Sony A7S II Hands-On Field Test (In New York!)
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- Опубликовано: 18 окт 2024
- The Sony A7S was a tremendous camera that we filmed many TCSTV episodes on. But while the A7S is still unmatched for low light video ability, Sony has lunged ahead and replaced it with an even more impressive model. Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake flew out to New York to take a look at this compelling new camera!
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Order the Sony A7S II from The Camera Store:
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Opening song performed live by the High & Mighty Brass Band
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Shot by Jordan Drake & Chris Niccolls, edited by Jordan Drake
Shot on the Sony A7S II & A7S
![OhGeesy x Lefty Gunplay - What It Iz [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0yzW9t2ixk/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video, guys! It was great to meet you both. To everyone else, these two really are as nice as they seem :).
+Tony Northrup Both of your channels are one of my fav on youtube. keep going !
+Tony Northrup Fantastic to meet you guys as well. We'll do a crossover some time!
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV XOVER!!!!!!! *fanboi splosion*
+League of Winning I can't do slide layouts to save my life. Also, Tony and Chelsea might have trouble duplicating my antagonistic relationship with Chris.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV is your surname "the video guy" ?
;-)
MY BROTHA THIS CAMERA IS INSANE !!!! can't wait til i get my hands on it
Wow, this thing is incredible in low light. As soon as I hit iso 6400 on my T4i, there's sooooooo much noise.
Lol, My favourite part... When 4 Professional Photographers/Videographers get a picture taken together it's with a shitty cellphone lol with finger smudges on the glass in low light.. Oh man, lol, Love it!! ha ha ha.. :P
I'm fairly sure that's Bill Cunningham at 12:12 what a legend.
+The Awoken Yeah it looks like him. I only know about him now that I saw the documentary on him on Netflix a few months back.
Isn't great knowing there are characters like Bill in the world. I met him in paris and got a photo with him.
+The Awoken It's Gotta be. He's wearing that iconic french workman's jacket.
+The Awoken Wow, that's amazing.
+The Awoken It totally is! Recognized him immediately. How funny
Props to to you Chris and Jordan for this channel. I have watched dozens of your videos now and I have got to say you guys do the best job of any youtube reviewers. Your reviews are fun but at the same time very informative without getting too long and boring.
Keep it going! You guys are doing fantastic.
Damn, those stary lights at 8:43 are just beautiful.
Yay! USA! Glad you could come visit; I hope you enjoyed your time in New York.
Gosh! This is the first video of your channel that I watch on my new 5K iMac @4K. This little Sony is extremely impressive! The 4K footage at ISO 3200 or even 6400 looks so good!
The a7S II was introduced one year after the original a7S of 2014. So its 12MP sensor couldn't be so different than the previous. However the sensor stabilization and the faster processor of a7S II offers better handheld shooting and 4K without external recorder.
Come back every now and then to reminisce about what a paradigm shift this camera was!
man oh man what a camera. one day I'll be able to afford a camera like this for my videos.
Guys, yo do such a great job!!!! I will not get tired to praise all the info and goodness that you give the RUclips world. Congratulations and thank you very much!!!.
Saludos desde México!!!!
This camera is insane. Can't wait to get one of these things used. I honestly can't tell the video quality apart from cameras that cost like 20 times more.
Just found out that Chris is actually not a native Canadian and Jordan has no problems touching public garbage cans for extended periods of time, New York ones at that haha. Great review btw. Can't wait for the RX1R II review.
Hey Tim. I am a native Canadian born in Calgary but I spent a few very formative years growing up in NYC. Some of my earliest memories are of Mets games and museums.
Chris@TCSTV
+chris Oh, my apologies, I misunderstood. Hope I didn't offend you!
+chris so which hockey team do you root for? Flames, Rangers, Islanders? Hawks?
+Timothy Tasmin
At least it was a trash bin at Lincoln Square. One of the better kept areas of Manhattan. ;-)
100% agree with the need of a REAL focus ring, not a focus by wire. Thanks for this review. I just got one, and the learning curve is quite steep for me.
Nice review as always.
You guys are the best, honestly, so entertaining so professional and knowledgeable. Great job
What lens did Jordan use to film this?
Fellow Calgarian here, and damn, good for you guys being invited to that sweet looking launch!
I could feel the energy and the mood of the locations you chose to shoot in, and it really made me appreciate seeing the footage, and heading your evaluations that much more!
