Tag Archives: Sony A7s

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If you're looking to power up a small camera or accessory for an extended period of time, Sony L-Series batteries are a popular choice. It's a very common battery used to power anything from small LED lighting, monitors, wireless video transmitters, etc.

Sony L-Series Batteries are also available in a variety of capacities from small to large depending on your needs and are generally inexpensive. Especially if you don't want to deal with the size, weight, and expense of v-mount (or gold mount) battery solutions, you may want to check out these Sony L-Series Battery Mounts from IndiPro Tools.

While there are existing Sony battery trays that can be modified to use in a similar way, there are a few differences with the IndiPro Tools Sony L-Series Battery systems. The first would be the integrated Dummy Battery. No need to purchase one separately and no loose cable connections to deal with.

The IndiPro Tools Battery Mount comes ready with a 1/4" thread and 15mm clamp mount which makes it easier and cleaner when mounting to any rig. The build quality exceeds that of the cheaper plastic battery trays as well. IndiPro Tools has a rubberized coating, lower profile, metal backing plate, and the batteries lock in rock solid with no play.

So while powering your camera and accessories with Sony L-Series Batteries may not be something entirely new, IndiPro Tools has designed a nice solid streamlined product for those that want a more quality solution. For more information about the IndiPro Tools Sony L-Series Battery Mounts (click here).

indipro_tools_clsusb_sony_l_series_battery_mounting_1466178646000_1259174indipro_tools_clslp6_sony_l_series_battery_mounting_1466178646000_1259173indipro_tools_clsnp_sony_l_series_battery_mounting_1466178646000_1259172
Learn-More-sm IndiPRO Tools Sony L-Series Mounting Plate w/ 15mm Clamp

Other items mentioned
And if you're interested in checking out my previous review about the Swit Sony Replacement Battery (click here).
swit battery meter dc outswit battery for sony npf series l series meter dc out
Learn-More-sm SWIT S-8972 47Wh Sony Replacement Battery with Meter and DC Out

I'm using lightweight carbon fiber 15mm Rods from PVGear.com, and for the fairly universal 15mm Baseplate seen in the video (click here).
smallrig 15mm baseplate
Learn-More-sm Low Profile 15mm Rod Clamp Baseplate

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The original Sony A7s is still an outstanding little camera, but with the announcement of the new Sony A7s II, i'm sure existing Sony A7s owners might be thinking about upgrading. I'm a Sony A7s owner, and here's a few reasons why I think it's worth the upgrade.

First, you now have the option of 4K internal recording. We don't have enough information just yet about how long it can record or if it will overheat like the A7RII, but either way 4K internal is a damn good option to have when you need it.

Next there's 5-Axis In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS). I have been using this in the new Sony A7RII and I can't tell you enough how much this new feature can help with your footage. If you move around a lot, work with a shoulder rig, hand held, or just like older lenses with no IS, the 5-Axis IBIS will be your best friend.

The new Sony A7sII also has the option of SLOG3, which offers up a flatter profile than SLOG2 while offering more detail and information in the shadows. The new A7sII also has a base ISO of just 1600 instead of 3200 which is way more manageable if you have to shoot outdoors on a bright day.

For slow motion there's the new addition of 120FPS in full 1080p. Previous cameras (including the A7RII) can only shoot 120fps in 720.

The new Sony A7sII also has faster AF for movie mode over the original A7s.

Even though the A7s was known for being the low light king, the new A7sII is even more improved for low light shooting.

So that's just a short list of new features that I think should sway many A7s owners to go for the upgrade to the new A7sII. I myself have been convinced already to go for the upgrade. Any other existing A7s owners looking to do the same? Leave a comment below.

sony a7s II camera 4K internal
VIEW-ITEM Sony Alpha a7S II 4K Video Mirrorless Digital Camera

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If you've recently purchased, planning to purchase, or possibly just have access to certain Varavon products, you could enter the Varavon Review Event and possibly receive a complimentary gift.

All you need to do is leave a video review (3 minutes or less) and submit that video to [email protected]. Video reviews must specifically be about either the BirdyCam2, TiltJib T1/T2/T3/T4, or any of the ARMORII Cages for the 5DMK3 / 7DMK2 / NX1 / A7s. So if you have these products, or have access to a friend's equipment, you can email your (3 minute or less) Review Video or a link to a URL with the video, and this event runs between Between July 1st, 2015 - July 30th, 2015.

More details on the banner image below along with available prizes offered for selected winners.

Varavon Review Event

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There was a time when many said the DSLR video market was dead. That eventually every ILC HD camera would have built in XLR adapters, ND Filters, adjustable EVFs, and a more camcorder-ish ergonomic form factor. Unfortunately those features are still only reserved for higher priced camcorders and we find ourselves still needing to 'rig' our small camera bodies with external batteries, portable audio recorders, etc. So the need for 'Cages' are still very apparent.

