Sony a7s III First Look: Most Compelling Video-Centric Hybrid Since GH5 - But We May Have a Problem

Sony clearly thought deeply about the a7s III, and everything was going swimmingly - until an after-thought of a heat test revealed the actively cooled Panasonic S1H fared much better in high heat and direct sunlight - but so did the little, passively cooled GH5.

1:16 The Headline
2:54 The Key to Everything that Follows
3:08 The Bottom Line
3:44 Sony’s Lens Ecosystem Advantage
4:19 Other Choices May Be Better Choices
4:31 We’ve Got Bigger Problems
5:11 A Workhorse Camera - within Constraints
5:29 What They Got Right
7:06 Low Light Test
8:00 Time to Retire Our GH5?
10:47 The ONE Big Warning Sign: High Heat
12:51 Great AF, Still Too Complicated
13:13 We Don’t Use Much of What a7sIII Can Do
14:04 I’d Rather Have…
14:46 But Credit Where Credit is Due: EVF
14:58 Revamped Menu System & Touch Interface
15:45 A Tool, Not a Talisman

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FULL EDIT SUITE

[BMEP]

Hey, all. I’m pinning this comment to the top. Thanks for your suggestions and observations re overheating outside in hot weather. I am working directly with Sony to get this sorted. Which, by the way, has always been my experience with them: good people focused on solving problems and appreciative of feedback. The unit may be defective, or the solution may be as simple as keeping the rear panel swung out from the body. Dan Watson (a fellow YouTuber and bud I hold in high regard) has had the same issue down in Florida with a different pre-production unit.. So far, on the unit I have, changing the auto power off temp setting to high has not solved the problem. Late yesterday afternoon, I tried to record with the rear screen open 180 degrees (or as close as possible - it was a few degrees less). I stopped recording 59 minutes in ( already a significantly better result) as the sun had lowered enough in the sky to introduce a second variable. Will try once more today to hold all variables constant except for the rear panel being open. Stay tuned. If that is all that it takes, I will be satisfied that we could do everything with the a7s III that we want and have done with our GH5 - and, of course more save for IBIS performance. If not, we’ll repeat the test with a production unit. Again, thanks for being so engaged in a constructive way. More details: 10-bit 4:2:2 4K/24p XAVC-S (h.264)

[andrewstanesby]

It's like listening to somebody reciting poetry

[michaelweichhardt]

One of the main reason for me as I am very interested in this camera is the 12MP sensor - Don't get me wrong I am doing a lot of promotional photography but the high resolution is making my workflow much slower. Most of the time I use my photos for Instagram and Facebook and Youtube - for these platforms 12MP is more than enough - anything higher I would have to undergo the painful process of downsampling the image. Photoshop filters or whatever processing software you are using - is gonna be much faster with just a 12MP image.

And the other reason is I am doing shooting videos for a living and this is the best we got - but I would rather shoot in storage-saving 4k 60p with HVEC codec - than all intra or 120p. The 60p is an advantage if you are looking for a smooth video. Between 24p and 30p you can clearly see if you are not using an ND filter - but at 60p and above we can simply interpret the footage to 24p and it looks much smoother. Of course, an ND filter would be the best if you are going for slow-motion videos - but 60 frames and above you can hardly see a difference. Outdoor changing filters can be a risk for your front glass - I'd prefer to have my filter on all times while I am outside - especially in humid or dusty environments. And not needing an ND filter is quite convenient - just leave on a POL or BlackProMist filter.

[HMaxTube]

If Youtube gave awards for presentation performance/acting excellence, you’re it. You’re a better performer than many male leading actors in Hollywood films, hands down. Nicely performed and technically precise in camera capabilities/specs. Bravura!👏👏👏👏👏

[juliancroot]

The voice of reason we all need to hear once again. Thanks Hugh.
Its a case of want not need, and you're right to point out the insignificance of these camera releases in the current climate.

I'm sticking with my GH5 and GH5S. I still don't want to do handheld video with sub par IBIS and heavy lenses, and for me that's the bottom line. Nothing beats the GH5 for all day handheld shooting.

[PadPoet]

When I want to listen to an unbiased view on camera gear and some carefully put together thoughts, I visit Three Blind Men and An Elephant and get lost in Hugh's voice and thoughts.

[sprocketslip]

I bought my S1H last month knowing the rumor of Sony coming out . but when I first saw the S1H , Not even knowing the full specs . just seeing the footage and the Design, I had fell in love . I somehow feel that this camera is special compared to any other camera, so I’m happy with no regrets.

[EugeneMaynard]

Thought provoking as usual!👏🏾 I have had the same conversation in my head for the S1H, the R5 and 6, but relented with the A7SIII. My decision to preorder it is based not on it replacing my GH5 system but to complement it as being my B cam for such situations as low light or needing a dedicated gimbal camera. I love the GH5 and my EF glass and I see no reason to abandon them just because there is a new camera in town! When the GH6 arrives, I shall be all in!😄🙏🏾

[skymakai]

Thanks for the 'in the sun tests'! Your rant about what you'd rather have sounded like you'd like a cinema camera though... Yeah, Sony didn't quite match up w/ Panasonic's S1H features... or a true cinema camera. I guess I don't know how you could truly be disappointed in a mirrorless camera with these features at this size and price.

[tropicaldany]

I'm holding off until A7iV because sometimes I forget that I'm also a photographer.

[JennyDarukat]

That point about record times on the street/outdoors is one I wish more reviewers made, it can be such an important make-or-break datapoint. I'd argue it's one of the biggest ones flat-out.

[topfelya]

I was about to upgrade my camera but not in the near future. No airshows, no big events, even the Youtube views are lower then usual

[youuuuuuuuuuutube]

11:06 - someone did the test with screen open and closed, open no overheating, closed it can overheat

[MajorMotions]

My man got the best audio in the business.

[dris]

When you were saying that you only needed 4K 24 and wanted better IBIS, easier to setup AF (and even better AF) and better menu, and wanted the best standard colours in 8 bit profiles, I immediately would say the R5 is a better choice for you. It never overheats at standard 4K 24 either, even under the hot sun. The LCD is better, it has larger storage options for its CFExpress, and if you ever want to snap photos, way better photo abilities. I think the only drawback would be the 30 min record limit. Still unsure why Canon put that in now that the tariff or whatever was lifted in the UK on video cams. If they got rid of that limit in firmware, that would be a game changer.

[venom]

It's a very nice camera but I have a sneaky suspicion most people that are initially excited are going to come to their senses and realize that what they have already works and works well and even if it didn't you can get a nice setup for less money too elsewhere.

[SoundSpeeding]

This proves just how good the Panasonic GH5 is in 2020!
(and how competitive the S1H is against all the other full frame releases)

[bigdhav]

For those worried about overheating, why not just use the GH5 with the metabones and sigma 18-35? Will give you full frame equivalent DOF, and won't overheat. And has other bonuses like waveform and vectorscope.

[TomChamberlain]

In regards to temp shutting down...I just watched Gerald Undone's video, he seemed to not have any problems with shutting down. I wonder if humidity is an issue.

[CaptTerrific]

Clearly some kind of embargo was lifted, there are now a dozen A7sIII videos in my feed... I don't feel like watching them all, they add up to like 8 hours worth of content... I'll pick Hugh's video :D