Sony Link: April 2021

Friday, April 30, 2021

Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM Review - PCMag

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It's only a little hyperbolic to say that the Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM ($2,999.99) is a special lens, one that's simply unavailable for other camera systems. There are other full-frame zooms that cover as broad an angle, but none gather as much light as this F2.8 zoom. It's not just about the f-stop—the lens is good enough to use with the highest-resolution cameras, focuses quickly, and is made for all-weather shooting. It's a tool for the most demanding photographers, and worth every penny of its asking price, earning our Editors' Choice award. If you can't spend this much, think about the $1,699.99 Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G or the $1,199 Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art, both excellent optics in their own right.

Extremely Aspheric

Despite its ambitious design specifications, the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM isn't at all unwieldy. It's a little big for a zoom at 5.4 by 3.8 inches (HW), and at 1.9 pounds a little heavier than most cameras with which you'll use it. It's only a little larger than the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art (5.2 by 3.4 inches, 1.8 pounds), despite capturing a noticeably wider angle of view.

Both are lighter than ultra-wide zooms made for SLR systems. These types of lenses benefit from the short distance between lens mount and sensor afforded by mirrorless systems, which simplifies designs overall, and supports faster rear autofocus elements.

It's easy enough to notice when comparing with Canon's unique EF 11-24mm F4 zoom for its SLR system, which tips the scales at 2.6 pounds. Like other wide zooms for SLRs, the EF 11-24mm is a bit more front-heavy, too. The FE 12-24mm is better suited for use with video gimbals, devices that rely on a centered point of gravity to stabilize handheld footage, even if it doesn't net quite as wide an angle.

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The 12-24mm F2.8 is the first full-frame lens to net such a wide angle of view and aperture. To get there, Sony uses three of its extreme aspheric (XA) lens elements. The largest is right up front and you can see just how curved it is. The bulbous front is protected by an integrated hood, and Sony includes a slip-on cap.

You can't add front filters without an accessory holder, but there's a slot in the rear for gel filters. A template for cutting your own is included, but third parties have come in with more professional solutions. Haida offers glass ND filters that slide into the rear slot, a worthwhile investment for long-exposure photography and video.

Sony a7S III, 24mm, f/8, 1/200-second, ISO 100

Like Sony's camera line, the FE 12-24mm is made for outdoor shooting. It's protected from dust and splashes and is suitable for use in inclement weather. The front element has the expected anti-reflective Nano AR protection and includes anti-smudge fluorine. It's a useful feature, as this lens is more prone to stray fingerprints, and fluorine makes it easy to wipe them away with a microfiber cloth.

The basic controls are included. The zoom and focus rings are rubberized, so you can find them by touch—they feel different than the polycarbonate barrel and are covered with ridges. You also get an on-lens function button and AF/MF toggle switch. There's no aperture ring, though, a feature that Sony includes on most GM series prime lenses, but not zooms.

The zoom ring turns comfortably, but you do need to apply a bit of torque to move the front element back and forth. The focus ring turns more easily, but there's some pleasing resistance. Response is linear, a plus for videographers who want to make consistent focus racks from take to take.

The angle of view does change a little bit when moving from close-up to distant focus. The breathing effect isn't ideal for video, but is really only worth thinking about if you're considering a shot that changes the plane of focus dramatically.

Sony a7S III, 12mm, f/2.8, 1/1,250-second, ISO 100

Focus is available to 11 inches, measured from the camera sensor. This means you can put the lens just a few inches away from a subject and get a shot. It's a technique you can use to capture smaller subjects with a vast background behind them, a very different look than the short telephoto lenses we usually think of as macro.

Optical stabilization is neither included nor expected. Instead the 12-24mm relies on your camera's 5-axis IBIS system to steady handheld video and net long handheld exposures.

In the Lab

I paired the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM with two Sony cameras for testing. Most of my use in the real world was with the a7S III, and lab-based resolution testing was performed with the 60MP a7R IV and Imatest software. Sony's G Master lenses promise to deliver the best performance on high-resolution sensors, and the a7R IV is the currently the most pixel-dense full-frame camera available.

