I'm sure some of you have already read the reviews, and i'm still working on a short review myself on the Sony A7rII but I can tell you right now this camera is worth every penny. It's been tough to find and out of stock, but today it's available via B&H (click here).
I had the opportunity to shoot with the Sony A7RII this weekend, and really put it through a full day of shooting. The 4K video will shut down if you push the recording times past 15 minutes, and then if you keep pushing, the time before it shuts down again gets shorter and shorter.
I was very worried about this, but I really wanted to see how it could hold up and volunteered to shoot a full wedding. As much as possible I left it on the 4K video setting. For most clips I shot no longer than 5-7 minutes, and it worked perfectly all day. Working off a V-Mount battery, I even left the camera running without powering it down most of the day. There were only a few times I switched to 60p for slo-motion, but other than that it was 4K all day.
I used the same Metabones adapter I typically use on my Sony A7s, and even that had absolutely no hiccups with the Canon 24-70mm, 24-105mm, and 70-200mm. I know a lot of people are waiting for the new A7s II, but after a full day shooting I wouldn't hesitate to sell off my Canon 5DM3 and Sony A7s camera for one of these right now.
The new A7rII is priced higher than an A7s, but there are so many features that make it worth it. First if you want dynamic range, it seems to better than the A7s. If you like shooting with SLOG (especially during the bright day), the A7rII minimum ISO is only 800 while the A7s is at an unmanageable 3200.
The A7RII has IBIS (in body image stabilization) and I no longer have to pick and choose lenses with Image Stabilization. I feel confident throwing anything on and handholding the camera or using a small shoulder rig. The new Sony A7rII also shoots 4K internal to SDXC cards, while the A7s requires you to output via HDMI to an expensive 4K Recorder.
Build quality on the A7RII is also way better than an A7s with a larger hand grip and a very solid hot shoe. The lens mount is also much more solid than on the A7s (no wobble). Don't get me wrong. It's not perfect and still has issues like a very short battery life, but for a Sony mirrorless hybrid in this class, it's the best Sony has ever put out.
Today the Sony A7R II is currently in stock at B&H (click here)
Sony A7R II 42MP Camera 4K Recording 5-Axis IBIS.
Pops
@Emm - Thanks. Interesting to learn.
Emm
Post author@pops - I think the Sony A7R II may have more dynamic range in SLOG, but you don't have the same latitude for post processing. SLOG is not RAW and you can only throw so many changes to it before it starts looking weird. I think you can get more natural looking images from a Blackmagic, but you might have more dynamic range from the A7R II.
pops
How would you compare the dynamic range against the BMCC 2.5k raw?
mike_tee_vee
Emm, any comments on how reliable the autofocus is in movie recording with Sony and Canon lenses?
krys villaster
also, whats your set up with the vmount/battery? which battery are you using and which vmount?
krys villaster
thanks for the quick review ! cant wait for full review !
Derek McCabe
There is a review on the B&H site that states that the overheating issue is only when shooting with 100Mbs 4K. If you drop down to 60Mbps, you can shoot longer than 15 min.
And if you really need the higher quality, go with an external recorder only... and DO NOT record internally and no over heat at all.
Personally I think this is a big issue, I shoot live events and often have takes longer than 15 min. They need to solve this cooling issue so people do not need an external recorder, the benefits of this is the small size. Once you start adding more gear, you might as well go with a pro camcorder.
Dan K
I've seriously invested in the Panasonic GH4 M43 system. If I buy this Sony camera to get better low light, softer backgrounds and possibly better image stabilization, what lenses are best to purchase that truly work with the Sony system. We have a couple of FS-700s and lens options really are poor.
Which lenses work really well in the cine mode on this camera? Also, what about remote start/stop for working when flying on a CAME-TV Single? I don't want to have to reach up to start/stop or focus the camera.
Thanks.
Arno
Seems a nice camera but way overpriced for me ! 2 times too expensive I think ! what I've seen not so good apart from shitty Sony battery life is BIG roliing shutter.
Chris K.
Wow, thanks for the heads-up on the 15-minute limit on 4K (surely due to overheating problems.) I've tested my GH4 and it records the limit on my card at 1.5hrs of C4K without a hitch.
I'd likely not shoot more than 15 minutes straight but it's convenient to not have to worry about yet another thing on a shoot. I'm wondering if you shoot a bunch of 5-7 minute segments, then try shooting 15, will it cut shorter?
Any thoughts about ventilation options? I seem to remember folks using small computer-style fans on other Sony cams (NEX-7) and keeping the display tilted to let air in closer to the body.
MJ
Will try EMM. Thanks
Emm
Post author@MJ - Clear your Safari cache then try again. Or just use the Chrome browser
MJ
I don't know what happened to cheesycam but for the last 6 months it's been unreadable via iPhone. I've tried it on 3 iPhones. There are repetitious ads plastered all over the content. For example right now all I see over this A7R2 article is about 500 orso mini ball heads. Over and Over. What's the deal?