Having a blast with the Sony A7s

Having a blast with the Sony A7s

So I am on day one of an 8 day road trip through various parts of California with the Sony A7s and so far so good! Day and Night one brought us to Landers, CA where we stayed at Kate’s Lazy Desert which was a really fun time. We had the whole place to ourselves, six classic airstream trailers and a wonderful night under the stars. We leave this morning and area heading to see some friends in Crestline, CA and then we will be on our way to Santa Clarita for two nights. After that we will be heading to Santa Cruz, San Francisco and then to Long Beach before heading back home to Phx AZ. Will be shooting the A7s for the entire trip so I can evaluate it fully for my full review which will be up soon.

Yesterday and last night I shot with the A7s along with the Voigtlander 15 and Sony/Zeiss 35 2.8. Below are a few of the shots, which are all OOC JPEGS from Lightroom. Just using my tiny Macbook Air for this trip so for me, it is hard to do any editing..so what you see is what you get.

You can pre-order the Sony A7s at Amazon or B&H Photo.

ISO 12,800, 15mm, 1/10s – Handheld

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Voigtlander 15mm, tripod long exposure. 

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Inside one of the Airstreams with the 15mm – I think I was using the “Clear” color mode…but man, love this 15 on the A7s! Finally usable in color on a FF digital. This lens did not even work good on the cropped Leica M8 but on the A7s it is nice. 

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Zeiss 35 2.8 – It was a bright day and around 105 degrees at the Lazy Desert, but we had a blast regardless. 

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15 VM 

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15 VM – They have a little pool so we had some drinks and went swimming for a while before cooking up some dinner.

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15VM – The Camera m ay have been in Vivid for this one.. I used spot metering here.

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35 2.8 – The little Zeiss 35 is a fantastic lens.

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95 Comments

  1. Steve, for those kind of samples above, you could get those IQ with just using old leica X1, you need not video, extremely high iso or even change the lens right?

    • 1st of all, no you can’t. The X1 can not do 15mm, can not do 50mm – it scan only do 35mm. The X1 is horrible at high ISO, max use 1600 for my tastes. A7s max use? 100k. Also, the X1 is slow as molasses, slowest AF of any camera I know today. The X1 is old tech and you can tell. The X1 can not in any way, shape or form, match the A7s – in any situation. In versatility, in low light, in good light or in speed. I loved the X1 in its day before there was much of anything else out there but today the X1 is not a camera I would recommend to anyone just due to speed, lack of versatility, etc. Nice size but it is for good light only and stationary subjects only.

  2. I want to do more astrophotography, and was thinking of combining A7s and the Voightlander 21mm f/1.8 Ultron. Do you think that’ll be the ultimate combination?
    Currently my RX1R’s 35mm is a little tight for astrophotography.

  3. Hey Steve,
    Love to always see your reviews and I’m a big fan of your site.
    I was going back and forth with you for a bit with the X-T1 vs your E-M1 telling you how the Fuji had better IQ more dynamic range. Ha, well I mostly stand corrected. I was a new X-T1 user and what drove me really crazy about the camera oddly enough was that so called Fuji Color. I rarely got NATURAL looking skin tones, real blue skies flowers looked like plastic…you were right the darn X-T1 DID blow highlights too easily, and xtrans is a big pain as to raw. Sold the Fuji.

    Fast forward it’s GAS time again here LOL. I owned the A7R for a while but I never connected with it, and it was just way too many megapixels. Sorry this is an A7S thread; To the point, I have seen a couple reviews even video reviews who say the A7S is a “GOOD” stills camera but it’s really BEST for video. As you said here, the A7S may be your camera of the year right now. I am ONLY interested in the STILLS part. Glad it can do great video but I’m not buying the A7S FOR video.

    I trust your opinion more than some of those more technical GRAPH Starts with DX- type sites…and a review site I do generally like, the camerastore sort of summed up the A7S is like an OK Very Good Stills camera but an amazing Video camera. Though I guess you already stated this?…do you feel this Sony is a GREAT stills camera ..and can it hang or best the IQ of an RX1 etc for STILLS? I’m about to pull the trigger and buy one..but a couple on line reviews I saw keep harping on the video quality and really saying MEH to the stills part on the A7S, has me a little concerned. BTW 12 megs is plenty for me…that is a non issue maybe even a plus, as I don’t like to crop too much nor do I print much if at all Thanks Steve. Sol

    • Well, keep in mind I am someone who used a Nikon D2hs for years and loved it, and even made large large prints with it that I still have to this day. So 12 MP is just about perfect for me. I kind of prefer 16, but do not mind 12 at all. The files sizes are nice and small and it is because of the small size that the camera can put out such great high ISO performance.

