+League of Winning I can't do slide layouts to save my life. Also, Tony and Chelsea might have trouble duplicating my antagonistic relationship with Chris. Jordan @ TCSTV
The a7S II was introduced one year after the original a7S of 2014. So its 12MP sensor couldn't be so different than the previous. However the sensor stabilization and the faster processor of a7S II offers better handheld shooting and 4K without external recorder.
This camera is insane. Can't wait to get one of these things used. I honestly can't tell the video quality apart from cameras that cost like 20 times more.
Lol, My favourite part... When 4 Professional Photographers/Videographers get a picture taken together it's with a shitty cellphone lol with finger smudges on the glass in low light.. Oh man, lol, Love it!! ha ha ha.. :P
Just found out that Chris is actually not a native Canadian and Jordan has no problems touching public garbage cans for extended periods of time, New York ones at that haha. Great review btw. Can't wait for the RX1R II review.
Hey Tim. I am a native Canadian born in Calgary but I spent a few very formative years growing up in NYC. Some of my earliest memories are of Mets games and museums. Chris@TCSTV
I watched the A7r 2 videos and clearly at the end of Part 2, as you said, that cam may not be a good "long form" recording choice. What about the A7s 2? I am a wedding Videographer and using 2 GH4's. I love them, but the low light capabilities in the A7s 2 is much needed for my work. I see maybe working around the battery & time duration limits, but concerned about the constant ongoing revolving 30 min recordings that are demanded for a wedding event - say 4 hours or more... What's your take Jordan? Thanks.
+Scott Owens Tough to say. We shot near continuous (though cutting regularly) for about 6 hours and saw no overheating issues. Now that the camera are shipping, I'm sure the first thing everyone does it run a battery of overheating tests. But I'm not at all concerned about the issue. Jordan @ TCSTV
OK, so can the Sony A7s 2 be a viable option for long-form Wedding Videography - in your Professional opinion? Believe me, I totally understand the nature of the question as well as the tools... Thanks.
+Scott Owens I think it could be used based on what we shot, but our longest take was about 10 minutes. I wouldn't be comfortable telling you it's 100% reliable until someone actually tests it shooting back to back 30 minute clips uninterrupted. Jordan @ TCSTV
To he honest, I shoot weddings and so far 12MP is more than enough even for 2x4 feet canvas. What really counts is low light capabilities it gives so I could take precious moments of the brides and grooms, and the way it can shoot at 1/10 speed with blurry part of the image but still retain sharpness in other parts, that's priceless!
Fellow Calgarian here, and damn, good for you guys being invited to that sweet looking launch! I could feel the energy and the mood of the locations you chose to shoot in, and it really made me appreciate seeing the footage, and heading your evaluations that much more! I currently have Batis class on order from TCS, so maybe I'll get the chance to say hi one of these days! and who knows, maybe purchase an A7Rii at the same time? So much inner conflict on what to buy when one is 60/40 video/stills, but that's cameras in 2015 for ya!
+TheCameraStoreTV I think since the full frame 12mp A7s II sensor is mainly for 4K UHD video they should put it in a full frame camcorder body like the VG900 with zoom rocker for PZ lenses like the full frame FE 28-135mm F4 PZ cine lens , extra large battery compartment and no over heating on long shoots.
Props to to you Chris and Jordan for this channel. I have watched dozens of your videos now and I have got to say you guys do the best job of any youtube reviewers. Your reviews are fun but at the same time very informative without getting too long and boring. Keep it going! You guys are doing fantastic.
Gosh! This is the first video of your channel that I watch on my new 5K iMac @4K. This little Sony is extremely impressive! The 4K footage at ISO 3200 or even 6400 looks so good!
100% agree with the need of a REAL focus ring, not a focus by wire. Thanks for this review. I just got one, and the learning curve is quite steep for me.
Who was able to stream this video in 4K?? ... Not me, it froze constantly. 1440p was the highest res I could watch this video on. Why is everybody so hung up on 4K?? It looked great at 1440p ... Oh, great review once again guys.
Lovely shots of the band and the girl posing as a very tired baroque cake. FWIW I always set the rear dial to ISO so I can swish it round to ensure exposure,in a flash, with my left hand ready to tweak aperture. Nice work tho fellas.
Hi guys, how is the video autofocusing of the A7SII compared to the A7RII ? i thought Sony stick to contrast detect AF so it would be better for video AF, but the part at the end where Chris mentions AF made me doubt that now. I always thought phase detect AF was only good for stills, as it would be too fast or "harsh" for video, where smooth focusing transitions are preferred. the RX1RII looks great, but I wish they had added IBIS for the price, as the RX1 series would really benefit from it.
