Handling of the camera is a breeze but shooting with the A7s Slog2 takes some getting used to!
I have almost no experience shooting CLog or with BlackMagic so seeing the world in greyish tones is a little unsettling. I still tend to over expose my highlights even with zebras turned on. So far, I've been shooting only in AVCHD as FCP7 does not recognise the XAVCs codec. As a result, the lattitude for color grading is not as good as 4:2:2. But I'm still happy with the wider dynamic range vis-a-vis my previous camera.
For available light shooting, the camera is perfect. But when it comes to lighting for an interview, I haven't quite nail it yet. More factors are at play now: lighting ratio, the minimum ISO 3200 (in Slog2), color shifts using ND filters. The usual approach of setting up lights first then getting the talent in for minor adjustment now doesn't seem adequate. I think for future shoots, I will need a stand-in until I figure out a new lighting strategy.
The A7s doesn't offer the same familiarity in terms of how lighting ratios play out. Perhaps a better way could be gradually adding light from some distance away instead of cutting light. Certainly, the extra sensitivity forces me to rethink my usual habits.
As with all cameras, it will take some getting used to but overall, I'm very pleased with the A7s.
There is something strange about power management as noted by several users. The battery seems to discharge when left in the camera. A completely charged battery could lose as much as 70% over 4 days. Is that the case with A7R?
