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Great review Dan & Sally! You guys had some of the best example photos and I really liked your cutaways! It was a pleasure hanging out with you in NYC.
this video is very crispy. a bit of color blocking in the black outfits, but I guess thats down to youtube compression. Is this shot on the A99ii or the gh5, please?
right. I forgot the 10bit variant is uneditable still. If you have a moment, please test out the 8bit/10bit variations on black outfits and the same backdrop and lets see if the banding and color blocking survives youtube compression. much appreciated.
Nice Review! As a SONY A7 user, really happy with the development of bodies and the FE lens, I struggled for quite a long time what brand I should invest my money and it seems I choose the correct one.
jus 2 mins into the video and this already is the best A9 review I have seen so far..great show of the kind of shots this camera can get..even better than the ones form Sony's official release..kudos to the Watsons
Hi Dan, Thank you for this review I shoot fashion shows and need to know if the AF while zooming at the same time works well. Have you tried it? (This works very well on the Canon 5d mark iii with the 70 -200 2.8 II, with approaching subjects, for instance) Thanks !
Coming back to watch this video again gives me goosebumps and excitement. I watched this video way back in 2017 and was amazed at the power of the A9. It ensure me that Mirrorless is here to stay and that I made the right move switching to Sony. Now the A9-iii just came out with the Global Shutter once again advancing Mirrorless tech to new heights. Crazy how much the A9 have done for Mirrorless and now the A9-iii is doing it. Your predictions were spot on Dan Watson. And all the nayers in here are pretty much nowhere to be found now since they have been proven wrong. DSLR is dead and Mirrorless is here and will be for forever.
Also, I think leaving out the better picture profiles such as cine and sLOG is a big mistake. Yes the A9 is meant for sports photography, but leaving out such an important feature is not going to convince other pro shooters to switch systems. The Log feature wouldve made some of them, curious enough to try out the sony system. Big Fail right there. All in the name of market segragation. It makes me wonder what the price will be for equivalent A7siii, or A7riii when it comes out. Cheers
Awesome video, the shots you took where superb, amazing detail, the camera looks amazing as well, im too invested in Nikon gear to change though, thanks for sharing :-)
Well, Dan Watson wasn't wrong. A9 literally helped killed off the DSLR with the A7Riii and A7iii. Canon and Nikon don't even make anymore full-frame DSLR. Now the A9-iii just came out and revulutionized the camera world again. Better give that thumbs up again.
Since shooting in a controlled environment where lightings are perfect, any higher-end cameras will do well, but to know how well the Sony A9 is, it needs to be put to the real world (e.g., environments like forested regions where lights and shadows intermixed).
I can't agree with your words about a99 being better ergonomically. I had a99 and never enjoyed it. I like a7 series much more. And a9 is very flexible. You can use a grip extension or a battery grip if you want a bigger camera. I like smaller cameras, so a9 being twice smaller than 1dx and d5 is a great option for me.
wether its the end of the dslr or not , im still curious on how canikon will fight , and YES the stacked cmos is amazing , no doubt. but as fast as technology grows , we might see a true hybrid dslr / mirrorless combo which can do both of 2 worlds in one package , great review though 👍🏻
Thanks! Canon definitely has some cool patents on tech to fight this. It's just a question of if and when they will bring them to market. Also, they have a habit of pioneering tech in specialty low volume cameras rather than in more mainstream bodies. Canon has a ME20F-SH video camera that almost no one knows about. The full frame sensor can shoot at 4 million ISO but it is in a 20,000 specialty body for some weird reason rather than a C100 or 5DC to go against cameras like the A7s. Canon even has great mirrorless tech but they still refuse to pair it with a full frame E mount system and instead restrict it to M-mount which has only cheap consumer lenses
wow didn't know that , but who knows with the release of a9 , and the future a9r and a7r3 , things might get serious , esp how sony is catching up really fast .
I really don't feel that this camera does anything that I NEED for what I do. I will more than likely get a mirrorless camera someday, but that day is nowhere near at the moment. The second slot not being UHS-II is a detriment if you want to do back ups as the camera take FOREVER to write to the card and if its writing to the card, you can't do anything while it writes.
As I said, this is the 'beginning' of the end to DSLRs. I agree, there are still refinements needed but if UHS II is the biggest holdup, I'm 100% sure Sony's next camera will mark your switch to Sony. We will have to test how slow the buffer is when using UHS 1 slots. I know they said there is a bug ongoing right now that is making write speeds longer but I know most sports shooters are not shooting RAW to both cards. I'm not saying this is the end all camera but certainly the A9 is proving to me that the DSLR has almost no advantages over mirrorless. That doesn't mean that the A9 is better than the 1DXII, just that the mirror (and probably mechanical shutters in general) have few advantages and many disadvantages.
Dan Watson don't forget that you can only sync flash with the mechanical shutter. You guys mostly do weddings, right. 5fps is enough for weddings, I feel anyway.
Yep, we have to switch to mechanical for the A9 to work with strobes. You can set that to any of the custom buttons so I was switching in 5 seconds. You are right, I would likely never use the high speed 20fps and would switch it to the slower mode (I believe that is 10fps) or slower but I would prefer to use the E shutter and silent modes for the ceremony and some of the more intimate quiet moments if I used the A9 and then turn on the mechanical for strobes and reception shots.
There's a rumored Nikon mirrorless coming out for their 100th anniversary. Do you think maybe they'll implement something like the A9 but with their lense mount as a way to stay in the running? They look about ready to dump their low end DSLR line with the silly move they made on the D7500. Also it's not uncommon for Nikon to get a new Sony sensor right after Sony releases their new flagship. It'd be something really awesome, considering they'd just make it larger and it'd have access to Nikons *fantastic* lenses. Fingers crossed.
They definitely could. Remember the Nikon DF? It never took off (was really expensive though) but it was still cool. It's difficult to go toe to toe with Sony though with the current model of restricting features for certain cameras based on marketing rather than capabilities. The gloves would need to come off.
You're absolutely right about the gloves needing to come off. I feel like if Nikon's gonna be the one to do it in FF it'll be this year due to their anniversary. They're currently the best poised to do it, but whether they intend to or not is another story. I really hope they decide to just go for it though, cause Nikon has the Legacy. I mean imagine something more like the a9 in stats, but chunkier using one of Nikon's *fantastic* AI lenses or any of their modern lenses. Or the new Tamron 70 to 200 which is a damned gem. They also have the big glass for wildlife and longer range sports, *and* they've already implemented XQD several times. But hey, we'll see. Exciting year regardless.
Hi Dan. I just saw something on Sony site that suggests autofocus and fps is limited by which lens you use. Can you shed light on this? " Lenses capable of continuously shooting 15 images per second at maximum with AF tracking in AF-C mode" support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/www/support/ilc/products/ilce9/continuousshooting/en/index.html?id=spt
I'm sure it requires a high speed motor in the lens that not all of them have. It takes pictures at 20fps while checking focus 60 times per second so it looks like not all lenses can keep up with that.
Not really. Head to Canon's website for the 1DXII and you will see this "* Continuous shooting speed may vary based on the aperture and lens being used and conditions of the subject." It's kind of a thing. Plus there are a ton of lenses (and all the good ones) listed that work at 20fps. But it would be a good test to see how this affects things if you wanted to adapt let's say a Canon 400mm F2.8. Lens selection can also affect AF performance or how many points can be used (many cameras use fewer points with F5.6 or F8 lenses) on every camera as well as the ability to focus in low light, image quality, and virtually every other aspect of the image so picking out a lens is extremely important to maximizing the camera features/performance. Think of it like advertising a car with a top speed of 180mph but having an asterisk saying that it can only achieve that with high performance tires. Perfectly legit
Looks like an incredible camera--with the only limitations that come with designing it for a fairly well-defined purpose. I am v much looking fwd to the studio and video versions of the camera. Thanks for the great review. IMHO, the major hurdle Sony needs to surpass is the availability of good glass. Just look at any photo of the photo pool at the World Cup and ask yourself how many of those lenses does Sony offer?