Thanks for the great review. Did you guys run the video to the clip limit to test for shutdowns due to overheating? That is the only thing I found missing.
Guys, yo do such a great job!!!! I will not get tired to praise all the info and goodness that you give the TH-cam world. Congratulations and thank you very much!!!. Saludos desde México!!!!
Great video guys as always. Questions: 1. Show us how you are getting your audio please, how did you do it? 2. Video recording duration, is it the same? Although, you spoke of how this Cam us better suited for Full Frame video, I am a Wildlife & Outdoors Videographer and the Super 35 mode is still a tremendous plus for me and it's nice you touched on this for me! Would be nice to see what A7s II is capable of with lesser glass, say a kit lens or just a slower speed choice for those who may just start with this option. 3. Overheating issues & did you experience this with the A7r II? 4. Last one, build - is it all metal? Sealed?
+Scott Owens Thanks for watching! 1: This was recorded with a Rode Filmmaker Lav kit straight into the A7S. The mic was hidden with an Invisilav. 2: Still 29 minute cutoff, unfortunately. 3: No overheating issues with either camera. 4: Magnesium frame, somewhat weather sealed (whatever that means!). Jordan @ TCSTV
Great review! Fellow Canadian here, currently working on a NYC vlog with some of those same familiar sights :) I was so hoping the A7SII would have the same AF / face tracking as the A7RII. I'd be buying primarily for filming, so I should get the A7SII, but the A7RII's face tracking paired with their 28mm f2 creates some pretty mind-blowing results for vloggers... just wish they had a flip-out screen. Will you guys be reviewing Canon's new G5X?
I also found very interesting comparison between A7S 4k & A7S mark II about high ISO noise and colour in youtube ,,newsshooter" canal. It looks like we have a new low light king.
The way you phrased it made it sound like you also need an adapter for the Loxia lenses, which obviously you do not, having an E-Mount bayonet and all that.
Are there not 4 custom buttons on this camera which you could use to assign for LUTs and Video record ? There is also a battery pack by Sony which gives better grip and more battery power.
You're getting very good on camera, Jordan. I really wish the GH5 would have some great low light performance. After 5 PM I always have to pull out the A7s to get any shots. Jordan, for video, you also agree that the A7RII is better than the A7sII? Why?
+Charlie Cooper I think the A7SII is the best option for video due to the SLog3 gamma and built in preview LUT. I do think the A7RII is a much more well rounded camera for stills/video hybrid shooters. Jordan @ TCSTV
Still haven't seen any definitive answer to 4k overheating. Does this camera overheat during long takes? 30 min and up is the concern. Thank you for all you guys do!
Oh man, great videos... If knew you were in town I would have stopped by to shake your hands. You both are the leading TH-cam photographers who give us straight informative and fun reviews about quality products. I guess I'll just have to fly out to Calgary to visit. Great job guys. Tony has nothing over you, your the best.
+Thomas Bryant Follow us on twitter, we were posting about the trip constantly leading up to and during the shoot. We had a chance to meet a few NY fans, it was great! Jordan @ TCSTV
Thanks for the great review. My only other question that wasn't really touched on was the possibility of overheating when shooting 4k? Did you guys test for this at all? Thanks again guys and keep up the great work!
Nice review as always guys. Thanks for always being comprehensive in your reviews. Few quick questions if you have a moment (I own 3 Sony A7s cameras for wedding videography) and am tempted to upgrade. 1) There are all these statements saying "video AF is 2x faster than A7s" which sounds specific and vague all at once to me...have you been able to test the camera's ability to track (using center lock AF)? Can you say you've seen a noticeable improvement at all since the original? If so, how? I'd love to see a video showing the A7s, A7Rii, and A7sii side by side tracking someone in various lighting walking to and from the camera. 2) Does the camera still not give you the ability to change white balance while recording? This is a major pain sometimes when you can't cut and the color is changing as the sun goes down during a Ceremony. I actually met with Sony reps privately over the FS7 a few months ago here in LA and brought up this WB issue with them. Doubt it's fixed, but worth asking. 3) You quickly touched on the fact that even 1080p in APS-C mode doesn't look as good as FF on this new camera. REALLY? This is a big deal to me and I'd love more info on just how much it's "better". Also, did you notice the same differences between FF and APS-C in the original? 4) And finally, with Gamma Assist, I can finally see myself jumping into shooting flat/Slog. Currently we "bake in" our look using PP4 which gives us a nice DR still and is easier and quicker (for me). I'm curious if you'd recommend shooting SLOG 2 or 3 at night or is shooting flat primarily a daytime thing when there's (I'd assume) more dynamic range that you'd want to recover/capture?