      The A7s..I was using it lasnight in EXTREME darkness aboard the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach, CA on a private midnight tour of the ships innards. It was tough to see with my eyes yet when I looked through the EVF it was “lit up” and the camera focused quickly, even without the use of the AF assist light (which I have turned off). No other camera I have ever used would be able to pull this off, so the AF of the A7S is superb when used in near blackness. Using the 35 2.8 at 2.8 and at ISO 16,000 yielded unreal results in the darkness. Crazy. I also tested video sty 108k ISO and it blew me away.

      For normal images, in daylight, the quality of the camera is very very good. NO color casts, spot on AWB, fast AF, BUT not super fast for moving subjects, which is always the hard part for mirror less. Not horrible, but for action and continuous AF it is not the best there is.

      When you start shooting landscapes you will see the difference between 12MP and 36MP but it is a trade off. The A7s does everything right..a jack of all trades and master of them all. The A7s is also quieter and last night while on the ship I was using the silent shooting mode and no one could believe I was taking images as A: They did not hear it and B: I did not use flash and C: it was too dark to even see!

      So silent mode was really nice to have. It is dead silent.

      I will be posting my review Monday or Tuesday and will have images in low light, good light and everything in between. I will have full size files as well so if you like what you see, then that will help you I am sure.

      The OOC JPEGs have been fantastic as well.

      But not everyone will get along with only 12MP in these days of 24 and 36MP. Cropping is not something you will be doing with the A7s files. Luckily, I never really crop so again, for me, it is no issue.

      This camera is an important release as it does things no other camera before it has ever been able to do.

      • Hey Steve.Thanks much! You put my mind at ease here with the A7S I’m gonna get one!

        I too, being honest, would probably slightly prefer 16 megapixels..I feel that’s a good sweet spot..but again as I don’t really print much or crop too much if at all 12 megs should be just fine. Having had the A7R yes it had stunning detail..but in every day use or hanging around family just taking pics it just didn’t do it for me. I have an RX1R presently but want a sort of ILC version with a darn “built in evf”. I think the A7S may be the ticket. 🙂 The fact it can do high iso so well and you say the focus works well in such low light, I’m pretty excited about the camera now. I am eager to read your full review.and as always Thank you Steve!

  4. Yellow cast….
    I’ve had the opportunity to spend a brief time with the A7r. JPEGs seem to be giving me a yellow cast on skin tones. Anyone else dealing with that?

  5. Thanks Steve for your test and comments on this camera!
    I wish to see more test on its video features, such as Autofocus, peaking accuracy, dynamic range, crop sensor zoom picture quality, video quality comparison on ISO 100 (non sLog2) vs sLog2 ISO 3200… etc.
    Thank you thank you!

      • So since this comment I have purchased the 21mm f/1.8 and the 15mm f/4.5 Voigtlanders, while the build quality and image quality are stunning, both lenses seem to suffer from immense vignetting on my A7r even when stopped down to f/2 and f/5.6 respectively!
        Any tips on avoiding that without having to stop down too much??
        Cheers

  6. Nice creamy smooth combo there Steve. Technically, the long exposure image looks promising. Would love to see the exif on that one!! As always, enjoying your work and look forward to the full review! Thanks!

  7. Great consideration as usual Steve;) I’m pretty sure I’ll buy this new stuff! Which lens with it I really don’t know…Voigtlander Nokton 50mm 1.5 or Sony Zeiss 55 1.8???

    • Both are fantastic. The Voigtlander is smaller, and feels like a real manual lens – SOLID. But it is manual focus. If you do not mind this then it is a great choice.

      • Thank you! Is manual focusing w/ A7S more confortable than a modern reflex such as Canon 5D?

  8. OMG STEVE NICE COMMENT . STEVE:I will be shooting many more live musicians in 2014 and 2015 in very low light scenarios and the A7s is just the ticket. :)Take pictures of Gaga plz .