I currently have Batis class on order from TCS, so maybe I'll get the chance to say hi one of these days!
and who knows, maybe purchase an A7Rii at the same time?
So much inner conflict on what to buy when one is 60/40 video/stills, but that's cameras in 2015 for ya!
+mpxz999 The A7RII is far and away the better choice for hybrid shooting. I really consider the A7SII a strictly video tool.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV I think since the full frame 12mp A7s II sensor is mainly for 4K UHD video they should put it in a full frame camcorder body like the VG900 with zoom rocker for PZ lenses like the full frame FE 28-135mm F4 PZ cine lens , extra large battery compartment and no over heating on long shoots.
Great video. I really like you guys talking about the photo capabilities of the a7sII. We all know this camera is more of a video camera, but people never talk about it's photo side enough. So this has been much appreciated. As someone who's looking to invest in one of these cameras for video, it's definitely helpful to know what it can do in photography as well.
What mic setup are you using here? It is super good quality considering that you are in the city
Jordan did an awesome job on the review
I always approve of more Jordan.
+mcol3 Wish I always agreed. Starting to feel more comfortable doing being on camera though.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Great review! Fellow Canadian here, currently working on a NYC vlog with some of those same familiar sights :) I was so hoping the A7SII would have the same AF / face tracking as the A7RII. I'd be buying primarily for filming, so I should get the A7SII, but the A7RII's face tracking paired with their 28mm f2 creates some pretty mind-blowing results for vloggers... just wish they had a flip-out screen. Will you guys be reviewing Canon's new G5X?
I watched the A7r 2 videos and clearly at the end of Part 2, as you said, that cam may not be a good "long form" recording choice. What about the A7s 2? I am a wedding Videographer and using 2 GH4's. I love them, but the low light capabilities in the A7s 2 is much needed for my work. I see maybe working around the battery & time duration limits, but concerned about the constant ongoing revolving 30 min recordings that are demanded for a wedding event - say 4 hours or more... What's your take Jordan? Thanks.
+Scott Owens Tough to say. We shot near continuous (though cutting regularly) for about 6 hours and saw no overheating issues. Now that the camera are shipping, I'm sure the first thing everyone does it run a battery of overheating tests. But I'm not at all concerned about the issue.
Jordan @ TCSTV
OK, so can the Sony A7s 2 be a viable option for long-form Wedding Videography - in your Professional opinion? Believe me, I totally understand the nature of the question as well as the tools... Thanks.
+Scott Owens I think it could be used based on what we shot, but our longest take was about 10 minutes. I wouldn't be comfortable telling you it's 100% reliable until someone actually tests it shooting back to back 30 minute clips uninterrupted.
Jordan @ TCSTV
That's a good answer and makes all the sense in the world. Thanks.
+Scott Owens I will make this test tomorrow :)
have you had any experience of this camera freezing? Mine freezes every time I hit record and Sony won't fix it. Just made a video about it
To he honest, I shoot weddings and so far 12MP is more than enough even for 2x4 feet canvas. What really counts is low light capabilities it gives so I could take precious moments of the brides and grooms, and the way it can shoot at 1/10 speed with blurry part of the image but still retain sharpness in other parts, that's priceless!
Great video guys as always. Questions: 1. Show us how you are getting your audio please, how did you do it? 2. Video recording duration, is it the same? Although, you spoke of how this Cam us better suited for Full Frame video, I am a Wildlife & Outdoors Videographer and the Super 35 mode is still a tremendous plus for me and it's nice you touched on this for me! Would be nice to see what A7s II is capable of with lesser glass, say a kit lens or just a slower speed choice for those who may just start with this option. 3. Overheating issues & did you experience this with the A7r II? 4. Last one, build - is it all metal? Sealed?
+Scott Owens Thanks for watching!
1: This was recorded with a Rode Filmmaker Lav kit straight into the A7S. The mic was hidden with an Invisilav.
2: Still 29 minute cutoff, unfortunately.
3: No overheating issues with either camera.
4: Magnesium frame, somewhat weather sealed (whatever that means!).
Jordan @ TCSTV
Outstanding, thanks Jordo! Great work!
The footage at 3:24 is just absolute gorgeous.
Is this your favorite mirrorless camera for video? Great review!
Oh man, great videos... If knew you were in town I would have stopped by to shake your hands. You both are the leading RUclips photographers who give us straight informative and fun reviews about quality products. I guess I'll just have to fly out to Calgary to visit. Great job guys. Tony has nothing over you, your the best.
