The sony alpha a7s iii Design for especially filmmakers, the new Sony A7S III Mirrorless interchangeable-lens Camera is fantastic for filming but a capable stills machine too
Is the Sony A7S III what the world expected?
the latest launches of mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras aimed especially at filmmakers boasting incredible video resolution up to 8K, Sony’s 4K A7S III might sound a touch lacklustre as compared . And with just 12.1-megapixel resolution compared to up to 45MP from its rivals, the specs suggest it’s hardly getting to set the planet alight for hybrid shooters who want high-resolution stills and moving images.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model number: ILCE-7SM3
Sensor: 12.1MP full frame BSI CMOS full-frame sensor
Image processor: Bionz XR
AF points: 759 on-sensor phase detection, 425 contrast detection
Stabilisation: 5-axis
Metering modes: Centre weighted average, highlight weighted, multiple, spot
Video: 4K video up to 120p, FHD to 240p, 10-bit 4:2:2 internal capture in H.265/ All-I H.264
Viewfinder: Electronic OLED, 100&% coverage, 9,437K dots
Memory card: Twin CFexpress Type A or SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots
LCD: Fully articulating 3-inch touchscreen LED, 1440K dots
Max burst: 10fps, up to 1000 raw frames
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Size: 128.9 x 96.0 x 69.7mm
Weight: 614g (body only)
Sony a7S III KEY FEATURES
For the Sony A7S III, it’s really all about the 4K video from the 12.1-MP sensor. And specifying a sensor which such a coffee resolution – by modern standards – might just rather be Sony’s moment of genius, rather than fitting a way higher-resolution sensor just to steal a couple of headlines or make stills shooters happy.
Instead of using valuable computing power and therefore the heat it generates – with pixel binning or line skipping high-resolution files to urge them right down to 4K size, the Sony A7S III is meant around full-frame 4K shooting. The larger-but-fewer pixels on the sensor not only gives huge benefits at high ISO but is additionally read much faster, which hugely reduces the dreaded rolling shutter that blights many mirrorless cameras.
The powerful new processor means an enormous range of 10-bit 4:2:2 codecs are often used at native accelerates to 120p in 4K. And you’ll attend 240fps in HD, still in 10-bit. All while retaining the utilization of the advanced AF altogether its glory. not is there a limit to the AF working when the more data-hungry settings are used. Everything works in the least settings.
PERFORMANCE
Although we were only employing a pre-production prototype so it’s not exactly as are going to be delivered to buyers, it had been easy to ascertain that the standard of the files in 4K and HD is stunning. the colors are bright yet natural, there’s many dynamic range and therefore the high-ISO performance is off the size . Sony claims up to 15-stops of dynamic range, and that we saw nothing to disprove that.
It wasn’t just the high bitrate 4K codec files that were impressive. The results using the Sony H.265 format were equally impressive, and therefore the HD was stunning too. the quality colours are a number of the simplest we’ve seen from Sony, and Log shooting helped get even more dynamic range for more hardcore grading. The files are filled with colour info, so this is often finally a Sony mirrorless camera that works perfectly in Log.
Although Sony doesn’t say so, we believe there’s a dual ISO circuit function which bases at ISO 640 and again at 16,000. Files shot at ISO 16,000 were cleaner than at 12,800 for instance . We found that up to ISO 6400 we were quite proud of the results. When it gets darker than that, switch up to 16,000. Of course, the camera does go up to ludicrous high figures which might get you out of a hole. like being inside a dark hole with no light.
The AF system is additionally second to none, because of its customisation for video use. It are often wont to rack focus smoothly and organically, counting on the AF focus settings. So fast AF is sweet for stills, except for video use you always want something more controlled. The speed of focus are often adjusted over seven increments from fast to slow, and therefore the transition speed in five steps. And it works in very low and bright light.
With great focus tracking, helped by touch-to-focus on the screen which then tracks the thing because it moves, it’s Sony’s best yet.
Also good is Sony’s IBIS which has two modes, standard and active. Active is best for video but crops in 10% aside from 4K/120p, where it’s already cropped. It’s good, though it’s not the simplest on the market.
And actually just about our only gripes were round the tools for filmmakers. there’s no choice to change shutter speed to shutter angle, and there are not any waveforms to watch the footage. But those are pretty small issues on an otherwise incredible camera for creating movies.