  9. Here’s the fear I have … that the review will spend too much time on lenses that non of us have, as opposed to a valid review with Sony/Zeiss lenses that we might likely buy…

    • ??? All I am using is the Sony 35 2.8, the Sony 55 1.8 and the Mitakon which is the cheapest of them al! Oh and a few from the Voigtlander which is $599. It will be used with ALL lenses. Many more want me to shoot with that Mitakon than the Sony lenses but I am also using the Sony stuff, of course.

  10. Hi Steve, can you comment on manual focusing? I am interested in how well the A7s fares in manual focusing vs say the XT1.

  11. Stunning color

    Luminous Landscape mentioned the same thing. The files are so pleasing and color so ALIVE.

    BIONX is really in tune with this sensor . Well done Sony. Thanks for sharing Steve.

  12. nooooooooooo Steve do not buy the sony a7s. Too much money for only 12mp . You can buy the sony rx100 III .Dpreview gave it a gold award two days ago. wait for the new panasonic and fuji cameras .

    • Yeesssssssss! I am 100% buying an A7s! Bottom line? Probably the most capable and amazing camera I have ever shot with, period. “Only 12mp”? Seriously? 12MP is PLENTY for anything I will ever need, and that includes 20X30 prints (largest I print). I have never seen a camera like it for low light, and the daylight IQ is astoundingly good, even better than the A7 and A7r for color and punch.

      The speed is great (better than the A7 and A7r) and there is nothing it can not do. Video wise, it is also phenomenal. Great EVF, pretty quiet (more so than A7r and A7), solid, and a line of lenses on the way that will be gorgeous. There is nothing not to like, and nothing from Fuji would sway me (The only Fuji I LOVE is the original X100 and I like the X-T1 quite a bit but as a system, not for me) unless it was mind blowing crazy insane good. Then I would just buy that one too.

      I have shot with and used them ALL over the years and I do not remember any of them grabbing me as much as this Sony A7s for any and all situations, but it speaks to me and how I shoot and WHAT I like to shoot. To me, 12MP is a PLUS not a negative. The RX100 III is also amazing, but can not do what the A7s does, not even close! It’s a different camera for a different purpose (P&S/Pocket cam) but equally impressive for what it is and what it does.

      I have an A7s on order (and they are now shipping) because I have actually been using it and testing it and it has been impressing the hell out of me in every way, much more so than any other camera in recent memory.

      Tech keeps getting better and better and this sensor sits in a sweet spot that allows you to tackle any job in any light and deliver beautiful results, all in a very solid well made small package. Some things even a full frame Canon DSLR can’t do. Some of the new lenses coming soon from Sony and from the Zeiss ZE line look pretty special and we will see the A7 series start to really take off once some of these are released like the ultra wides and the uber fast lenses (f/1.2)

      At the end of the day though, it comes down to this: Every camera I have used has some limitation somewhere in the chain. Fuji, Olympus, Leica, Previous Sony models, DSLR’s, etc. This is the 1st camera I have ever used that has not given me ONE limitation, and yes, that includes large prints that look beautiful. (I have 20X30’s from 4MO D2hs files that are gorgeous). For an action shooter, a pro DSLR is #1 of course but I never shoot action.

      The A7s, so far, has given me more beautiful results than my Leica M 240, previous Nikon Df and at the same time I have not had to put it down when the lights get low. ISO 102k is actually usable (but I wouldn’t go higher than that). This is huge for many people. It opens up new possibilities that were just never there before. It’s a groundbreaking camera in many ways. So why would I not want one? Because it is 12MP? Again, to me, that is a PLUS.

      So far, my pick for camera of the year is the Sony A7s. No question. Unless something fantastic comes along to change that, we will see. Fuji would have to change their whole sensor for me to buy into them as I have never been a huge fan of the X-Trans sensor or the look it gives to the images/files. Panasonic, well, I have never stuck with Panasonic long term. Olympus, yes, Panasonic, no. Sony has been revolutionary for 2-3 years now starting with the NEX-7, then the RX1 and RX1r then RX100, 1 II II and now with the A7 series but especially the A7S. To me, it is by far the best of the A7 series just because you can do anything with it, it is faster, quieter and has the best video performance. 80k ISO video? Sure. No problem.