At 12mm f/2.8, the pair delivers resolution considered very good for the a7R IV, a feat for wide-angle lenses that, as a rule of thumb, don't score as well in the lab as standard and telephoto lenses. The field of focus is curved, not flat, so expect blurred edges if you're photographing perfectly flat objects up close.

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In real-world shots you may notice some softening toward the edges and blurred corners for interiors, night skies, and handheld landscape shots. Narrowing the f-stop improves resolution all around; at f/4, the lens delivers resolution considered outstanding at 12mm. Corners and the very edges of the frame are a little softer, but acceptable.

Sony a7S III, 12mm, f/11, 1/160-second, ISO 100

For landscape use, the lens shines at f/5.6 and f/8—resolution is as good as you'll find in a wide lens, and the corners are just shy of tack sharp. The effects of diffraction creep in starting around f/11, but you can still get good results with the lens there and at f/16, even on a high-resolution body. We recommend against using f/22—results are softer than you get at f/2.8, and the lens draws great looking sunstars at wider apertures.

The story is very much the same at 18mm and 24mm. At f/2.8 you'll net photos with excellent detail, nearly right up to the edges, but still not as sharp as at the center. Everything is a little bit crisper at f/4, and you'll enjoy the corner-to-corner clarity you want for landscapes.

Sony a7S III, 12mm, f/10, 1/50-second, ISO 100

There is some distortion. In-camera corrections remove the visible barrel distortion from shots captured at the wide end, and the pincushion effect from photos closer to 24mm. You'll need to take advantage of a lens-correction profile to remove them from Raw shots; Adobe Lightroom has one for the lens that does a great job straightening lines. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for architecture, but as with any wide lens, take care to keep it plum and parallel to your subject. Objects near the corner will appear stretched if you catch them off-angle, like the park benches in the photo above.

In-camera corrections remove the natural vignette, visible in Raw images. Despite the angle and aperture, uncorrected images are a little bit dark at the corners and edges, but nearly to the extent of some other wide f/2.8 zooms.

Sony a7S III, 12mm, f/16, 1/30-second, ISO 160

This is an especially appealing lens for landscape photographers who love the sunstar effect. It nets clearly defined stars by f/8, and they continue all the way down through f/22. Many wide zooms will draw bright points of light in a similar way, but the stars aren't quite as crisp until you get to f/16 or f/22.

Flare and ghosting resistance is fantastic, too. I had a hard time getting any sort of reflections to show up in photos, even when framing the sun in the corner at 12mm.

The Best Wide Zoom We've Tested

You won't find another lens quite like the Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM. You can find other 12mm (and wider) zooms, and other ultra-wides that match its aperture, but nothing else puts it together in one lens.

Sony a7S III, 12mm, f/8, 1/30-second, ISO 125

That feat alone would be noteworthy, but the lens delivers the results you need to pair with the highest-resolution sensors available today, and is sized sensibly enough to use with gimbals and for handheld photography. It's built to high standards as well, with dust and splash protection and anti-smudge protection on the front glass.

At around $3,000, the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM costs as much as you'll spend for any Sony lens, save for a pair of exotic super-telephoto primes. It's not Leica territory, but it's a little salty. Photographers looking to save some money and get as wide an angle can look to the FE 12-24mm F4 G, priced around $1,800.

If you want to spend a lot less, the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art doesn't net as wide an angle, but is an excellent performer and a value option at $1,200. There's also the manual focus Venus Laowa 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 for around $850—it's not nearly as high-end an optic, but its extreme angle of view is head-turning. There's also the forthcoming FE 14mm F1.8 for $1,600—it's not a zoom, but the brighter aperture is appealing for astrophotography.

Other lenses will get the job done, but photographers looking to get the best wide-angle images (and video) with a full-frame Sony camera should make room in their budget if possible. The FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM is the best wide zoom we've tested for any system, and our Editors' Choice winner.

Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM

4.5

Editors' Choice

Pros

Cons

The Bottom Line

Sony's FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM lens capture wide views with stunning detail, even on high-resolution cameras. It's a rewarding tool for photographers that can afford its high price.

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The Link Lonk

April 30, 2021 at 10:04PM
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Sony's plan to compete with Xbox: Stay the course | Opinion - GamesIndustry.biz

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The continuing phenomena of empty store shelves and inflated scalper prices over the past half-year or so already told us everything we needed to know, I suppose, but this week we got confirmation: both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are doing really rather nicely for themselves.

