Bamboopictures
Senior Member
Big thanks to Cathay Photos and Sony for hosting Sunday afternoon's preview of the three new Sony cameras at TCC.
I had a brief try of the video function on all three cameras and I must say I walked away quite impressed.
RX10:
For me, RX10 was clearly a cut above small sensor camcorders including Sony's own NX30. Low light and dynamic range was impressive and colors remain vibrant even in poor lighting. Noise was very well-controlled although not as remarkable as the A7 which I felt was off-the-charts when it came to noise suppression. But that later.
Handling was very sturdy and comfortable with a very generous grip. Focusing can be done intuitively with the focusing ring. There is also an aperture ring which cam be set to de-click. Zoom is controlled by an index finger lever or can be assigned to the focusing ring. But it's all fly by wire.
Autofocus during record is surprisingly responsive and works well in less than ideal light. But for pre-record focusing, half-depressing the shutter, gets you instantaneous sharp focus, especially when your subject is a human face.
Only small complain is the tilting LCD has be flipped out first before you attach a tripod plate. Otherwise you won't be able to flip it out of its storage position once a plate is on. There is no touchscreen function which could be a plus or minus depending on your preference.
XLR works as advertised but on the unit I got, it was hard to remove the XLR adapter after use.
On the long end of the 200mm zoom (actually 74mm) Bokeh is quite nice just like what you would get on a 75mm.
This is also where the constant f2.8 lens shines.
A7/7R
Although I didn't see any moire, the A7R has no anti-alias filter that may leave it more prone to moire than the A7. Otherwise video performance is identical on both cameras . The video footage I've seen so far on the internet were mostly outdoors and not very pleasing (mediocre dynamic range). But within the confines of the little cafe, it's a different story. Imperceptible noise even at ISO 6400. At max ISO 25600, noise is only visible in the shadows and magically stays off the highlights and mid tones. (Caveate: as viewed through camera LCD)
I don't have a chance to see first hand how it performs in strong light. But for interiors and low light situation, the video quality is remarkable.
Handling is not as firm as the RX10 obviously due to the petite size. But the magnesium alloy body feels substantial and buttons and dials are well-placed. Viewfinder is generous and usable although it doesn't tilt. So maybe a loupe over the tilt screen is the more ideal solution. In that configuration, you really don't want a touchscreen.
Petite as it maybe, videoshooters will do well to wait for a custom cage for attaching the XLR adapter which requires both a coldshoe and the multi interface hotshot. Suffice to say, there is only one hotshoe on the A7. Another quirky inconvenience I found on the A7 is that the screen goes black when adjusting audio volume via the camera menu. So it's better to control volume externally using the XLR attachment or via a beachtek MCC2 when using wireless or rode videomic.
Finally, for videographers choosing between the full-frame VG900 and the A7/7R, it's a nice conundrum.
But I would still stick to the VG900 if you are an "always-tripod" shooter. The relative low price of the A7 however, makes it attractive as a good b-cam or a jib cam.
I had a brief try of the video function on all three cameras and I must say I walked away quite impressed.
RX10:
For me, RX10 was clearly a cut above small sensor camcorders including Sony's own NX30. Low light and dynamic range was impressive and colors remain vibrant even in poor lighting. Noise was very well-controlled although not as remarkable as the A7 which I felt was off-the-charts when it came to noise suppression. But that later.
Handling was very sturdy and comfortable with a very generous grip. Focusing can be done intuitively with the focusing ring. There is also an aperture ring which cam be set to de-click. Zoom is controlled by an index finger lever or can be assigned to the focusing ring. But it's all fly by wire.
Autofocus during record is surprisingly responsive and works well in less than ideal light. But for pre-record focusing, half-depressing the shutter, gets you instantaneous sharp focus, especially when your subject is a human face.
Only small complain is the tilting LCD has be flipped out first before you attach a tripod plate. Otherwise you won't be able to flip it out of its storage position once a plate is on. There is no touchscreen function which could be a plus or minus depending on your preference.
XLR works as advertised but on the unit I got, it was hard to remove the XLR adapter after use.
On the long end of the 200mm zoom (actually 74mm) Bokeh is quite nice just like what you would get on a 75mm.
This is also where the constant f2.8 lens shines.
A7/7R
Although I didn't see any moire, the A7R has no anti-alias filter that may leave it more prone to moire than the A7. Otherwise video performance is identical on both cameras . The video footage I've seen so far on the internet were mostly outdoors and not very pleasing (mediocre dynamic range). But within the confines of the little cafe, it's a different story. Imperceptible noise even at ISO 6400. At max ISO 25600, noise is only visible in the shadows and magically stays off the highlights and mid tones. (Caveate: as viewed through camera LCD)
I don't have a chance to see first hand how it performs in strong light. But for interiors and low light situation, the video quality is remarkable.
Handling is not as firm as the RX10 obviously due to the petite size. But the magnesium alloy body feels substantial and buttons and dials are well-placed. Viewfinder is generous and usable although it doesn't tilt. So maybe a loupe over the tilt screen is the more ideal solution. In that configuration, you really don't want a touchscreen.
Petite as it maybe, videoshooters will do well to wait for a custom cage for attaching the XLR adapter which requires both a coldshoe and the multi interface hotshot. Suffice to say, there is only one hotshoe on the A7. Another quirky inconvenience I found on the A7 is that the screen goes black when adjusting audio volume via the camera menu. So it's better to control volume externally using the XLR attachment or via a beachtek MCC2 when using wireless or rode videomic.
Finally, for videographers choosing between the full-frame VG900 and the A7/7R, it's a nice conundrum.
But I would still stick to the VG900 if you are an "always-tripod" shooter. The relative low price of the A7 however, makes it attractive as a good b-cam or a jib cam.
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