Sony goes multisot - 170Mp

[eronald]

In a move sure to please buyers and sure to sour Phase and co,, Sony’s A7R3 adds pixel-shift multishot for a 170Mp capture at an unbeatable pricepoint of $3200.

I think this is less than the price of almost any MF lens.

https://petapixel.com/2017/10/25/sony-unveils-a7r-iii-42mp-10fps-15-stop-dr-5-5-stop-4k/

Edmund

[tcdeveau]

But, according to the video, it still composites as a 42mp file, so the 170mp by itself is a little misleading.  There also seems to be a significant lag time in between captures (which will limit the utility of this feature for anything moving), and it seems that the images have to composited with proprietary Sony software (which they list as PC software, so I'm guessing no macs).  The Pentax K1 can do the same thing I think.  I'm sure this feature will give great images in certain circumstances, as others have shown with Olympus m43 and the K1, but I'm not so sure it's a "take on the MF market" type feature.  Still a nice addition to the A7 line....

[pschefz]

i would look at it as: incredible IQ, crazy fast, silent, insane AF, every single concern of the A7RII dealt with for a laughable price...
oh, and yes, we put in 170 mpix 14 bit multi shot as well....
i have a feeling these multi shot files will be much, much closer to DMF then anything the smaller pentax, olympus,....can deliver....
sony is killing it....

[eronald]

It remains to be seen how one can get at the data, but for many cultural shooters 40Mp without color aliasing will be a solid argument in favor of a camera that basically costs as much as a medium format lenscap and can use a wide range of legacy lenses via adapters.

Edmund

But, according to the video, it still composites as a 42mp file, so the 170mp by itself is a little misleading.  There also seems to be a significant lag time in between captures (which will limit the utility of this feature for anything moving), and it seems that the images have to composited with proprietary Sony software (which they list as PC software, so I'm guessing no macs).  The Pentax K1 can do the same thing I think.  I'm sure this feature will give great images in certain circumstances, as others have shown with Olympus m43 and the K1, but I'm not so sure it's a "take on the MF market" type feature.  Still a nice addition to the A7 line....

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi Edmund,

A good point. I wouldn't spend the money on the A7rIII but it has many feature upgrades I would really appreciate. For documentary shooters the multishot is worthwhile.

The competitor from Hasselblad costs 35000 k$US at B&H. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1078379-REG/hasselblad_3013707_h5d_50c_multi_shot_medium_format.html

But, if it is high volume work, convenience may matter more than price. So, it may also matter which software solutions can be used.

Best regards
Spock

It remains to be seen how one can get at the data, but for many cultural shooters 40Mp without color aliasing will be a solid argument in favor of a camera that basically costs as much as a medium format lenscap and can use a wide range of legacy lenses via adapters.

Edmund

[Kevin Raber]

I shot lots of images with this camera yesterday. I'll share time using our zoom to 100% early next week.  The images are as expected - incredible.  I'll be testing multishot over the coming weeks.  You must use a computer (PC which I don't have) to process the file.  I am hoping this is some sort of API that will be picked up by Capture One since C1 is put in every Sony box.

[eronald]

Sony is becoming a hard to resist proposition in stills and video,when looking at features alone but as you say users may resist their workflow. In video I see people on forums complain about their color look, and it seems by the time one has put a workaround in place one might as well use Canon or something more cumbersome and expensive ...this is not necessarily a bug, but a consequence of the way Sony think compared to how their competitors think. Hassy and Phase have been very successful at adapting to their customers’ workflow.

Edmund

Hi Edmund,

A good point. I wouldn't spend the money on the A7rIII but it has many feature upgrades I would really appreciate. For documentary shooters the multishot is worthwhile.

The competitor from Hasselblad costs 35000 k$US at B&H. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1078379-REG/hasselblad_3013707_h5d_50c_multi_shot_medium_format.html

But, if it is high volume work, convenience may matter more than price. So, it may also matter which software solutions can be used.