      Remember, I use and test them ALL and I buy what REALLY ticks my buttons. I can buy any camera I want but I only buy why I know is worth buying for my tastes and use. I will be shooting many more live musicians in 2014 and 2015 in very low light scenarios and the A7s is just the ticket. Nothing better at this time, period for that situation – photo or video.

      Steve

      • Great commentary. Having used my 24mp A7 with about 8 different Leica and ZM lens, I finally gave up and settled on the 90 Elmarit 2.8 and went with the FE 55 and 35 for my other two. I miss my 50 summilux and desperately want the A7s to rekindle something there with the m mounts. I hope you have a chance to test either the 50 planar or summilux. (My 7s is on “stevehuffphoto.com” order and I expect delivery by Thursday). Travel safe.

      • Steve, do you mean A7s gives you more beautiful than M240 in general or it’s just when using the VM 15?

        • Well, in general..yes. More reliable with color and just as much pop. The Sony/Zeiss 55 is also fantastic and competes with Leica glass in output.

      • Hey, Steve.

        To get my daily fix on photo and camera gear, I have to pay a visit to your site everyday and I keep checking throughout the day to see what else might still drop in. Love the individual stories, inspirations and experiences in this community you got going here.

        Going back and talking about the A7S, how much of an advantage would you say the A7S has in terms of light sensitivity over the A7 & A7R? Let me try to be more specific…

        Although you have done a great job of showing a lot of what this 12mp sensor can do, and many other reviews/videos have already done a lot to praise it’s impressive low light capability, I am asking this as more of a gear combination question.

        Also, I know you’re not a zoom lens guy, perhaps you might be able to shed some insight into the question/scenario below?

        I have no doubt the A7S will do great with fast glass, but for quality glass on a FF with AF, there’s no way around it, the lenses are going to be primarily big. The physical parameters required over fast optic designs pretty much dictate this, especially if you want a fast constant zoom. Sure, you could probably mount/adapt a FF 24-70 f/2.8 on the A7S, but it would be very big & heavy (on the front of the camera), and if you wanted the longer equivalent with a 70-200 f/2.8, even bigger & heavier!

        I’d consider the A7S because I’m speculating & hoping that the impressive light sensitive 12mp sensor will possibly negate the need for such large fast glass so the overall body/lens combo will be as high performing and compact as possible.

        With that in mind, I’ve considered looking at the Zeiss 24-70 f/4 and possibly Sony G 70-200 f/4 as a nice quality zoom kit with the A7S.

        With your experience with the A7S, A7 & A7R, using the same set of lenses, would you say that the A7S should perform the best between the 3 current A7 models? From what I have read and can deduce from reviews and personal experiences that have surfaced so far, it would seam the A7S should have the best AF using the above mentioned lenses.

        On top of better AF performances, an f/4 lens in low light conditions may seem a bit slow & not quite fast and bright enough for indoor to low light conditions.. but, since the A7S is so light sensitive, does it sort of negate some of this and can perform similarly as if it were using an equivalent zoom with f/2.8 (or greater/wider?) as max aperture?..

        I know shallow depth of field is not the same, and I’m not comparing ultimate resolution/detail cause I know the A7/A7R’s should be better in this regard.. but, low light performance from a “slower” or “not the fastest” lens and AF speed/accuracy should be a lot better on the A7S compared to it’s A7/A7R brethren?

        If so, I think the A7S would be a great version to own if you wanted that FF with great overall performance and it can enhance or make better out of “slower” glass so you can still keep the overall lens/body combination smaller and lighter.

        I’m throwing out loose numbers here, but essentially, in low light conditions, you could get just as clean image results with an A7S set to ISO 800 using a 70mm @ f/4 as you could from an A7/A7R with same setup of ISO 200 using a 70mm @ f/4? or perhaps it doesn’t matter and ISO is ISO and the A7S will just get you cleaner files at the same settings as an A7/A7S?..but, I feel it is not as simple as that and there is something special to be said about a sensor that is impressively more than just a step ahead in light sensitivity than it’s current co-stars (A7 & A7R) or competitors (all other comparable brands).

