After Sony A7 II and A7R II, now Sony A7S II shows off its
ability in public. For those who haven't familiar with the Sony A7S, the letter
"S" here refers to the "Sensitivity", in which the
full-frame sensor is very sensitive to light.
The sensor of A7S II has ISO range
of 50 – 409600. This big ISO basically allows the A7S II to 'see' in the dark.
This figure is still exactly the same as the first generation, but Sony claims
that the generated noise is minimal and its autofocus performance is now faster
than before with 169 focal point.
Sony dedicates the A7S II for the
videographers, because the full-frame 12.2 megapixel sensor is optimized for
video recording in 4K resolution without relying on methods of pixel binning or
line skipping. The pictures will look more detailed and clearer than other
cameras that use the same methods.
However, an interesting update is
the ability to record 4K video internally. Previously, A7S needed to be
connected to an external device in order to be able to record the 4K video.
Now, A7S II can directly save them in XAVC S format in the memory card. As a
bonus, A7S II also can record 1080p video in a speed of 120 fps for slow-motion
effects.
The next update is the 5-axis
image stabilization system, just like the system in the A7 II and A7R II. This
system will correct the shocks from 5 axes simultaneously, preventing the
images look blurry when users take pictures or record video without a tripod at
low shutter speed.
Physically the A7S II hasn't
changed much except the hand grip and the shutter button that have been
redesigned so that the camera will feel more comfortable in the hand. The
Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) of A7S II is also more perfect thanks to the very
large magnification ratio, i.e. 0,78x - even exceed the magnification ratio of
Fujifilm X-T1 which's touted as the mirrorless camera with the widest EVF.
Sony A7S II is planned to be
launched to the market in October for $ 3,000, not including the lens. The
price is indeed super expensive, but it also has super ability to record the 4K
video in the places that are too dark for human eye.