Is the AF performance on the a7S II better than the a7S?


In Sony’s press release for the launch for the a7S II, they claim: When shooting video, the AF performance is twice as fast as the predecessor model.[x] [x]Compared to the ?7S, when shooting Full HD movies. Let’s see if this is true: Download Video Takeaways As far as continuous AF is concerned, even if there’s ... Read more

In Sony’s press release for the launch for the a7S II, they claim:

When shooting video, the AF performance is twice as fast as the predecessor model.[x]

[x]Compared to the ?7S, when shooting Full HD movies.

Let’s see if this is true:

Download Video

Takeaways

As far as continuous AF is concerned, even if there’s a difference, it’s hardly noticeable in general use.

However, the bad news is, Center Lock-on AF on the a7S II is much worse for some reason. I’ll check again but the only setting one can change that might affect this is Digital Zoom, which I tried turning off. Even changing the Focus Area settings doesn’t make things better.

For my quick autofocus settings guide, click here. If you’re new to autofocus, you’ll want to watch the detailed autofocus for video guide.

Author Bio
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Sareesh Sudhakaran is a film director and award-winning cinematographer with over 24 years of experience. His second film, "Gin Ke Dus", was released in theaters in India in March 2024. As an educator, Sareesh walks the talk. His online courses help aspiring filmmakers realize their filmmaking dreams. Sareesh is also available for hire on your film!