The financial results for Sony and Microsoft brought varying levels of detail about their consoles' performance, but both can be summed up as "strong" -- record-breaking, in fact. Hardware is selling as fast as either company can manufacture it, and while the global semiconductor shortage is putting a crimp on that supply chain, the volumes being moved are still enough to make this into almost certainly the fastest-selling console generation in history.

Moreover, both companies are also seeing rising numbers for their various subscription services, which is a big deal for them both -- especially for Microsoft, which has pinned much of its strategy for this generation on turning Xbox into a more hardware-agnostic gaming service.

The real contest between the two sides, the point at which they start swiping customers from one another for reasons other than stock availability, remains quite a way down the line

Everything is going great so far, then, but it's fair to say that the actual competition between these platforms hasn't really started yet. Even as the installed bases approach the ten million mark, few if any of the people who have braved the scalpers, the lotteries and the overwhelmed online retail sites to actually get their hands on a new console will have been making a serious choice between Xbox and PlayStation -- they're either early adopters who fully intend to own both at some point, or are super-fans who are deeply embedded in the ecosystem of one of the consoles and would never have seriously considered purchasing the other. The real contest between the two sides, the point at which they start swiping customers from one another for reasons other than stock availability, remains quite a way down the line.

Nonetheless, both companies are eyeing that future competition and setting their plans in place for it -- and while each firm has a slightly different vision of how the future of the console market will look, the need for high-profile, high-quality games to drive consumers to adopt their hardware and services remains crucial to both of them, just as it's been crucial to every console ever made.

Microsoft, starting from behind on this front but very clearly determined not to stay there, has made significant investments in development studios -- but perhaps tacitly acknowledging that most of those investments wouldn't pay off until quite a ways into this console generation, the company ultimately fired the biggest competitive salvo of the generation so far with the acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax. Doing so gave the company a major publisher with a pre-existing library of well-liked IP and a reasonably extensive product pipeline -- and while not all of that will necessarily be Xbox-exclusive even under Microsoft's ownership, it's obvious (and clearly stated) that the intention of the acquisition is to feed that pipeline into Game Pass, the crown jewel service of the Xbox ecosystem.

Both next-gen consoles are selling well to early adopters and established fans, but the battle for broader audiences has yet to begin

The industry is waiting for the other shoe to drop -- this is a major upset to the competitive landscape, and Sony has to have wargamed various possible responses. Don't underestimate how big a deal the Zenimax acquisition is; a platform holder buying a major publisher lock, stock and barrel is something genuinely new and a little unsettling for the industry.

Don't underestimate how big a deal the Zenimax acquisition is; a platform holder buying a major publisher is something genuinely new and a little unsettling for the industry

Previously, the most significant platform holder acquisition in recent decades was Microsoft's buyout of Rare, which had up until then been best known as a Nintendo "second-party" studio -- but that was just one developer, albeit a major one, and the move ultimately had a very limited impact on the competitive landscape. Bethesda is a much, much bigger deal; even if many of its games do also appear on PS5 (which remains possible, and even likely), "pay $70 on PlayStation or get it for free on Game Pass" is going to be a hell of an effective marketing line -- even before considering the likelihood of exclusive or timed-exclusive content and features on Xbox. Consequently, there's understandable interest in how Sony will respond to the challenge -- so Sony's results were of particular interest for any hints that might be forthcoming on that front.

The closest thing we got, in the end, was CFO Hiroki Totoki's comment about the company's plans to invest heavily in growing its internal studios -- a fairly boilerplate comment in an earnings call, but one that becomes a little more interesting when you consider the number that Totoki attached to that investment.

The increase in staffing at first-party studios carries a price tag of around $180 million this year, it seems -- that's just the year-on-year increase, not the total staffing budget -- which implies a pretty dramatic growth rate for Sony's existing studios and likely the creation of some new ones. Along with Totoki's mention of a renewed focus on second-party type relationships, the strategy Sony intends seems clear: exclusives, exclusives, exclusives, but with an emphasis on the kind that are created rather than acquired.

