blafarm

Thanks for the audio answer.

Video looks good.

Is that the slowest speed? 

Thanks for the feedback.  So, I'm guessing from your noise observation that you would not advise using the Hercules as a "second shooter" -- which it is capable of doing with the track and magnets mounted at either end.

Have you tried resetting the camera?

There are two options:

Menu > Page 6 > Toolbox Icon > Setting Reset > Camera Settings Reset (Initializes the main shooting settings to the default settings)

Menu > Page 6 > Toolbox Icon > Setting Reset > Initialize (Initializes all the settings to the default settings).

Good point.  

My measurement of that particular device was based entirely on the LED light extinguishing (going out) -- and not waiting any additional time for a further charge.

And, for the record, I applied that same methodology to all of the devices -- which adds another level of variability in terms of when their respective indicator lights are 'programmed' to provide feedback.

However, and as mentioned, after each test I checked the charge level of each battery, charged in each device, to confirm that the batteries were in fact registering a 'full charge'.

Of course, the 'resolution' of that battery tester would probably not evidence the capacity of the battery to accept an incrementally higher amount of charge ...

But the test provided enough information for me to draw general conclusions.

I regret that the test was not more comprehensive, in terms of being able to test the smaller A7S included charger -- and maybe the Wasabi charger.  

But individuals who have those devices are encouraged to chime in and add their results to this thread.

Unfortunately, that is always going to be the case -- not only with Sony, but with the majority of other manufactures as well.

I think it just comes down to deciding when enough advances have been made to reconcile selling an older model -- and buying the latest model.

My tests were conducted in US with 110.

The charger you linked on Ebay is slightly different from the one included with the A7SII.  The form factor is similar, but the one included in the box has an articulating mains plug built into the unit -- as opposed to a receptacle for an appliance cord.

It does seem like an unreasonable amount of time.  Maybe I have a bad charger.

Anyone else seeing similar charging times with the 

That's' interesting.  My A7SII has never exhibited overheating issues -- so I have not been able to see any difference with the new firmware.  I will say that startup is significantly faster -- which is nice.

It would be interesting to know if the "coding magic" is simply raising the temperature threshold that triggers the overheat warning.

I considered that.  

I neglected to run a speed test on the original A7S charger when it was still in my possession.  But my recollection is that it wasn't as lethargically slow as the charger included with the A7SII.  That charger (AS7II) is also unnecessarily larger than it needs to be.  Its over-sized form factor could have easily accommodated two battery trays.

It would be nice to have empirical data on the extent by which "faster" charging reduces battery endurance -- or not.  I don't have it.  And I suspect that without a completely controlled testing environment,  user experiences are probably largely anecdotal.

It is also worth mentioning that my USB tests were conducted with dedicated USB charging cables -- which have larger conductors and no provision for data.

Just thought I'd share the results of a charger test I just conducted.

I used four completely discharged, genuine Sony NP-FW50 batteries.
I simultaneously tested four different charging devices.
And I confirmed the charge level of each battery to eliminate potentially false charge indicator lights.



Sony A7SII Camera:  Free
Charged via a 2.1 amp USB Charger
Time to Full Charge:  1 Hour 30 Minutes

Watson Duo LCD Charger: $79.95 (USD)
Charged via AC Power Mains
Time to Full Charge:  1 Hour 31 Minutes

OAproda Patent Portable Ultra Slim Charger:  $7.99 (USD)
Charged via a 2.1 amp USB Charger
Time to Full Charge:  2 Hours 50 Minutes

Sony Charger Included with A7SII Camera:  Free
Charged via AC Power Mains
Time to Full Charge:  3 Hours 50 Minutes


Conclusion:  

I'm keeping the Watson Charger because it is as fast as the camera, charges two batteries simultaneously, has a very useful charge level indicator -- and it includes an AC power cord and a 12 volt car adapter.

I'm also keeping four of the OAproda Chargers because they are very small, very lightweight, very inexpensive and very convenience for travel.  They also nicely leverage the USB chargers that follow me everywhere I go.  The extra time they require to charge a battery, over the Sony Camera and the Watson Charger, is of very little significance for my workflow.

