Sony a7v 4k120 Test Video Clips from the Forest – Deer, Insects, Birds

Ten minutes of Sony a7v 4k120 real world test video clips from the field and woods out back during the first month of owning the camera, slowed to 25% at 30fps along with some photos. Lots of deer – fawns, does, bucks, some different insects like damselflies and butterflies, and some birds like crows and hawks. The test videos and photos were shot in the standard color profile with no grading. Videos were shot in the XAVC S 4K codec 4:2:2 10 bit and spliced together with Davinci Resolve. Photos were processed using DxO Photo Lab. Royalty free music from www.Pond5.com. Everything is handheld. That’s part of the reason it’s slowed to 25% - to reduce annoying shake, something I have an issue with while using my primary lens and having a slight tremor. The lens used was the Sony 70-300mm (SEL70300G FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS) and sometimes there was a Nisi true color ND filter in front. This camera largely replaces my a7siii, although I will still use that for nightlapses as long as there is life left in it. Some notes compared to the a7siii: • Noticeable color improvement in the a7v, as they are a bit more vibrant while retaining color accuracy, although the a7siii wasn’t bad. Note that I haven’t tested it on human faces yet. • Auto white balance is noticeably improved and appears to be more shockless. • The 4k120 video is heavily cropped, which can be a benefit or detraction depending on the circumstances. (I was aware of this before getting the camera.) • Active and Dynamic stabilization doesn’t work with all Sony lenses, something that not a lot of reviewers say. It doesn’t work with the 70-300, as was the case with the a7siii. • The 33mp sensor is a huge benefit compared to the a7siii’s 12mp sensor for photos. It’s nice to have more cropping ability. • The AI autofocus and tracking works well but doesn’t always follow subjects when items like scrub and brush enter the frame. It also doesn’t pick them up as well in lower light. I don’t think this is unexpected. • The pre-capture and 30fps for photos is a huge improvement. One thing to note is that it doesn’t work for all Sony lenses, something that not a lot of reviewers say. With the 70-300, I’m only getting 15-20fps, which is fine. • The adjustable angle LCD screen is far superior to the a7siii’s “flippy” screen. While the EVF is not as high resolution as the a7siii’s, it is sufficient. • The bokeh regions look different with this camera in both photo and video. I always thought it was primarily dependent on the lens. They don’t look better or worse to me, just different. Overall, my initial feeling is that the pros far outweigh the cons in the a7v as a run and gun hybrid camera.