        • …to add to my comment I just posted, I’m not saying I’d want necessarily slow glass, quite the opposite, but where size & weight might matter more, perhaps the move to keep it as high performing with a lesser max aperture will allow me to keep it quality & compact.. hoping the A7S sensor will equalize or boost better performance out of particular lens(es) over other FF sensors which may not have quite as good light sensitivity and high ISO comparatively. with an A7S sensor, a smaller max aperture may not be such a sacrifice as it might be in another sensor… maybe, that’s what I’m still trying to figure out for myself.

          again, resolution/detail, & perhaps DOF, that’s another matter, I’m just taking about overall IQ and performance. Even though lower MP in the A7S, for FF, it should still be very good, and though resolution/detail is not as fine compared to an A7/A7R, I think with excellent glass, you can still get sharp images and it can go a long way to making a photo where ultimate resolution/detail isn’t a big proportion of what makes a nice looking image.

  13. Can anyone explain me what’s the difference of… let’s say… a 20mp APS-C sensor vs a 10mp FF sensor? (just rounding the numbers to make the comparsion easier).

    What changes? DOF, Max Print size, resolution?

    Thanks!’

    • 20mp allows more opportunity to ‘crop’ (trim the image) without losing too much resolution. 10mp – whatever size the sensor – allows less cropping till resolution drops. So, roughly, 20mp allows larger print size ..all other things being equal, such as quality of lens, fast enough shutter speed – or good enough stabilisation – to prevent blur, and reasonable viewing distance.

      Any APS sensor normally provides LESS shallow depth-of-field than “Full Frame” (i.e; GREATER depth-of-field) for similar aperture and apparent field of view ..i.e; a 33mm lens on APS gives similar field of view to a 50mm lens on FF, BUT the 33mm gives GREATER d-o-f (distant things in focus) than a similar-aperture 50mm on FF. So to get “shallow d-o-f” pretty portraits on APS, you need a -l-o-n-g-e-r- lens than you’d use on FF, and you’d also need to stand further away from whoever you’re shooting.

      To get similarly shallow d-o-f on APS to that on FF, you’d need to open up 1 stop more aperture on APS, assuming similar field of view (i.e; using a 33mm on APS and 50mm on FF). So to get a similar d-o-f on APS as a 50mm f1.4 on FF, you’d need a 33mm f1 lens. (..that means larger, heavier, more expensive, and probably not made!)

      • Ah: just remembered: the current 35mm f0.9 Mitakon ..and there it is, mentioned just below, next comment down.. and I’ll add here all the details (size, weight, price) of the Mitakon in an hour or so, when I’ve had breakfast.

        Meanwhile, though, compared with the Leica 50mm f1.4 for Full Frame, the Mitakon 35mm f0.9 for APS is nearly double the length(!), nearly double the width (!), and about only one third the price ..but the picture quality is also about one third the quality of the Leica 50mm f1.4 when both are used at full aperture. The Mitakon gives about half the quality of, say, the Minolta 58mm f1.2 at widest aperture, but is about twice the price of the (no longer made) Minolta. I’ll check the Mitakon 35mm against the (no longer made) Olympus 50mm f1.2, but the Mitakon is more than twice the size (I think) of the Oly, more than twice the weight, and more than twice the price, for about half or two thirds the capability.

        More details follow after breakfast..

        • I don’t have the time right now to take a picture of all these lenses, upload it, and then work out how to link to that photo here ..so I’ll just give you a quick run-down of the sizes and weights of a few relevant lenses: all Full Frame except the Mitakon, which is for the SMALLER APS size sensor:

          Leica 50mm f1.4 (current) 334 grams, 6cms front to back, 5.4cms diameter
          Zeiss 50mm f1.5 (current) 234 grams, 4.5cms, 5.2cms
          Olympus 50mm f1.4 (old) 228 grams, 4.5cms, 5.7cms
          Canon 50mm f1.4 (old screw) 246 grams, 5cms, 5.3cms
          MITAKON 35mm f0.95 APS 615 grams, 8.2cms, 6.4cms

          The Mitakon APS, giving similar angle of view as a Full Frame 50mm, and giving similarly shallow depth-of-field, is around TWICE – or more – as heavy as any of the others, almost TWICE as long as some of the others, and has a wider diameter than any of the others.

          So although the APS sensor is smaller than Full Frame, and APS cameras are – generally – smaller than Full Frame cameras, nevertheless, a comparable LENS (the Mitakon 35mm f0.95) is nearly twice as big and twice as heavy! It costs less, new, than the current Leica and small Zeiss 50mm lenses, and MORE than the old OM Olympus, old Leica screw-fit Canon and old Minolta 58mm f1.2, and it performs worse than the old Oly, better than the old Canon, worse than the old Minolta, and worse than the current Leica and Zeiss.