+TheIrishTRex 1) We didn't test video AF speed, since I only brought MF glass. I'm sure there will be more info soon now that production units are shipping. 2)Still no WB adjustments during recording. It sucks, and I should have remembered to mention it. 3) APSC mode shows more noise at higher ISOs and when shooting Slog2/3. This was the same in the original A7S. 4) I generally prefer to shoot log just to know I'm not throwing away any dynamic range. The Gamma assist is my favourite new function, since I can more easily gauge WB and focus without an external monitor. Jordan @ TCSV
+TheCameraStoreTV Thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated. Bummer about the WB thing. And you're right, I actually forgot that the original A7s was about 1 stop more noisy in APS-C mode than FF mode at higher ISOs. Makes sense that it's the same. So you really use log still even at night shoots? Gotcha. My wife owns the A7Rii so I'm sorta toying with that before I buy 3 new A7sII's. It's a notable investment, plus gotta get new vertical grips too since the current Sony ones for the original A7s won't fit the new version. Mo money, mo money, mo money. Thanks again! Have a great night.
is there a ranking by you guys for all the cameras you reviewed? would be nice to have some comparison esp. to older cameras like the GH4 that were previous (or still are?) video kings.
Jordan - Maybe a dumb question...but I have been waiting for this camera to see what it can do. I shoot mostly docs and weddings. Love my two GH4s but been thinking about a C100 for low light and the dual pixel AF because I fly a MOVI M10 rig (BTW everything I shoot in UHD I down-res to FHD) and need to keep focus as single shooter. Would you think the C100 is good enough in low light to the A7s2 monster low light performance for the C100 low light and AF? WONDERFUL reviews and channel!
I want an a6000 II with similar low light technology, 16-20 mega pixels, 4k recording, 1080p 100 fps, S-Log, mic and headphone jack+hdmi out, good battery life, and hell why not a global shutter while I'm at it :P
Thanks for the great review. To me, full frame footage from the a7rII doesn't seem terrible at all... it seems to fall apart quicker at high ISO's, but otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I had good light. I love all the high ISO tests, you guys did a great job with those, but it'd be nice to see more footage in good light at the a7sII's native ISO. The high ISO tests look great given the circumstances, but the skin tones and color reproduction look a bit dull/off. What's your take on that? Since some of the above issues definitely owe to TH-cam's high compression (I watched in 4K, though, that's for that option!) can you make this video- or part of it- downloadable? You could even charge a dollar or two-- because people serious about dropping $3K on this camera would love to have real HQ footage to look at. Especially those who grade the footage they shoot! :)
I don't know if anyone has noticed but at 12.11m on the video that's Bill Cunningham. What's the shot intentional?... Don't know but what a legend... Proud of me, never been to New York and I'm from the other side of the world. Big hello to everyone from Australia. Thanks.
Great production quality in this video (I'm new to this channel). I also follow Tony Northup but somehow his videos aren't as good.. You 4 are all great though!
Great video. I really like you guys talking about the photo capabilities of the a7sII. We all know this camera is more of a video camera, but people never talk about it's photo side enough. So this has been much appreciated. As someone who's looking to invest in one of these cameras for video, it's definitely helpful to know what it can do in photography as well.
3:09- the church wall has some purple patches - like what i see on my D7000 when I push the darks/blacks - I mean below and the the right bottom corner of the bricked up window ledge.
Hey Guys another awesome video. Thanks for all your hard work. I'm guessing, since it wasn't mentioned, you guys didn't have any problems with this over heating. Or did you?
Can you please specify how you managed to get good sound while recording this while competing with the road traffic. I tried see if there were any mic's attached to the shirts of the hosts but did notice any. Cheers for the great info provided in the videos.
Fantastic preview of the A7S II. You guys make world class camera reviews, I'm a huge fun. Question: in your A7R II review you specifically commended the A7R II's improved color science over the earlier A7 models. Does the A7S II have the same better color science of the A7R II? This is a huge thing for me, because in Canada right now there is a 1400 dollar price gap between the A7S and the A7S II. I think it'll be easier to justify if I knew that the color science was actually better.
+pictureandcolor Yes, the A7S II controls the notorious 'green tint' much better. Look at the difference between the A7S II night time shots and the daytime A7S stuff. I far prefer the look of the A7S II. Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV Thanks Jordan. The night time talking shots you did all looked fantastic, very clean. I saw the settings but what picture profiles did you guys use? Was it all on SLOG3 and then graded with a lut in post?