It really looks interesting but i think A99ii is a better camera. If i would ever switch, i would go to that instead of this. Has 12 fps at 42 mpx, if you cannot get a decent shot at 12 fps , with the possibility to crop from 42mpx , then you should probably change job, cause photography is not for you. A mount has all the long lenses needed,has the third party from Tamron and Sigma, it's significantly cheaper, 1300 dollars, that's a lot of money. And Tony and Chelsea said it was the best camera they ever used. That being said, i am in no rush to change from my 5div. It doesn't stop me from taking all the shots i want
At the 6:03 mark, you state that the camera slows down on transfer rate between the buffer and the UHS card if using both slots. Why pray-tell if I'm using two slots for redundancies would I want to only use a single card? Has Sony neutered this camera before it's sold retail by limiting users to chose between having a back up of your images verses walking the tightrope of a single card slot? Sony was chief developer on XQD, yet they decide to adopt SD UHS? Finally, numerous channels are reporting that the a9 has banding issues when using the electronic shutter. The staged events all have heavily day light sources or high intensity LED lights set up directly over the event subject. At what shutter speed does the banding appear/disappear? Your camera mate talks about using the a9 in a church at 20 frames per second. I've yet to see a Catholic church that was brighter than 1/60th second, f/2.8 @ ISO 800. How do you figure 20 frames at those speeds? I understand QUIET, but shutter noise isn't that big of a deal. It's not like you're using a RB67.
So you are right that if you were shooting RAW redundancy to 2 cards, the buffer would slow down. But even the D5 primarily sells as a 1 XQD and 1 CF and Canon only uses cfast in 1 slot and regular CF in the other. Why? No clue...both being high speed would certainly be ideal. My guess is that most sports photographers shoot jpeg only or RAW+jpeg so they don't feel the need. I as a wedding photographer do shoot RAW to dual cards so I wish both were UHSII. The hockey shoot had no extra lighting and the track and field did have high intensity LEDs set up but the majority of the light was still florescent. I shot 180fps slow motion on my GH5 and got flicker like crazy cause of the florescents. We are typically shooting those churches at 3200 ISO which is still decent on most of these cameras. But you are right, you will not get 20fps unless the shutter is fast. But we shoot 5D4's now and we use the quiet shutter (not that quiet) which is only 3fps. So if I could get 10fps I would be thrilled. Also there are typically some intimate moments that occur during the day and I would feel much better capturing those silently if it were possible.
Dan Watson + Dan, the D4s was offered as an CF/XQD camera. It was sold as a bridge to photographers that had lots of CF cards while still wanting to getting into XQD when money became available. The D5 from my understanding is available as CF or XQD, but not both styles in a single camera. The hockey ring shoot had lots of daylight illumination in addition to the fluorescent lights. Provided the arena was bright enough and you may not have encountered much banding. Thanks for addressing my observations.
I shoot Sony since 1,5 years. I switched from Canon. I don't understand all that talk about which is going to be killer of what. People will use whatever they like better. Canon and Nikon have cameras that are surely up to the task. And now, so does Sony. So, everybody will shoot what they like better. The future? I am sure that it belongs to mirrorless. However DSLRs are not going to disappear suddenly tomorrow. But for sure Nikon and Canon will have to reconsider their plans, because in 10 years from now, I'm sure everyone will be on mirrorless, and better to get there sooner than later.
I think the DSLR has little value over mirrorless after the A9. However, the A9 isn't the perfect camera and there are obviously many needs the A9 doesn't meet that other cameras do. So yes, it will be a slow death of the DSLR but not because you need a mirror, just because the particular mirrorless camera doesn't meet your needs vs another camera that just happens to be a DSLR.
Someone wrote that Nikon does have more resources than Sony. Then , why Nikon uses Sony sensors ? Everyone must admit that more progress in digital photography was made by chips , image processors, sensors , than mechanical shutters and optics. Better sensors , faster processors leads to better image quality in recent years, not optics. Can someone claim that Nikon have better electronics in cameras than Sony ? No one.
the A9 is the end of DSLR cameras. i have been saying for at least five years that mirrorless is the future. and Sony took five years to finally make a focusing system that equals a 1Dxll or D5. personally i think it blows those cameras away with its 93% focus point coverage. higher mp than a D5. more fps than a 1Dxll. eye focusing. silent shutter. the future has arrived. but i wish it was 3500 dollars. and i also wish it was an A9r with 42mp and 8 to 12fps. hopefully that is coming soon with the same amazing focusing system. and focus point coverage. and a fully functional touch screen. 4k with all the features. and a fully articulating screen. or at least one like the xt2
It's a start and it's getting there with newer technological advances in hardware and engineering. Give it a few years and you will see DSLRs diminish in quantity. DSLR sales already took a big hit because of smartphones. Nikon as a company is in financial decline unless they quickly diversify. Canon is surviving not because of its camera sales. Change is inevitable as is everything. Canon and Nikon should have learned a lesson from the car industry during the 80s, being on top does not last forever. Sony will be the top camera company in the future unless these two companies listen to consumers and take action.
Where are all the big 400 f2.8 and larger lenses that will 'kill' off DSLR? What sort of sports photographer doesn't use the centre of the sensor anyway when they are shooting - not sure why the 93% is such a big deal except for marketing and fanboys to quote.
All the TH-camrs and other photographers seem to not realise that the majority of sports photographers use larger lenses to make a living, and Sony simply don't have native glass for it. Sure you can adapt Canon glass but the AF speed always suffers using any adapters - and slower AF is a killer for those guys who need to capture the moment. Remember football (as in Soccer) is the biggest sport in the world, and has the most professional sports photographers for any single sport. All these pro's have at least a 400mm f2.8 in their bag, so there is no chance they will get these guys and gals across. Until someone does a real world football shoot under lights with proper sports lenses with the same AF speed as 1DXII or D5, the Sony A9 will never be a true sports camera for pro's. Thing is I love Sony but as I do mainly sports photography and big lenses are essential. I'm looking to switch to mirrorless and would definitely look towards Sony A9 if there was big native glass to invest in.
I agree with you. I don't expect many pro sports photographers to completely switch to the A9 until longer lenses arrive. It would still make a great 2nd body if you don't mind 2 systems though. But I do absolutely believe the A9 is an excellent sports option and will deliver the AF speed as well as the advantage of no blackout which makes it extremely difficult to track objects on a dslr. I think they needed to deliver the camera first though and then the lenses will come. Just look at how fast they have built the FE lineup in the last 3 years and not just with crap glass, but with some of the best lenses on the market. Personally, I wish it was a larger body with better weather sealing considering they are marketing it against the D5 and 1DXII but I still think the quality, speed, and features are there with some awesome advantages.
yeah you are certainly spot on, the way they have moved camera units with limited glass is astonishing - part of that I suppose is how well Canon glass adapts to the Sony body's. You are also spot on about the size of the mirrorless - i don't have massive hands, but the Sony's are so small especially compared to even medium sized lenses! Knowing how Sony go about business (just look at how they have dominated with PlayStation), they are almost guaranteed to be working on big glass. The only thing I wonder is what the cost of the glass will be if the GM 70-200mm is any indication. If I was on the board of Nikon and Canon, I would be working my a$$ off and getting some big pro mirrorless bodies in the works with a seemless adapter before Sony drops the big glass. Once they change over its going to be too late (if it isn't already).
Dual card slot on UHS-I and UHS-II. No hardcore lenses for sport / action / wildlife. Wow. I am impressed. No reason to switch from my Sony A7R2. And also a reason to keep my Nikon D500.
bigger battery, better viewfinder, crazy awesome AF system, dual cards (it's not like you have UHSII now!) new focus dial, touch focus, better build, eshutter allowing silent shooting without the banding/rolling shutter issues from other cameras.... I'm not saying you should switch but I disagree that there is no reason to.
Why is everyone saying that mirrorless are the end for DSLRs? I did not happen and it won't happen! People said that when the first mirrorless came out! The only thing that happen is that compact cameras almost died out because of smartphones... Even when mirrorless dominate the market there will still be room for DSLRs but DSLRs need few "modern" aspects of mirrorless technology (EVF...). DSLR won't die out for any hard professional work it still has the best support and lenses + accessories available not only that they are more rugged in every aspect. As of now DSLRs did not really move or progress in the past 10 years. That does not mean that they are worse than current mirrorless cameras it just means that they have there own market that mirrorless currently does not effect too much! As for mirrorless there really isn't anything thats going to make them obsolete!
