With ISO that high, we’d expect the Alpha 7S to have
night vision. We take a shot in the dark with it
Sony’s been up to some crazy mad-scientist stuff again. Not
content to have the smallest full-frame interchangeable lens cameras with the
A7 and the A7R, they’ve followed up with the introduction of the A7S, which in
a nutshell is this - half the megapixels, but many more times the light
sensitivity. Its ISO count goes up to such heights that we’re surprised they
even bothered putting the full numbers down. Probably just to show off, we
imagine. But is this new package different enough from its predecessors to
warrant its higher price and more importantly, your attention? How much of that
ISO is actually usable?
Sony Alpha 7S rear
view
Build
Like the A7 and the A7R before it, the A7S is a solid piece
of kit. A weather-sealed black magnesium alloy body with a nice sheen, its
viewfinder sticks out up top like a periscope. Popping out the lens of the A7S,
its 35mm sensor is almost comically oversized in comparison to the body’s
modest heft, which is enough to make other full-frame cameras feel overweight.
Design
Was there an explosion at the button factory? Because there
are buttons everywhere, probably because its brilliant and quite sizeable tilty
LCD screen isn’t touch-operated. Breaking the sleek lines of its body is a
deeply recessed leathery grip which sits snugly in your right hand. There are
also two customisable multifunction dials, which are useful for quick
adjustments on the fly.
Sony Alpha 7S top
view
Shooting
The OLED electronic viewfinder looks terrific and performs
well in low light, no doubt due to the sensor’s incredible sensitivity.
Autofocus is snappy and accurate even in the dark, although the bevy of
autofocus modes does take some messing about with. The A7S is also a
surprisingly decent action camera, going up to 5fps with an AF system that’ll
track moving objects with ease.
Images
Images from the A7S are sharp, vibrant and rich in detail
with stellar dynamic range. On top of that the camera takes some incredible
images in low light with ISO up to 409,600, enabling shots in near-complete
darkness, though you won’t usually need to go that high unless you’re
photographing the paranormal. Images will rain largely noise free up to ISO
30,000 too.
Sony Alpha 7S back
view
Features
The A7S comes with a ton of features: built-in Wi-Fi, NFC,
sweep panorama. But its party trick has to be the ability to output 4K video
via HDMI. Sure, you need to add a separate module, but imagine – shooting full
4K movies on a device barely larger than a paperback novel. Sony’s packed the
camera with other video shooting goodies too, including 120fps HD video.
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Tech specs
·
Sensor 12.2MP 35mm Full Frame Exmor CMOS ·
File format JPEG, RAW ·
Media Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PROHG Duo, Memory
Stick XC-HG Duo, SD, SDHC, SDXC ·
Max burst speed: 5fps ·
Video: 720p@120fps, 1080p@60fps, 4K (with an external adaptor) ·
ISO sensitivity: 100-409600 ·
AF points: 25 ·
LCD: 3in. approx.921k-dot TFT ·
Dimensions: 26.9x94.4x48.2mm, 446g (body only) ·
Price: $2,999
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