New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video

Betsy Moore · April 7th, 2014, 03:35 PM

If you hate bulk like me but want to be able to grade in post--and most importantly you aren't afflicted with my 4k fetish--then the a7s combined with the new tiny Ninja Blade is a helluva combo.

Peter Siamidis · April 7th, 2014, 06:06 PM

I also share your 4k fetish, but fortunately my AX100 scratches that itch as I'm very happy with that video camera. I'll have to see what the options are by the time the A7s comes out, because I can't help but think that it's sensor will also appear in either a VG900 or FS-100 successor. I'm pot committed one way or the other as I just sold my VG900, so I will eventually need a full frame video camera replacement.

Dmitri Zigany · April 7th, 2014, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff Totten

Wouldn't it have been more beneficial for Sony to have built a 14-16 megapixel sensor?

No.

The beauty of this is that it's a full sensor read out. Meaning no pixel/line skipping = no moire.

And less pixels means larger photons and that what gives it the light sensibility and dynamic range.

Peter Siamidis · April 7th, 2014, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitri Zigany

The beauty of this is that it's a full sensor read out. Meaning no pixel/line skipping = no moire.

It looks like it only does a full sensor readout in 24/30fps movie modes according to one of Sony's promo videos. I guess that means if you use 1080p 60fps then it still does line skipping.

Emmanuel Plakiotis · April 8th, 2014, 01:28 AM

"It looks like it only does a full sensor readout in 24/30fps movie"

I also spotted that and found it quite odd. Frame rates should be independent of sensor readout. Can somebody with better knowledge of the subject give some insight?

Emmanuel Plakiotis · April 8th, 2014, 02:12 AM

There is one more question that needs to be answered:
If it does 4K from direct sensor readout, without line skipping or pixel binding, how it achieves the
HD1080 image?
Does it throw out pixels with skipping/binding?
Reads directly from a smaller part of the sensor which means that the HD1080 is further cropped from FF?
Downrez the 4K image in the processor retaining the same crop factor?
Something else?

So far the only thing that I found is that when shooting 720p it reads an APS-C area of the sensor.

Bill Koehler · April 8th, 2014, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emmanuel Plakiotis

"It looks like it only does a full sensor readout in 24/30fps movie"

I also spotted that and found it quite odd. Frame rates should be independent of sensor readout. Can somebody with better knowledge of the subject give some insight?

I remember when the Sony NEX-FS700 came out and Philip Bloom was testing the high frame rate/slow-motion shooting modes. Particularly at the highest two frame rates the image noticeably degraded. So sensor read-out and frame rate should be independent in an ideal theoretical world, but in the real practical world, not so much.

Betsy Moore · April 8th, 2014, 07:25 PM

I wonder if the sensor finds its way into an a99 sized camera if that would allow it just enough room to dissipate the heat for internal 4k recording--and if it would have the superior AF of the a6000?

Noa Put · April 10th, 2014, 04:41 PM

102000 iso looks about the same as 6400 on my gh3, this is unreal :)

Swen Goebbels · April 10th, 2014, 10:00 PM

Yes high iso on this camera is crazy. I tested it at the show and iso 12800 had just very little noise 100% usable. At iso 16000 you see the noise more clear so I would not go higher than this.

BTW, I switched it from 4k to Full HD and could see a little bit more noise in the dark areas then. So maybe the readout works different than in UHD mode. But again 12800 was looking good to my eyes in HD and 4K mode.

