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The Sony A7s

  |   Adam Carroll Blog

A couple of years ago Sony announced Alpha 7 series of cameras. These are all full frame cameras and the greatest of them all for filmmakers is the A7s. This camera sees in the dark. Please see this review by Phillip Bloom http://philipbloom.net/2014/07/03/a7s/

It’s a wonderful camera and produces the best 1080 image in a  DSLR. Although fiddly and not as ergonomically designed as say the GH4, it is my favourite camera. The low light capability is ground breaking and the image is beautiful. Matching that of many of Sony’s high end video cameras. This is wiki’s description.

The Sony ILCE-7ILCE-7R and ILCE-7S (α7/α7R/α7S) are three closely related digital cameras. The first two were announced on 16 October 2013[2] and the third on 6 April 2014. Externally they are identical except for the model number. They are Sony’s first full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and share the E-mount with the company’s smaller sensor NEX series. The ILCE-7m2 (α7II) was announced in November 2014, and is the first in the family to revise the original body and ergonomics. The a7 series is targeted at experienced users, enthusiasts and professionals.[3]

Sony’s new model naming prefix strives to unify model names. “ILC” indicates Interchangeable Lens Camera followed by an indicator of A-mount “A” or E-mount “E”[4]

The products are more commonly known as the α7, α7R and α7S. Pre-announcement rumours speculated that the new camera would be named Sony NEX-9.[5]

Although the α7 series uses full-frame sensors and have a DSLR-shaped design, their sizes and weights are less than Olympus OM-D E-M1 with its small micro four thirds sensor and can also be compared with the lightest Fullframe DSLR.[6] Compared to the smallest and lightest APS-C DSLR Canon EOS 100D, the α7 is 67 grams heavier and a bit larger, but the thickness is only two thirds of Canon’s.[7] The α7 price is significantly lower than a comparative Fullframe DSLR price, but still higher than that of a low or mid-end compact camera price.[8] Compared to the Nikon D800E, the weight of Sony α7R is only about a half and the price is about two-thirds.[9]