Great overview thanks! The only thing that still bothers me, are potential overheating issues. It doesn't seem that they've improved the form factor much in terms of heat displacement and I'm also wondering how effective the heat sink would be on a sensor that requires it to be unfixed/movable, due to the built in stabilization. I'm really glad to hear you didn't encounter any heat issues in this test, but I'd love to see how this camera holds up in long sessions i.e. 30+ minutes or even hours, with only a few second's pause in between takes to change cards etc. More than that, it would be interesting to see how it holds up outside in the warm South African summer sun. The video image looks superb though and I really hope the form factor, stabilization and internal 4K recording doesn't come at a cost. Thanks again for the test. Love your channel. :)
and of course, not a single reviewer asked Sony why they didn't put the 12Mpx in A-mount camera to compete against 1DX/D4S with at least 10fps AF-C, an excellent PDAF module and dual card slots...
+TheCameraStoreTV oh...maybe it is a good time to forget about A-mount I guess... Sony sure are cowards for not making a global announcement about the end of A-mount.
So the indoor shoot with the brass band was done at S-log 3? I had huge problems with S-log 2 and blue lights and everybody seemed to have this problem. Could you confirm this problem has been fixed now? These look like blue led par's not giving problems at all. If this is true then its an instant buy. I cannot understate my love for the a7s and the bumps in our relation the blue lights have been giving.
Thanks for a great video. I'm looking at buying 7s ii. At the end you guys mention that it's focus by wire only camera, while the specs claim that manual focus is available. Did I misunderstand smth?
Did I mishear (there was a jackhammer going)? In slowmo does the camera crop the frame? I think he said a a 35mm lens was like a 60mm. That's not good. This is the first I've heard of this.
did you use a dedicated microphone for this documentary or the sound simply was captured by the camera? i have the camera for over 6 months but i havent fully maximised its potential for video recording. thanks a lot!
Great video, guys! It was great to meet you both. To everyone else, these two really are as nice as they seem :).
+Tony Northrup Both of your channels are one of my fav on youtube. keep going !
+Tony Northrup Fantastic to meet you guys as well. We'll do a crossover some time!
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV XOVER!!!!!!! *fanboi splosion*
+League of Winning I can't do slide layouts to save my life. Also, Tony and Chelsea might have trouble duplicating my antagonistic relationship with Chris.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV is your surname "the video guy" ?
;-)
I'm fairly sure that's Bill Cunningham at 12:12 what a legend.
+The Awoken Yeah it looks like him. I only know about him now that I saw the documentary on him on Netflix a few months back.
Isn't great knowing there are characters like Bill in the world. I met him in paris and got a photo with him.
+The Awoken It's Gotta be. He's wearing that iconic french workman's jacket.
+The Awoken Wow, that's amazing.
+The Awoken It totally is! Recognized him immediately. How funny
Wow, this thing is incredible in low light. As soon as I hit iso 6400 on my T4i, there's sooooooo much noise.
MY BROTHA THIS CAMERA IS INSANE !!!! can't wait til i get my hands on it
The a7S II was introduced one year after the original a7S of 2014. So its 12MP sensor couldn't be so different than the previous. However the sensor stabilization and the faster processor of a7S II offers better handheld shooting and 4K without external recorder.
Damn, those stary lights at 8:43 are just beautiful.
What lens did Jordan use to film this?
This camera is insane. Can't wait to get one of these things used. I honestly can't tell the video quality apart from cameras that cost like 20 times more.
Come back every now and then to reminisce about what a paradigm shift this camera was!
Michael Cera @ 2:36
+GoProSkateLaX Nailed it
Lol, My favourite part... When 4 Professional Photographers/Videographers get a picture taken together it's with a shitty cellphone lol with finger smudges on the glass in low light.. Oh man, lol, Love it!! ha ha ha.. :P
Just found out that Chris is actually not a native Canadian and Jordan has no problems touching public garbage cans for extended periods of time, New York ones at that haha. Great review btw. Can't wait for the RX1R II review.
Hey Tim. I am a native Canadian born in Calgary but I spent a few very formative years growing up in NYC. Some of my earliest memories are of Mets games and museums.
Chris@TCSTV
+chris Oh, my apologies, I misunderstood. Hope I didn't offend you!
+chris so which hockey team do you root for? Flames, Rangers, Islanders? Hawks?
+Timothy Tasmin
At least it was a trash bin at Lincoln Square. One of the better kept areas of Manhattan. ;-)
11:53 That elegant S-Class tho.
I watched the A7r 2 videos and clearly at the end of Part 2, as you said, that cam may not be a good "long form" recording choice. What about the A7s 2? I am a wedding Videographer and using 2 GH4's. I love them, but the low light capabilities in the A7s 2 is much needed for my work. I see maybe working around the battery & time duration limits, but concerned about the constant ongoing revolving 30 min recordings that are demanded for a wedding event - say 4 hours or more... What's your take Jordan? Thanks.
