Alpha 7S

Released June 2014

A 12.2 MP full-frame E-mount camera for low-light stills and video, with internal Full HD recording and 4K output to an external recorder.

Type: Mirrorless
Sensor: Full frame
Megapixels: 12.2
Lens: Sony E-mount
Video: 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
Body weight: 446 g

What reviewers say

Both reviews praised low-light image quality, video controls, portability and the viewfinder, while noting slow autofocus and short battery life. Photography Blog found focusing lag limiting for moving subjects. TechRadar found tracking useful in good light, but reported occasional screen-switching faults and wanted touch controls and a fully articulating screen.

From photographyblog.com and techradar.com

Specifications

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Image and sensor

Camera type: Mirrorless
Sensor format: Full frame
Sensor type: Exmor CMOS
Sensor dimensions: 35.6 × 23.8 mm
Effective resolution: 12.2 MP
Largest image: 4240 × 2832
RAW recording: Yes
Standard ISO range: 100–102400
Sensor detail: Approximately 12.4 million total pixels; 3:2 sensor; anti-static coating and ultrasonic dust reduction
Image formats: JPEG and RAW (Sony ARW 2.3); 14-bit RAW output; XAVC S, AVCHD 2.0 and MP4 movies
ISO detail: Standard still-image ISO 100–102400; extended ISO 50–80 and 128000–409600; movie extended range reaches ISO 409600. UK support combines standard and extended settings, so the standard range follows Sony Japan's explicit specification.
Image processor: BIONZ X

Lens and shooting

Lens mount: Sony E-mount
Stabilisation: Optical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst: 5 fps
Lens detail: Interchangeable E-mount; full-frame FE lenses use the whole sensor; APS-C lenses can use a lower-resolution crop. ILCE-7S is supplied without a lens.
Autofocus: Contrast-detection AF with 25 points; maker detection range EV -4 to 20 at ISO 100 with an f/2 lens; AF-S, AF-C, direct manual focus and manual focus; Lock-on AF and Eye AF
Shutter: Electronically controlled focal-plane shutter; 30 seconds to 1/8000 second plus Bulb; flash sync 1/250 second with Sony flash; electronic first curtain and silent electronic shutter selectable
Burst detail: Up to 5 fps Speed Priority Continuous or 2.5 fps normal continuous; maker speed-priority buffer approximately 30 RAW or 25 RAW+JPEG images. Photography Blog states speed priority fixes focus and exposure at the first frame, while normal continuous can update both.
Stabilisation detail: No sensor-shift stabilisation; optical correction requires a compatible stabilised lens
Flash: No built-in flash; Multi Interface Shoe supports compatible external flash
Exposure controls: 1200-zone evaluative metering; program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual modes; exposure compensation ±5 EV, or ±3 EV using the dedicated dial

Video

Highest video resolution: 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
Video detail: Internal Japanese/NTSC Full HD up to 1920 × 1080 at 60p, 30p or 24p in XAVC S at 50 Mbps; PAL modes include 50p/25p. 1280 × 720 at 120p NTSC automatically crops to APS-C; PAL offers 100p. 4K 3840 × 2160 at 30p/24p is HDMI output only and needs a compatible external recorder; 8-bit 4:2:2. S-Log2, timecode, zebra and recording-control features; approximately 29-minute internal clip limit.
Audio: Built-in stereo microphone; LPCM, Dolby Digital or AAC by recording format; adjustable levels; 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets; compatible optional shoe-mounted XLR adaptor

Screen and viewfinder

Viewfinder: Electronic
Screen size: 3″
Screen dots: 921,600
Touchscreen: No
Tilting screen: Yes
Display detail: LCD tilts approximately 90° upwards and 45° downwards; no touchscreen
Viewfinder detail: 0.5-type OLED; 2,359,296 dots; 100% coverage; approximately 0.71× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity

Connections and design

Wi-Fi: Yes
Battery life (maker's claim): 380 photographs
Body weight: 446 g
Release detail: Sony Japan specifies 20 June 2014 retail availability for ILCE-7S. This is the original 12.2 MP Alpha 7S, not a later 7S or the higher-resolution 7/7R families.
Recording media: SD, SDHC and SDXC with UHS-I; Memory Stick PRO Duo, PRO-HG Duo and XC-HG Duo; XAVC S requires Class 10 SDXC
Ports: Multi/Micro USB, Micro HDMI Type D, Multi Interface Shoe, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and vertical-grip connector
Wireless connections: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and NFC One-touch remote/sharing
Battery life detail: NP-FW50; CIPA maker claim approximately 380 photographs using LCD or 320 using viewfinder
Charging: In-camera USB charging; optional AC-PW20 external power adaptor
Dimensions: Approximately 126.9 × 94.4 × 54.8 mm from grip to viewfinder; 48.2 mm depth from grip to monitor
Weight detail: Approximately 446 g body only; 489 g with battery and media; both exclude lens
In the box: Sony Japan lists two NP-FW50 batteries, BC-TRW charger, AC-UUD11 adaptor, cable protector, strap, USB cable, body/shoe caps and eyepiece cup. TechRadar reports one battery in its UK/Australian package; contents vary by region.

Pros and cons

Pros

Full-frame sensor with RAW recording
Silent electronic shutter option
Microphone input and headphone monitoring

Cons

4K requires an external recorder
No sensor-shift stabilisation or touchscreen

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Sensor	Megapixels	Lens	Video	Body weight	Released
SonyAlpha 7 II	Mirrorless	Full frame	24.3	Sony E-mount	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	556 g	Dec 2014
SonyAlpha 7	Mirrorless	Full frame	24.3	Sony E-mount	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	416 g	Nov 2013
SonyAlpha 7R	Mirrorless	Full frame	36.4	Sony E-mount	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	407 g	Nov 2013

Sources

Photo: sony.jp

Sony Alpha 7S, rear three-quarter view with optional vertical grip and lens: Sony, official exact-model Japan product feature photograph; camera shown with optional VG-C1EM vertical grip and lens, sold separately

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