Among other tests that have also shown the A7IV sensor has better DR than the A7SIII/FX3. Maybe marginal, maybe not.
I’m not enough of an expert to explain exactly why, but I’m assuming the larger sensor is better tuned to resolution and DR than speed (hence the rolling shutter).
And I’m not saying it’s officially a C series camera but it does seem to fall into a similar tier, based on price and specs.
the a7siii and fx3 has a 48 meg sensor not 12. the pixels are binned for faster speeds.
Also, I wrote “sensor size” which was a bit of a slip. I meant pixel count. I’m assuming the non-binned(?) readout and oversampled image from 7k (at least for certain modes) helps with DR on the A7IV / FX2 to an extent. But again I’m the farthest thing away from an expert on the science.
At any rate, I don’t foresee the FX2 tempting anyone away from their FX3/A7SIII/etc. Aside from a couple of small benefits it would mostly be a downgrade.
@ the FX2 - interesting that you can shoot raw stills with the S log3 profile.
It’ll be interesting to see dynamic range tests with that.
Although I have to say that with the A1, there is so much dynamic range already when shooting log video that I can’t really imagine blowing highlights with this thing. And I shoot outdoors in very high contrast situations.
I don't this is the only Sony camera we will see this new EVF used on. Tilt EVFs are great for travel, street, low angles, etc. And they mean you can retain facial contact with the subject. It's also easier to brace elbows for longer s/s shooting. Pets, etc. I'd like something like this for these reasons. It looks over-engineered if anything, but it also pushes along the increase in modularization we see in DJI products.
1st AC for the F1 movie showing the custom Sony camera rig they used on the cars.
I feel like Gerald was being a little pushy with the whole "so it's an FX3!" bit, but it's still cool to see (a highly customized version of) consumer-accessible cameras being used in a production like this.
Anyone find a decent simple handle to carry the A1 around for video? I tried one that was basically a C shape and the camera moved around like crazy, it was useless. Way more stable just holding it in my hands during clips.
(For now the gimbals are just too big and heavy for my purposes.)
It might not be a bad idea to get a cage (like one from smallrig, tilta, etc) then use compatible handle attachments. It tends to be pretty reliable and stable, plus it offers extra protection, while barely adding weight and being relatively inexpensive.
n8rv wrote:
It might not be a bad idea to get a cage (like one from smallrig, tilta, etc) then use compatible handle attachments. It tends to be pretty reliable and stable, plus it offers extra protection, while barely adding weight and being relatively inexpensive.
For reference, here is my FX3 with a Smallrig cage + top and left handles.
No bottom handle, but between the hand strap and either of the two handles, it feels pretty steady.
You could attach something like this (or a fancier option) to the bottom if you wanted more of a pistol-style grip.
I personally have not used that or any other pistol style grip. I think those are most useful when vlogging and things of that sort, which I don't do much of.
I tend to prefer the side or top grip options, especially the side grip. Holding the main camera grip plus one of these other grips as a counter, while keeping the camera close to my chest works super well for keeping shots relatively steady. Never as well as a gimbal of course, but overall much more stable than a single-handed option while keeping things simple.
ronno wrote:
thank you, have you ever tried a pistol grip like the one you linked to? Is it actually study for video?
A7S3 VS A1
I have the a7S3 (since 10/2020) and the A1 (since 3/2021). RELIABILITY - very Saturdays for 6 months the cameras record 6-12 hours of videos for almost 5 years with no issues. Over 1000 videos. I did burn out one motherboard on the a7S3 by plugging in the wrong power supply to the dummy battery but Sony Pro fixed it for $600.
VIDEOS UNDER LOW LIGHT- video from the a7S3 is much better than the a1 at the same ISO (12800 or higher). In this video,
the wide angle camera is the a1 (Viltrox 16 f1.8) at 8K30 and the zoom is a7S3 (60-600) at 4K60 set at the same ISO (25600) all in the same Slog 3 setting. Note how much better the colors and light on the zoomed in shot a7s3 are compared to the a1 (wide angle shot).
VIDEOS BRIGHT SUNLIGHT, the image quality with the a7S3 is marginally better than the a1, but I always use the a1 because the 8K30 allows for doubling the lens focal length during post production. see example here with a Sony 50 f2.5 lens
OVERHEATING
The a7S3 rarely overheats as long as air temp is less than 95 degree F (and body not in direct sunllight).
The a1 will overheat in 40 minutes at 75F, 30 minutes at 85F and 10 minutes in 95F. With a homebuilt fan and air temp less than 95F, it will record 8k30 at the highest bitrate (520Mb/s) for as long as you need it.
I have recorded 12 hours continuous (in 90F outdoor) on the a1 with two of the 2TB CF express card type A. In the video, the zoom pan and tilt camera is the a1 whereas the static cameras (except the anamorphic one) are a7s3. The anamorphic is a second a1 recording in 8k30.?t=56
I used a Nikon z9 with a Sony 200-600 recording in 8K60 for this telephoto shot : ?t=124. BTW the a1 is a much better video cameras than the Nikon z9.
SLOG EXPOSURE
I have found that sLog3 is best with +1 EV not the +1.5 or +1.7 for outdoor bright sunlight on both cameras. Only in low light do I use +1.3 to +1.5.