I agree that nothing will happen quickly. What the A9 proved is that there are more advantages to mirrorless than there are with DSLRs and the A9 got rid of the biggest issues with mirrorless (slow focusing for example). As of today, there is almost no reason to have a mirror and soon even the mechanical shutter. However, there are many awesome DSLRs and fewer awesome mirrorless cameras so it will be a while before mirrorless catches up...especially if Canon/Nikon are still pushing DSLRs. Not everyone needs or can afford an A9 so for the people who have different needs than the A9 offers or are in a different price range, DSLRs may still be your best option...but not because you need the mirror.
@snajperSLO DSLR is dead bro. DSLR have been dead since 2018 when the a7iii came out. Canon and Nikon don't make anymore full-frame DSLR as they have move on or else they will get left behind. DSLR tech have already reached its max potential. There is nothing else you can do with it anymore and im sure majority of Mirrorless users will never go back to DSLR even if you were to give me a Canon 1DX Mark ii for free. Just like @learningcameras said, there is now no need for a mechanical shutter today. Sony jsut released the A9-iii with a Global Shutter that can captured 120 fps at 1/80,000 shutter speed with 8-stops of ibis. Likely they will still keep a sensor shield in the camera but it won't be an M-shutter anymore. DSLR are dead and no professionals even use it anymore. If you do, good luck getting into news conference rooms now as they require E-shutter shooting. Besides that, Sony lens selections has gone up dramatically thanks to them allowing Rokinon, Sigma and Tamron to produce lenses for them. Now only DSLR fans hold onto their DSLR cameras while still not willing to acknowledge Mirrorless. And yes, nothing will make Mirrorless Obsolete now. It's the now and future of cameras.
I got pulled into the Sony a7rii but didn't like it. I will acknowledge that most of the problem was "me". I just never used it enough to get really comfortable with it but still it disappointed me time after time. The mirror and shutter are important ideas whose time is likely going to pass soon but the dual pixel focusing of the 1DXii, to me, is far greater technology and the real game changer. The Sony a7rii no way had the focus ability of the 1DX and now the 1DXii with the dual pixel focusing is even better. The longer lens issue can be solved with adapters. e.g. Canon 500mm lens with Metabones adapter -- if it focused well. But, for me, it did not. Even the Sony 28-135 lens I found lacking as far as focusing. The weather proofing, to me, is very important as well. So far... I think I'm going to pass and stay where I'm at.
Thanks, couldn't find anything about it on the wikipedia article! I just got a Galaxy S7 and I'm in love with the dual-pixel focusing. It made me wish every camera had it...
@@harryvuemedia5106 😃I semi tried to switch to Sony with the a7Rii ? or iii? I can't recall. I didn't use it enough to get comfortable with it. I never figured out the menu system so I could find settings instinctively which is needed to really optimize the use of the camera. Canon use to be cutting edge but they lost it after the 1Ds Mk ii. The 1D X series was always after Sony had led the way. BUT... I'm pretty content with the R5 at this point. The reduced weight (which is also true with the Sony) is really nice. The RF lenses are getting fairly diverse. I wish Canon would open up the mount to 3rd parties but I'm not angry that they don't. The super unique things like macro, tilt/shift, and astronomy lenses are available in RF mounts from 3rd parties and a fully mechanical lens in those situations is just fine.
Sony project manager says it's a SPORTS & WILDLIFE PHOTO CAMERA. She saying forget what Sony says I'm shooting weddings with it. lol Don't be pissed when the 9s or 9r comes out in a few months.
Don´t see how a 9s or 9r would be better for wedding. 9s would prob have s-log (most users dont care) and few better video options, the 9r most likely will have the upped 54M sensor, so BIG files with at best same video ... No. 24M is the perfect size for weddings/portrait/live events etc imo ... My only complain i wish the a9 would be cheaper,
Juice Roberts No A9r or A9s willco.e anytime this year. Sony is not a company with unlimited resources in research, they cannot sell underwater and cannibalize their own FS and A7 A6 series, they also have sales to grow, predictions to make, board of management. Sony are not some cool guys with beanies in a basement working for your pleasure. They are a company that wasn't doing very well, it is still not even a fifth of tge wealth and stealth of Apple and Microsoft, and less rich than Canon.
I think I might be the only person who isn't impressed with the image files..they pretty much all look muddy and terrible to me. But I'll reserve final judgement for the RAW files. As a 1DX2 sports shooter, I can tell you there are some major features of this camera I'm in love with, but there isn't a chance in hell I sell off my reliable money-making gear from Canon until this system is proven in the field. As of right now, Sony has yet to live up to the hype in the professional photography environment by shipping cameras that seem to be feature rich, but lock up, freeze, overheat, and die from battery. I'm watching this one and I am going to try and get my hands on a loaner for sure.
@@harryvuemedia5106 with the A9III? Bravo, I guess? I certain have enjoyed watching them mature as a brand into a very reliable system. Six years ago, I could not say that was true. As a brand today, they’ve forced the hand of their competitors and it resulted in the Canon R3 - which is the camera I’m using now along with an R5 and R6II. I still don’t care to own a Sony, but I am very impressed with the global shutter sensor in the A9III.
Sony again has missed the mark in my opinion. The A9 can take up to 2 or 3 minutes to clear it's buffer, and then not being able to use the camera during that time. I was also very surprised by the lack of S-Log for video, especially since video has been such a strong selling point for Sony's mirrorless line in the past. All the A9's bells and whistles are great and everything looks simply amazing on paper, but in fundamental areas it falls apart, whereas the "dinosaur" DSLRs just work without issue. Sorry...they will never overtake Nikon or Cannon anytime soon.
Arnold, Arnold, sorry but I'm NOT paid by anyone. Look it is a nice camera and very promising. however from everything I have read it has a buffering issue specially when shooting 20 fps at a time. I have several Sony cameras and I like each and everyone of them. The problem with Sony is they always fall short when it comes to lens choices and outperforming Cannon or Nikon in that category. Plus they have really bad Service department.
Dayum! 7 years later and this post didn't aged well at all. Sony overtook Canon and Nikon forcing both to give up their "Dinosaur" DSLR to move onto Mirrorless or get left behind. The A9 was truly an innovating camera that helped killed the DSLR system. Everything you mentioned from lenses, to service department to buffering have all been fixed! And now Sony did it again with the A9-iii.
Nice lenses! Yeah, nothing really close to that from Sony yet. I'll have to try using adapters with Canon glass on the A9 but I doubt AF will be that amazing with those long lenses. Not sure how important AF speed is when shooting with those. Hopefully we will be seeing some more options sometime soon. Competition is always a great thing! Thanks for watching
The 20fps of Sony A9 come from the default electronic shutter system only. And in this mode (as we all know from Sony A7R2) you have some disadvantages (e.g. shooting under fluorescent light sources can cause banding your images, HSS with flashes and so on). The Sony A9 offers also a 5fps mechanical shutter as backup to avoid mentioned issues, same as on Sony A7R2 but this brings us back to #1. And blackout is also back then. For me it turns out that the A9 is a Sony A7R2 downgraded to 24MP but at 2x the price of the Sony A7R2. Smart move from Sony as the fanboys will pay for this shit.
So the key is that this camera uses a new stacked cmos sensor which enables 20x faster readout speeds which should eliminate most banding issues and rolling shutter which the A7R2 and other cameras can experience because the readout times from the sensor are too long. That is the new tech making this camera better than any other system for electronic shutter. We shot in fluorescent lights for hockey and mostly fluorescent with a couple of large LED keylights and I didn't see banding.
