A7S no successor at NAB 2015 ?

[noone]

It didn't say it was an A7rii, it simply said new A7 Series. The rest is pure speculation.

But if speculation is the game there may yet be hope for a new A7s showing up as it was the most widely sold of all the A7 Series of camera:

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-a77ii-and-a7-series-sales/

​Given that it IS the most widely sold and is still selling well, and since it is newer than the A7R, why would the S get replaced first?

If the S was up for replacement I would have thought NAB would have been the time to announce it rather than planned well in advance to release it shortly after.

I am fairly sure there will be a new version of the S (or similar) but just  not next and maybe not for a while yet.       A7R makes more sense for Sony.

A7s is still the best high ISO camera I think.      A7R is not necessarily the best high resolution stills camera and the coming 50mp Canons and rumours of similar Nikon and Sony high resolution cameras also indicate to me that the new A7 will be an R replacement especially since we already have the middle A7 in mk ii version,

[eleison]

​Given that it IS the most widely sold and is still selling well, and since it is newer than the A7R, why would the S get replaced first?

If the S was up for replacement I would have thought NAB would have been the time to announce it rather than planned well in advance to release it shortly after.

I am fairly sure there will be a new version of the S (or similar) but just  not next and maybe not for a while yet.       A7R makes more sense for Sony.

A7s is still the best high ISO camera I think.      A7R is not necessarily the best high resolution stills camera and the coming 50mp Canons and rumours of similar Nikon and Sony high resolution cameras also indicate to me that the new A7 will be an R replacement especially since we already have the middle A7 in mk ii version,

​

Sony has to be careful.  If it rest on it's laurels another company is going to come and take over. 

"If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will" - Steve Jobs.

Blackmagic is doing a good job cannibalizing their products.  Canon.. not so much.  Canon could have ruled the low end market, but it is now fragmented between panasonic (gh4) and sony (a7s).  We even have samsung looking into the field (nx1).  The mid market (fs7, Canon eos - camera's that are usually rented), they are getting pressured from these lower end devices.  Canon has even said they are thinking about making the cinema cameras more "inclusive"..  I suspect this is code word for cheaper to sell in the lower end.  Because of the drastic price drops every season, I really don't think their eos camera's are really bringing in the type of revenue they expected.  Their stock price hasn't really been increasing.  I think they have been slightly decreasing.

I think sony will bring out a new a7s II this year.  Sony isn't doing great as a single company.  They can't afford to lose this toe hold in the lower market.  However, I do think Samsung will bring out a camera that will compete with the a7s.  I think sony understands if they don't keep innovating, another company will.  Just like how samsung killed them in the cell phone field by innovating, I think sony has learned it's lesson.... unless, Sony is REALLY that stupid.  So yes, A7s II this year :-)

[IronFilm]

Superseding your cameras on a 12-month cycle is a pretty awful way to build brand loyalty.

IMO, Blackmagic suffers from the fact that they do this - there are some happy early adopters, but the trend is that each NAB they'll bring out something cheaper and better - so why invest now unless you urgently need to?

Once they're shipping, then if you need/want a camera *now* then get one and shoot with it. 
If don't need/want one, then don't get one. 

You can't predict the future, BMD will surely release a great camera or two next year, but will it be one which meets *your* needs specifically? Maybe, maybe not. Who knows. 

Likewise, how much longer until the new camera will have the wrinkles ironed out enough? Meanwhile, a camera you get now will be sorted. 

[DBounce]

 According to the latest rumors Samsung will soon be announcing their own take on the A7s. This new camera called the  NX1-LX is said to be a lower megapixel spin on the NX1... and a low light monster with greatly improved dynamic range of 1.5 stops,  higher iso, 10% lighter body, 60 fps 4K full sensor readout, swivel display and an improved grip. Clearly Samsung will be firing a direct salvo at Sony's A7s. You don't get to rest on your laurels in this business... Not when tech giants like Samsung have six month product cycles, no market  presence to compromise smell blood and now have you in their crosshairs. Samsung has a big budget and are constantly innovating. They clearly have something to prove. Believe me, things have only just started to get interesting. 

http://thenewcamera.com/category/samsung-rumors/

[majoraxis]

I really hope the rumor regarding the NX1-LX is true. The auto focus on the NX-1 works best with low ISOs and maybe that is due to the lower noise at lower ISOs. If the LX has low noise and excellent autofocus at 3200-6400,  it would be an immediate purchased. Less jello at 4k would also be appreciated.  I've purchased a few of the native Samsung NX lenses, so I am definitely in the market for another/better NX1 style body. Bring it on Samsung - keep the momentum going.

That said - an A7S II with internal 4K and on sensor image stabilization would be almost impossible to resist, even if the NX1 and NX1-LX had received log profile.

All else being equal, Sony wins on the fact that their lens-mount-flange-distance is closer to the sensor allowing for a broader range of lens and speed boosters.

[jax_rox]

For me - I would simply be happy if my A7s had IBIS and real weather sealing.