This makes sense -- after all, the major motivation for Microsoft in buying Zenimax must have been watching Sony drop hit after hit after hit for the PS4 in the latter years of its life and recognising how difficult it was going to be to match or exceed that kind of output.

Last night's showcase further demonstrated Sony's dedication to the highest quality first-party releases and exclusives that entice people to buy PS5

The recent storm in a teacup over the decision not to greenlight a sequel to Days Gone only serves to highlight how extraordinary Sony's first- and second-party output has been in recent years; Days Gone was a perfectly competent and well-made game that only looks drab by comparison with the remarkable hits other Sony studios were turning out during this timeframe. Since it wasn't a highlight of the line-up, it's understandable that it's not getting a sequel; it's also not unfair to say that had Days Gone been an Xbox title, it absolutely would have been a highlight of the line-up, which only serves to illustrate the steep slope ahead of Microsoft and the reason it decided to spend billions on boosting itself uphill with a major acquisition.

Sony's plan is to stay the course, competing with Microsoft by continuing its journey to become not just a platform holder, but one of the world's biggest and most important game publishers

That major acquisition does change the structure of the industry -- it ups the stakes of platform competition and for Sony, it's arguably an existential threat. Various different responses will have been discussed and considered within the company, no doubt -- it's rumoured that an acquisition of Square Enix has been explored, for one -- but Totoki's comments seem to make clear that Sony's immediate response is going to be staying the course, doubling down hard on exactly the strategies that made the back half of the PS4's lifespan into one of the most dramatically successful periods, creatively and commercially, for any game console in history.

Whether that will be enough to see off competition from a Microsoft games division that's fired up, selling a fantastic console with a world-beating service offering, and willing to open its wallet and spend on exclusives of its own, is another question entirely. There is, however, a long-term logic to Sony's approach that's worth bearing in mind. The company wants PlayStation 5 to succeed, of course -- but ten, fifteen or twenty years down the line, it's almost impossible to say how the console business will look (or whether it'll even exist in anything that resembles its current form).

Of course, it's pretty certain that companies which hold major libraries of valuable IP and the skill and expertise to capitalise upon them will still be doing just fine. That's why, although Sony's investment will likely mean doubling down on some of the company's franchises, old and new, it's also likely to mean significant investment in more new IPs -- because expanding and building out its IP catalogue is one of the best ways it can hedge against competition and market upsets in years to come.

Not all of this makes perfect sense just yet -- the shuttering of Japan Studio and seeming willingness to let the remarkable talent that existed there just wither on the vine is something I genuinely can't wrap my head around in light of the company's intention to ramp up development elsewhere. That might be an artifact of the company itself still figuring out exactly what it needs to do to respond to the challenge represented by the Zenimax acquisition and the possible threat of even more major Microsoft acquisitions down the line.

For now, however, Sony's plan to compete in this generation is simple and audacious: it'll stay the course, competing with Microsoft by continuing its journey to become not just a platform holder, but one of the world's biggest and most important game publishers to boot.

The Link Lonk

April 30, 2021 at 04:11PM
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Sony's plan to compete with Xbox: Stay the course | Opinion - GamesIndustry.biz

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Sony Marvel Movie ‘Morbius’ Shifts A Week Later Next Winter - Deadline

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2ND UPDATE, April 30: The long awaited Marvel vampire movie Morbius will go a week later on Jan. 28 instead of Jan. 21. Rather than staying alone on Jan. 21, where there is no wide entry competition, Sony has decided to go head-to-head with Universal/Blumhouse’s Scott Derrickson-directed horror film The Black Phone on its new date.

On its Jan. 21 date, Morbius was playing in the MLK wake of Paramount/Spyglass’ Scream, Sony’s The Man From Toronto, Universal’s The 355 and United Artist Releasing’s wider break of Cyrano.

UPDATED, Jan. 21: Hours after MGM moved No Time to Die onto Oct. 8, Sony is now pushing its Marvel movie Morbius to Jan. 21, 2022, which is the weekend after MLK. Sony will have access to all Imax screens for Morbius. The movie remains the only wide release dated for its respective weekend.

Nonetheless, if Dune vacates the first weekend of October, it would not be shocking to see No Time to Die move up to that date. Stay tuned.