Well, let's see the finals test results on this subject. But electronic shutter isn't free of charge, it's just a question of you are willing to take the drawbacks for 4.5k USD :)
That's the point, the GM 100-400mm 4.5 - 5.6 comes for 2500 USD. The Sony A9 for 4500 USD. That makes in total 7000 USD. For an camera classified by Sony as sport / action camera. For the amount of xxx USD I am getting a Nikon D500 (1900 USD) + Nikkor 200-500mm 5.6 (1400 USD) + Tamron 70-200mm 2.8 g2 (1300 USD) for 4500 USD. So a delta of 2500 USD for a d500 camera system which delivers on action / sport / wildlife and for which also cracking lenses are available. Is for action / sport / wildlife a full-frame sensor needed? Not at all, actually you want (!) the crop factor for more reach with your lenses. As much I hate it to run around with two incompatible camera systems right now (A7R2 for portraits & landscape, D500 for action / wildlife / sport) I don't see any other alternative currently.
At the end of your video you do something that should never be part of a review. You become a prophet, a predictor of the future and so on, as it regards the demise of the dslr market. That's stupid, plain and simple. Some of the features of mirrorless do not mean anything to me. For example, 20 fps - when does this metric become meaningless. What if a camera had 25, or 30 , or 50fps. There is a limit to usefulness of rates that become inordinately large. Moreover, while you tout this number heavily in your presentation, I discovered in another very thorough review of this camera that 20 fps is coupled with compressed raw which means lost image data. Non-compression results in that 20fps being reduced to 12fps. Other aspects that the two of you dwell on with child-like delight are not that big of a deal. Overall, I have no interest in mirrorless cameras or Sony offerings that resemble too small matchboxes with buttons. Again, Dan, my advice is - don't look stupid by making predictions.
@tuxxie2 Are you still here? Mirorrless have taken over ever since 2017 and DSLR have been dead since 2018. Dan Watson's predictions were spot on accurate and your predictions didn't age well. It aged like 7-days milk while Dan's aged like Fine Wine. Everything you mentioned about Mirrorless have all been fixed and have been surpassed too. Global Shutter is here and Mirrorless is going to stay for a long time. Time to apologize to Dan now. :)
I guess you could make a coffee in the 3 minutes it takes the buffer to clear Im sure sports shooters will love it, and no xqd whats with that ????? sony fail
Hopefully that takes care of that How about these reports of banding issues and that all the tests were conducted with controlled lighting due to these banding issues
These were not in controlled lighting. The first one was in an ice skating rink with horrible lighting...whatever crap lights the rink used. The 2nd location was a stadium which was mostly stadium fluorescent lights. They had a studio light setup with nice controlled lights there for some portraits (which I didn't shoot) and a few large panel lights around the stadium but certainly those were not overpowering the standard crap stadium lighting. When I tried to shoot slow motion on my GH5, the lights flickered like crazy because the main lighting was fluorescent. I'm sure it is possible to get banding in E shutter in certain lighting conditions just like it's possible to get moire with any dslr and a bad shirt but I certainly didn't have issues with it
WTF would a portrait photographer care about IBIS? or 20 FPS? Oh, she is paid to care about that… Its not properly weather sealed, so its not a pro level camera (same goes for the card slots), just a pro level price and a lot of marketing hype.
+Goaty McGoatins Apparently you are not a wedding photographer. Wedding photographers shoot a ton of detail shots, reception shots (low light with no moving subjects), pictures of the dress...things like that. Ibis is great for that. Especially since Canon’s 24-70 f2.8L which we use for wide shots has no IS. Nor do our favorite 85mm and 50mm primes. It's certainly weather sealed enough for portraits and weddings as well as most sports. I would be worried in wet environments or with tons of dust though
IQ isnt upto the standard of the A7Rii, so why go for the A9, even if you are a sony fanboy / payrolled. Do wedding photographers currently struggle with shitty images, wobbles, can’t hold a camera still? What problem does the camera solve? Most sports? I assume you either shoot indoors or live in a very dry area. Come to the UK and do some sports shooting, you need weather sealing, Football, rugby, hockey, motor sports, horse racing, gokarting, cheese rolling, bog diving, running, etc etc etc, all outside.. Sony isnt the professionals choice and this camera still doesn’t fix that. Plus the lense selection and after sales service is pretty poor.
+Goaty McGoatins the reason for the A9 over the a7rii is silent shooting for weddings with almost no compromises, improved af, dual cards, solid battery life. Ibis means I can lower my shutter speed and shoot at lower iso. But you do bring up some legitimate issues Sony has with most sports that competing cameras from Canon and Nikon do not have. I disagree with Sony marketing this as a sports camera personally. While it is certainly capable, it's not ideal and still needs at least 1 or 2 longer lenses, larger more robust body, and more long lenses. Sony did talk at length about the improvements they are making to pro services this year but they are certainly behind in that area
I am glad you are honest about this. Everytime a new bit of tech comes out thats well sponsered, people jump up and down as if its revolutionary and “all the pros use it”. Its sickening. Same for the last shitty Nikon lens. I know a lot of pros and not one uses that or knows anyone who does. I am sure some features of the camera will be helpful, silent shutter is nice, no blackout, I couldn’t care less (I don’t chimp constantly and mostly use OVF) but people think buying a new camera will get them better shots when its rarely the case. Its just marketing to the less informed.
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Four Thousand 500, not Forty Thousand! @14:15
haha, better start saving!
Great review Dan & Sally! You guys had some of the best example photos and I really liked your cutaways! It was a pleasure hanging out with you in NYC.
Thanks Max. Enjoyed yours as well and the video take on things. Always fun
Max Yuryev Thanks Max! It was definitely fun!
Indeed, the best shots from this event.
this video is very crispy. a bit of color blocking in the black outfits, but I guess thats down to youtube compression. Is this shot on the A99ii or the gh5, please?
GH5 4k 8bit down sampled to 1080p for the review
right. I forgot the 10bit variant is uneditable still. If you have a moment, please test out the 8bit/10bit variations on black outfits and the same backdrop and lets see if the banding and color blocking survives youtube compression. much appreciated.
Nice Review! As a SONY A7 user, really happy with the development of bodies and the FE lens, I struggled for quite a long time what brand I should invest my money and it seems I choose the correct one.
Well done Detailed first review for such limited time with this camera guys.
Appreciate it
jus 2 mins into the video and this already is the best A9 review I have seen so far..great show of the kind of shots this camera can get..even better than the ones form Sony's official release..kudos to the Watsons
Thanks!!! We really appreciate it
Hi Dan,
Thank you for this review
I shoot fashion shows and need to know if the AF while zooming at the same time works well.
Have you tried it?
(This works very well on the Canon 5d mark iii with the 70 -200 2.8 II, with approaching subjects, for instance)
Thanks !
I'm in. I have two on order. My Nikons are history now. Literally and figuratively.
What a great video! I've been saying since the release that silent 20 fps is such a game changer for so many professions. Liked and subscribed!
Awesome! Thanks Joseph
why would you need 20fps in single shot focus? because in tracking it only does 10fps.
My only concern is the release date, I absolutely need it May 25th so I hope it's not late! (Leaving on a trip early am on 26th).
Coming back to watch this video again gives me goosebumps and excitement. I watched this video way back in 2017 and was amazed at the power of the A9. It ensure me that Mirrorless is here to stay and that I made the right move switching to Sony. Now the A9-iii just came out with the Global Shutter once again advancing Mirrorless tech to new heights. Crazy how much the A9 have done for Mirrorless and now the A9-iii is doing it. Your predictions were spot on Dan Watson. And all the nayers in here are pretty much nowhere to be found now since they have been proven wrong. DSLR is dead and Mirrorless is here and will be for forever.
Hahaha. Awesome!!!
Great review guys... right to the point, clear and honest.
Thanks Juan!
The A9 looks promising!
Also, I think leaving out the better picture profiles such as cine and sLOG is a big mistake. Yes the A9 is meant for sports photography, but leaving out such an important feature is not going to convince other pro shooters to switch systems. The Log feature wouldve made some of them, curious enough to try out the sony system. Big Fail right there. All in the name of market segragation. It makes me wonder what the price will be for equivalent A7siii, or A7riii when it comes out. Cheers
I'd wait for the A9r or the A9s. For sure will be designed with us in mind.
I remember that mirror sound tatatatatatata when shooting at weddings and events. We are now in the future.
Instead of always relying on LR why not use Capture ONE?
Awesome video, the shots you took where superb, amazing detail, the camera looks amazing as well, im too invested in Nikon gear to change though, thanks for sharing :-)
Thanks Simon!
now with new glass and longer zooms... it is an awesome camera for all events..