Best regards
Spock

[32BT]

Sony is becoming a hard to resist proposition in stills and video,when looking at features alone but as you say users may resist their workflow. In video I see people on forums complain about their color look, and it seems by the time one has put a workaround in place one might as well use Canon or something more cumbersome and expensive ...this is not necessarily a bug, but a consequence of the way Sony think compared to how their competitors think. Hassy and Phase have been very successful at adapting to their customers’ workflow.

Edmund

This may be very true, yet even for Sony it may be that they are successful at "adapting to their customer's need". It occurred to me that the colorlook they offer is especially suited for the Asian market, China in particular. It could that the time has arrived that "we in the west" no longer dictate the direction of a manufacturer's strategy...

[narikin]

I'll be testing multishot over the coming weeks.  You must use a computer (PC which I don't have) to process the file.  I am hoping this is some sort of API that will be picked up by Capture One since C1 is put in every Sony box.

I would be surprised if Phase One enable Sony multi-shot in C1. It's fine when Sony are appealing to a different market segment, but not when they start encroaching on Phase's main market territory.

buy a PC? they're very cheap! Many MF users have a Surface Pro for touch-screen C1 tethered location work. It's what the iPad Pro should have been.

An equal surprise is that Phase One haven't enable multi-shot in any of their backs yet!

[eronald]

This may be very true, yet even for Sony it may be that they are successful at "adapting to their customer's need". It occurred to me that the colorlook they offer is especially suited for the Asian market, China in particular. It could that the time has arrived that "we in the west" no longer dictate the direction of a manufacturer's strategy...

We in the west? The last time I went to a museum, italian renaissance, impressionist paintings and flemish works seemed to reflect a different sensibility, that can be opposed to the brilliant colors of Roy Lichtenstein or Andy Warhola.  I am not so sure that Koreans and Japanese  and various regions in China all view the world in terms of the same palette.

[32BT]

We in the west? The last time I went to a museum, italian renaissance, impressionist paintings and flemish works seemed to reflect a different sensibility, that can be opposed to the brilliant colors of Roy Lichtenstein or Andy Warhola.  I am not so sure that Koreans and Japanese  and various regions in China all view the world in terms of the same palette.

Of course not, but this is the world of mass consumerism. That is; the look of the average weddingset for example, not the camera equipment. Or maybe that too, but that's not the point entirely. One very distinct difference would be that B&W is far less popular in the east since it is associated with death. Additionally, maybe as a consequence, they do like their colors saturated. At the average chinese wedding you will see at least 3 teams of photographers/videographers. It's just bigger business there, much bigger i'm sure.

[delfalex]

It remains to be seen how one can get at the data, but for many cultural shooters 40Mp without color aliasing will be a solid argument in favor of a camera that basically costs as much as a medium format lenscap and can use a wide range of legacy lenses via adapters.

Edmund

Yep; I keep coming across the image ratio issue: 40MP spread over 3:2 works great for landscapes or a thin Giacometti sculpture but on the whole ones cropping a lot of the 3: when shooting cultural; even 4:3 often gets a trim down to 5:4. So that 3:2 can end up closer 30MP: I'm always looking at the Minimum dim's pixel count to confirm whether it'll be enough resolution for the day I have the square subject matter

Meanwhile I think at how the quality of the lens in DSLR sensor range really blow a lot of the MFD lenses away and etc etc ..

With Multishot photography practice both the capture & process disciplines are critical for decent results and one does sometimes question whether it worth after a long job (Phase have realised this and know that among things optimal throughput is what the purse string holders at the smaller institutions are looking at - i.e. Can't reach for Sinar Rencay operators etc).

However if one does persevere Multishot images really shine (just like the new 100MP images do), if captured right and processed right.

I remember some of the Multishot images that came out of Flexcolor could be worked to the bone and really hold on to their integrity - the same can be said with Sinar's Capture software.

