Sony A7S Sample Photos: High ISO Comparison to the A7R and Nikon D4s

The Sony A7S offers ISO ranges as high as 409,600, we put its low-light skills to the test

By Dan Bracaglia | Published Jun 26, 2014 10:39 PM EDT

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The Sony A7S is a particularly unique camera for two reasons: the first is its ability to recored 4k video. The second, its extraordinary ISO range, which, along with the Nikon D4s, is in a league all of its own. We were curious to see just how well the A7S handled itself at some of these higher ISOs, especially in real world scenarios, so we put it to the test, first at a very dark venue.

The images in the gallery to the right were all pulled directly from the camera and shot in the sRGB colorspace. The vast majority of them were shot using a Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar FE 24-70 f/4 lens ZA OSS lens, although where noted, a Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar 35mm f/2.8 was used. We tried to stick with low light situations, although we did shoot a couple of daylight images as well.

For more on the A7S’ low light abilities, check out our comparison gallery below, where we pitted the A7S against the A7R and D4s.

Sony A7S, A7R, Nikon D4s High ISO Comparison Gallery

Sony A7S sample #1

The first few images were all shot in an extremely dark venue. The primary light sources were two light bulbs; one with a red gel and one with a yellow gel. Tech Specs: ISO 25600, 1/160 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 24mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #2

Tech Specs: ISO 25600, 1/160 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 48mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #3

This is a particularly dark image, however the lack of shadow noise is quite impressive. Tech Specs: ISO 25600, 1/160 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 24mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #4

Skin tones lit by red-colored light present a particular challenge for camera sensors, in terms of recording detail, however the A7s seems to handle itself well in these type of scenarios. Tech Specs: ISO 20000, 1/200 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 36mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #5

This image is fairly underexposed, yet the lack of noise gives us hope that with some work in Lightroom, this image can still shine. Tech Specs: ISO 20000, 1/1200 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 70mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #6

Tech Specs: ISO 20000, 1/200 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 39mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #7

Tech Specs: ISO 1250, 1/3200 sec, at f/11.
Focal Length: 40mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #8

Tech Specs: ISO 1250, 1/800 sec, at f/11.
Focal Length: 44mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #9

Tech Specs: ISO 1250, 1/1600 sec, at f/11.
Focal Length: 24mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #10

Tech Specs: ISO 65535, 1/80 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 28mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #11

Tech Specs: ISO 65535, 1/80 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 28mm (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #12

Tech Specs: ISO 20000, 1/160 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 35mm (shot with a Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8) (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #13

Remember when ISO 6400 was the furthest you could push your camera? Tech Specs: ISO 6400, 1/60 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 35mm (shot with a Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8) (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #14

Tech Specs: ISO 1000, 1/4000 sec, at f/5.6.
Focal Length: 35mm (shot with a Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8) (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Sony A7S sample #15

Tech Specs: ISO 20000, 1/160 sec, at f/4.
Focal Length: 35mm (shot with a Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8) (CLICK FOR FULL-RES)

Dan Bracaglia

Dan Bracaglia, the News & Features editor at Popular Photography, has been covering imaging and camera technology for 13 years, with work appearing—both written and photographic—in publications including American Photo magazine, Digital Photography Review, Popular Science magazine, the Star-Ledger, Sound & Vision magazine, and of course, Popular Photography. Contact the author here.

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