Hi Dan, you even wear the perfectly fitting G glasses (are they also from Sony?)
Hahaha... I just need a G tattoo and I'll be a true fanboy
Hi Sally and Dan. Really good review! Thanks a lot... what a monster, I've to try this bad boy :)
grate photo/video review......u guys should do more reviews together.it looks perfect.
Thanks! We definitely will
Was this filmed on the Panasonic GH5
Yep
High speed sync with electronic shutter?
Not as of now
I gave this video a thumbs up, then he said, "...the beginning of the end for DSLR"
Well, Dan Watson wasn't wrong. A9 literally helped killed off the DSLR with the A7Riii and A7iii. Canon and Nikon don't even make anymore full-frame DSLR. Now the A9-iii just came out and revulutionized the camera world again. Better give that thumbs up again.
Great review!
Pls do me a favor and mount the lens hood in the right way... pleeeeease !!!
Is the price $40,500? min 14:14
Since shooting in a controlled environment where lightings are perfect, any higher-end cameras will do well, but to know how well the Sony A9 is, it needs to be put to the real world (e.g., environments like forested regions where lights and shadows intermixed).
I can't agree with your words about a99 being better ergonomically. I had a99 and never enjoyed it. I like a7 series much more. And a9 is very flexible. You can use a grip extension or a battery grip if you want a bigger camera. I like smaller cameras, so a9 being twice smaller than 1dx and d5 is a great option for me.
wether its the end of the dslr or not , im still curious on how canikon will fight , and YES the stacked cmos is amazing , no doubt. but as fast as technology grows , we might see a true hybrid dslr / mirrorless combo which can do both of 2 worlds in one package , great review though 👍🏻
Thanks! Canon definitely has some cool patents on tech to fight this. It's just a question of if and when they will bring them to market. Also, they have a habit of pioneering tech in specialty low volume cameras rather than in more mainstream bodies. Canon has a ME20F-SH video camera that almost no one knows about. The full frame sensor can shoot at 4 million ISO but it is in a 20,000 specialty body for some weird reason rather than a C100 or 5DC to go against cameras like the A7s. Canon even has great mirrorless tech but they still refuse to pair it with a full frame E mount system and instead restrict it to M-mount which has only cheap consumer lenses
wow didn't know that , but who knows with the release of a9 , and the future a9r and a7r3 , things might get serious , esp how sony is catching up really fast .
I really don't feel that this camera does anything that I NEED for what I do. I will more than likely get a mirrorless camera someday, but that day is nowhere near at the moment. The second slot not being UHS-II is a detriment if you want to do back ups as the camera take FOREVER to write to the card and if its writing to the card, you can't do anything while it writes.
As I said, this is the 'beginning' of the end to DSLRs. I agree, there are still refinements needed but if UHS II is the biggest holdup, I'm 100% sure Sony's next camera will mark your switch to Sony. We will have to test how slow the buffer is when using UHS 1 slots. I know they said there is a bug ongoing right now that is making write speeds longer but I know most sports shooters are not shooting RAW to both cards. I'm not saying this is the end all camera but certainly the A9 is proving to me that the DSLR has almost no advantages over mirrorless. That doesn't mean that the A9 is better than the 1DXII, just that the mirror (and probably mechanical shutters in general) have few advantages and many disadvantages.
Dan Watson don't forget that you can only sync flash with the mechanical shutter. You guys mostly do weddings, right. 5fps is enough for weddings, I feel anyway.
Yep, we have to switch to mechanical for the A9 to work with strobes. You can set that to any of the custom buttons so I was switching in 5 seconds. You are right, I would likely never use the high speed 20fps and would switch it to the slower mode (I believe that is 10fps) or slower but I would prefer to use the E shutter and silent modes for the ceremony and some of the more intimate quiet moments if I used the A9 and then turn on the mechanical for strobes and reception shots.
Dan Watson thanks for the response, Dan.
Don’t they have a 400mm F2.8 now ?
Yep, now they do so this makes a bit more sense. Of course it is $12,000 and almost impossible to find in stock
There's a rumored Nikon mirrorless coming out for their 100th anniversary.
Do you think maybe they'll implement something like the A9 but with their lense mount as a way to stay in the running?
They look about ready to dump their low end DSLR line with the silly move they made on the D7500.
Also it's not uncommon for Nikon to get a new Sony sensor right after Sony releases their new flagship.
It'd be something really awesome, considering they'd just make it larger and it'd have access to Nikons *fantastic* lenses.
Fingers crossed.
They definitely could. Remember the Nikon DF? It never took off (was really expensive though) but it was still cool. It's difficult to go toe to toe with Sony though with the current model of restricting features for certain cameras based on marketing rather than capabilities. The gloves would need to come off.
You're absolutely right about the gloves needing to come off.
I feel like if Nikon's gonna be the one to do it in FF it'll be this year due to their anniversary.
They're currently the best poised to do it, but whether they intend to or not is another story.
I really hope they decide to just go for it though, cause Nikon has the Legacy.
I mean imagine something more like the a9 in stats, but chunkier using one of Nikon's *fantastic* AI lenses or any of their modern lenses. Or the new Tamron 70 to 200 which is a damned gem.
They also have the big glass for wildlife and longer range sports, *and* they've already implemented XQD several times.
But hey, we'll see. Exciting year regardless.
can't download the images: "Not Found Error 404"
I just added a battery grip to my 80D because it was too small for me. The Sony being even smaller is just a non starter for me!
Sony sells a grip for a9, buy it!
Version 5.0 for this camera looks amazing
very good review
Appreciate it
Hi Dan. I just saw something on Sony site that suggests autofocus and fps is limited by which lens you use. Can you shed light on this? " Lenses capable of continuously shooting 15 images per second at maximum with AF tracking in AF-C mode" support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/www/support/ilc/products/ilce9/continuousshooting/en/index.html?id=spt
I'm sure it requires a high speed motor in the lens that not all of them have. It takes pictures at 20fps while checking focus 60 times per second so it looks like not all lenses can keep up with that.
Thanks Dan. Seems like a bit of a "Sony gotcha"!
Not really. Head to Canon's website for the 1DXII and you will see this "* Continuous shooting speed may vary based on the aperture and lens being used and conditions of the subject."
It's kind of a thing. Plus there are a ton of lenses (and all the good ones) listed that work at 20fps. But it would be a good test to see how this affects things if you wanted to adapt let's say a Canon 400mm F2.8. Lens selection can also affect AF performance or how many points can be used (many cameras use fewer points with F5.6 or F8 lenses) on every camera as well as the ability to focus in low light, image quality, and virtually every other aspect of the image so picking out a lens is extremely important to maximizing the camera features/performance. Think of it like advertising a car with a top speed of 180mph but having an asterisk saying that it can only achieve that with high performance tires. Perfectly legit
Thanks Dan. This makes sense. You are a great resource!!!
Steve K thanks Steve!
Hehe the way she's soooo sorry for sandblasting you at 10:26 :D
nice review
Dan's wife has some pretty clear instructions for what she wants from her husband this Xmas! ;)
+foxtowerphotography hahahaha, I better start saving! As long as she lets me use it occasionally
Looks like an incredible camera--with the only limitations that come with designing it for a fairly well-defined purpose. I am v much looking fwd to the studio and video versions of the camera. Thanks for the great review. IMHO, the major hurdle Sony needs to surpass is the availability of good glass. Just look at any photo of the photo pool at the World Cup and ask yourself how many of those lenses does Sony offer?
download link is broken
It's working for me... Try: drive.google.com/open?id=0B0NveHWO4xdnbi1heUtUZE0tcFk
Not here: www.dropbox.com/s/jt1yokgh84ezanl/Screenshot%202017-04-27%2020.57.14.png?dl=0
It really looks interesting but i think A99ii is a better camera. If i would ever switch, i would go to that instead of this. Has 12 fps at 42 mpx, if you cannot get a decent shot at 12 fps , with the possibility to crop from 42mpx , then you should probably change job, cause photography is not for you. A mount has all the long lenses needed,has the third party from Tamron and Sigma, it's significantly cheaper, 1300 dollars, that's a lot of money. And Tony and Chelsea said it was the best camera they ever used. That being said, i am in no rush to change from my 5div. It doesn't stop me from taking all the shots i want
At the 6:03 mark, you state that the camera slows down on transfer rate between the buffer and the UHS card if using both slots. Why pray-tell if I'm using two slots for redundancies would I want to only use a single card?
