Reading mode: Light Dark

Why do we see almost no "field" reports on the A7sII?

Go to last post
G

guatitamasluz

Senior Member
Messages
1,105
Reaction score
84
Location
Gurzelen BE, CH
Hi, almost bought an A7sII this fall, but due to the high price tag on lenses I had to pass for the moment...Don't shoot any camera at the time, except my rusty Canon 30D once in a blue moon... So is the lack of reports due to currently low/out of stock situations, or did not so many of you adopt a new body?
 
guatitamasluz said:
Hi, almost bought an A7sII this fall, but due to the high price tag on lenses I had to pass for the moment...Don't shoot any camera at the time, except my rusty Canon 30D once in a blue moon... So is the lack of reports due to currently low/out of stock situations, or did not so many of you adopt a new body?
Click to expand...
 
Rolling shutter is the same and the price is too high compared to the A7s. I know they add a new Slog feature, but those things are pretty minor.

My friends already have handheld stabilizers for their older models. The internal 4K would be the only reason I see to upgrade, but since my A7s was $1600 new, the $3000 price tag puts it out of consideration.

On a related note, paired with my A mount F1.4 primes, the ultra low light video is incredible with my A7s. For daylight video it is only average though.
 
Last edited:
RC Photography said:
Rolling shutter is the same and the price is too high compared to the A7s. I know they add a new Slog feature, but those things are pretty minor.

My friends already have handheld stabilizers for their older models. The internal 4K would be the only reason I see to upgrade, but since my A7s was $1600 new, the $3000 price tag puts it out of consideration.
Click to expand...
Pardon me, but this seems rather ignorant for me. Every new feature, taken appart might be an upgrade reason for a serious videographer, let alone the whole package.

S-Log 3 provides additional lattitude, while the camera has superior colour to a7s which was a serious problem for many people. And you start @Iso 1600 with S-Log.

Around half a stop better high ISO (not like the original a7s was bad).

5-axis, there are situations when you need to hand-hold the camera, not all people have stabilizers.
 
RTIMD said:
RC Photography said:
Rolling shutter is the same and the price is too high compared to the A7s. I know they add a new Slog feature, but those things are pretty minor.

My friends already have handheld stabilizers for their older models. The internal 4K would be the only reason I see to upgrade, but since my A7s was $1600 new, the $3000 price tag puts it out of consideration.
Click to expand...
Pardon me, but this seems rather ignorant for me. Every new feature, taken appart might be an upgrade reason for a serious videographer, let alone the whole package.

S-Log 3 provides additional lattitude, while the camera has superior colour to a7s which was a serious problem for many people. And you start @Iso 1600 with S-Log.

Around half a stop better high ISO (not like the original a7s was bad).

5-axis, there are situations when you need to hand-hold the camera, not all people have stabilizers.
Click to expand...
Pardon me, but your post seems rather ignorant. Have you compared both cameras? The people I know who have said there is virtually no difference in IQ. Not 1/2 stop- better, no improved rolling shutter, etc.

As I said for internal 4K it would be a good upgrade, but after that most are saying it is not worth the extra $1000.

And then there is the A7Rii. It is better than the A7Sii for almost everything photography related and is only $200 more.
 
RTIMD said:
RC Photography said:
Rolling shutter is the same and the price is too high compared to the A7s. I know they add a new Slog feature, but those things are pretty minor.

My friends already have handheld stabilizers for their older models. The internal 4K would be the only reason I see to upgrade, but since my A7s was $1600 new, the $3000 price tag puts it out of consideration.
Click to expand...
Pardon me, but this seems rather ignorant for me. Every new feature, taken appart might be an upgrade reason for a serious videographer, let alone the whole package.

S-Log 3 provides additional lattitude, while the camera has superior colour to a7s which was a serious problem for many people. And you start @Iso 1600 with S-Log.

Around half a stop better high ISO (not like the original a7s was bad).

