GEAR
SONY A6700
For the best quality, you can record 4K oversampled from the 6K full-frame readout, without pixel binning, up to 60fps. It also records 4K up to 120fps or HD up to 240fps, but there is a 1.5x crop of the sensor. Of course, this is in addition to the APS-C crop that the sensor already has compared to full-frame. The camera offers an incredible range of formats, in 10-bit 4:2:2 as well as 4:2:0. And there’s All-Intra quality for many of the frame-rate options, too, just not the fastest. But 4K All-Intra in 4:2:2 10-bit at 500Mbps is a great-quality codec. The camera comes with HLG and S-Cinetone for a more filmic look right out of camera. And to get the most out of those detailed All-Intra files, shoot in S-Log3 for maximum dynamic range. That is some serious quality for such a small camera. Video options include 10-bit 4:2:2 All-Intra, XAVC HS in 4K at H.265, XAVC S 4K in H.264 and XAVC S-I 4K in H.264. It can also output 10- bit Raw to an external recorder via its HDMI socket. Sadly, though, this isn’t a full-size Type A version like the FX30 but a mini. Although the A6700 and FX30 have the same sensor, the cinema model has Cine EI modes which let you switch between two different
at 19.9-megapixel images in UHD 16:9. It’s cheaper, too. That makes it excellent value for hybrid shooters who demand top-quality stills and movies. It shoots Raw stills and HEIF 10-bit files as well as JPEGs up to 11fps using either the electronic or mechanical shutter. Plus, it can do in-camera time-lapse shots. The A6700 even has the multi- interface shoe that’s ideal for flash or audio equipment to take power and feed its signal to the camera without cables. And of course, it has an EVF – but don’t expect too much. Like the older A6600 series, this is on the left of the camera instead of the middle, and it isn’t especially high-resolution. It’s OK, but nothing more. Corners have to be cut somewhere to bring the price down as low as this. So the EVF and, to a lesser extent, the rear screen are where money has been saved. At least the screen now fully flips around and articulates – something that had never happened on APS-C sensor Alpha cameras until now. But sadly, just like its predecessors, the A6700 only has one card slot – and it’s for a conventional SD. However, despite not accepting the speedier CFexpress cards, it doesn’t seem to have hindered the choice of codecs too much.
GET CLOSE WITH THE LATEST 70-200MM Sony’s mission when upgrading its high-end G
26cm/10.2in at the 70mm end or 42cm/16.5in at the long end. Now that may not sound terrifically close, but remember this is on a lens with the equivalent view of a 300mm lens. At the 70mm end – the equivalent of 105mm – you can get so close that the lens hood is virtually touching the subject! We found ourselves shooting insects in the garden, clearly able to see the eyes of a honey bee and the barbs on a daddy longlegs. It’s addictive. Of course, this close focusing makes the lens very versatile – not just useful for the odd super-close shots. For more conventional work, it’s light at 795g/1.75lb, compact at just 149mm/5.9in long and offers all manner of controls. There’s a dedicated AF/MF switch, focus limiters, different vibration reduction modes – although sadly no aperture ring. Optically, there are 19 elements in 13 groups, with a rounded, nine-blade aperture for smooth bokeh. Its performance is marginally better than the older version – which we had for years – in all ways. But nothing comes close to its tremendous close focus ability, making it a true standout winner.
lenses is that there shouldn’t just be incremental gains in performance, but something that’s significantly better. The sort of feature that makes owners of the older model decide they must upgrade rather than making do with what they have. In the case of the new full- frame 70-200mm f/4 G OSS II, it’s mission accomplished. Yes, it’s much smaller, lighter, sharper and faster, but the biggest selling point of this £1750/$1698 beauty is that it focuses so close, it’s not far from a proper macro lens. It gives 0.5x magnification over its whole range, the only lens of its type to do this. It’s also compatible with Sony’s 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters. So, used on a crop-sensor camera like the A6700, the 70-200mm becomes the equivalent of 300mm at the long end – used with a 2x converter that’s a small and lightweight 600mm. That also makes it a 1:1 macro lens over the entire focal length range. We tested it without the teleconverters and ended up being staggered by just how close it focuses, which according to the specs is
A GRADE The A6700 has animal tracking that works well (top left) and a fully flip-out screen (middle), but sadly no dedicated AF joystick. Focus mapping (above) is an interesting feature but takes getting used to
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