Sony ha presentato, come ci si poteva aspettare, la versione II della sua mirrorless fullframe A7S.
La A7S II è dotata, come il precedente modello, di un sensore fullframe da 12 Mpx che, insieme all’elaboratore d’immagine BIONZ X, le consente di avere una estesissima gamma di sensibilità Iso, da 50 a 409600. A questo però aggiunge una serie di novità e miglioramenti derivati in parte anche dagli altri modelli della serie II. La stabilizzazione sul sensore infatti è a “5 assi”, l’autofocus ha ora 169 punti AF (nel comunicato però Sony non dice se sono a rilevamento di fase), il mirino elettronico OLED raggiunge un ingrandimento di 0,78x. I miglioramenti più significativi sono però nel comparto video. La A7S II ora riprende video 4K senza pixel binning, come ugualmente in Full HD. Può anche riprendere, in Full HD, a 120 fg/s (100 Mbps) per una visione rallentata di 4/5x. E’ dotata inoltre di nuovi profili video S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3 e S-Gamut3/S-Log3 con una latitudine di posa di 14 stop. Supporta anche il profilo S-Gamut/S-Log2 e la Zebra functio.
Il corpo macchina, costruito interamente in metallo è stato rivisto nell’impugnatura e nella posizione del pulsante di scatto, similmente all’A7 II e A7R II. Ovviamente dispone di Wi-FI e NFC.
La A7S II completa il “restyling” della serie di mirrorless fulframe compatte di Sony. Sarà interessante verificare il suo comportamento alle alte sensibilità per vedere se la rinuncia alla risoluzione dall’A7 II e ancora di più a quella dell’A7R II comporta dei vantaggi in termini di rapporto segnale rumore. Per quanto ho potuto verificare nelle mie prove la A7R con 36 Mpx ha un rapporto segnale rumore analogo all’A7 con 24. La A7S provata da una rivista indipendente ed affidabile (Tutti Fotografi) ha mostrato un miglioramento rispetto a queste inferiore a 1 Db (1/3 di stop). Spero presto di provarla e di verificare di persona le sue qualità.
La A7S II sarà disponibile da novembre, il prezzo non è stato ancora comunicato.
Riporto il comunicato stampa Sony che ho ricevuto solo in inglese.
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Sony expands range of compact full-frame mirrorless cameras with the launch of the ultra-sensitive α7S II
Sony – set 11, 2015 09:34 CEST
Ultra-high sensitivity up to 409600i with low noise across the whole range
Wide dynamic range across entire ISO range delivering smooth tonal gradation from dark to bright conditions In-camera 5-axis optical image stabilisation for expanded shooting possibilities Internal 4K movie recording featuring full pixel readout without pixel binning in full-frame format Wide range of professional movie functionality including S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3, new Gamma Assist Display, enhanced Zebra Function, Full HD 120fps recording and 4x/5x slow motion recording and full pixel readout without pixel binning in full-frame format High-speed AF with enhanced accuracy in wide ranging scenes and advanced shooting functions
Sony today announced the latest addition to its award winning series of compact, full-frame α7 cameras with the introduction of the α7S II. Offering ultra-high sensitivity and wide dynamic range across the entire ISO range and 5-axis image stabilisation for greater shooting control, the α7S II delivers stunning image quality for photographers who shoot in the most challenging light conditions. Be it the brightest of mornings or darkest of nights, the α7S II enables new levels of photographic expression at whatever shutter speed you wish to deploy. The α7S II also incorporates a host of pro-style movie functions including the ability to shoot 4K video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning in full-frame format, making it an extremely appealing proposition for photographers and videographers alike.
The α7S II delivers an awe-inspiring sensitivity range of ISO 50-409600 , thanks to the combination of its 35mm full-frame 12.2 megapixel image sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine. The sensor optimises the dynamic range across the entire ISO range and broadens the range of tonal gradation in bright environments and minimises noise in dark scenes meaning that it delivers impressive results even in the most extreme conditions. The upgraded image processing algorithm of BIONZ X maximises the sensor’s capabilities and improves depiction throughout the full sensitivity range with particular emphasis on the mid-to-high range. This means that the resulting stills and movies demonstrate extra-fine detail with minimal noise.