+Scott Owens Tough to say. We shot near continuous (though cutting regularly) for about 6 hours and saw no overheating issues. Now that the camera are shipping, I'm sure the first thing everyone does it run a battery of overheating tests. But I'm not at all concerned about the issue.
Jordan @ TCSTV
OK, so can the Sony A7s 2 be a viable option for long-form Wedding Videography - in your Professional opinion? Believe me, I totally understand the nature of the question as well as the tools... Thanks.
+Scott Owens I think it could be used based on what we shot, but our longest take was about 10 minutes. I wouldn't be comfortable telling you it's 100% reliable until someone actually tests it shooting back to back 30 minute clips uninterrupted.
Jordan @ TCSTV
That's a good answer and makes all the sense in the world. Thanks.
+Scott Owens I will make this test tomorrow :)
To he honest, I shoot weddings and so far 12MP is more than enough even for 2x4 feet canvas. What really counts is low light capabilities it gives so I could take precious moments of the brides and grooms, and the way it can shoot at 1/10 speed with blurry part of the image but still retain sharpness in other parts, that's priceless!
The footage at 3:24 is just absolute gorgeous.
man oh man what a camera. one day I'll be able to afford a camera like this for my videos.
Yay! USA! Glad you could come visit; I hope you enjoyed your time in New York.
Nice review as always.
Raise your hand if you're still filming with the Sony a7S II
Fellow Calgarian here, and damn, good for you guys being invited to that sweet looking launch!
I could feel the energy and the mood of the locations you chose to shoot in, and it really made me appreciate seeing the footage, and heading your evaluations that much more!
I currently have Batis class on order from TCS, so maybe I'll get the chance to say hi one of these days!
and who knows, maybe purchase an A7Rii at the same time?
So much inner conflict on what to buy when one is 60/40 video/stills, but that's cameras in 2015 for ya!
+mpxz999 The A7RII is far and away the better choice for hybrid shooting. I really consider the A7SII a strictly video tool.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV I think since the full frame 12mp A7s II sensor is mainly for 4K UHD video they should put it in a full frame camcorder body like the VG900 with zoom rocker for PZ lenses like the full frame FE 28-135mm F4 PZ cine lens , extra large battery compartment and no over heating on long shoots.
Props to to you Chris and Jordan for this channel. I have watched dozens of your videos now and I have got to say you guys do the best job of any youtube reviewers. Your reviews are fun but at the same time very informative without getting too long and boring.
Keep it going! You guys are doing fantastic.
Gosh! This is the first video of your channel that I watch on my new 5K iMac @4K. This little Sony is extremely impressive! The 4K footage at ISO 3200 or even 6400 looks so good!
Spotted! Legendary fashion/street photographer Bill Cunningham doing his thing on the street at 12:11
It still amazes me how sharp that little thing is at high ISO. It's an astrophotographer's wet dream.
When he said 30 years I was like WTF.
I always approve of more Jordan.
+mcol3 Wish I always agreed. Starting to feel more comfortable doing being on camera though.
Jordan @ TCSTV
100% agree with the need of a REAL focus ring, not a focus by wire. Thanks for this review. I just got one, and the learning curve is quite steep for me.
Who was able to stream this video in 4K?? ... Not me, it froze constantly. 1440p was the highest res I could watch this video on.
Why is everybody so hung up on 4K?? It looked great at 1440p ... Oh, great review once again guys.
Ohh wow !! you got Billy Cunningham in the pictures 12:12 !! Great to see this guy still working !!!
Lincoln Center, right by where I work. Sorry to have missed you guys.
Great choice of music! 😉
+discotechwreck Beatsuite had a really nice selection of Jazz for this one.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Lovely shots of the band and the girl posing as a very tired baroque cake. FWIW I always set the rear dial to ISO so I can swish it round to ensure exposure,in a flash, with my left hand ready to tweak aperture. Nice work tho fellas.
Hi guys,
how is the video autofocusing of the A7SII compared to the A7RII ? i thought Sony stick to contrast detect AF so it would be better for video AF, but the part at the end where Chris mentions AF made me doubt that now.
I always thought phase detect AF was only good for stills, as it would be too fast or "harsh" for video, where smooth focusing transitions are preferred.
the RX1RII looks great, but I wish they had added IBIS for the price, as the RX1 series would really benefit from it.
Jordan did an awesome job on the review
Thanks for the great review. Did you guys run the video to the clip limit to test for shutdowns due to overheating? That is the only thing I found missing.
What mic setup are you using here? It is super good quality considering that you are in the city
Guys, yo do such a great job!!!! I will not get tired to praise all the info and goodness that you give the TH-cam world. Congratulations and thank you very much!!!.
