DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

The Sony A7S III will shoot 16-Bit RAW and 4K120fps without overheating, report says

Jul 14, 2020 by John Aldred 24 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

So this is an interesting round-up of specs that’s just been posted to Sony Alpha Rumours. If true, the long (long!) awaited A7S III is going to get Sony video shooters very excited. Interestingly, Sony seems to have stuck with a 12-megapixel sensor, for maximum light gathering ability and to more closely match the native 4K video resolution – It would also be pretty beneficial in the speed department.

SAR does say that this information is coming from multiple sources, and some of it may not be entirely accurate as they say the sources only saw prototypes and not final units. But it’s a pretty interesting list, all the same. We do know that the A7S III is finally on the way, but not exactly when, although the updated list suggests the end of this month.

  • New 12MP sensor with fast readout
  • Shoots 1080p 240fps, 4k 120fps 10-Bit 4:2:2 and 4K120fps RAW over HDMI
  • 600mbps bitrate
  • Base ISO 160 for S-LOG3
  • Max video ISO 409,600
  • 16-bit RAW output
  • 15-stops of dynamic range
  • New high resolution 9.44 million dot EVF (QXGA resolution)
  • A new kind of silent passive cooling system
  • No overheating and no recording time limits (this may be different in Europe)
  • UHS-II SD card slots
  • Similar in appearance to the Sony A7R IV
  • A fully articulating LCD screen (flippy out LCD on a Sony?!?!?)
  • Announcement is expected late July
  • Shipping to begin mid-August

Sticking with the 12-megapixel resolution is interesting, although they say it’s a new sensor. This conflicts with a report from last December that suggested the A7S III might see a 15-megapixel Quad-Bayer arrangement.

16-Bit RAW output (presumably this is either for stills or it’s the clean HDMI feed) is definitely interesting, and presently only really in the domain of the Medium Format world for stills. If it really does put out 16-Bit RAW files, then your hard drives are going to be happy that the sensor is only 12-megapixels.

Apparently it will have no overheating issues, even shooting at a claimed 10-Bit 4:2:2 4K 120fps, which will be a neat trick. This seems thanks to the new passive cooling system. 4K RAW over HDMI at 120fps will also be very impressive. If it’s true, then I’m curious if Atomos might be getting ready to announce something, too.

UHS-II SD card slots are logical if the video bitrate really is going to be up to 600mbps. 600mbps is around 75Meg/sec, which means you’re going to want those V90 UHS-II cards. But I’m curious why they don’t just go with CFexpress, as everybody seems to be shifting over to it these days.

Again, these are just rumours, and it will be interesting which of these makes it into the final spec. But I think if they can just offer at least 10-Bit 4K60 without overheating they’ll be onto a winner.

[via Sony Alpha Rumors]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

The Sony A7S III will get ProRes RAW over HDMI recording with the Atomos Ninja V Sony confirms that a “completely redesigned” Sony A7S III is finally coming this summer Sony’s A7S III reported to be the first mirrorless camera to use CFexpress Type A memory cards More leaked Sony A7S III images show dual card slots and new menu system

Filed Under: news Tagged With: rumor, sony, Sony a7s III, Sony Mirrorless

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« The 2020 Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlists will take your breath away
Panasonic streaming now available on the Mac and Lumix G series firmware updates announced »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Here’s a bullet time video booth you can build yourself
  • Ricoh has discontinued the HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited silver lens
  • This “stellar flower” unravels the twilight’s evolution in 360 degrees
  • Strobes vs Continuous LEDs – Which is right for you?
  • Wave goodbye to Apple’s My Photo Stream next month

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy