Sony directly rivals MFDB on view camera use, announces lossless 14bit raw

[T.Dascalos]

Breaking news! Sony Announces Addition of Uncompressed 14-Bit RAW Still Image Capture for New α Cameras!!!! | sonyalpharumors

Before the end of the year, all A7 cameras will be firmware updated to offer 14bit lossless compressed & uncompressed raws (that will obviously boost their performance by a considerable margin)... At a fraction of the cost, an A7Rii on Cambo Actus (or Arca Universallis) will be able to directly rival for IQ any MFDB/view camera combination by at least 95%... It seems that even the most resistant MFDB "castles" for serious photography are under major attack that will lead to further shrinkage of the MF market... and since IQ of FF sensor improves at a faster rate than the MF ones, I don't see how the market situation may reverse or even stabilize...

 

[jagsiva]

Breaking news! Sony Announces Addition of Uncompressed 14-Bit RAW Still Image Capture for New α Cameras!!!! | sonyalpharumors

Before the end of the year, all A7 cameras will be firmware updated to offer 14bit lossless compressed & uncompressed raws (that will obviously boost their performance by a considerable margin)... At a fraction of the cost, an A7Rii on Cambo Actus (or Arca Universallis) will be able to directly rival for IQ any MFDB/view camera combination by at least 95%... It seems that even the most resistant MFDB "castles" for serious photography are under major attack that will lead to further shrinkage of the MF market... and since IQ of FF sensor improves at a faster rate than the MF ones, I don't see how the market situation may reverse or even stabilize...

Wow, that is awesome news. Thanks so much for posting here, great to know these things well before they happen so we can be prepared for the great things to come. Even better that this can now be quantified, 93% was my hope, but 95% is even better.

Thanks again, and please keep up your great work.

 

[k-hawinkler]

Breaking news! Sony Announces Addition of Uncompressed 14-Bit RAW Still Image Capture for New α Cameras!!!! | sonyalpharumors

Before the end of the year, all A7 cameras will be firmware updated to offer 14bit lossless compressed & uncompressed raws (that will obviously boost their performance by a considerable margin)... At a fraction of the cost, an A7Rii on Cambo Actus (or Arca Universallis) will be able to directly rival for IQ any MFDB/view camera combination by at least 95%... It seems that even the most resistant MFDB "castles" for serious photography are under major attack that will lead to further shrinkage of the MF market... and since IQ of FF sensor improves at a faster rate than the MF ones, I don't see how the market situation may reverse or even stabilize...

Is this old or new news?

 

[T.Dascalos]

Wow, that is awesome news. Thanks so much for posting here, great to know these things well before they happen so we can be prepared for the great things to come. Even better that this can now be quantified, 93% was my hope, but 95% is even better.

Thanks again, and please keep up your great work.

It can't be quantified, one thinks what he will miss and what he will gain and judges accordingly by his own needs... The saying "95%" is used instead of saying "there's very little difference than what one can achieve if he spends a great deal more"...

 

[tjv]

I'm so tired of reading posts like this here and on LuLa. The same people with an axe to grind claiming that the sky is falling; pushing their own dogmatic stance on things as if they're the world authority on all things photography. :SPAM:

 

[Paul2660]

Is this old or new news?

Old news by 2 weeks or so.

But still good news for the A7rII for sure.

Paul

 

[k-hawinkler]

Old news by 2 weeks or so.

But still good news for the A7rII for sure.

Paul

Thanks Paul. That's what I thought.
In 2 days we can update the A7r2.
A7s2 will come with 14 bits.

I don't think other cameras for 14 bit updates have been announced, have they? TIA.

 

[Knorp]

I'm sure we'll have uncompressed RAW, but lossless compressed RAW too ?

 

[Paul2660]

Thanks Paul. That's what I thought.
In 2 days we can update the A7r2.
A7s2 will come with 14 bits.

I don't think other cameras for 14 bit updates have been announced, have they? TIA.

It's a huge move for Sony, and I am surprised they left it off in the first place, as in a "we know more of what you need than you do". The differences in spectral highlights, is most impressive. If Sony adds the mulit-shot later on to the A7rII or a new camera then things get very interesting. From the shots I have seen from the Olympus, I can only imagine what Sony could capture?

Paul

 

[jagsiva]

Old news by 2 weeks or so.

But still good news for the A7rII for sure.

Paul

This is news from a few weeks ago. The news is more about "lossless" RAW rather than "uncompressed" RAW. In fact, ideally you'd have lossless AND compressed.

Still very good news for Sony, and I hope they release it for the A7R as well.

 

[T.Dascalos]

It's a huge move for Sony, and I am surprised they left it off in the first place, as in a "we know more of what you need than you do". The differences in spectral highlights, is most impressive. If Sony adds the mulit-shot later on to the A7rII or a new camera then things get very interesting. From the shots I have seen from the Olympus, I can only imagine what Sony could capture?

Paul

True... multishot could complete the story... there is a rumor that Sony will enter the "true color" world by using a different approach where the bayer pattern filter will be moved into different positions instead of moving the sensor... If that happens and one can use a "true color" A7 on a mini view camera, I don't see how pros would invest more for their still photography on an MFDB & view camera combo... Especially if the MFDB would be a single shot one of interpolated color at a much higher cost that would lead at inferior quality...