+Thomas Bryant Follow us on twitter, we were posting about the trip constantly leading up to and during the shoot. We had a chance to meet a few NY fans, it was great!
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV oh gosh I am sorry, I actually don't Twitter... But I guess I will NOW. Thanks guys, I hope you had fun in my neck of the woods.
Best quality I've seen so far- wicked!!
Great choice of music! 😉
+discotechwreck Beatsuite had a really nice selection of Jazz for this one.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Welcome back man...long time no see...always cool reviews...keep it on :)
I'm getting really good signs about this camera and didn't realize you were so close to me in Canada.
Lovely shots of the band and the girl posing as a very tired baroque cake. FWIW I always set the rear dial to ISO so I can swish it round to ensure exposure,in a flash, with my left hand ready to tweak aperture. Nice work tho fellas.
Nice pictures/video...feels like you're really there
Ritchie, sounds great!
Thanks for the great review. My only other question that wasn't really touched on was the possibility of overheating when shooting 4k? Did you guys test for this at all? Thanks again guys and keep up the great work!
+Di2ifter We didn't encounter any overheating or even overheat warning all night.
Jordan @ TCSTV
It still amazes me how sharp that little thing is at high ISO. It's an astrophotographer's wet dream.
Thanks for the great review. Did you guys run the video to the clip limit to test for shutdowns due to overheating? That is the only thing I found missing.
cracking video as always lads.
Spotted! Legendary fashion/street photographer Bill Cunningham doing his thing on the street at 12:11
11:53 That elegant S-Class tho.
Nice review as always guys. Thanks for always being comprehensive in your reviews. Few quick questions if you have a moment (I own 3 Sony A7s cameras for wedding videography) and am tempted to upgrade. 1) There are all these statements saying "video AF is 2x faster than A7s" which sounds specific and vague all at once to me...have you been able to test the camera's ability to track (using center lock AF)? Can you say you've seen a noticeable improvement at all since the original? If so, how? I'd love to see a video showing the A7s, A7Rii, and A7sii side by side tracking someone in various lighting walking to and from the camera. 2) Does the camera still not give you the ability to change white balance while recording? This is a major pain sometimes when you can't cut and the color is changing as the sun goes down during a Ceremony. I actually met with Sony reps privately over the FS7 a few months ago here in LA and brought up this WB issue with them. Doubt it's fixed, but worth asking. 3) You quickly touched on the fact that even 1080p in APS-C mode doesn't look as good as FF on this new camera. REALLY? This is a big deal to me and I'd love more info on just how much it's "better". Also, did you notice the same differences between FF and APS-C in the original? 4) And finally, with Gamma Assist, I can finally see myself jumping into shooting flat/Slog. Currently we "bake in" our look using PP4 which gives us a nice DR still and is easier and quicker (for me). I'm curious if you'd recommend shooting SLOG 2 or 3 at night or is shooting flat primarily a daytime thing when there's (I'd assume) more dynamic range that you'd want to recover/capture?
+TheIrishTRex
1) We didn't test video AF speed, since I only brought MF glass. I'm sure there will be more info soon now that production units are shipping.
2)Still no WB adjustments during recording. It sucks, and I should have remembered to mention it.
3) APSC mode shows more noise at higher ISOs and when shooting Slog2/3. This was the same in the original A7S.
4) I generally prefer to shoot log just to know I'm not throwing away any dynamic range. The Gamma assist is my favourite new function, since I can more easily gauge WB and focus without an external monitor.
Jordan @ TCSV
+TheCameraStoreTV Thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated. Bummer about the WB thing. And you're right, I actually forgot that the original A7s was about 1 stop more noisy in APS-C mode than FF mode at higher ISOs. Makes sense that it's the same. So you really use log still even at night shoots? Gotcha. My wife owns the A7Rii so I'm sorta toying with that before I buy 3 new A7sII's. It's a notable investment, plus gotta get new vertical grips too since the current Sony ones for the original A7s won't fit the new version. Mo money, mo money, mo money. Thanks again! Have a great night.
Hey Guys another awesome video. Thanks for all your hard work. I'm guessing, since it wasn't mentioned, you guys didn't have any problems with this over heating. Or did you?
+MShirow None at all.
GREAT overview!
OMG, I love this channel
Still 360p though :-)
keep up the good work guys. As always, i enjoy your stuff.