And finally, it turns out the charger that is included in the A7SII box is of absolutely no value to me.  It is too big, too slow and can only operate on AC.

You gotta love this quote from the A7SII firmware page:

·         Improves 4K movie recording time when using the vertical grip (VG-C2EM) or when the APS-C/Super35mm mode is activated

Unfortunately, the A7SII is incapable of shooting 4k in APS-C/Super35mm mode.  So much for copy/paste.

So what exactly does this firmware upgrade do on the A7SII, besides possibly increasing 4k FF recording time when using the vertical grip?

Thanks for your response.

That may be what was happening, but I don't remember seeing this before.

I reset the camera back to factory default and the problem has gone away.

However, I'm bumping this thread in the hopes that someone can tell me how I might have gotten to that place.

This topic has been moved from another thread:

I've been making numerous changes to my A7SII settings -- so I don't know if I have changed something.

I've recently noticed that while in Stills mode, the exposure is not accurately represented in the EVF or the LCD until the video recording is initiated.

However, in Movie mode, the exposure is correctly represented the entire time -- before and during recording.

Is this the default behavior?  Or, is there a setting to make Stills mode behave like Movie mode in this regard?

Thanks

I've noticed that while in Stills mode, the exposure is not accurately represented in the EVF or the LCD until the video recording is initiated.

However, in Movie mode, the exposure is correctly represented the entire time -- before and during recording.

Is there a setting to make Stills mode behave like Movie mode in this regard?

Agreed.  I know a couple of them.

It's quite strange, but not so different from people who can't really tell the difference between a highly compressed MP3 -- and the original music file. 

I have not seen that.

What mode are you shooting in?

Does it still happen in AUTO?

What lens / adapter are you using?

Thanks for the correction.

I wish the 501/502 came in a high brightness version (like the SmallHD AC7).  That would be a show-stopper.

Christina,

Just ran across this article ... thought you'd find it interesting.

https://***URL not allowed***/time-stood-still-an-extreme-low-light-video-sony-a7sii-slr-magic-50mm-f1-1/

So, now that the firmware fix has been released, and since you previously indicated that Part 2 was already written, I'm looking forward to reading it.

My bad.  Sorry I misunderstood.

Although you can capture an 8-bit signal with a 10-bit recording device -- you gain nothing.  You cannot manufacture those two extra bits of bit depth -- they much be captured and encoded by the source device. 

The same holds true for color sampling, with the exception that you can achieve gains by downscaling a 4k 4:2:0 signal -- to an HD resolution. 

Lastly, from an audio perspective, not only is it one less box to worry about, it completely avoids the arduous syncing process, as well as ensuring a perfect lock between audio and video (which many DSLR camera fail to do -- even when recording internally). 

I'm not sure what camera you are using, but even with a camera whose HDMI output is constrained to 8-bit, an external recorder may allow for 4:2:2 as opposed to an internal 4:2:0.  Additionally, an external recorder will typically allow for a more professional, higher-bitrate, less compressed codec (e.g.: Prores, DNxHD, DNxHR) that also might significantly accelerate your postproduction workflow.

Edit:  Lastly, if you are shooting sync sound, an external recorder will also possibly provide more professional connectivity options for microphones, higher quality mic preamps -- and maybe a more intuitive interface for controlling gain levels. 

It would be interesting to see a signal processing diagram that clearly articulated the exact changes made to the image at the point where it is internally recorded.  And, conversely, what signal processing is possibly bypassed for the HDMI output path.

For example, speaking only of the A7Si/ii, I believe that the video levels recorded internally vs. the HDMI output are legal vs. full range, respectively.  And, as Andrew pointed out above, the noise profiles are also significantly different -- and I, too, have trouble attributing them to compression averaging.

I suspect there are other tweaks going on.  But, but I agree that the basic color science is probably upstream of all of those tweaks.

Nicely crafted.  Loved everything except the title design (size, font, legibility and color).