PREVIOUSLY, Jan. 11: Sony’s Morbius, starring Jared Leto, has been moved back by seven months, from March 19 to October 8.

With Covid-19 cases raging as we await a calmer administration to set foot in Washington and deal with the nation’s health crisis, many are expecting this year’s Q1 theatrical releases to move. Morbius moves to a release date currently occupied by United Artists Releasing’s animated sequel The Addams Family 2.

This is a major Marvel movie for Sony, and the studio is protecting it rather than sending the pic to PVOD.

In Morbius, Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead.

Daniel Espinosa directs off a screenplay by Matt Sazama and Buck Sharpless.

There are no other wide releases left on March 19, only IFC’s The Last Call and ICOC My Brother’s Keeper according to the most recent Comscore calendar.

The Link Lonk

May 01, 2021 at 03:41AM
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Sony State Of Play debuts ‘Ratchet And Clank’ footage and more - NME

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Sony’s latest State Of Play presentation allowed fans to see gameplay footage of some of their upcoming PS4 and PS5 games.

State Of Play was broadcast live on Twitch on April 29, allowing Sony to exhibit some of their upcoming and upgraded games for the PS4 and PS5 consoles. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart gameplay was shown for the first time, in a 16 minute video that introduced a new character, Rivet.

[embedded content]

Rivet is described as “a Lombax resistance fighter from another dimension” and will be starring alongside the well-known characters from the Ratchet And Clank series in Rift Apart. The Insomniac creative team released a Playstation blog post giving the character a little more background. “Rivet is a Lombax resistance fighter from another dimension, where organic life is hunted by the evil Emperor Nefarious.”

Describing the trailer and gameplay footage, Marcus Smith, creative director wrote, “You saw brand-new locations like Nefarious City, and alternate-dimension twists on old favorites like Sargasso and Torren IV along with a sneak-peak at some new weapons and gameplay mechanics.”

State Of Play also showed footage from next-gen optimised versions of Subnautica: Below Zero and Among Us, both of which are coming to the platforms soon. The last presentation was in February, and gave us an insight into ten new games for the PS5 console including Returnal and Deathloop.

In a review of Returnal for NME by Tom Regan, the game was given five stars. Described as “giving a proper next-gen experience”, the review went on to say that “this wonderfully weird release sticks out less like a sore thumb and more like a defiant middle finger.”

The Link Lonk

April 30, 2021 at 05:56PM
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Sony State Of Play debuts ‘Ratchet And Clank’ footage and more - NME

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Thursday, April 29, 2021

Sony Xperia 1 III Chinese pricing revealed - GSMArena.com news - GSMArena.com

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In the past couple of years, Sony has followed an unusual strategy of announcing phones without pricing and availability. The same applies to the recently announced Xperia 1 III but now we have our second hint at pricing for the top dog in Sony’s mobile division thanks to a listing in a Chinese online shop.

Sony Xperia 1 III leaked pricing and launch date for Chinese market

The 256GB storage is listed for CNY 8,499 ($1,313/€1,084) while the 512GB version will go for CNY 9,499 ($1,468/€1,212). These prices are more or less what we saw from the pre-order listings on Sony’s official web store in Russia. The Xperia 1 III will be announced on May 20 in China.

Sony Xperia 1 III Chinese pricing revealed

Check out our Hot take on the new Xperia lineup and do let us know what you think of the pricing on Sony's latest flagship.

Source (in Chinese)

The Link Lonk

April 30, 2021 at 01:27AM
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Sony launches PlayStation 5 console in China ahead of Microsoft's Xbox - CNBC

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In this photo illustration a PlayStation 5 logo seen displayed on a smartphone.

Mateusz Slodkowski | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images

GUANGZHOU, China — Sony officially launched its PlayStation 5 console in China on Thursday.

The disc version of the PS5 will retail at 3,899 yuan ($602) while the digital only model is priced at 3,099 yuan.

Sony's console will go on sale on May 15 in China with pre-orders beginning on April 29.

Official releases of game consoles in China has only been possible since 2014, after a 14-year ban on those products was lifted. The ban has led to PC, and now mobile, being the dominant forms of gaming amongst Chinese consumers.