Terrific report, would love to see you guys travel more!
+brtnspn So would we! If this video does well it'll hopefully inspire some more episodes on the road.
Jordan @ TCSTV
shooting chris through that gate at about 2:00 just made me lol for some reason. awesome vid, great camera!
Tony and Chelsea :D that so coooool! and great video by the way :)
Great production quality in this video (I'm new to this channel). I also follow Tony Northup but somehow his videos aren't as good.. You 4 are all great though!
Ohh wow !! you got Billy Cunningham in the pictures 12:12 !! Great to see this guy still working !!!
Great overview thanks! The only thing that still bothers me, are potential overheating issues. It doesn't seem that they've improved the form factor much in terms of heat displacement and I'm also wondering how effective the heat sink would be on a sensor that requires it to be unfixed/movable, due to the built in stabilization.
I'm really glad to hear you didn't encounter any heat issues in this test, but I'd love to see how this camera holds up in long sessions i.e. 30+ minutes or even hours, with only a few second's pause in between takes to change cards etc. More than that, it would be interesting to see how it holds up outside in the warm South African summer sun.
The video image looks superb though and I really hope the form factor, stabilization and internal 4K recording doesn't come at a cost. Thanks again for the test. Love your channel. :)
Who was able to stream this video in 4K?? ... Not me, it froze constantly. 1440p was the highest res I could watch this video on.
Why is everybody so hung up on 4K?? It looked great at 1440p ... Oh, great review once again guys.
Lincoln Center, right by where I work. Sorry to have missed you guys.
Awesome video! Would be really interesting to see a Sony A7Sii vs A7Riii / A7iii low light face off (video)...
Reviews are always good!
Phwoar! That lowlight capability!
great video and awesome field test
Great video as always, guys. I especially loved those starbursts from the lights. It's not something you see too often in low light videos, but i suppose the high ISO capabilities of this camera allow you to shoot at much lower apertures and still maintain your desired shutter speed?
+romeo and juliop Exactly! I'm used to seeing low light video with distracting shallow depth of field. The A7S lets me chose the right aperture for the shot and then just use ISO for correct exposure without worrying too much about noise.
Jordan @ TCSTV
When he said 30 years I was like WTF.
Thanks for the video. I just got my a7sii yesterday along with a metabones smart adapter. However, when I slap a canon lens on with it and try to focus while taking a picture, it hunts a lot. Goes back, then front; then back and final locks on. I've tried to find places online to find out if this is expected with the a7sii in particular, but can't find anything. Please let me know your experiences! Thanks :)
+timstechblog The A7S II will have very slow AF with adapters, as there is no phase detect on the sensor. The A7RII is the only Sony mirrorless camera that focuses well with Canon glass.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV got it!! So phase detect is the secret ingredient there. Thank you so much for the answer - I've been racking my brain trying to find an answer. Guess I'll have to wait for new Sony glass to come out ;)
This is a great review! One of the more helpful ones thanks!
Great video! Whats your guess on a release date for the a7siii? Any rumors? Any guesses?
You're getting very good on camera, Jordan.
I really wish the GH5 would have some great low light performance. After 5 PM I always have to pull out the A7s to get any shots.
Jordan, for video, you also agree that the A7RII is better than the A7sII? Why?
+Charlie Cooper I think the A7SII is the best option for video due to the SLog3 gamma and built in preview LUT. I do think the A7RII is a much more well rounded camera for stills/video hybrid shooters.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Awesome review. That's it.
Great review guys!! BTW what did you use to capture your audio?
Thanks for the great review. To me, full frame footage from the a7rII doesn't seem terrible at all... it seems to fall apart quicker at high ISO's, but otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I had good light.
I love all the high ISO tests, you guys did a great job with those, but it'd be nice to see more footage in good light at the a7sII's native ISO. The high ISO tests look great given the circumstances, but the skin tones and color reproduction look a bit dull/off. What's your take on that?
Since some of the above issues definitely owe to RUclips's high compression (I watched in 4K, though, that's for that option!) can you make this video- or part of it- downloadable? You could even charge a dollar or two-- because people serious about dropping $3K on this camera would love to have real HQ footage to look at. Especially those who grade the footage they shoot! :)
Great video! Thank you for putting in the time and effort.
Thank you for this comprehensive video, I loved it!