          ..In my opinion..

      • Thanks a lot, David. Much appreciated. I’m trying to understand what kind of tradeoffs I’ll have to do by moving from a crop 18mp sensor (60D) to a full frame 12mp sensor. It sounds like if I be more careful with my composition (less room for crops), I’ll be fine.

        • For the same aperture lenses (e.g; f4) of similar effective focal length you’ll get a SHALLOWER depth-of-field (less in focus), making things stand out a bit more from their background.

          But your APS-style Canon EF-S lenses won’t cover full frame, so you’ll need new lenses! Canon EF (full frame) lenses CAN be used with an adaptor to fit on, say, an A7s, and to provide autofocus ..but that autofocus will be -M-U-C-H- slower via a Metabones or mmlite or Votrox (or similar) adaptor than on a Canon camera. (A Metabones “SpeedBooster” will NOT give full frame coverage using EF-S lenses ..that’s for using full frame lenses on an APS camera.)

          “..if I be more careful with my composition (less room for crops), I’ll be fine..” ..Exactly! ..But you will need to buy lenses, as the EF-S ones won’t be of any use, unless you use the “crop” setting within the A7s, which then restricts photos to an APS area on the full frame sensor, thereby throwing away pixels, leaving fewer than 12mpxl, and having -v-e-r-y- -s-l-o-w- autofocus via some Canon to Sony E-mount adaptor.

          • Again, priceless advice David. I will keep 60D with the 24-70 lens around, so I’ll get a single fixed focal lens to start my A7s system (considering the 55mm at this moment)… Definitely not thinking about using any adapters.

            Again, thanks a lot for the thorough response!

  14. Great shots Steve yep this cameras looking like a real winner Sony is doing something right in one of there businesses at least

  15. Steve, excellent fun you’re having, from what we can see. Good stuff.

    Can you please elaborate how fast the camera is, would it be a D700 replacement as per speed for average sports photography? Not asking to replace a monster D3, D4… the like.

    Hmm maybe I might just turn video on and extract stills out of it 😉 , but focus-following would be missing, then.

    Thinking about it, it’s rather useless to go to Sony’s A7 for speed without total buy-in into the Sony FE lenses program, but as per the missing native wide-angle and prime tele-lenses to support that, together with the ever-changing marketing strategies of Sony, I’m reluctant to buy into a Sony System with my Nikon and Leica stuff around.

    On the other hand, there are many others that are happy to jump in for a serious replacement. So when You like to have a look at that we all might appreciate some comments on that area very much.

    Thank you.
    Best regards,
    Carlos.

    • The A7s focuses pretty fast. Faster than the A7 and A7s. It is also a quieter camera. As for lenses, there are some amazing lenses coming from Sony in 2014 and 2015 including ultra wides and even a 50 1.2.

      • …. and Zeiss confirmed to show a range of manual focus lenses at Photokina that will be on sale the end of 2014. These lenses are all new modern designs for E-mount CSC cameras providing full EXIF. THIS is EXCITING!

        • Well, I would not go that far. But it is the fastest Sony to date I feel. With the 35 and 55 it is speedy, and probably pretty close to the E-M1 but not meeting or exceeding it. Then again, maybe it does. I have not done a side by side yet. All I know is that is quicker than the A7 and A7s and RX1.

  16. Steve,
    I asked you a couple of times to publish a short clip to see how A7s does video and never heard back from you. If you want people to buy from B&H or Amazon thru your link – please respect what people ask you to do and that eventually will help your pocket and the website.

    • Well, not possible to fill the over 50 requests per day, especially since A: I am on my personal vacation right now until July 1st (yet still working and testing the A7s) and B: it is not possible anyway. I do what I do, how I do it and everything I do will be in the review. I can not do specific requests for everyone (as I do get about 50 per day), just not possible. Video will be in the review, always is.

  17. I can’t wait to see more images and your full review. I hope its not going to be too tempting for me to get one since my wife sprung a deal on me to wait for something to happen before I can buy one.

  18. Impressive! Very pleasing colors, especially surprising in the low light shots. Very nice indeed!

    Thanks Steve, looking forward reading your review.

