A successor for the Sony a7S II is finally on the way

The Sony α7S II, also known as the Alpha a7S II or a7S II, was hailed as a low-light powerhouse on its launch in 2015; however, its maker never validated these accolades with another generation of this E-mount sub-series since then.

Now, it seems this is about to change. During an interview with Digital Photography Review, Kenji Tanaka, the vice-president and senior general manager of the Japanese electronics giant's Digital Imaging Group, mentioned that such a camera will launch "later this summer".

The executive went on to note that this new Alpha has been made with all-new technology. On the other hand, it may retain some characteristics of this line, its "really big pixels" included.

However, it seems the S in its name is thought to stand for "supreme" rather than "sensitivity" internally at Sony, inviting hypotheses that this 2020 model might not focus on its predecessor's original selling point.

Tanaka also observed that user feedback suggests prospective high-end camera buyers want specs such as 4K/60fps recording, 10-bit 4:2:2 color and the RAW format; then again, he did not specify that these would feature in the 'new α7S'.

Nevertheless, the Sony VP appears optimistic about its impending reception, thinking that "many professionals and high-end users will enjoy the new camera".