Sony's new full-frame mirrorless A7s brings ISO 409,600 and 4K video recording

Sony announced its latest full-frame mirrorless camera - the A7s. On the design front it looks exactly like the Alpha series’ A7 and the A7r, but there are quite a few differences internally.   For starters the ’s’ in the naming convention stands for Sensitivity, as in ISO sensitivity. This is thanks to the fact that the A7s has a ISO range going from 50 to 409,600. To give you noise free images at higher sensitivity levels, Sony has decided to employ a 12.2MP sensor. This is half the mega-pixel count of the A7 and a third of that of the A7r. According to Sony, the larger pixels provide better dynamic range, gradation and colour fidelity. [caption id=“attachment_221224” align=“aligncenter” width=“620”]  Sony Alpha series A7s will feature a 12.2MP sensor with ISO sensitivity going upto 409,600[/caption] The other important feature of the A7s is the ability to shoot at 4K resolution. But there is a catch, you will need to use an external recorder plugged in via an HDMI cable to be able to shoot 4K.   “The A7s gives Sony the most complete, versatile lineup of full-frame cameras in market today,” said Neal Manowitz, director of the interchangeable lens camera business at Sony Electronics. [caption id=“attachment_221223” align=“aligncenter” width=“620”]  While the Sony A7s supports 4k video recording, it will require this external setup to do that[/caption] The A7s uses the BIONZ X image processor and includes picture profiles that let you adjust gamma, black levels, colour adjustment and so on. It has the same Fast Intelligent AF system of the Alpha A7r with the low-light AF sensitivity going as low as -4EV.   The A7s camera is compatible with the E-mount lenses and using an adapter you can also use A-mount lenses on the A7s.   Pricing and availability have not yet been announced, but it is safe to assume that it will be much higher than the Rs 125,000 of the Sony A7r.