The Japanese electronics giant announced Sony a7S II mirrorless camera with uncompressed 14-bit RAW image capability. Sony also announced that a7R II will also be upgraded with uncompressed 14-bit RAW image capability via a free firmware update.
12-bit RAW images contain 4096 colors per RGB channel and the 14-bit RAW images will contain 16,385 colors per RGB channel. With 14-bit RAW photos, you can save much more information, which can be helpful for future-proofing, but it will take a much more space. You may also need to carry some extra memory cards or hard drives while clicking photos with the Sony a7S II mirrorless camera.
Neal Manowitz, Sony VP said in a statement regarding the Sony a7S II mirrorless camera:
“The addition of Uncompressed 14-Bit RAW processing is a direct result of customer feedback. Widely requested by photo and video enthusiasts, we believe the choice of RAW processing types will further elevate the performance of these extraordinary cameras.”
The Sony a7S II has a 12.2MP Exmor CMOS sensor and has an ISO range of 100-469,600 that can be expanded to 50-409,600. It can record videos of 4K resolution and has 5-axis SteadyShot INSIDE stabilization to cancel out shake or smooth out camera movements while shooting at night.
The Sony a7S II mirrorless camera also comes with the new 169-point autofocus system, which means you can now lock focus on a subject faster than the a7S. It costs $3,000 for the body only and will be available in October.