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The Sony a7S III is one of the most exciting cameras to be released in years. It has a global shutter, which means that every pixel sees every other pixel at once. That’s really useful for shooting things like sports or wildlife, where your subject could move around while you're shooting them.
If you're looking for a monitor that can record 4K video to SSDs, the Atomos Ninja V is the most affordable option for your needs.
The Ninja V is a Camera Monitor that can record 4K video at 60fps and pass-through HDMI 2.1-compliant HDR footage when connected to a compatible source device. It also supports recording RAW images from cameras like the Sony a7S III, which have an uncompressed 8-bit codec (although this will still require an external recorder). You'll need to get an HDMI cable if you don't already own one, but other than that it's ready to go out of the box!
The camera’s 4K 120fps (10-bit 4:2:0) and 1080p 240fps (8-bit) modes are available in full-frame, APS-C and Super 35mm modes.
However, unlike the FS5, which can record to its cards for an hour or so at these high frame rates, the Sony a7S III has a 29 minute limit.
The Sony a7S III is also capable of shooting 4K 120fps (10-bit 4:2:0) and 1080p 240fps (8-bit).
While there are several resolutions and frame rates available, what's most interesting here is that you get full-frame, APS-C and Super 35mm modes. This will make the camera very attractive for filmmakers who want to use their existing lenses for wide shots with their new smaller cameras. You can even use it as an additional camera on set with your big rig. Just point it in a different direction than your main rig and use it as B cam footage in post production!
The camera does have 5-axis image stabilization built into its body design but there is no option for external stabilization such as gimbals or shoulder rigs due to its size/weight (about 1kg without battery).
There's also no option for 4Kp60 external recording but only upscaled 1080p60 externally recorded video via HDMI out using either uncompressed 8 bit 4:2:2 10 bit 4:4:4 12 bit 4:4:4 depending on whether ProRes 422 HQ 422 LT 444 XQ files are being used instead of RAW format (*see below).
If you plan on using the A7SIII's APS-C/Super35mm crop mode where 4K recording time is restricted to 10 minutes, a 240GB SSD is required.
The Sony A7S III also spits out 12G SDI and full HDMI 2.1 output alongside its internal recording. This allows you to use an external recorder like the Atomos Shogun Inferno or Odyssey 7Q+ to record longer than 30 minutes at high frame rates, or record in 4Kp60 (instead of 4Kp30), or even record in 4Kp60 with no crop.
Atomos says that some of its existing products could work with the a7S III as well. Its Ninja V monitor ($499) and Shogun 7 monitor ($1,299) can be mounted to Sony's new flagship, but neither are touchscreen options.
If you're looking for a 4K display with touch capabilities, there are only three models out there: the Atomos Ninja Flame ($649), Freefly Movi M5 Touch screen ($3,395) and the Horizon Evolve Docking Station ($3,495). The latter two have been tested by Apple Insider's senior editor Daniel Eran Dilger—and he found them to be good but not great.
The Evolve is currently available on Indiegogo; as of this writing it has garnered more than $90k in funding toward its goal of $400k (with less than two weeks left). The company behind it claims that it will offer a "new standard" for high-end monitor docking stations when it launches in spring 2020.
The big one is the 9-inch Shogun 7, which will be able to record 4Kp60 externally without cropping when paired up with this camera. This means it can also record 5.9K ProRes RAW if you connect it to the RAW output of the RED Komodo or Canon EOS C70 cameras.
It's not all about shooting in 4K though, as there are other benefits for going beyond 4K resolutions:
Higher frame rates at lower resolutions (such as 1080p)
Better image quality at high frame rates
If you want to record 5.9K ProRes RAW, you'll need to connect your Sony a7S III to the RAW output of the RED Komodo or Canon EOS C70 cameras. The Sony a7S III is not a replacement for the Sony a7S II; it's simply another tool in your kit that can produce high-quality footage when used properly.
5 Things You Should Know About the Sony A7S III
You should also know that this camera cannot record internal 10-bit 4:2:2 footage at 4K resolution—it only supports internal 8-bit 4:2:0 footage at 4K resolution—and so if you want better color grading options and more bit depth, I would recommend using an external recorder like Atomos Ninja Flame 7 or AJA Ki Pro Quad instead (or recording externally with one of these two solutions).
The camera can record to its own internal SSD card for as long as 30 minutes at 60p/50p, or 29 minutes at 120fps. If you want to record longer than that, you'll need an external recorder.
The camera has a built-in mic input and headphone jack, so you can use your own external audio equipment if you'd prefer not to use the internal stereo mics.
Overall, the Sony a7S III is an amazing camera that will make many photographers happy. It excels at low-light photography while also maintaining an impressive dynamic range and high ISO sensitivity. The 4Kp60 internal recording capabilities of this camera are unmatched in its price range and should be enough for most projects. Users who need more than 15 minutes of recording time at 4Kp60 or 60p frame rates can use an external recorder like the Atomos Ninja V or Shogun Inferno to record externally without cropping those resolutions on full-frame sensors.