Saludos desde México!!!!
Great video guys as always. Questions: 1. Show us how you are getting your audio please, how did you do it? 2. Video recording duration, is it the same? Although, you spoke of how this Cam us better suited for Full Frame video, I am a Wildlife & Outdoors Videographer and the Super 35 mode is still a tremendous plus for me and it's nice you touched on this for me! Would be nice to see what A7s II is capable of with lesser glass, say a kit lens or just a slower speed choice for those who may just start with this option. 3. Overheating issues & did you experience this with the A7r II? 4. Last one, build - is it all metal? Sealed?
+Scott Owens Thanks for watching!
1: This was recorded with a Rode Filmmaker Lav kit straight into the A7S. The mic was hidden with an Invisilav.
2: Still 29 minute cutoff, unfortunately.
3: No overheating issues with either camera.
4: Magnesium frame, somewhat weather sealed (whatever that means!).
Jordan @ TCSTV
Outstanding, thanks Jordo! Great work!
Great review! Fellow Canadian here, currently working on a NYC vlog with some of those same familiar sights :) I was so hoping the A7SII would have the same AF / face tracking as the A7RII. I'd be buying primarily for filming, so I should get the A7SII, but the A7RII's face tracking paired with their 28mm f2 creates some pretty mind-blowing results for vloggers... just wish they had a flip-out screen. Will you guys be reviewing Canon's new G5X?
Nice pictures/video...feels like you're really there
Is it me, or this camera (or the shots) are missing some contrast? I find the colors being somewhat dull, as if the saturation had been reduced?
I also found very interesting comparison between A7S 4k & A7S mark II about high ISO noise and colour in youtube ,,newsshooter" canal. It looks like we have a new low light king.
Phwoar! That lowlight capability!
I'm getting really good signs about this camera and didn't realize you were so close to me in Canada.
You guys are the best, honestly, so entertaining so professional and knowledgeable. Great job
Awesome video! Would be really interesting to see a Sony A7Sii vs A7Riii / A7iii low light face off (video)...
The way you phrased it made it sound like you also need an adapter for the Loxia lenses, which obviously you do not, having an E-Mount bayonet and all that.
Welcome back man...long time no see...always cool reviews...keep it on :)
Best quality I've seen so far- wicked!!
Is this your favorite mirrorless camera for video? Great review!
6:58 for video review
Wow you captured the late Bill Cunningham on video.....will be missed, thanks for this video by the way
Ritchie, sounds great!
OMG, I love this channel
Still 360p though :-)
can you compare a7r ii with RX1RII? would be interesting to see 35mm f/1.4 against the smaller 35mm f/2 on the RX1Rii
Are there not 4 custom buttons on this camera which you could use to assign for LUTs and Video record ? There is also a battery pack by Sony which gives better grip and more battery power.
You're getting very good on camera, Jordan.
I really wish the GH5 would have some great low light performance. After 5 PM I always have to pull out the A7s to get any shots.
Jordan, for video, you also agree that the A7RII is better than the A7sII? Why?
+Charlie Cooper I think the A7SII is the best option for video due to the SLog3 gamma and built in preview LUT. I do think the A7RII is a much more well rounded camera for stills/video hybrid shooters.
Jordan @ TCSTV
shooting chris through that gate at about 2:00 just made me lol for some reason. awesome vid, great camera!
Is the Bill Cunningham at 12:10?
yes
Still haven't seen any definitive answer to 4k overheating. Does this camera overheat during long takes? 30 min and up is the concern. Thank you for all you guys do!
Oh man, great videos... If knew you were in town I would have stopped by to shake your hands. You both are the leading TH-cam photographers who give us straight informative and fun reviews about quality products. I guess I'll just have to fly out to Calgary to visit. Great job guys. Tony has nothing over you, your the best.
+Thomas Bryant Follow us on twitter, we were posting about the trip constantly leading up to and during the shoot. We had a chance to meet a few NY fans, it was great!
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV oh gosh I am sorry, I actually don't Twitter... But I guess I will NOW. Thanks guys, I hope you had fun in my neck of the woods.
Terrific report, would love to see you guys travel more!
+brtnspn So would we! If this video does well it'll hopefully inspire some more episodes on the road.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Thanks for the great review. My only other question that wasn't really touched on was the possibility of overheating when shooting 4k? Did you guys test for this at all? Thanks again guys and keep up the great work!