Has Sony neutered this camera before it's sold retail by limiting users to chose between having a back up of your images verses walking the tightrope of a single card slot? Sony was chief developer on XQD, yet they decide to adopt SD UHS?
Finally, numerous channels are reporting that the a9 has banding issues when using the electronic shutter. The staged events all have heavily day light sources or high intensity LED lights set up directly over the event subject. At what shutter speed does the banding appear/disappear?
Your camera mate talks about using the a9 in a church at 20 frames per second. I've yet to see a Catholic church that was brighter than 1/60th second, f/2.8 @ ISO 800. How do you figure 20 frames at those speeds? I understand QUIET, but shutter noise isn't that big of a deal. It's not like you're using a RB67.
So you are right that if you were shooting RAW redundancy to 2 cards, the buffer would slow down. But even the D5 primarily sells as a 1 XQD and 1 CF and Canon only uses cfast in 1 slot and regular CF in the other. Why? No clue...both being high speed would certainly be ideal. My guess is that most sports photographers shoot jpeg only or RAW+jpeg so they don't feel the need. I as a wedding photographer do shoot RAW to dual cards so I wish both were UHSII.
The hockey shoot had no extra lighting and the track and field did have high intensity LEDs set up but the majority of the light was still florescent. I shot 180fps slow motion on my GH5 and got flicker like crazy cause of the florescents.
We are typically shooting those churches at 3200 ISO which is still decent on most of these cameras. But you are right, you will not get 20fps unless the shutter is fast. But we shoot 5D4's now and we use the quiet shutter (not that quiet) which is only 3fps. So if I could get 10fps I would be thrilled. Also there are typically some intimate moments that occur during the day and I would feel much better capturing those silently if it were possible.
Dan Watson +
Dan, the D4s was offered as an CF/XQD camera. It was sold as a bridge to photographers that had lots of CF cards while still wanting to getting into XQD when money became available.
The D5 from my understanding is available as CF or XQD, but not both styles in a single camera.
The hockey ring shoot had lots of daylight illumination in addition to the fluorescent lights. Provided the arena was bright enough and you may not have encountered much banding.
Thanks for addressing my observations.
It's definitely a concern and I will be sure to do more testing on UHS I cards as well as under bad lighting
what a great camera
If she had a channel I would subscribe.
I shoot Sony since 1,5 years. I switched from Canon. I don't understand all that talk about which is going to be killer of what. People will use whatever they like better. Canon and Nikon have cameras that are surely up to the task. And now, so does Sony. So, everybody will shoot what they like better. The future? I am sure that it belongs to mirrorless. However DSLRs are not going to disappear suddenly tomorrow. But for sure Nikon and Canon will have to reconsider their plans, because in 10 years from now, I'm sure everyone will be on mirrorless, and better to get there sooner than later.
I think the DSLR has little value over mirrorless after the A9. However, the A9 isn't the perfect camera and there are obviously many needs the A9 doesn't meet that other cameras do. So yes, it will be a slow death of the DSLR but not because you need a mirror, just because the particular mirrorless camera doesn't meet your needs vs another camera that just happens to be a DSLR.
Someone wrote that Nikon does have more resources than Sony. Then , why Nikon uses Sony sensors ? Everyone must admit that more progress in digital photography was made by chips , image processors, sensors , than mechanical shutters and optics. Better sensors , faster processors leads to better image quality in recent years, not optics. Can someone claim that Nikon have better electronics in cameras than Sony ? No one.
her comments were too much of a sony commercial. what was she using before that required constant menu diving???
Sony - so innovative and so unprotected
the A9 is the end of DSLR cameras. i have been saying for at least five years that mirrorless is the future. and Sony took five years to finally make a focusing system that equals a 1Dxll or D5. personally i think it blows those cameras away with its 93% focus point coverage. higher mp than a D5. more fps than a 1Dxll. eye focusing. silent shutter. the future has arrived. but i wish it was 3500 dollars. and i also wish it was an A9r with 42mp and 8 to 12fps. hopefully that is coming soon with the same amazing focusing system. and focus point coverage. and a fully functional touch screen. 4k with all the features. and a fully articulating screen. or at least one like the xt2
photographerjonathan you forgot 1 really major FACT, 3 minutes to clear the buffer.?? no dslr killer yet
Just look at A7's launch. They are probably preparing A9R & A9S right now for not-so-far release.
It's a start and it's getting there with newer technological advances in hardware and engineering. Give it a few years and you will see DSLRs diminish in quantity. DSLR sales already took a big hit because of smartphones. Nikon as a company is in financial decline unless they quickly diversify. Canon is surviving not because of its camera sales. Change is inevitable as is everything. Canon and Nikon should have learned a lesson from the car industry during the 80s, being on top does not last forever. Sony will be the top camera company in the future unless these two companies listen to consumers and take action.
If Nikon were ever to quit DSLR market, at least they'll make amazing glasses for E mount
Where are all the big 400 f2.8 and larger lenses that will 'kill' off DSLR? What sort of sports photographer doesn't use the centre of the sensor anyway when they are shooting - not sure why the 93% is such a big deal except for marketing and fanboys to quote.
Girl your makeup it on point! Looking good
After all your Leica talk saying the A9 is expensive like...what a joke!
All the TH-camrs and other photographers seem to not realise that the majority of sports photographers use larger lenses to make a living, and Sony simply don't have native glass for it. Sure you can adapt Canon glass but the AF speed always suffers using any adapters - and slower AF is a killer for those guys who need to capture the moment.
Remember football (as in Soccer) is the biggest sport in the world, and has the most professional sports photographers for any single sport. All these pro's have at least a 400mm f2.8 in their bag, so there is no chance they will get these guys and gals across. Until someone does a real world football shoot under lights with proper sports lenses with the same AF speed as 1DXII or D5, the Sony A9 will never be a true sports camera for pro's.
Thing is I love Sony but as I do mainly sports photography and big lenses are essential. I'm looking to switch to mirrorless and would definitely look towards Sony A9 if there was big native glass to invest in.
I agree with you. I don't expect many pro sports photographers to completely switch to the A9 until longer lenses arrive. It would still make a great 2nd body if you don't mind 2 systems though. But I do absolutely believe the A9 is an excellent sports option and will deliver the AF speed as well as the advantage of no blackout which makes it extremely difficult to track objects on a dslr. I think they needed to deliver the camera first though and then the lenses will come. Just look at how fast they have built the FE lineup in the last 3 years and not just with crap glass, but with some of the best lenses on the market. Personally, I wish it was a larger body with better weather sealing considering they are marketing it against the D5 and 1DXII but I still think the quality, speed, and features are there with some awesome advantages.
yeah you are certainly spot on, the way they have moved camera units with limited glass is astonishing -
part of that I suppose is how well Canon glass adapts to the Sony body's. You are also spot on about the size of the mirrorless - i don't have massive hands, but the Sony's are so small especially compared to even medium sized lenses!
Knowing how Sony go about business (just look at how they have dominated with PlayStation), they are almost guaranteed to be working on big glass. The only thing I wonder is what the cost of the glass will be if the GM 70-200mm is any indication. If I was on the board of Nikon and Canon, I would be working my a$$ off and getting some big pro mirrorless bodies in the works with a seemless adapter before Sony drops the big glass. Once they change over its going to be too late (if it isn't already).
no SLOG... low MP ... next... (bring out the R version)
Smoke & mirrors belongs to the past century, this is the digital era
Is this a camera review or a makeup tutorial?
isn't Sony depreciating the A-Mount? Better to not buy an A-Mount camera anymore. Invest in Sony E-Mount glass...
