OMF is now renting the brand new Sony a7S Full Frame Mirrorless Camera for $100 (with one 35mm lens) for non-members and commercial renters. Members get 50% off!
Additional lenses are also available for an additional charge.
The A7s is the world’s smallest and lightest full frame interchangeable lens camera. With a groundbreaking 35mm large pixel image sensor rated at 15.3-stops of dynamic range and an ISO 409,600 sensitivity, the a7S reveals astonishing detail and color even in the dead of night. Video excels with full pixel readout, a 4K-optimized sensor and uncompressed 4K output. A Fast and intelligent autofocus completes the picture.
The earlier a7R has 36 million pixels and the a7 has 24 million pixels, but the a7S has just 12 million. However, this means that the pixels on the sensor are larger, and this has enabled Sony to give the camera a maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 409,600 – the same as the Nikon D4S. The lowest setting is ISO 50, giving plenty of scope for shooting in bright conditions.
Another key spec for this camera is its ability to shoot 4K video to an external recorder. It is also possible to shoot full-HD direct to a memory card inserted into the camera.
Sony has given the a7S a lot of control over video, and there’s a Picture Profile option that allows you to adjust features such as Black Level, Gamma and Knee or highlight compression. The gamma options also include Sony’s S-Log2 setting for extending dynamic range and generating footage that is ripe for grading.
Tests indicate that the a7S produces superb full-HD footage, but to get the benefit from the available adjustments you really need to use an external recorder connected via the HDMI port.
This camera is a low-light monster. It also has amazing looking 4K, but not internally unfortunately. It has a micro HDMI port that outputs uncompressed 3840×2160 422 8 bit video ( not 10 bit like the GH4).
See examples of the low-light power of this camera!
It’s also full-frame. That’s a sensor FOUR times bigger than the one of the GH4 (although the GH4 can get to S35 with a standard MFT Metabones Speedbooster) Full-frame sensors have their downsides and upsides. Wide shots are easier to get on full-frame. Long shots? Harder!
As it’s a compact system camera, the Alpha 7S has an electronic viewfinder. This is a half-inch device with 2.36-million dots and provides a very clear view with plenty of detail. The 3-inch nine-hundred-and twenty-one-thousand-six-hundred-dot LCD screen is also very good, although you need to set the brightness to ‘Sunny weather’ on a summer’s day even if the sun is not out. The tilting mechanism is useful if you are shooting landscape images from high or low angles, but it is no help with upright images. In addition, the level can be tricky to see on the main screen as the indicator line is quite thin.
For another review and to see a short video clip of what this camera can do, click here.
We also have three great new lenses to use with teh a7S or the FS700 – a 24mm, a 35mm, and an 85mm lens, each featuring a fast T1.5 aperture and industry-standard 0.8 pitch gearing on the focus and aperture rings. All three lenses cover full-frame sensors. On APS-C sensors with a crop factor of 1.6x, the lenses exhibit 35mm equivalent focal lengths of approximately 38mm, 56mm, and 136mm. Ultra Multi-Coating (UMC) on the lenses improves light transmission and adds resistance to ghosting and flares.
Click here for more information and to rent the Sony a7s.
