see also:

• Sony NEX E-mount camera system
• Sony NEX FX full frame mirrorless cameras
• Sony FE E-mount full frame lenses

• announced Sept 2015
• 12mp full frame videography oriented mirrorless
• who is it for?
  • low light photographers - eg. astrophotographic landscapes of the Milky Way
  • 4K videographers
  • low light or slow motion videographers
• as an upgrade to the Sony a7S full frame mirrorless camera, it adds:
  • now has 164 AF points instead of 25 but no PDAF points
  • can now record 4K footage internally with full pixel read-out
  • Full HD 120 fps video recording
  • 4/5x slow motion recording internally
  • new S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3 and S-Gamut3/S-Log3 profiles
  • a new Gamma Display Assist function and improved Zebra function
  • improved performance of Fast Intelligent AF down to EV -4 and is 2x faster in video mode
  • 5 axis sensor based image stabiliser
  • upgraded EVF
  • re-designed buttons
  • lens mount has been further reinforced to ensure greater resilience
  • silent shooting mode can be activated for 5fps continuous shooting and reliability has been enhanced with reduced-vibration shutter movement
  • shutter now rated at 500,000-cycle durability
  • users can now charge the camera via a USB power supply whilst the camera is in operation, thus extending battery life
• $US2999 RRP

• 12.2 mp sensor
  • 164 CDAF points
• no PDAF
• ISO range of 50 up to 409,600 (100-102,400 native)
• 5 axis sensor based image stabiliser
• 5fps burst
• shutter 30sec - 1/8000th sec but loud
  • electronic first curtain mode, which allows for a quieter shutter, and reduces the potential for 'shutter shock' vibration
  • electronic silent mode also works in 5fps burst mode
• flash sync 1/250th sec
• no built-in flash but multi-interface flash shoe
• exp. compensation ±5 EV
• Auto ISO usable in manual mode via exposure compensation dial
• awesome high ISO performance:
  • ISO 50 – 4096002 (but lowest in movie mode is 200 ISO)
  • ? lower dynamic range but 1 stop better noise than the Sony a7 II full frame mirrorless camera up to 6400 ISO, and 2 stops better at 102,400
  • ? similar high ISO performance as Nikon D750 full frame dSLR and Nikon D4s sports dSLR
• 3“ tilting 1.23m dot LCD but not touch sensitive
• XGA OLED TRU-FINDER EVF:
  • 0.78x magnification
  • ZEISS T* Coating
• awesome video capabilities:
  • excellent high ISO videos
  • 1st full frame camera with full pixel read out in movie mode (ie. no pixel binning) which allows videos with much reduced aliasing, moiré and false color artifacts
  • 4K (QFHD 3840 x 2160 pixels 4:2:2 8-bit) video using the full width of the sensor in the XAVC S format
  • 1080 HD video at 120p at 100Mbps (can give 4-5x slow motion footage internally and can be played back), 60p, 60o, 30p and 24p direct to memory card, and uses full pixel readout without pixel binning
  • video can be cropped to Super 35mm (APS-C) and at this crop can shoot at 120fps
  • S-Log2 gamma for expanded dynamic range
  • XAVC S recording format at 50Mbps in HD video mode in addition to AVCHD and MP4 codecs
  • video mode picture profile that can adjust settings like gamma, black, level and color adjustment
  • time code/user bit
  • various marker and zebra displays on both the LCD screen and viewfinder
  • new S-Gamut3.Cine/S-Log3 and S-Gamut3/S-Log3 profiles (14 stop dynamic range)
  • a new Gamma Display Assist function and improved Zebra function
• no timelapse recording
• USB 2.0
• weather sealed, composite body
• WiFi with NFC
• 489g
• 126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2mm (approx. 5 x 3 3/4 x 1 15/16 in.)
• NB. does not ship with a proper battery charger, instead it comes with a Micro USB cable and the AC-UUD11 AC Battery Charging Adapter (a USB to AC converter)

• resolution challenged at only 12mp
• AF is not great, particularly AF tracking in video mode
• ergonomics not great
• range of dedicated E-mount lenses is not great
• maybe consider a Sony a99 mark II full frame hybrid SLT dSLR instead for video ¹⁾

• dpreview.com's preview
• dpreview hands on review