Internal 4k is neither here nor there - the fact that it can do 4k is good enough (and I think people make a much bigger deal about internal 4k than it really is - yes, I know it's handy to have and all the rest of it, but a camera that does great 1080p and is also able to do 4k is really enough for most occasions, especially with 4k recorders coming down in price).

I'd rather 10-bit HD than 4k internal - if they brought out an A7s with IBIS, weather sealing and 10-bit 1080p in XAVC, then I would upgrade (assuming it was a similar price to when it was initially released)

Sony just upped the RRP on the A7s not long ago as well (at least in Australia) - which would seem pretty strange if you had a successor coming soon.

[IronFilm]

 

Sony just upped the RRP on the A7s not long ago as well (at least in Australia) - which would seem pretty strange if you had a successor coming soon.

​Weird.....  as back in December there was the roughly $2k amazing deal for the A7s + metabones + kit lens for Australians.

I tried really hard to get in on that deal....   sadly it failed, as I'm a kiwi! :-P 
(but was trying to get my cousins to get it for me) 

[jax_rox]

​Weird.....  as back in December there was the roughly $2k amazing deal for the A7s + metabones + kit lens for Australians.
I tried really hard to get in on that deal....   sadly it failed, as I'm a kiwi! :-P 
(but was trying to get my cousins to get it for me) 

​I think around January, they boosted the price of the body, plus also the native lenses - the RRP of the body rose from $2799 to $3299 (most places have raised their prices from ~$2500 to $2900-$3000), meanwhile the 24-70 F4 that I purchased for $1200 is now a $1500-$1600 lens. The 70-200 rose from ~$1600 to $1999. The 16-35 rose about $300, whilst the 28-135 f4 which was initially on the market at ~$2500 is now $3399.

Makes me glad I purchased when I did - but kinda raises the barrier for entry for a lot of people, and also makes me less inclined to spend my money on Sony lenses, considering if I want to buy one, I now have to pay more for the same lens. At least if they came out at that price they would simply be 'quite expensive' lenses, whereas now they're 'overpriced lenses that I have to pay more than I really should be'.

[richg101]

The A7S doesnt need an upgrade.  for the money it's the perfect camera.

[DBounce]

The A7S doesnt need an upgrade.  for the money it's the perfect camera.

 Remember you said this when the new model comes out.

[richg101]

 Remember you said this when the new model comes out.

​I don;t fall for consumer selling techniques very easily.  Sony and the bloggers will tell me my A7S is redundant and to buy the new model.  The gear heads will tell me my A7S is redundant and that I should buy the new model, I'll be outside shooting with my redundant camera and doing fine.

[j.f.r.]

​I don;t fall for consumer selling techniques very easily.  Sony and the bloggers will tell me my A7S is redundant and to buy the new model.  The gear heads will tell me my A7S is redundant and that I should buy the new model, I'll be outside shooting with my redundant camera and doing fine.

​Problem is most people here don't even shoot and chase the latest and greatest......

Sure a new revision of a camera is welcome or should I say can have improved features, but the Sony A7s for about $2k is honestly an amazing tool that anyone can shoot for years to come..........

[ntblowz]

I think some people fall in to category of going arms race where they spend a lot more than they can ever earned, unless either you are well known which you get a lot of jobs or have rich daddy that support you (I've seen some parent who will do anything to get their kids into the business) its hard to earn a living while constant upgrading at same time, let alone buy a house/form family/have kids which require a lot of money.

[jax_rox]

Seems a lot of people here are continually trying to better the camera they buy - for some reason thinking that the better the camera they have, the better the footage will be.

You should work on bettering yourself - your operating, your lighting skills, your framing, your creative eye. Work on telling better stories through the lens, and then it won't matter what camera you shoot it on

[richg101]

Seems a lot of people here are continually trying to better the camera they buy - for some reason thinking that the better the camera they have, the better the footage will be.

You should work on bettering yourself - your operating, your lighting skills, your framing, your creative eye. Work on telling better stories through the lens, and then it won't matter what camera you shoot it on

​Consumers who dream of being one of the few genuinely creative people like to continually wish for better equipment because it gives them a justification for not producing anything until they have the right gear.   I've always felt the need to produce more than I consume.  If I'm not 'making' I feel annoyed, like an itch that needs to be scratched.  Around a year ago I was worried I;d turned into a consumer.  Then the A7S came along and my craving for gear disappeared over night.:)  - I feel enlightened

 

 

[IronFilm]

jax_rox, I'd say it is because of the weakening AUD.

Our NZD is almost at parity with yours!

[DBounce]

Seems a lot of people here are continually trying to better the camera they buy - for some reason thinking that the better the camera they have, the better the footage will be.

You should work on bettering yourself - your operating, your lighting skills, your framing, your creative eye. Work on telling better stories through the lens, and then it won't matter what camera you shoot it on

If the camera does not matter why buy the A7s. Would not your smartphone camera do just as well? 

For myself, while I liked some of what the original A7s has to offer I refuse to get one until it offers in camera 4k. Not because I upgrade gear constantly,  indeed the oppersite is true. Which is why my next  camera must be complete. And yes, I realize an external recorder can be purchased to add 4k,  but that also adds size and weight. At this point in time 4k is an expected feature, not an optional extra. I'm confident that Sony understand this fact. 