Maybe we'll see a more optimised implementation of Multishot processing in the DSLR sensor range - the tech is there and looks great when fully supported beyond just legacy.

A


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[narikin]

I have mixed feelings about this new Sony A7R3 release.

There's some good developments in there, but its the same sensor as the II, so ultimately, unless you need 10fps, or slightly improved eye focus, and a joystick, or shoot still lives with multi shot, then, really... save your $.

Sony seem to have forgotten how their camera designations divide up, the A9 is for sports/speed, the 7S is for low light and video, and the 7R is the ultra high megapixel one. Leaving it at 42.5Mp (even multi shot images are still 42.5Mp after processing) for a 3rd year of life seems like they forgot what the 'R' nomenclature is for! It is not for people wanting 10fps, or needing 32,000asa - it's about the ultimate quality resolution Sony can eek out of a sensor. Thats why people choose the R over others. They forgot that or, more likely the next generation 60Mp sensor was not ready, so they're distracting us with bells and whistles from other models, in the meanwhile!

Oh well, Hasselblad and Fuji can breathe a sigh of relief. Their MF offering are good for another year. Happy for them, and us, as that means they will survive into a 2nd generation at least.

[mi-fu]

I shot lots of images with this camera yesterday. I'll share time using our zoom to 100% early next week.  The images are as expected - incredible.  I'll be testing multishot over the coming weeks.  You must use a computer (PC which I don't have) to process the file.  I am hoping this is some sort of API that will be picked up by Capture One since C1 is put in every Sony box.

Kevin, did you get a chance to shoot with a SD card and examine the files? Are the files significantly improved?

I think the AF speed and EYE AF are phenomenal. My feeling is that it is even faster and snappier than D850.

P.S. I did see you today afternoon as well!

[eronald]

I have mixed feelings about this new Sony A7R3 release.

There's some good developments in there, but its the same sensor as the II, so ultimately, unless you need 10fps, or slightly improved eye focus, and a joystick, or shoot still lives with multi shot, then, really... save your $.

Sony seem to have forgotten how their camera designations divide up, the A9 is for sports/speed, the 7S is for low light and video, and the 7R is the ultra high megapixel one. Leaving it at 42.5Mp (even multi shot images are still 42.5Mp after processing) for a 3rd year of life seems like they forgot what the 'R' nomenclature is for! It is not for people wanting 10fps, or needing 32,000asa - it's about the ultimate quality resolution Sony can eek out of a sensor. Thats why people choose the R over others. They forgot that or, more likely the next generation 60Mp sensor was not ready, so they're distracting us with bells and whistles from other models, in the meanwhile!

Oh well, Hasselblad and Fuji can breathe a sigh of relief. Their MF offering are good for another year. Happy for them, and us, as that means they will survive into a 2nd generation at least.

Obviously as soon as new hirez 35mm sensors come out, hirez mf will follow ... at 10x the price

[Chris Barrett]

I really don't need any more MP.  I just wanted an A7r2 that worked better... faster image processing, a respectable tether connection, maybe a bit more dynamic range and dare I dream... a second port just for a cable release???  For me, Sony totally delivered.  Ordered mine at 10:04am... after pulling over to the curb.  In the middle of 16 days straight shooting, but can always spare a moment to pick up more gear 

[mi-fu]

I really don't need any more MP.  I just wanted an A7r2 that worked better... faster image processing, a respectable tether connection, maybe a bit more dynamic range and dare I dream... a second port just for a cable release???  For me, Sony totally delivered.  Ordered mine at 10:04am... after pulling over to the curb.  In the middle of 16 days straight shooting, but can always spare a moment to pick up more gear 

i think you will be very happy. it totally satisfies all your needs.

[eronald]

i think you will be very happy. it totally satisfies all your needs.

You sir, are an addiction enabler

But I think you're right. The III sounds like more of the same ... at a lower price to boot.
Maybe Apple can learn something from Sony ...

Edmund