 

[Paul2660]

This is news from a few weeks ago. The news is more about "lossless" RAW rather than "uncompressed" RAW. In fact, ideally you'd have lossless AND compressed.

Still very good news for Sony, and I hope they release it for the A7R as well.

Thanks for pointing that out. You are correct. I confused the two annoucements. Can't keep up.

Paul

 

[jagsiva]

True... multishot could complete the story... there is a rumor that Sony will enter the "true color" world by using a different approach where the bayer pattern filter will be moved into different positions instead of moving the sensor... If that happens and one can use a "true color" A7 on a mini view camera, I don't see how pros would invest more for their still photography on an MFDB & view camera combo... Especially if the MFDB would be a single shot one of interpolated color at a much higher cost that would lead at inferior quality...

Wow, just wow! Simply brilliant! When "True Color" is out, do you think we can get even beyond 95% of MFDB performance, do you think we could get close to 98%? I'd say that's the holy grail for me to give my IQ180 to my wife to replace her iPhone 5s.

 

[jagsiva]

Thanks for pointing that out. You are correct. I confused the two annoucements. Can't keep up.

Paul

I know...between the rumours and the actual press releases, and of course, which cameras would get the updates, things were a little confusing.

Based on what I've seen, I am hoping we can push files in C1 a little more. Will be interesting to see how LCC corrections behave better with tech lenses if the files are more "malleable".

 

[tjv]

Moderators: Can this speculative thread please be moved to the Sony section where it belongs?

 

[Wayne Fox]

Is this old or new news?

Considering the link is to an article dated sept 15th, I believe old news is the appropriate description.

Hasn't it been stated the a7r2 update will be released on the 19th?

As far as rivaling a MFDB, no argument the sensor resolution is impressive and if I can stitch quality might rival it, but personally I'm stitching a full frame 645 sensor, I don't want to have to take 3 times as many shots to get the same thing. And often I can get what I want with 1 shot, or simple 2 shot stitch. So for me, no it doesn't come close to rivaling a MFDB.

 

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

In a way an interesting question. I would see it in the context of comparison with the 50 MP backs using Sony's sensor. Both offer live view. The full frame CCD sensors live in another division. There is a 27% difference in linear size between the sensor of the A7rII and say IQ-250 back. That essentially means it needs a 27% better lens than the camera sporting the IQ-250. This may be achieveable. There are quite a few lenses out there doing a very good job.

Now, if we go go up to full frame to 645, the difference grows to 65% in linear size. Assuming decent lenses on the 645 it would be almost impossible for 24x36 to catch up. On the top end full frame MFDs are often used with technical cameras.

Another question is if the nimble A7rII can do things that needed MFD before. That may be quite true in many cases. The flange distance of the A7rII makes it usable as a miniature technical camera, either with T&S adapters (like Hartblei Master TS) or small view cameras. Here the A7rII may gain points with better live view and vibration less shutter options. Also it obviously offers motion at low cost.

Regarding the 14 bit lossless raw stuff, it is wellcome but don't really change anything. Quite a few photographers shoot happily with the A7r. In rare cases the compression artefacts may show up, but star tracks is not the most common subject.

It may be possible for Sony to fix multishot on the A7rII or some other models using the movable sensor, but I wouldn't count on it. Sony has some patents on doing multishot in hardware and that may the way they may go.

Best regards
Erik

Considering the link is to an article dated sept 15th, I believe old news is the appropriate description.

Hasn't it been stated the a7r2 update will be released on the 19th?

As far as rivaling a MFDB, no argument the sensor resolution is impressive and if I can stitch quality might rival it, but personally I'm stitching a full frame 645 sensor, I don't want to have to take 3 times as many shots to get the same thing. And often I can get what I want with 1 shot, or simple 2 shot stitch. So for me, no it doesn't come close to rivaling a MFDB.

 

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Why? The question says Sony rivals MFDB so it is clearly MFD related and folks use A7rII for things they used to use MFD for?

Moderators are not censors.

Best regards
Erik

Moderators: Can this speculative thread please be moved to the Sony section where it belongs?

 

[T.Dascalos]

Wow, just wow! Simply brilliant! When "True Color" is out, do you think we can get even beyond 95% of MFDB performance, do you think we could get close to 98%? I'd say that's the holy grail for me to give my IQ180 to my wife to replace her iPhone 5s.

Your IQ 180 is already inferior than any "true color" (multishot) MFDB for still work with a view camera. If the Sony sensor will be offered in a "true color" (multishot) version and combined with a mini view camera (like the Actus is), the results won't be up to 98% of an IQ 180 with view camera combination... It will surpass them by quite a (visible) margin.

 

[tjv]

The original post has nothing to do with MFDB and all to do with speculating about the performance of a yet to be updated 35mm camera platfrom. Just because the subject line uses an acronym relating to medium format does not make it relevant to the medium format sub-forum. My request has nothing at all to do with censorship and everything to do with asking people to respect what this sub-form is here to achieve; facilitating the discussion of Medium format systems and digital backs.

Hi,

Why? The question says Sony rivals MFDB so it is clearly MFD related and folks use A7rII for things they used to use MFD for?

Moderators are not censors.

Best regards
Erik