Christopher Young · April 11th, 2014, 12:13 AM

Was able to download the 3840 and 1920 10000kbps MP4 clips if anyone wants to download and look at them. Not too bad. Would love to see the original 50mbps XAVC-S LGOP clips.

https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/0xh14k

User name leave blank

Password" A7s000

Beware this is a 250MB download.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

Joe Ogiba · April 11th, 2014, 08:46 AM

Philip Lipetz · April 11th, 2014, 09:18 AM

bad rolling shutter

Philip Lipetz · April 11th, 2014, 09:22 AM

amazing low light

Emmanuel Plakiotis · April 11th, 2014, 10:35 AM

In the old days they were shooting " day for night"
Nowadays we will shot "night for day"

:-)

April 7th, 2014, 03:35 PM	#31
Betsy Moore Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 444	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video If you hate bulk like me but want to be able to grade in post--and most importantly you aren't afflicted with my 4k fetish--then the a7s combined with the new tiny Ninja Blade is a helluva combo.

April 7th, 2014, 06:06 PM	#32
Peter Siamidis Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 148	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video I also share your 4k fetish, but fortunately my AX100 scratches that itch as I'm very happy with that video camera. I'll have to see what the options are by the time the A7s comes out, because I can't help but think that it's sensor will also appear in either a VG900 or FS-100 successor. I'm pot committed one way or the other as I just sold my VG900, so I will eventually need a full frame video camera replacement.

April 8th, 2014, 01:28 AM	#35
Emmanuel Plakiotis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 344	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video "It looks like it only does a full sensor readout in 24/30fps movie" I also spotted that and found it quite odd. Frame rates should be independent of sensor readout. Can somebody with better knowledge of the subject give some insight?

April 8th, 2014, 02:12 AM	#36
Emmanuel Plakiotis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 344	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video There is one more question that needs to be answered: If it does 4K from direct sensor readout, without line skipping or pixel binding, how it achieves the HD1080 image? Does it throw out pixels with skipping/binding? Reads directly from a smaller part of the sensor which means that the HD1080 is further cropped from FF? Downrez the 4K image in the processor retaining the same crop factor? Something else? So far the only thing that I found is that when shooting 720p it reads an APS-C area of the sensor.

April 8th, 2014, 07:25 PM	#38
Betsy Moore Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 444	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video I wonder if the sensor finds its way into an a99 sized camera if that would allow it just enough room to dissipate the heat for internal 4k recording--and if it would have the superior AF of the a6000?

April 10th, 2014, 04:41 PM	#39
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,510	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video 102000 iso looks about the same as 6400 on my gh3, this is unreal :) Sony A7S low light test in complete darkness - YouTube

April 10th, 2014, 10:00 PM	#40
Swen Goebbels Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Aachen, Germany and Las Vegas NV Posts: 107	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video Yes high iso on this camera is crazy. I tested it at the show and iso 12800 had just very little noise 100% usable. At iso 16000 you see the noise more clear so I would not go higher than this. BTW, I switched it from 4k to Full HD and could see a little bit more noise in the dark areas then. So maybe the readout works different than in UHD mode. But again 12800 was looking good to my eyes in HD and 4K mode.

April 11th, 2014, 12:13 AM	#41
Christopher Young Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,572	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video Was able to download the 3840 and 1920 10000kbps MP4 clips if anyone wants to download and look at them. Not too bad. Would love to see the original 50mbps XAVC-S LGOP clips. https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/0xh14k User name leave blank Password" A7s000 Beware this is a 250MB download. Chris Young CYV Productions Sydney Last edited by Christopher Young; April 11th, 2014 at 12:15 AM. Reason: Additional info

April 11th, 2014, 08:46 AM	#42
Joe Ogiba Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 194	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video Sony A7s: Low Light Demonstration (ISO 1600 to 409600) - YouTube

April 11th, 2014, 09:18 AM	#43
Philip Lipetz Major Player Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 273	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video bad rolling shutter NAB 2014 Sony A7S Rolling Shutter Test - YouTube

April 11th, 2014, 09:22 AM	#44
Philip Lipetz Major Player Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 273	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video amazing low light Sony A7s: Low Light Demonstration (ISO 1600 to 409600) - YouTube

April 11th, 2014, 10:35 AM	#45
Emmanuel Plakiotis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 344	Re: New Sony A7s to shoot 4K video In the old days they were shooting " day for night" Nowadays we will shot "night for day" :-)