At NAB 2015 FotoDiox shows off a few cage rigs for small camera bodies that still need to mount additional accessories. Aside from a small cage for the GoPro HERO camera, this is a new line of affordable accessories for the FotoDiox company.

The BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera cage is available now, and other cages shown will be available at the FotoDiox website (here).

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foto_diox-8  foto_diox-11

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Learn-More-sm FotoDiox Shark Cage for Camera Bodies

NAB 2015 Platinum Sponsors

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My first time out throwing the Sony A7s into Picture Profile 7 (PP7) SLOG which shoots crazy flat and has a minimum ISO of 3200. Keep in mind most people hesitate to use ISO 1600 on the Panasonic GH4 and here on the A7s SLOG your minimum ISO is 3200.

Outdoors with bright light pretty much everything will be washed out unless you can add an ND filter (I did not bring one), stop down the aperture, or increase your shutter speed. Indoors under very dim lighting it's pretty amazing. The tricky part though will be your post workflow which I think I failed pretty miserably at.

In the video above i'm just using what FCPX offers, but coloring the SLOG footage is not as straightforward as I thought. I'll have to find some better tools, and I hear many rely on plugins like FilmConvert. I'll have to keep experimenting and practicing.

As far as the Metbones Canon EF Mark IV adapter that I used to pair my Sigma 18-35mm (in crop mode) I had all types of issues. Maybe I need a firmware upgrade on the Metabones but the entire day was pretty frustrating. The recordings would stop every few seconds especially once focus peaking or zebras would kick in. Without being able to use Zebras or Focus Peaking (because of the adapter) I think I failed at getting decent focus on many of my shots. Until this adapter is a little more stable, i'm hesitant to use it on a project. I think I may just have to stick to Sony Lenses.

Sony a7s metabones canon ef adapter
find-price-button Metabones Canon EF Lens to Sony NEX Camera Lens Mount Adapter Mark IV

I can tell battery life is going to be an issue so i'll have to look into external power. The only reason I was able to get through the day is because the Metabones adapter kept failing and I had to continuously shut down the camera. So far the images from the camera seem great if I can just figure out a better workflow or tool for grading. I can't wait to try the 4K via HDMI out with an Atomos Shogun recorder, but the next time out i'll have to bring an ND filter and perhaps only use Sony Lenses.

sony a7s mirrorless camera
find-price-button Sony A7s Mirrorless Digital Camera

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This is a small compact 12mm wide angle lens. Perfect for your Sony of MFT (BMPCC / GH4) Cameras! Also available in Canon-M, Fuji, Samsung NX, etc. Lighting Deal is live and almost out of stock. Typically about $370+ for this lens, now down to $309.


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find-price-button Rokinon 12mm F2.0 NCS CS Ultra Wide Angle Lens

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Here's a YouTube video from victorbart shot at the Atomos IBC event booth showing off the Sony A7s with Shogun 4K recorder. While the Shogun itself has already been in the news, Atomos is also showing a Powerstation Solution that can power both the Shogun and a camera body. That's definitely going to be required with the small battery size of the Sony A7s. This looks like a clean solution that hopefully will be available for other camera bodies as well.

Atomo Shogun 4k Recorder
find-price-button Atomos Shogun 4K HDMI/12G-SDI Recorder and 7" Monitor

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Today Sony has officially announced pricing on the new a7S mirrorless camera. The 'S' they say stands for 'sensitivity'. The reduced resolution 12.2MP CMOS sensor allows this camera to shoot in very low lighting conditions. The camera uses a full sensor readout instead of pixel-binning to prevent aliasing, moiré, and color artifacts.

There's no question Sony has put a nice camera together with the new a7S and i'll be the first to say the image is probably far better than the GH4, but in order to take advantage of 4K Video, you'll need to acquire an external 4K HDMI recorder.

Atomos Shogun Sony a7S 4k hdmi recorder GH4 vs A7s
find-price-button Atomos Shogun 4K HDMI Recorder

The most affordable option is the Atomos Shogun which tacks on another $2K (not including SSD) to the already $2500 dollar a7S price tag. Not to mention the Shogun may not be available until September of 2014.

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find-price-button Sony Alpha a7S 4K Mirrorless Digital Camera

I'm curious to hear what you guys think? If you had to choose between the $1700 dollar GH4 capable of recording 4K direct to inexpensive SDXC cards, or the $2500 Sony a7S that will always require an extra $2000 monitor/recorder attached to capture 4K video? Is Full Frame and the ability to shoot in near darkness enough?

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