+Di2ifter We didn't encounter any overheating or even overheat warning all night.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Nice review as always guys. Thanks for always being comprehensive in your reviews. Few quick questions if you have a moment (I own 3 Sony A7s cameras for wedding videography) and am tempted to upgrade. 1) There are all these statements saying "video AF is 2x faster than A7s" which sounds specific and vague all at once to me...have you been able to test the camera's ability to track (using center lock AF)? Can you say you've seen a noticeable improvement at all since the original? If so, how? I'd love to see a video showing the A7s, A7Rii, and A7sii side by side tracking someone in various lighting walking to and from the camera. 2) Does the camera still not give you the ability to change white balance while recording? This is a major pain sometimes when you can't cut and the color is changing as the sun goes down during a Ceremony. I actually met with Sony reps privately over the FS7 a few months ago here in LA and brought up this WB issue with them. Doubt it's fixed, but worth asking. 3) You quickly touched on the fact that even 1080p in APS-C mode doesn't look as good as FF on this new camera. REALLY? This is a big deal to me and I'd love more info on just how much it's "better". Also, did you notice the same differences between FF and APS-C in the original? 4) And finally, with Gamma Assist, I can finally see myself jumping into shooting flat/Slog. Currently we "bake in" our look using PP4 which gives us a nice DR still and is easier and quicker (for me). I'm curious if you'd recommend shooting SLOG 2 or 3 at night or is shooting flat primarily a daytime thing when there's (I'd assume) more dynamic range that you'd want to recover/capture?
+TheIrishTRex
1) We didn't test video AF speed, since I only brought MF glass. I'm sure there will be more info soon now that production units are shipping.
2)Still no WB adjustments during recording. It sucks, and I should have remembered to mention it.
3) APSC mode shows more noise at higher ISOs and when shooting Slog2/3. This was the same in the original A7S.
4) I generally prefer to shoot log just to know I'm not throwing away any dynamic range. The Gamma assist is my favourite new function, since I can more easily gauge WB and focus without an external monitor.
Jordan @ TCSV
+TheCameraStoreTV Thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated. Bummer about the WB thing. And you're right, I actually forgot that the original A7s was about 1 stop more noisy in APS-C mode than FF mode at higher ISOs. Makes sense that it's the same. So you really use log still even at night shoots? Gotcha. My wife owns the A7Rii so I'm sorta toying with that before I buy 3 new A7sII's. It's a notable investment, plus gotta get new vertical grips too since the current Sony ones for the original A7s won't fit the new version. Mo money, mo money, mo money. Thanks again! Have a great night.
is there a ranking by you guys for all the cameras you reviewed? would be nice to have some comparison esp. to older cameras like the GH4 that were previous (or still are?) video kings.
Great review guys. If you don't mind sharing, what is your audio setup/equipment?
Chris grew up in the US? I was wondering why he was unusually cool for a Canadian.
Jordan - Maybe a dumb question...but I have been waiting for this camera to see what it can do. I shoot mostly docs and weddings. Love my two GH4s but been thinking about a C100 for low light and the dual pixel AF because I fly a MOVI M10 rig (BTW everything I shoot in UHD I down-res to FHD) and need to keep focus as single shooter. Would you think the C100 is good enough in low light to the A7s2 monster low light performance for the C100 low light and AF? WONDERFUL reviews and channel!
GREAT overview!
cracking video as always lads.
I want an a6000 II with similar low light technology, 16-20 mega pixels, 4k recording, 1080p 100 fps, S-Log, mic and headphone jack+hdmi out, good battery life, and hell why not a global shutter while I'm at it :P
Thanks for the great review. To me, full frame footage from the a7rII doesn't seem terrible at all... it seems to fall apart quicker at high ISO's, but otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I had good light.
I love all the high ISO tests, you guys did a great job with those, but it'd be nice to see more footage in good light at the a7sII's native ISO. The high ISO tests look great given the circumstances, but the skin tones and color reproduction look a bit dull/off. What's your take on that?
Since some of the above issues definitely owe to TH-cam's high compression (I watched in 4K, though, that's for that option!) can you make this video- or part of it- downloadable? You could even charge a dollar or two-- because people serious about dropping $3K on this camera would love to have real HQ footage to look at. Especially those who grade the footage they shoot! :)
I don't know if anyone has noticed but at 12.11m on the video that's Bill Cunningham. What's the shot intentional?... Don't know but what a legend... Proud of me, never been to New York and I'm from the other side of the world. Big hello to everyone from Australia.
Thanks.
Great production quality in this video (I'm new to this channel). I also follow Tony Northup but somehow his videos aren't as good.. You 4 are all great though!
No overheating problems in 4K?
Great video. I really like you guys talking about the photo capabilities of the a7sII. We all know this camera is more of a video camera, but people never talk about it's photo side enough. So this has been much appreciated. As someone who's looking to invest in one of these cameras for video, it's definitely helpful to know what it can do in photography as well.