5-axis, there are situations when you need to hand-hold the camera, not all people have stabilizers.
Click to expand...
Nicely said.

It is clearly better in low light and the colors appear to be a big leap forward as well.

And that is without considering internal 4K video, IBIS and SLOG3. As well as faster AF, especially for video. And better 120fps and better ergonomics and better weather sealing and more ..

I have mine in hand and I am certainly thrilled with it. Since I don't have the older A7s I can't compare them myself but it is clearly a big, big improvement.

For those that don't need the upgrades, good fortune has arrived because the A7s should be more available at a discount now!!

For many others, the numerous significant upgrades will provide ample reason to buy in.

For still photographers, the mighty A7r2 is almost certainly the better choice in nearly every circumstance excepting crazy low light. That is why we see very little discussion of the A7s2 here.

-Bill
 
Yeah, this. The a7RII pushed the a7SII way into niche territory. The a7SII is easy to get.

The a7SII is a beautiful camera but from purely a stills perspective it's a tough sell over the much cheaper a7II, the a7S you already have or the do-it-all a7RII. Some people can't resist the sensor and welcome the new build and IBIS. I'm one of them, but we are few in numbers.

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielwharton
 
Last edited:
RC Photography said:
My friends already have handheld stabilizers for their older models.
Click to expand...
This is an interesting point. The original a7S is light enough to pair with a 35/2.8 or 16-35/4 and still go on an entry-level stabilizer. The new build puts the mark II out of this category. Unfortunately, you can't run an HDMI cable to one of those affordable gimbals, so you are pretty much stuck with a very well stabilized and beautiful 1080p device in that case.

For basically the same price as the a7S + entry gimbal, you can get an a7SII which has some stabilization but nothing close to as good as a gimbaled first gen. You can add a cheap steady cam or whatever for additional assistance, but still. Same sort of argument can be made for a 4K external recorder which are hitting the $1500 mark. You can get better 4K at around the same price with the a7S + recorder, but then you have a lot of bulk to carry around and definitely need to be on a tripod.

The new model is the more well-rounded run-and-gun device for the money, if you are new to the system and don't already have an investment in a first gen a7S. I much prefer the new build and like that all I really need to have with me is an a7SII + Loxia 35. Valid points, though. The a7SII is by no means a no-brainer upgrade as the alpha line continues to mature.
 
[No message]
 
guatitamasluz said:
Hi, almost bought an A7sII this fall, but due to the high price tag on lenses I had to pass for the moment...Don't shoot any camera at the time, except my rusty Canon 30D once in a blue moon... So is the lack of reports due to currently low/out of stock situations, or did not so many of you adopt a new body?
Click to expand...
 
aut0maticdan said:
RC Photography said:
My friends already have handheld stabilizers for their older models.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
aut0maticdan said:
This is an interesting point. The original a7S is light enough to pair with a 35/2.8 or 16-35/4 and still go on an entry-level stabilizer. The new build puts the mark II out of this category.
Click to expand...
I didn't realize the A7Sii is that much heavier. What entry level stabilizers are you talking about?

I shot a wedding (video) a couple weeks ago using a Canon 7Dii, using a 10-18mm and a 17-55mm, mounted in a Ronin-M, using the Atomos Ninja Assassin. And while the Ronin performed really really well, the whole rig was heavy and my arms were sore for days.

I am currently leaning towards the A7Sii and 16-35mm (actually bought the lens since I found a deal), and was thinking of using a lighter than the Ronin stabilizer. What stabilizers would be suitable for the A7Sii paired with the 16-35?

And finally, I have to ask about A7Rii vs A7Sii. Since I'm mostly video I just assumed the A7Sii would be better for me, but everyone touts the A7Rii's video capabilities. Are the differences, video-wise, the slo-mo and low-light capabilities? For stills, DPReview showed that the low light capabilities were very close when you took resolution into account, so having the higher resolution for stills would be a benefit.

Buying both an A7Rii and an A7Sii is out of my budget right now
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top