Great review guys. If you don't mind sharing, what is your audio setup/equipment?
nice to see your video outside Calgary
Hey guys! Love all of your videos, what mics do you use in your reviews and is this audio internal from the Sony A7sII?
Still haven't seen any definitive answer to 4k overheating. Does this camera overheat during long takes? 30 min and up is the concern. Thank you for all you guys do!
Jordan - Maybe a dumb question...but I have been waiting for this camera to see what it can do. I shoot mostly docs and weddings. Love my two GH4s but been thinking about a C100 for low light and the dual pixel AF because I fly a MOVI M10 rig (BTW everything I shoot in UHD I down-res to FHD) and need to keep focus as single shooter. Would you think the C100 is good enough in low light to the A7s2 monster low light performance for the C100 low light and AF? WONDERFUL reviews and channel!
The way you phrased it made it sound like you also need an adapter for the Loxia lenses, which obviously you do not, having an E-Mount bayonet and all that.
I don't know if anyone has noticed but at 12.11m on the video that's Bill Cunningham. What's the shot intentional?... Don't know but what a legend... Proud of me, never been to New York and I'm from the other side of the world. Big hello to everyone from Australia.
Thanks.
I just dont understand how you are demonstrating the video quality of a camera but uploading 360p? Not very helpful guys. But thanks for the effort. You always do a great job explaining things, just wish I could see the real life effects.
+WeAreHQ Its youtube processing the video, it takes time to process a long 4K or 1080p video
Good review. Heard so many bad things about the poor after-sales service of Sony. Is it really true? And I've heard so many exasperated by Sony's use of a vendor for repairs etc?
Is it me, or this camera (or the shots) are missing some contrast? I find the colors being somewhat dull, as if the saturation had been reduced?
did you use a dedicated microphone for this documentary or the sound simply was captured by the camera? i have the camera for over 6 months but i havent fully maximised its potential for video recording. thanks a lot!
Hi guys,
how is the video autofocusing of the A7SII compared to the A7RII ? i thought Sony stick to contrast detect AF so it would be better for video AF, but the part at the end where Chris mentions AF made me doubt that now.
I always thought phase detect AF was only good for stills, as it would be too fast or "harsh" for video, where smooth focusing transitions are preferred.
the RX1RII looks great, but I wish they had added IBIS for the price, as the RX1 series would really benefit from it.
I want an a6000 II with similar low light technology, 16-20 mega pixels, 4k recording, 1080p 100 fps, S-Log, mic and headphone jack+hdmi out, good battery life, and hell why not a global shutter while I'm at it :P
It looks really good in low-light environment.
Chris grew up in the US? I was wondering why he was unusually cool for a Canadian.
What mic do you guys use when shooting? Love the videos by the way. :)
Michael Cera @ 2:36
+GoProSkateLaX Nailed it
Fantastic preview of the A7S II. You guys make world class camera reviews, I'm a huge fun. Question: in your A7R II review you specifically commended the A7R II's improved color science over the earlier A7 models. Does the A7S II have the same better color science of the A7R II? This is a huge thing for me, because in Canada right now there is a 1400 dollar price gap between the A7S and the A7S II. I think it'll be easier to justify if I knew that the color science was actually better.
+pictureandcolor Yes, the A7S II controls the notorious 'green tint' much better. Look at the difference between the A7S II night time shots and the daytime A7S stuff. I far prefer the look of the A7S II.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV Thanks Jordan. The night time talking shots you did all looked fantastic, very clean. I saw the settings but what picture profiles did you guys use? Was it all on SLOG3 and then graded with a lut in post?
All the night time stuff was Slog 3, manually graded within FCPX.
Jordan @ TCSTV
You guys have the best hosts/presenters on #youtube
Wow you captured the late Bill Cunningham on video.....will be missed, thanks for this video by the way
Agree 100% on all fault points, specifically the focus by wire lenses. Really need to fix that Sony!
Thanks guys, Great job as usual:)
Finally someone touches on the photography aspect! Did you say it can shoot RAW? :o
+ChaoticMatters Yup, uncompressed and compressed RAW.
Jordan @ TCSTV
TheCameraStoreTV niiiiice
And I'm over here still waiting on an a99 II! Still, great video as always.
Awesome review
I'm extremely fascinated with this new branded Sony A7RII ..anyhow I want to buy it for myself...however I'm not a photographer...this is merely nothing but just my personal choice...
holy moly those shots at 6400 iso weren't noise reduced or anything were they? that is noice, when are these available on the market?