A7S3 VS A1
I have the a7S3 (since 10/2020) and the A1 (since 3/2021). RELIABILITY - very Saturdays for 6 months the cameras record 6-12 hours of videos for almost 5 years with no issues. Over 1000 videos. I did burn out one motherboard on the a7S3 by plugging in the wrong power supply to the dummy battery but Sony Pro fixed it for $600.
VIDEOS UNDER LOW LIGHT- video from the a7S3 is much better than the a1 at the same ISO (12800 or higher). In this video,
the wide angle camera is the a1 (Viltrox 16 f1.8) at 8K30 and the zoom is a7S3 (60-600) at 4K60 set at the same ISO (25600) all in the same Slog 3 setting. Note how much better the colors and light on the zoomed in shot a7s3 are compared to the a1 (wide angle shot).
VIDEOS BRIGHT SUNLIGHT, the image quality with the a7S3 is marginally better than the a1, but I always use the a1 because the 8K30 allows for doubling the lens focal length during post production. see example here with a Sony 50 f2.5 lens
OVERHEATING
The a7S3 rarely overheats as long as air temp is less than 95 degree F (and body not in direct sunllight).
The a1 will overheat in 40 minutes at 75F, 30 minutes at 85F and 10 minutes in 95F. With a homebuilt fan and air temp less than 95F, it will record 8k30 at the highest bitrate (520Mb/s) for as long as you need it.
I have recorded 12 hours continuous (in 90F outdoor) on the a1 with two of the 2TB CF express card type A. In the video, the zoom pan and tilt camera is the a1 whereas the static cameras (except the anamorphic one) are a7s3. The anamorphic is a second a1 recording in 8k30.?t=56
I used a Nikon z9 with a Sony 200-600 recording in 8K60 for this telephoto shot : ?t=124. BTW the a1 is a much better video cameras than the Nikon z9.
SLOG EXPOSURE
I have found that sLog3 is best with +1 EV not the +1.5 or +1.7 for outdoor bright sunlight on both cameras. Only in low light do I use +1.3 to +1.5.
QUESTION: Why do you prefer A1 to Z9 for video?
(I tried the Z8 for a bit, and the video files looked pretty good, but AF was iffy so I ditched it.
ANSWER: Many reasons.
1. recording time is limited to 2hours 5 minutes. Idk why Nikon would do this. I leave my Sony cameras recording continuously for 6 - 8 hours unattended.
2. auto focus is not up to par with A1; Z9 is about where Sony was with the Sony a7III in 2018. And you have to play with boundaries and settings to make sure it doesn't pick up weird subjects.
3. NRAW requires transcoding in Da Vinci before you can work on it; it requires playing with noise reduction; also the blue signal is overboosted for some reasons.
4. No sequential recording of the CF cards. If I fill up one card, it doesn't start recording on the second card.
I do use the Z9 occassionally but only for when I need raw 12 bits 8k/60 videos. Kind of expensive but I wanted to get into raw recording. I might get the Nikon ZR to play with the Red Raw.
For many years, I avoided video because I felt overwhelmed and didn’t know where to begin. Since 2021, I’ve been shooting with the A1, and in the past couple of years, I’ve started experimenting more with video with it—and I’ve really come to enjoy it. My main subject are birds, using 600mm or 300mm lenses. Does anyone have, or know of, comparisons between shooting video with the A1 and the A1 II? I find it challenging to track fast-moving subjects when shooting video with the A1. Has autofocus performance improved for video on the A1 II? Also, would I see noticeable improvements if I tried to an FX3 or FX6?
Camera aside, I think I just need to practice more.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Jason
I have been shooting wildlife video with the A1 and now the A1m2. There are several upgrades to video in the M2 but the most important to me is the subject recognition in AF. The focusing is greatly improved by that. The LUT for the EVF viewing is also nice.
Cameras like the FX6 have a number of capabilities the A1m2 does not have (e.g. built-in variable ND filter) but since I shoot both stills and video and don't want to carry two cameras, they are not a viable option.
Apologies for bringing sophistication level way down!
All I wanna do for the moment is to run my A7R5 through a capture card to my Mini M4 to use for Zooms.
Can't find any instructional vids specifically for A7R5. Older/other cameras don't seem to have exactly same menu structure.
Software recognizes the existence of the camera; at least showing card as camera input choice. But no picture/image in Zoom window. This suggests to me something in the R5 is "mis-set." Yes, I did check to see that the lens cap was off!
Running capture card from big HDMI port on camera to TB5 port on actual Mini. No docks in the middle. 8K cert cable. Though just trying to send 1080 from camera. Capture card has HDMI input and USB-C output.
I use a capture card and different models of Sony camera all the time in zoom, and it has always worked for me. Everything from Sony A7 original to A1. Using a couple of magewell cards. But since it shows up as an option on zoom, likely not the problem of the card or cables, so it’s probably down to settings in the camera.
You may have to mess with the HDMI output settings in the A7RV. I know I had to tinker a bit with those to get a ‘clean’ HDMI out without all the display info around the edges.
I feel like the A7V has sort of flown under the radar, as at first it sounds like a "boring" update, but I think the sensor overhaul is actually pretty significant and that alone should be getting more attention.
Started a short series comparing video footage from the Nikon ZR and the A7V. A weird choice of cameras to compare? Yes... and no. I discuss that in the first video.
I'll most likely do a round 3 revisiting low light (which impressed me the most about the A7V) in the coming days.
And yes, I actually really got a kick out of designing these very unserious thumbnails. Gotta play to the algorithm.
