Sony A7S M2 - what features and specs are likely

[The Chris]

I think the A7sII drops at NAB next year with most of what people are guessing here - BSI, 4k internal, 5-axis, the 399pt AF, a MP bump so APS-c is full readout, 1080p/120, stills at about 8fps and so on.

NAB 2016, that's my prediction.

Oh and the requisite Sony price hike - so $3599 at launch.

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

-Anouncement at the first quarter of 2016. 

-The same body improvements as the A7 II and A7r II

-5 Axis in-camera sensor stabilization 

-Internal 100mbps XAVC-S 4:2:0 8bit 4K recording at fullframe and APS-C 

-Internal 50mbps XAVC-S 1080p recording at FF and APS-C (as A7s)  

-An improved sensor in the way the 1" sensors were improved, will not make changes in image quality (resolution, DR, lowlight) but will allow fixing the rolling shutter issue due faster readout and pipeline (biggest issue with a7s sensor) 

-Improved Autofocus system that works with Canon/Nikon lenses as on the A7r II, which is not great for video but great for stills. 

-Priced around the same A7s release price. 

This way Sony would have an A7II budget 24MP FF and OK video camera, A7r II for Highest-end available stills and more than OK video, and an A7s entirely for excellent video and OK stills. 

It's a perfect strategy, the one we've been asking Canon to do, give us a 5Dc with low mp count + OK stills and a 5Ds with highest end stills + OK video instead of going with a half-half compromise solution. 

Sony read the market correctly. High-end stills sensors at 40-50 million pixels don't go along with cinema-league video sensors, which require a pixel count from 8 to 20 million maximum (as seen on all high end cinema cameras, F5, F55, F65, Reds, Alexas, Varicams, CX00s, etc)

 

[Mattias Burling]

Like I said,  I don't think it will be that groundbreaking. Pretty much an A7rii with better lowlight. 

But if I can dream a little. The a7s conveniently got 4k roughly about the same time as the Shogun.

The Shogun is finally implementing it's long awaited raw features. First the raw to prores and then the DNG recording. 

When they first said it and at a show last spring  where a bit floaty answering what cameras would take advantage of it my thought was, "this is not primarily for Blackmagic".

One can atleast dream.

[Nikkor]

A7sII with raw and low rollingshutter would be the definitive camera for me (although I prefer to not having to use an external recorder), lets dream

[Chrad]

I think raw is more likely for the GH5.

[DBounce]

Like I said,  I don't think it will be that groundbreaking. Pretty much an A7rii with better lowlight. 

But if I can dream a little. The a7s conveniently got 4k roughly about the same time as the Shogun.

The Shogun is finally implementing it's long awaited raw features. First the raw to prores and then the DNG recording. 

When they first said it and at a show last spring  where a bit floaty answering what cameras would take advantage of it my thought was, "this is not primarily for Blackmagic".

One can atleast dream.

You might be onto something. An A7sii with raw. Maybe? 

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

I don't think they'll go raw, not 10bit not 4:2:2/4:4:4. It's just not how they work based on their business model, their current raw solution nature, and their product past map. Don't expect raw unless you're willing to be most likely disappointed. 

The maximum we could get, but still highly unlikely is a 10bit 4:2:2 4K output to the shogun like the GH4 with internal recording disabled, but still, I highly doubt they'll go 10bit. 

It will be 100mbps XAVC-S 4:2:0 8bit 4K internal and uncompressed 4:2:2 8bit 4K external, most likely. 

(If this is a thread about what we believe it going to happen, not what we wish will happen. For me, I wish for internal Cinema DNG 12bit like BM, 100mbps XAVC-S 4K 8bit too, S-Log3, 120p and 240p, eliminate/slash rolling shutter issues plus unlimited recording time)

[jax_rox]

When they first said it and at a show last spring  where a bit floaty answering what cameras would take advantage of it my thought was, "this is not primarily for Blackmagic".

​I get the feeling that they may have been 'floaty' because they weren't sure whether they'd be able to get the licenses to take advantage of, for example, ARRIRAW or if Sony would be happy to play ball to implement raw with the Fs7/FS700 etc.

I sincerely doubt the A7s will get raw output.

[photographer-at-large]

new body shape rumored

[jax_rox]

new body shape rumored

I imagine if this is true, it will come in a new, separate, rival product rather than the A7sII

[Gregormannschaft]

I imagine if this is true, it will come in a new, separate, rival product rather than the A7sII

It could move the A7sII much more into video camera realm, rather than stills. Which makes sense. The A7s wasnt/isnt great for stills. The A7RII, looks to have done both really well. 

[Jimmy]

Sony showed with the FS700 that they are willing to unlock the potential of their cameras for 3rd party hardware.

It's possible... Doesn't raw go via HD-SDI though on the Shogun? That would be less likely on a small camera.

[Mattias Burling]

False alarm, what a shame, would have made the camera interesting.

 

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

-The same body improvements as the A7 II and A7r II

-5 Axis in-camera sensor stabilization 

-Internal 100mbps XAVC-S 4:2:0 8bit 4K recording at fullframe and APS-C 

-Internal 50mbps XAVC-S 1080p recording at FF and APS-C (as A7s)  

-An improved sensor in the way the 1" sensors were improved, will not make changes in image quality (resolution, DR, lowlight) but will allow fixing the rolling shutter issue due faster readout and pipeline (biggest issue with a7s sensor) 

-Improved Autofocus system that works with Canon/Nikon lenses as on the A7r II, which is not great for video but great for stills. 

-Priced around the same A7s release price. 

 

It's sad how every point came true, except for the last one 

[Don Kotlos]

It's sad how every point came true, except for the last one 

Is the rolling shutter faster? 

[ricardo_sousa11]

 

Just saw this video, is it just me, or the image shakes incredibly when you change focal ?

**Actually it has micro jitter all over, even when on a tripod...something is wrong with the sensor stabilization.

 

I was disapointed by this, it seems to be an A7R2 with better low light, still 12mpx which is very disapointing.