[Oliver Daniel]

If the camera does not matter why buy the A7s. Would not your smartphone camera do just as well? 

For myself, while I liked some of what the original A7s has to offer I refuse to get one until it offers in camera 4k. Not because I upgrade gear constantly,  indeed the oppersite is true. Which is why my next  camera must be complete. And yes, I realize an external recorder can be purchased to add 4k,  but that also adds size and weight. At this point in time 4k is an expected feature, not an optional extra. I'm confident that Sony understand this fact. 

​

You do have a point and Rich has a point. You are both right. 

There are times when I've shot something on a GH3 and I've thought... "man, this would look much better on the A7S". But I've had the GH3 in my hands and something to shoot, so I've tried to be as creative as possible and create the best image possible with the camera I have. 

When form factor comes into it, the story does change. I've never been stood there with a GH3 and thought "man, this would look much better on a Red Epic". Actually because my crew is tiny and the Epic needs A LOT more work to operate sufficiently on a shoot, the end result with the Epic will likely be worse as much of my creative energy is going into operating the camera. 

if you look around you can get an A7S for around £1200. It's probably the best value mirrorless camera for skilled operators. 

And besides, it's only a matter of time until a "Ninja Star 2" style 4k recorder is released.

[Jimmy]

I got a realtime shot of my mum seeing an aurora for the first time, tears rolling down her eye. Sometimes, chasing technology is worth it (I made the purchase in a last minute scramble, before we flew to Iceland after deciding the high ISO tech was worth any shortcomings).

Of course, for narrative work, we are pretty spoilt. Just get out and shoot on whatever you can afford... If you are good, it will look good.

Chasing tech is part of the fun, but shouldn't be used as an excuse not to film.

[jax_rox]

If the camera does not matter why buy the A7s. Would not your smartphone camera do just as well? 

​Yep

http://www.slashfilm.com/sean-bakers-tangerine-shot-on-iphone-5s/

A film is being released into theatres that was shot on three iPhones. Will the IQ be as good as, say, a C300? No. Probably not even as good as if it were shot on a Canon DSLR. But does it matter? Obviously not. It's getting a cinema release. I've seen stuff shot on iPhone that looks miles better than stuff shot on DSLR. I've seen stuff shot on RED Epic that looks almost as bad as a bad iPhone video.

It proves that the most important part of any film is the story. Having a camera with higher/better IQ is more fun - and prettier. But the film that's going to get picked up at Sundance is the one with the better story, not necessarily the one with the prettier pictures. Having great IQ and a great story is certainly the aim - but does that mean we should not shoot anything until the ultimate camera is released? Does having an extra stop of dynamic range, for example, make one iota of difference to whether the story's any good?

If you can make an iPhone look good, you can easily make an A7s or an Alexa look good. You can still light scenes and compose great frames, and tell good stories using an iPhone. Having a higher IQ camera isn't going to suddenly make you better at composing shots.

Are there those here that shoot things other than narrative films? Of course. Does everyone have specific needs and wants out of a camera? Certainly. But if you read the comments here, you would think that there's not a camera on the market that's 'good enough' to shoot on - indeed when a camera comes out that gives images that are able to intercut with cameras 3x their price (in the A7s) everyone complains that the record button is slightly awkward to push, or that the one feature they want to map to a custom button isn't available, despite there being 50 other options, or that the camera can't shoot in 4k without slightly more weight, price and size - how desperately do you need 4k that you can't shoot unless the camera has it internally...? Are you a shooter that specialises in shooting commercials for cinema?

Yes - everyone has their own wants and neesd. But why can't we celebrate what's good about cameras, look at the plusses and minuses, and work to better ourselves as shooters, rather than continually talking about how terrible a camera and how out of touch camera manufacturers are because they don't release cameras that look like an Alexa, shoots in 6k, goes up to 2 million ISO, and automatically grades footage for you, all for <$3k.

For myself, while I liked some of what the original A7s has to offer I refuse to get one until it offers in camera 4k. Not because I upgrade gear constantly,  indeed the oppersite is true. Which is why my next  camera must be complete. And yes, I realize an external recorder can be purchased to add 4k,  but that also adds size and weight. At this point in time 4k is an expected feature, not an optional extra. I'm confident that Sony understand this fact. 

​4k is an expected feature in a DSLR despite the two biggest DSLR manufacturers (Nikon and Canon) not having a DSLR on the market <$10k (new) that can shoot in 4k?

4k is available internally in really 2 DSLRs - both of which are manufactured by companies that aren't traditionally camera makers, and both of which are bigger than the A7s, whilst also having smaller sensors.

You say that adding a recorder adds size and weight, and yet want internal 4k without a bigger body to allow for the heat to dissipate.

I imagine if/when the A7s gets 4k internally, there'll be complaints here about how it's not good enough because it's not raw, or people still don't udnerstand how to grade it, or because it's 50Mbps rather than 100Mbps or its too big, or too small, or something else that doesn't really matter at all.