Video Master The α7S II can record 4K movies internally in the XAVC S format meaning that content is wonderfully detailed. Because information from all pixels is utilised without line skipping or pixel binning, the camera can maximise the expanded power of the full-frame image sensor and produce 4K movies with higher image clarity and negligible moiré. Full pixel readout without pixel binning is also employed when shooting Full HD movies which means that it collects information from approximately five times as many pixels that are required to generate Full HD and condenses the information to produce extremely high quality movies.
In a first for the α7 series, the α7S II can record 120fps at 100Mbps with full pixel readout without pixel binning in full frame format which can be edited into wonderful 4x/5x slow motion footage in Full HD. The α7S II also has the ability to shoot 4x/5x slow motion footage internally which can be immediately reviewed on the camera screen.
Video functionality has been further enhanced with new profiles; S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3 and S-Gamut3/S-Log3. These new profiles deliver wide dynamic range and colour correction is easier to perform. The α7S ll even offers impressive 14-stop latitude in the S-Log3 gamma setting. The camera also supports S-Gamut/S-Log2 which is very popular among cinematographers and videographers. Gamma Display Assist is a new function that allows users to monitor images or check focus when recording S-Log movies and the Zebra function has been improved for even greater control.
5-Axis Image Stabilisation The new α7S II is equipped with the innovative 5-axis image stabilisation system that is proving extremely popular in the α7 II and α7R II cameras. The system corrects camera shake along five axes during shooting, including angular shake (pitch and yaw) which has the greatest impact on image quality and tends to occur with a telephoto lens, shift shake (X and Y axes) which becomes noticeable as magnification increases, and rotational shake (roll) that often affects night shooting or video recording.
Autofocus accuracy The autofocus system on the α7S II has been upgraded and now offers 169 AF points for fast, precise focusing with greater accuracy. The power of the image sensor means that the absence of noise in images generated, enables the Fast Intelligent AF to detect contrast more easily and react speedily even in low-light situations (as low as EV-4), when it’s even tough to check with the naked eye. When shooting video, the AF performance is twice as fast as the predecessor model.
Electronic Viewfinder The XGA OLED Tru-Finder in the α7S II has been upgraded and offers the world’s highest viewfinder magnification of 0.78x (roughly 38.5 degrees in diagonal field of view) and shows clear images across the entire display area. The use of ZEISS T* Coating ensures sharp reduction of reflections on the viewfinder and unlike an optical viewfinder, the OLED Tru-Finder can be used to instantly show how exposure compensation, white balance and other selected settings are affecting the displayed image.
User upgrades A number of enhancements have been made to the look and feel of the α7S II to make it more user friendly, reliable and intuitive. Its magnesium-alloy body is both light and highly robust and the grip and shutter buttons have been re-designed so that the camera feels more natural in the hand. For situations when you just want to blend into the background, silent shooting mode can be activated for 5fps continuous shooting and reliability has been enhanced with reduced-vibration shutter movement. The lens mount has been further reinforced to ensure greater resilience, particularly when attaching third party lenses and users can now charge the camera via a USB power supply whilst the camera is in operation, thus extending battery life. For greater comfort and safety, Sony is also launching the LCS-EBF; a new premium leather body case for the α7S II which is also compatible with the α7R II and α7 II.
The α7S II is also Wi-Fi® and NFC compatible and fully functional with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile application available for Android™ and iOS™ platforms, as well as Sony’s growing range of PlayMemories Camera Apps, which add a range of fun creative capabilities to the camera. Learn more at www.sony.net/pmca.
The new α7S II full-frame interchangeable lens digital camera from Sony will be available in Europe in November.