Dual card slot on UHS-I and UHS-II. No hardcore lenses for sport / action / wildlife. Wow. I am impressed. No reason to switch from my Sony A7R2. And also a reason to keep my Nikon D500.
bigger battery, better viewfinder, crazy awesome AF system, dual cards (it's not like you have UHSII now!) new focus dial, touch focus, better build, eshutter allowing silent shooting without the banding/rolling shutter issues from other cameras.... I'm not saying you should switch but I disagree that there is no reason to.
let's talk severe banding issues with the electronic shutter, lets talk no big glass
As for the speed: 20 fps compressed RAW, 12 fps uncompressed RAW, 5fps 14bit RAW...
Only "12 bit" RAW compressed with electronic shutter....Warning! ............ Canikon 14 bit!!!
Why is everyone saying that mirrorless are the end for DSLRs?
I did not happen and it won't happen! People said that when the first mirrorless came out! The only thing that happen is that compact cameras almost died out because of smartphones...
Even when mirrorless dominate the market there will still be room for DSLRs but DSLRs need few "modern" aspects of mirrorless technology (EVF...). DSLR won't die out for any hard professional work it still has the best support and lenses + accessories available not only that they are more rugged in every aspect.
As of now DSLRs did not really move or progress in the past 10 years. That does not mean that they are worse than current mirrorless cameras it just means that they have there own market that mirrorless currently does not effect too much!
As for mirrorless there really isn't anything thats going to make them obsolete!
I agree that nothing will happen quickly. What the A9 proved is that there are more advantages to mirrorless than there are with DSLRs and the A9 got rid of the biggest issues with mirrorless (slow focusing for example). As of today, there is almost no reason to have a mirror and soon even the mechanical shutter. However, there are many awesome DSLRs and fewer awesome mirrorless cameras so it will be a while before mirrorless catches up...especially if Canon/Nikon are still pushing DSLRs. Not everyone needs or can afford an A9 so for the people who have different needs than the A9 offers or are in a different price range, DSLRs may still be your best option...but not because you need the mirror.
@snajperSLO DSLR is dead bro. DSLR have been dead since 2018 when the a7iii came out. Canon and Nikon don't make anymore full-frame DSLR as they have move on or else they will get left behind. DSLR tech have already reached its max potential. There is nothing else you can do with it anymore and im sure majority of Mirrorless users will never go back to DSLR even if you were to give me a Canon 1DX Mark ii for free. Just like @learningcameras said, there is now no need for a mechanical shutter today. Sony jsut released the A9-iii with a Global Shutter that can captured 120 fps at 1/80,000 shutter speed with 8-stops of ibis. Likely they will still keep a sensor shield in the camera but it won't be an M-shutter anymore.
DSLR are dead and no professionals even use it anymore. If you do, good luck getting into news conference rooms now as they require E-shutter shooting. Besides that, Sony lens selections has gone up dramatically thanks to them allowing Rokinon, Sigma and Tamron to produce lenses for them. Now only DSLR fans hold onto their DSLR cameras while still not willing to acknowledge Mirrorless. And yes, nothing will make Mirrorless Obsolete now. It's the now and future of cameras.
I got pulled into the Sony a7rii but didn't like it. I will acknowledge that most of the problem was "me". I just never used it enough to get really comfortable with it but still it disappointed me time after time. The mirror and shutter are important ideas whose time is likely going to pass soon but the dual pixel focusing of the 1DXii, to me, is far greater technology and the real game changer. The Sony a7rii no way had the focus ability of the 1DX and now the 1DXii with the dual pixel focusing is even better.
The longer lens issue can be solved with adapters. e.g. Canon 500mm lens with Metabones adapter -- if it focused well. But, for me, it did not. Even the Sony 28-135 lens I found lacking as far as focusing. The weather proofing, to me, is very important as well.
So far... I think I'm going to pass and stay where I'm at.
Are you sure that the 1DXii has dual pixel focusing?
yes. www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/dslr/eos-1d-x-mark-ii
Item 7.
I'm surprised its that low on the list.
Thanks, couldn't find anything about it on the wikipedia article!
I just got a Galaxy S7 and I'm in love with the dual-pixel focusing. It made me wish every camera had it...
A7Riii is far better than the Canon 1DX now. :)
@@harryvuemedia5106 😃I semi tried to switch to Sony with the a7Rii ? or iii? I can't recall. I didn't use it enough to get comfortable with it. I never figured out the menu system so I could find settings instinctively which is needed to really optimize the use of the camera. Canon use to be cutting edge but they lost it after the 1Ds Mk ii. The 1D X series was always after Sony had led the way.
BUT... I'm pretty content with the R5 at this point. The reduced weight (which is also true with the Sony) is really nice. The RF lenses are getting fairly diverse. I wish Canon would open up the mount to 3rd parties but I'm not angry that they don't. The super unique things like macro, tilt/shift, and astronomy lenses are available in RF mounts from 3rd parties and a fully mechanical lens in those situations is just fine.
anyone else them shooting at a ice rink! hmm. sony is pretty smart.
Dude!! did you say "Forty thousand five hundred?"".!!
hahaha, guess I did. I might go bankrupt on this camera
Sony project manager says it's a SPORTS & WILDLIFE PHOTO CAMERA. She saying forget what Sony says I'm shooting weddings with it. lol Don't be pissed when the 9s or 9r comes out in a few months.
+Juice Roberts why would I be pissed at more camera options? Doesn't make the A9 less good. Might be a great 2nd body if they did release an A9R
Don´t see how a 9s or 9r would be better for wedding. 9s would prob have s-log (most users dont care) and few better video options, the 9r most likely will have the upped 54M sensor, so BIG files with at best same video ... No. 24M is the perfect size for weddings/portrait/live events etc imo ... My only complain i wish the a9 would be cheaper,
Juice Roberts No A9r or A9s willco.e anytime this year. Sony is not a company with unlimited resources in research, they cannot sell underwater and cannibalize their own FS and A7 A6 series, they also have sales to grow, predictions to make, board of management. Sony are not some cool guys with beanies in a basement working for your pleasure. They are a company that wasn't doing very well, it is still not even a fifth of tge wealth and stealth of Apple and Microsoft, and less rich than Canon.
I think I might be the only person who isn't impressed with the image files..they pretty much all look muddy and terrible to me. But I'll reserve final judgement for the RAW files.
As a 1DX2 sports shooter, I can tell you there are some major features of this camera I'm in love with, but there isn't a chance in hell I sell off my reliable money-making gear from Canon until this system is proven in the field. As of right now, Sony has yet to live up to the hype in the professional photography environment by shipping cameras that seem to be feature rich, but lock up, freeze, overheat, and die from battery.
I'm watching this one and I am going to try and get my hands on a loaner for sure.
I was thinking the same thing. Ill assume it is high ISO noise reduction on the jpegs. Cant wait to see some raw files.
So..... what do you have to say to Sony now? :)
@@harryvuemedia5106 with the A9III? Bravo, I guess? I certain have enjoyed watching them mature as a brand into a very reliable system. Six years ago, I could not say that was true. As a brand today, they’ve forced the hand of their competitors and it resulted in the Canon R3 - which is the camera I’m using now along with an R5 and R6II. I still don’t care to own a Sony, but I am very impressed with the global shutter sensor in the A9III.
How much does sony pay you?
+Fatmir Hadzimurtovic same amount Nikon paid you to write this comment
Dan Watson i owe a sony by the way.
and I own Canon/Panasonic...and yet here we are...ironic lol
3 minutes to clear the buffer, could always pick your nose.
Sony again has missed the mark in my opinion. The A9 can take up to 2 or 3 minutes to clear it's buffer, and then not being able to use the camera during that time. I was also very surprised by the lack of S-Log for video, especially since video has been such a strong selling point for Sony's mirrorless line in the past. All the A9's bells and whistles are great and everything looks simply amazing on paper, but in fundamental areas it falls apart, whereas the "dinosaur" DSLRs just work without issue. Sorry...they will never overtake Nikon or Cannon anytime soon.
+michaejlt just confirmed the buffer issue was a bug on certain cameras and the real clear time is just over 30 seconds. Not bad at all
"Cannon"? :facepalm:
And remember, a9 is designed for shooting stills, so missing S-log is OK, but if Sony added it, it'd be great.
michaejlt fake news, doesn't take that long to clear the buffer. You must be paid by the other digital imaging companies. Sad.