  19. Fantastic images! Have you been able to determine if there is a 30 minute limit on video recording?

  20. Steve, since you are on the road trip, can you kindly shoot some Milky Way photos? This might be a game changer for Astrophotographers out there.

  21. I’m so confused! I really like these little Sony camera’s but should i go for the huge resolution of the A7r or the 12MP A7s??…
    Steve, when you put you final review together could you possible mention the advantages/ disadvantages of 36MP vs 12MP?
    Thanks
    p.s. love your site, i come here every morning!

    • Steve, I’d like to see a response to this as well. I’m interested in the A7s (I will order from your link if I do); therefore; I’d like to know if this is a better buy then the A7r. I guess the real question is what how you do?

      BTW: I currently own a RX1R…

      • Only you can answer that question for yourself. You will either want 12MP or the insane res oft he A7r. Me, I would buy the A7s ANY DAY over the A7 or A7r for MANY reasons, but mainly as for me, it is the best of the three. IQ is amazing in good or low light, it is the fastest to focus, much quieter than the A7r, much more manageable files, etc etc. I have 20X30 prints form an old 4MP Nikon D2hs. 12MP is plenty for me.

  22. hey Steve…………I live in Santa Clarita, and if you are looking for a place to go for lunch…..i highly recommend the Final Score…..they have been there forever, and Joe (the owner) is a very good friend of mine…guarantee you wont be disappointed. my favorite…………..the billy cheese..

  23. The color looks great on those jpegs. Now I’m really dying for my preorder to ship. Looks like a fun trip too. Didn’t know they had desert trailer camping locations.

  24. The VC 15mm are very encouraging. I had the A7r for a week and returned it. A 35mm Summilux had horrible corners and infinity focus was also really way off. Perhaps the adapter was off I dunno but I returned it. Again this looks promising.

      • Yeah I was thinking that about the adapter. It was a metabones which is supposed to be good/decent. But I was not going order all sorts of adapters hoping one would work. Might have to look at the A7 again.

          • I really like the build quality of the Voigtlander close focus adapter. Little high price wise but it is a helicoid adapter worth every penny!

          • My voigtlander is not any better than metabones, it just doesn’t worth its price.

  25. I for one really appreciate these roving reports Steve, thank you! The a7s certainly seems to be the real deal. Have you changed your mind about acquiring one for yourself? 🙂

    • I will be buying one..was not sure early on but it has proven itself in many ways from quieter shutter (when NOT in silent mode) to low light to video quality and enhanced speed and response over the standard A7 and A7r.

      • Will you keep your EM1? How does the shooting experience and build quality compare to the EM1?

  26. great shots Steve, the first couple of images say it all with regards to how well this camera performs in low light. Keep em coming!

  27. Interesting article on dpreview comparing the A7R AND 5DmkII. Little difference on noise/performance unless you are shooting above 50k ISO.

    • Yes, apparently not so many differences on ratio signal/noise except for ultra high iso, but the A7s handle the color better imho. If you look at the sky, it’s almost blue/violet on the 5dIII. Furthermore, according to DXO, A7s has a far better dynamic range at high iso. If it’s true, it means that you have more ability to do whatever you want in post processing. The 2 jpegs on dpreview are probably not post processed a lot…

  28. Bravo! Keep the info coming! I’ve got one of these on order (already have the A7) and the big question in my mind is if will give me additional shutter speed/aperture headroom when shooting indoors at high but “reasonable” ISOs. In other words, will the A7s sensor permit me to shoot at a faster shutter speed and a smaller f/stop (for DOF) at, say, 3200, 6400, 10,000 or even 16,000 with relatively good IQ? Or is the value only in being able to shoot in virtual darkness at those astronomically high ISOs? Also, please provide detail regarding the “silent shutter” mode. This is another selling point for what I shoot — the less intrusion, the better.

  29. Looks amazing, this will most likely be the lens combo I purchase with the camera. Is the V15 the current model?

  30. well, the smearing is there, if not too drastic… No colour shift, though. CV15 is a pretty extreme lens, so still keeping high hopes for 28mm+ RF lenses suffering to edge quality loss with this camera. Then its mine! 🙂

  31. Steve, when you’re in Long Beach (if it’s a weekend) I like to lend you my Zeiss 135mm f1.8 with LA-EA4 for your review on the A7s.

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