3:09- the church wall has some purple patches - like what i see on my D7000 when I push the darks/blacks - I mean below and the the right bottom corner of the bricked up window ledge.
+jtan163 I think that might be called chromatic aberation...
+Jacob Mckee CA tends to be on the borders/edges of objects, not large wide patches.
Tony and Chelsea :D that so coooool! and great video by the way :)
Hey Guys another awesome video. Thanks for all your hard work. I'm guessing, since it wasn't mentioned, you guys didn't have any problems with this over heating. Or did you?
+MShirow None at all.
he video of the camera is limited to half an hour shoot? Or perhaps like video-camera you can shoot as long you want???
Great video! Whats your guess on a release date for the a7siii? Any rumors? Any guesses?
Let's hope you have a Leica SL review coming this week!
+lol Leica hasn't sent us a review sample yet, so don't hold your breath!
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV Yeah guess only the usual Leica shills "Huff Huff" get them early
hey! what do you think about the jello effect on sony a7s ii while recording video? i was surprised you guys didn't talk about it!
nice to see your video outside Calgary
A lot of videos about the A7S II show how in low lights it is great. Fine. But how is it in shining day light with blue sky ? No bending ?
Can you please specify how you managed to get good sound while recording this while competing with the road traffic. I tried see if there were any mic's attached to the shirts of the hosts but did notice any.
Cheers for the great info provided in the videos.
great video and awesome field test
Fantastic preview of the A7S II. You guys make world class camera reviews, I'm a huge fun. Question: in your A7R II review you specifically commended the A7R II's improved color science over the earlier A7 models. Does the A7S II have the same better color science of the A7R II? This is a huge thing for me, because in Canada right now there is a 1400 dollar price gap between the A7S and the A7S II. I think it'll be easier to justify if I knew that the color science was actually better.
+pictureandcolor Yes, the A7S II controls the notorious 'green tint' much better. Look at the difference between the A7S II night time shots and the daytime A7S stuff. I far prefer the look of the A7S II.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV Thanks Jordan. The night time talking shots you did all looked fantastic, very clean. I saw the settings but what picture profiles did you guys use? Was it all on SLOG3 and then graded with a lut in post?
All the night time stuff was Slog 3, manually graded within FCPX.
Jordan @ TCSTV
You guys have the best hosts/presenters on #youtube
Great overview thanks! The only thing that still bothers me, are potential overheating issues. It doesn't seem that they've improved the form factor much in terms of heat displacement and I'm also wondering how effective the heat sink would be on a sensor that requires it to be unfixed/movable, due to the built in stabilization.
I'm really glad to hear you didn't encounter any heat issues in this test, but I'd love to see how this camera holds up in long sessions i.e. 30+ minutes or even hours, with only a few second's pause in between takes to change cards etc. More than that, it would be interesting to see how it holds up outside in the warm South African summer sun.
The video image looks superb though and I really hope the form factor, stabilization and internal 4K recording doesn't come at a cost. Thanks again for the test. Love your channel. :)
and of course, not a single reviewer asked Sony why they didn't put the 12Mpx in A-mount camera to compete against 1DX/D4S with at least 10fps AF-C, an excellent PDAF module and dual card slots...
+rzero21 We've stopped asking Sony about A-Mount, since they keep making this exasperated sighing sound and changing the subject.
Jordan @ TCSTV
+TheCameraStoreTV oh...maybe it is a good time to forget about A-mount I guess... Sony sure are cowards for not making a global announcement about the end of A-mount.
Great review guys!! BTW what did you use to capture your audio?
So the indoor shoot with the brass band was done at S-log 3?
I had huge problems with S-log 2 and blue lights and everybody seemed to have this problem.
Could you confirm this problem has been fixed now? These look like blue led par's not giving problems at all. If this is true then its an instant buy. I cannot understate my love for the a7s and the bumps in our relation the blue lights have been giving.
+Bikkelamsterdam.nl All the A7S II footage was in SLog 3. I didn't run into any colour channel clipping in all of our footage.
Jordan @ TCSTV
Thanks for a great video. I'm looking at buying 7s ii. At the end you guys mention that it's focus by wire only camera, while the specs claim that manual focus is available. Did I misunderstand smth?
Did I mishear (there was a jackhammer going)? In slowmo does the camera crop the frame? I think he said a a 35mm lens was like a 60mm. That's not good. This is the first I've heard of this.
keep up the good work guys. As always, i enjoy your stuff.
did you use a dedicated microphone for this documentary or the sound simply was captured by the camera? i have the camera for over 6 months but i havent fully maximised its potential for video recording. thanks a lot!
90mm Macro F2.8 is also not focus-by-wire and so good to use in manual focus.
What mic do you guys use when shooting? Love the videos by the way. :)