Strict censorship laws and long approval processes also mean that console-makers have a tougher task of getting their products officially released in China. While the PS5 was launched globally in November 2020, it is only hitting the Chinese market months later.

That has led to a vibrant so-called "grey market" — where sellers often import consoles from Hong Kong and Japan and sell them via Chinese e-commerce websites, often at a huge mark-up.

"Demand for PS5 has been high in China since it launched outside the country in November 2020," Daniel Ahmad, senior analyst at Niko Partners, said.

"Console gamers in China that could not wait had to pay almost double the RRP (recommended retail price) if they wanted to import a console from overseas," Ahmad said, adding this was due to shortages of the product and high demand driving prices higher.

'Genshin Impact' among games released

Games also need to go through Chinese censors. That means some games may not get a released in China if they upset the sensitivities of Beijing.

Sony said the PS5 would launch with three games — "Sackboy," "Ratchet and Clank" and "Genshin Impact" — the latter is a hugely popular game from a Chinese developer. Another Chinese game maker called Ultizero Games is bringing its "Lost Soul Aside" title to the PS5.

The PlayStation 5 will face competition from the Nintendo Switch in Mainland China, which has been the most successful console in the country to date.

Daniel Ahmad

senior analyst, Niko Partners

More games from Chinese developers would make their way onto the console eventually, as well as original Sony first-party titles too.

Chinese PlayStation Plus subscribers will also be able to play 12 PS4 games as part of their subscription.

Competition in China

Sony is not the first foreign next-generation console to be released in China.

Nintendo launched its Switch in 2019 working with Chinese technology giant Tencent to bring the console to the market.

In January, Tencent said Nintendo had shipped 1 million Switch consoles in China.

"The PlayStation 5 will face competition from the Nintendo Switch in Mainland China, which has been the most successful console in the country to date. The hybrid nature of the Switch, social gaming features and high-quality software helped it succeed in China," Ahmad said.

Consoles are still niche in China due to a number of barriers such as price, regulations and lack of games targeting Chinese players.

Daniel Ahmad

senior analyst, Niko Partners

"Sony also has a strong first party offering, and it has worked with domestic game developers such as Ultizero Games to bring unique titles such as Lost Soul Aside to the console and increase the console's appeal in China."

Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S, which launched globally in November, have not yet been released in China. The Xbox received safety approvals for its hardware to be released in China at the end of last year. Microsoft has not said when it will launch the new generation of Xbox in China.

Total domestic game revenue exceeded $40 billion in 2020, with the majority from mobile games, according to Niko Partners. Console game revenue is only around 2% of total games revenue in China.

"Consoles are still niche in China due to a number of barriers such as price, regulations and lack of games targeting Chinese players," Ahmad said.

"If Sony can address these challenges and appeal to the evolving demands of gamers in China then it can succeed, especially as disposable income for entertainment and gaming time increases in the country."

The Link Lonk

April 29, 2021 at 01:27PM
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Sony launches PlayStation 5 console in China ahead of Microsoft's Xbox - CNBC

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Sony a7S III Review - PCMag

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Video-first creators using the Sony full-frame camera system adore the a7S series for its native 4K sensor, exceptional low-light performance, and compact form factor. The third-generation a7S III ($3,499.99, body only) ups autofocus performance for both stills and video, reduces rolling shutter, and supports 120fps capture at 4K. Along with other upgrades, there are compelling reasons to upgrade if you're still using an a7S II. Hybrid creators with a video-first mentality will be pleased with the camera's versatility, but pure cinematographers may be better served by the Sony FX3 ($3,899.99).

The Video-First a7

Sony's full-frame camera line is diverse. Its a7 models cater to enthusiasts and pros, the a9 series is there for high-speed stills, and the a1 is for creators who demand uncompromising performance for both stills and video, without any compromise in speed.

The a7S III includes a front-facing display for vlogging

Despite the delineation in the model lines, there's plenty of overlap in function, handling, and tech across the full-frame series. The a7S III shares its basic body design with the 60MP a7R IV, and controls are fairly uniform across the line.

The form factor is typical for a stills camera. An integrated handgrip and an eye-level viewfinder are included. The big difference is the rear LCD—with the a7S III it swings out to the side and faces forward, where other a7 cameras only offer upward and downward tilt.