Away we go! Off to test the new Sony A7SII! 1st samples…
It’s travel time again! In about an hour Debby and I are heading off to San Diego to meet up with friends Todd & Autumn Hatakeyama for the weekend and I am bringing the new Sony A7SII and the original A7S to do some shooting, testing and to have some fun as well. I have been shooting the new A7SII for a few days and it’s another fantastic Sony release. Now with the new body, the new 5 Axis IS inside, and a few other new features, this camera’s files pop more so than the huge resolution A7RII.
Look for my review in about a week or so but until then here are a few shots to wet your appetite.. Oh, the A7SII is NOW SHIPPING at B&H Photo HERE.
How about an ISO 102,800 shot – OOC JPEG (EYES were 100% on the road, and no one else was on the road)
NOTHING CAN TOUCH THE A7S OR A7SII FOR HIGH ISO that I have seen yet..this is for sure. I remember when ISO 1600 looked like the ISO 102,800 shot above. Maybe even ISO 800. The fact that we can shoot in almost pure darkness (did some video tests at ISO 102,800 and they were awesome) and keep color like this is quite amazing. Can your iPhone do that? No.
Check back in a week or two for the review and comparison against the original A7s!
The A7SII also gives rich images that pop big time…lens used below Voigtlander VM 35 1.7 –
CLICK THEM FOR LARGER AND BETTER VERSION!
…and one more ISO 25,600 OOC – Zeiss 24-70 f/4 – Noise Reduction 100% OFF
Good stuff, i’ve considered the A7s as my camera of choice if I were doing astro shots, if I owned it. I’m a bit short on cash. 🙂
I do wonder a lot why sony won’t use an off the shelf format like DNG, it works and has wide support.
Wow, is the A7S3 out already? That was quick!
Please test the autofocus speed of the a7sii vs the af-c of the a7rii. with contrast detect, my presumption is that it will fail for any kind of sports – but with the high iso capabilities, I am keeping my fingers crossed. My dream is to shoot 25,600 in a dark gym, at 10fps. one day!
You just may be able to do that with the SII. Ive been shooting all weekend from ISO 3200 to 409,000 and its fantastic. 25,600 is no sweat.
Thanks so much. Wanting more than 5fps, I bought a canon 7Dii. It failed miserably. Wouldn’t focus at all without the red beam, which is way to slow for continuous focus sports. Already posted on eBay. Iq of a7rii and evf was so much better. That dim tiny optical drive me nuts. Sony has spoiled me. If a7sii will focus fast enough, I’ll start dreaming of faster fps
What adapter would you recommend for using M-mount lenses?
By Novoflex It’s simply the best !
I am very anxious to know how good the auto continuous focus works in low light compared to the a7rii. The latter is fantastic! I shoot sports in a dark gym. I don’t need 42mp. But would love even better ISO, as long as afs-c is as fast as the high tea brother.
This is the dream for northern lights photography :O
That’s a big WOW!, looking forward to your full review.
Say Hi to Todd!!
That’s right these images are M9ish!
Man this ain’t making the decision any easier this looks awesome as well I’m going to buy one of the new sonys which one door # 1 hmmmmm 2 or # 3 . Those black and whites look so much like film awesome and the detail seems better than the a7r2 .how large can you print the a7s 2 that’s probably the deal breaker
Have a great trip, Steve!
Weird, I’m pretty sure I submitted a comment before. At any rate, I’m really excited to read your full review. Looks like this camera has a lot of potential. Looking forward to the RX1ii review too. Thanks.
The dusk pictures have really great color and sharpness. Great samples, and a great way to show off what high ISO can do.
If the IQ is better on this, while using the same old sensor as the original A7 then the new A7R2… wow… Agreed, that the colors already look way better. The Sony fanboys are going to be very confused.
It seems that you are confused because this sensor isn’t in the previous A7 or A7r. This one is 12mp while the others are 24 and 36mp.
sorry dropped the s… It’s the same sensor as in the original A7s. At first glance, it seems to have more pleasing IQ than the newer Sony sensors. I’m sure Steve’s review will clarify.
Same sensor, different processing in camera possibly. The Mark II:
“The sensor’s design also features a new-generation RGB color filter array, as well as a gapless on-chip lens design. Together, these two technologies enable truly efficient light-gathering abilities that further reinforce the low noise, high-sensitivity design. Furthermore, an anti-reflective coating has also been applied to the seal glass of the image sensor to minimize surface reflections, glare, and ghosting for contrast-rich, color-neutral imagery”
I bought the a7s after reading your review on this sight and have not been disappointed, love it and its my main camera. I only use the Sony 35 f2.8 and both cost me an arm and a leg here in the UK. Your second image is like 3D on my screen, really stunning. Thanks for sharing and looking forward for the full review.
and .. that’s the ONE i want !
I had the A7RII briefly with the aim of replacing my Leica M 240 and use it with my Leica glass after reading all the hoopla about how great it is. For me personally, using only Leica glass, there is simply no contest when it comes to colour tone, image sharpness and something about the images in general. Maybe you could replicate the look to an extent with presets, but I thought why waste time when with the M, colours look great as shot and with minimal process. Agreed the high ISO is great, EVF kills the leica etc etc…but I find to get the best out of my Leica lenses, the M 240 is the only option, regardless of how Steve will write in future reviews that the Sony is fantastic with Leica lens. ; )
Wow, love the examples. Look forward to hearing more from you. I’m still trying to finalize my A7Sii versus A7Rii decision.
Thanks Steve, these colors are amazing. Is it the Ultron or the 12MP that make that magic impression? However, it’s really wonderful.
I noticed that too, the IQ looks M9ish…
Thank you Steve, I wish you & Debbie safe travels and many happy impressions with the new A7SII King of Low Light! Your real-world appraisals are always appreciated.. and this will be my most anticipated review of all. Also interested to know how well it performs using an adapted legacy lens like a Canon FD or an old Pentax. Have fun!
Ah I’m really digging the IQ out of the SII. Guess I’m gonna have to 7 bodies. That Voigt 35 1.7 is pure sweetness on the SII as well.
…and is it me or does the A7S Mark II image quality seem a bit M9ish?
I entirely agree with you. It has that warm, cinematic look of the M9. Very excited by this camera.
colors are much better than with the A7 or A7r for shure.
i did a shoot yesterday with both A7s (first generation) and A7rII and the R had that “leica 9” look that i have been searching for since I sold my M9. after seeing this, i think i will sell my A7s to get the next generation also. Great cameras.
isn’t that M9 feel coming from the lens?
Or Post processing filters?
Thanks for the samples Steve. With crazy-high ISO ranges that Sony sensors are now pushing, and coming out clean and crisp, it’s getting hard to judge what time of day (not a bad thing) pictures were actually taken at! Just to get a reference point to how late you’re shooting at those high ISOs, What time of day was it with the Bowl-O-Rama shot? Thanks
Wow, these photos look amazing. Eagerly awaiting your full review as I am torn between the A7Sii and the A7Rii.
Steve, don’t do this to me again. My rent is due on the 1st. : )
just wow!!
Steve, thank you for continually sharing your knowledge with the community. Is there a RAW driver for the a7sii available as of yet? I can’t even get the Sony version of Capture One to open them let alone LR or PS. Any advice would be appreciated.