira. Who would ever use a camera that upscales to 4K?! ARRI was built to fail.

Can I shoot on the ARRI XT/SXT/Mini or Amira?

Question:Can I shoot on the ARRI Alexa XT/SXT/Mini or Amira? Answer:The ARRI Alexa XT/SXT/Mini and Amira are fantastic cameras, and we stream plenty of content that was captured with these cameras....

partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com

 

[scyrene]

I mean it'll be as clean as MF 16-bit cameras at pixel level. Or even cleaner.

At the risk of reopening an old debate, in photography we capture images. Unless you're cropping to a single pixel, I don't really see the relevance of measuring anything on that basis.

 

[Baron_Karza]

THe list of features in this article matches word for word pretty much as found at Sony Alpha Rumors.

....with the exception of this major one:

"no overheating, no recording time limit
(They are claiming to not have overheating issues for at least 1hr even at the highest framerate.)"

 

[MiJax]

THe list of features in this article matches word for word pretty much as found at Sony Alpha Rumors.

....with the exception of this major one:

"no overheating, no recording time limit
(They are claiming to not have overheating issues for at least 1hr even at the highest framerate.)"

I wouldn't be surprised to find a fan or extended heat-sinks on it. Its their video/low noise specific camera and weather resistance isn't high on the feature list for their intended audience.

The only feature I want is the 9MP EVF. The smaller the pixels in the VF the better, although that is going to chew through batteries.

 

[privatebydesign]

I wouldn't be surprised to find a fan or extended heat-sinks on it. Its their video/low noise specific camera and weather resistance isn't high on the feature list for their intended audience.

The only feature I want is the 9MP EVF. The smaller the pixels in the VF the better, although that is going to chew through batteries.

Well you'll have to wait a few generations, it is 9.44 million dots not pixels, so 2048 × 1536 (QXGA), or 3.14 MP.