Sony A7S II was launched nearly 4 and a half years ago and it became one of the favourite cameras amongst the creators and later the A7 III became the new all-rounder in the market. Sony A7 III is the new favourite, many of us are still waiting for a long due successor of A7S II, The Sony A7S III.
Hopefully, some exclusive feature set compensates for the painfully long delay.
- So what should we expect from Sony?
- When is Sony really going to launch the A7s III?
- Is it already too late?
To be able to answer the above questions, first, we need to understand what the market is offering. With the announcement of Canon EOS R5, the arrival of Netflix-certified Panasonic Lumix S1H along with the rumours swirling about Panasonic GH6, it’s not at all going to be easy for Sony A7S III to simply just sweep the market by a storm.
01. Canon EOS R5 :
Let’s start with Canon. They recently announced the development of Canon EOS R5.
- Full frame sensor with 8k internal raw recording up to 30fps, 4k recording up to 120 fps in either 4:2:2 10-bit canon log or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ.
- Animal tracking AF, it recognizes dogs, cats, and birds. Wow!!!
- 5 axis in-Body sensor movement-image stabilization, first time on any Canon camera.
Very interesting.
02. Panasonic Lumix S1H :
Panasonic S1H – only Mirrorless camera approved by Netflix.
LUMIX S1H – only mirrorless camera certified by Netflix, let’s see what S1H has to offer.
- Full frame sensor with 6k 24fps ( 4:2:0 10-bit LongGop ) recording and 4k 60 fps 4:2:2 10-bit internal recording
- With the Firmware upgrade, one can shoot 6k Apple ProRes RAW at 12-bit on Atmos Ninja V over HDMI
- 5 axis dual I.S 2 ( image stabilizer ) with 6 stop compensation
- Slow-motion – yes it does shoot 180fps ( 4:2:0 8-bit LongGOP ) when set to FHD
- While recording slow motion it records sound and also does autofocus
Now we have some idea what the market is offering, so Sony has to act accordingly and they need to act soon.
What should we Expect from Sony A7SIII?
Now we have an idea what the market is offering, so Sony has to act accordingly and they need to act soon. As an end-user, Sony should at least match what the competition is offering, and in some cases beat it by providing something exclusive. Below is what we expect from Sony;
- SONY A7S III should be capable of Netflix certification.
- A7S III should have 8k at 60 fps ( 4:2:2 10 bit ), don’t mind if it records 10-bit externally
- Should at least have 4k 120 fps ( 4:2:2 10 bit ) internal recording so we can have slow motion at 4k.
FYI Canon EOS R5 shoots 4k at 120 fps. - If SONY A7S III shoots 8k video that means it will demand more sensor resolution, 36 MP to be precise. Why 36MP because according to SonyAlphaRumors a new Sony 36MP sensor has leaked online and rumors also suggest this new sensor might make it to the new A7S III. Also, a 36MP sensor is capable of 8k recording. So fingers crossed. 😊
- According to SonyAlphaRumors, Sony was looking at all new H.265 based codec know as XEVC, and the new codec is rumored to include 12-bit 4k, 4:4:4 12bit 8k Bayer raw capabilities. Which means with the introduction of XEVC based on H.265 codec you can have higher quality footage with drastically smaller file size.
- There is also a possibility of Sony using sensor from all new SONY FX9 😊 which is already capable of shooting 6k.
- Now that we wish for 8k, there is a possibility for the sensor to heat up. It will need some cooling considering how painful it was to shoot 4k on A7SII on a hot summer afternoon. You know what I am trying to say 😊
So when can we expect SONY A7s III to reach us?
According to SonyAlphaRumors full specs of SONY A7s III will be unveiled in the month of June 2020.
There are also rumours that Sony has registered two cameras in Asia.
1: High-End E-mount camera (Hopefully the A7SIII)
2: A fixed lens compact camera
Well it’s safe to say that Sony is already well aware of the current market scenario considering the demands and other products at offer. I am really looking forward to Sony again dropping a bomb like they did for the A7S and the unbeatable A7S II.
I hope Sony you are listening to us and reading this 🙂
It’s a wait and watch game now. Sony we Love you.