Arnold, Arnold, sorry but I'm NOT paid by anyone. Look it is a nice camera and very promising. however from everything I have read it has a buffering issue specially when shooting 20 fps at a time. I have several Sony cameras and I like each and everyone of them. The problem with Sony is they always fall short when it comes to lens choices and outperforming Cannon or Nikon in that category. Plus they have really bad Service department.
Dayum! 7 years later and this post didn't aged well at all. Sony overtook Canon and Nikon forcing both to give up their "Dinosaur" DSLR to move onto Mirrorless or get left behind. The A9 was truly an innovating camera that helped killed the DSLR system. Everything you mentioned from lenses, to service department to buffering have all been fixed! And now Sony did it again with the A9-iii.
lifetime debt for a 7k camera no thanks
No Pro Lens No Pro Buy!!
What camera/lenses do you own now that you would be unable to live without? Just curious.
Canon 400 2.8 , 600 f4 and i always throw in my 70 - 200 for close work
Canon 400 f2.8 ,600 f4 and Pro company backup { CPS } at the moment .Thanks for your content I like watching ..
Nice lenses! Yeah, nothing really close to that from Sony yet. I'll have to try using adapters with Canon glass on the A9 but I doubt AF will be that amazing with those long lenses. Not sure how important AF speed is when shooting with those. Hopefully we will be seeing some more options sometime soon. Competition is always a great thing! Thanks for watching
Thanks Dan your always informative and to me unbiased ill keep watching....
The 20fps of Sony A9 come from the default electronic shutter system only. And in this mode (as we all know from Sony A7R2) you have some disadvantages (e.g. shooting under fluorescent light sources can cause banding your images, HSS with flashes and so on). The Sony A9 offers also a 5fps mechanical shutter as backup to avoid mentioned issues, same as on Sony A7R2 but this brings us back to #1. And blackout is also back then. For me it turns out that the A9 is a Sony A7R2 downgraded to 24MP but at 2x the price of the Sony A7R2. Smart move from Sony as the fanboys will pay for this shit.
So the key is that this camera uses a new stacked cmos sensor which enables 20x faster readout speeds which should eliminate most banding issues and rolling shutter which the A7R2 and other cameras can experience because the readout times from the sensor are too long. That is the new tech making this camera better than any other system for electronic shutter. We shot in fluorescent lights for hockey and mostly fluorescent with a couple of large LED keylights and I didn't see banding.
Well, let's see the finals test results on this subject. But electronic shutter isn't free of charge, it's just a question of you are willing to take the drawbacks for 4.5k USD :)
#Truth. 4.5K would be the most I have personally spent on a camera. And Sony lenses don't come cheap either.
That's the point, the GM 100-400mm 4.5 - 5.6 comes for 2500 USD. The Sony A9 for 4500 USD. That makes in total 7000 USD. For an camera classified by Sony as sport / action camera. For the amount of xxx USD I am getting a Nikon D500 (1900 USD) + Nikkor 200-500mm 5.6 (1400 USD) + Tamron 70-200mm 2.8 g2 (1300 USD) for 4500 USD. So a delta of 2500 USD for a d500 camera system which delivers on action / sport / wildlife and for which also cracking lenses are available. Is for action / sport / wildlife a full-frame sensor needed? Not at all, actually you want (!) the crop factor for more reach with your lenses. As much I hate it to run around with two incompatible camera systems right now (A7R2 for portraits & landscape, D500 for action / wildlife / sport) I don't see any other alternative currently.
Good video. You have a beautiful wife.
Thanks
At the end of your video you do something that should never be part of a review. You become a prophet, a predictor of the future and so on, as it regards the demise of the dslr market. That's stupid, plain and simple. Some of the features of mirrorless do not mean anything to me. For example, 20 fps - when does this metric become meaningless. What if a camera had 25, or 30 , or 50fps. There is a limit to usefulness of rates that become inordinately large. Moreover, while you tout this number heavily in your presentation, I discovered in another very thorough review of this camera that 20 fps is coupled with compressed raw which means lost image data. Non-compression results in that 20fps being reduced to 12fps. Other aspects that the two of you dwell on with child-like delight are not that big of a deal. Overall, I have no interest in mirrorless cameras or Sony offerings that resemble too small matchboxes with buttons. Again, Dan, my advice is - don't look stupid by making predictions.
@tuxxie2 Are you still here? Mirorrless have taken over ever since 2017 and DSLR have been dead since 2018. Dan Watson's predictions were spot on accurate and your predictions didn't age well. It aged like 7-days milk while Dan's aged like Fine Wine. Everything you mentioned about Mirrorless have all been fixed and have been surpassed too. Global Shutter is here and Mirrorless is going to stay for a long time. Time to apologize to Dan now. :)
I guess you could make a coffee in the 3 minutes it takes the buffer to clear Im sure sports shooters will love it, and no xqd whats with that ????? sony fail
+Darren S just confirmed there was a bug in some models that will be fixed. Buffer will clear in 36 seconds
Hopefully that takes care of that
How about these reports of banding issues and that all the tests were conducted with controlled lighting due to these banding issues
These were not in controlled lighting. The first one was in an ice skating rink with horrible lighting...whatever crap lights the rink used. The 2nd location was a stadium which was mostly stadium fluorescent lights. They had a studio light setup with nice controlled lights there for some portraits (which I didn't shoot) and a few large panel lights around the stadium but certainly those were not overpowering the standard crap stadium lighting. When I tried to shoot slow motion on my GH5, the lights flickered like crazy because the main lighting was fluorescent. I'm sure it is possible to get banding in E shutter in certain lighting conditions just like it's possible to get moire with any dslr and a bad shirt but I certainly didn't have issues with it
Sony fan boys need to get over themselves...dslr is going no where!
not now.... but maybe several years ahead after the mirrorless is really mature technologically.
@103703878 You still here buddy? Looks like Mirrorless is moving forward again with Global Shutter and DSLR have been dead since 2018.
WTF would a portrait photographer care about IBIS? or 20 FPS? Oh, she is paid to care about that…
Its not properly weather sealed, so its not a pro level camera (same goes for the card slots), just a pro level price and a lot of marketing hype.
+Goaty McGoatins Apparently you are not a wedding photographer. Wedding photographers shoot a ton of detail shots, reception shots (low light with no moving subjects), pictures of the dress...things like that. Ibis is great for that. Especially since Canon’s 24-70 f2.8L which we use for wide shots has no IS. Nor do our favorite 85mm and 50mm primes. It's certainly weather sealed enough for portraits and weddings as well as most sports. I would be worried in wet environments or with tons of dust though
IQ isnt upto the standard of the A7Rii, so why go for the A9, even if you are a sony fanboy / payrolled.
Do wedding photographers currently struggle with shitty images, wobbles, can’t hold a camera still? What problem does the camera solve? Most sports? I assume you either shoot indoors or live in a very dry area. Come to the UK and do some sports shooting, you need weather sealing, Football, rugby, hockey, motor sports, horse racing, gokarting, cheese rolling, bog diving, running, etc etc etc, all outside.. Sony isnt the professionals choice and this camera still doesn’t fix that. Plus the lense selection and after sales service is pretty poor.
+Goaty McGoatins the reason for the A9 over the a7rii is silent shooting for weddings with almost no compromises, improved af, dual cards, solid battery life. Ibis means I can lower my shutter speed and shoot at lower iso. But you do bring up some legitimate issues Sony has with most sports that competing cameras from Canon and Nikon do not have. I disagree with Sony marketing this as a sports camera personally. While it is certainly capable, it's not ideal and still needs at least 1 or 2 longer lenses, larger more robust body, and more long lenses. Sony did talk at length about the improvements they are making to pro services this year but they are certainly behind in that area
I am glad you are honest about this. Everytime a new bit of tech comes out thats well sponsered, people jump up and down as if its revolutionary and “all the pros use it”. Its sickening. Same for the last shitty Nikon lens. I know a lot of pros and not one uses that or knows anyone who does. I am sure some features of the camera will be helpful, silent shutter is nice, no blackout, I couldn’t care less (I don’t chimp constantly and mostly use OVF) but people think buying a new camera will get them better shots when its rarely the case. Its just marketing to the less informed.
True
what a great camera