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Sony a9 Review

October 31, 2018 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Sony Alpha

Sony A9 Review

With my recent switch over to Sony I thought I would share a few of my thoughts and experiences with their bodies and lenses for those looking for some comparisons and also those possibly contemplating the switch from DSLR to Mirrorless. 

While a majority of my work is landscapes, I also do a fair amount of wildlife photography and always have a dedicated camera in my bag that meets those demands. 

Having been a Canon shooter for the last twenty years, the last bodies I used for wildlife were the 1DX series as well as the 5D mkIV on occasion. Those were some serious workhorses and stood up well in demanding conditions. Looking forward, I knew I needed something at least on par with them.

When I first switched to Sony I picked up their a7rIII. This camera in itself is really a “do all” camera. It shoots 10fps, has amazing autofocus and its 45 megapixels can be put into crop mode for extra reach. So when adding a second body for wildlife, I was really on the fence.  Should I get another a7rIII or go for the a9? In reality the a7rIII could do just about everything I need for wildlife, but I decided to bite the bullet and pay the extra $1000 at the time for the a9 to see if it was really worth it for a couple key standout features.

Body

When unboxing the a9, the first thing I noticed was how close in appearance it was to the a7RIII. Body size is identical and design is very similar. Which is a good thing! 

The one difference users will notice is a second dial up top that is used for both autofocus and frame rate selection. The other dial up top (which is the same on the a7rIII) is used for shooting modes and also custom mode selection. The back of the camera is well laid out with easy to reach buttons as well as a dedicated joystick for autofocus point selection. The memory card compartment has a nice pop open door and will take dual sd cards.

Overall I like the design. It’s compact and has a good layout. Some have complained on the ergonomics being a bit small giving the pinky finger no place to rest when gripping the camera. I can see why this might have an issue for some, but I don’t find it bothersome. I also use a Really Right Stuff L Plate on both of my bodies and that adds extra space to the bottom alleviating this issue entirely. I imagine Sony may address this in future body iterations as it’s something you continuously see brought up in reviews and online forums. 

The body of the a9 is tough and seems pretty solid. It’s made of an all magnesium alloy body and for the most part is well sealed against dust and moisture. The one caveat being the bottom of the camera. Sony did leave out a fully sealed battery compartment as well as a seal on the bottom plate of the camera (more on this in a bit), leaving it more susceptible to moisture.

Sony Alpha Camera

EVF

Sony’s EVFs are very impressive. The a9 uses a 3.9 million dot OLED with a 120fps refresh rate and frankly I think it’s the best I’ve used on any mirrorless system. This goes for both the a9 and the a7rIII as they both use the same EVF. I really don’t notice that I’m using an EVF during most shooting situations, it’s that good. One of the standout features with all mirrorless and not just with the a9, is the added bonus of being able to overlay your exposure info, histogram, view realtime exposure, focus peaking, etc…

Since switching from DSLRs I find the EVF advantages have grown on me so much that I really wouldn’t want to switch back to an optical finder. 

What I like and what I don’t

The two standout features that I purchased the a9 for were its blackout free shooting through the EVF and its 20fps shooting.

It does both of these things very very well. 

When shooting blackout free and using high frame rates, you are required to use the electronic shutter on the a9. In addition to blazing speeds, this also gives you complete silent shooting if you so choose. I have shutter replication sound enabled on mine most of the time, I use it just for reference though. I didn’t know if I was going to like this at first, as I’ve always been used to the familiar satisfying clunk of the shutter, but it really didn’t bother me one bit!

Tracking moving animals blackout free when shooing high frame rates is huge. It allows you to better frame and compose the animal in the scene, especially when panning.

After shooting thousands of images through the a9, I would say if you are a dedicated wildlife shooter or looking for a second body to fulfill those needs, both of these features are worth the extra cost. 

Also before I forget, I should mention its autofocus system. On paper it’s slightly better than the a7rIII, but in all honesty I can’t really tell any real world difference. They’re both so darn stinking good that maybe if all I shot were sports or wildlife day in and day out then maybe I might be able to differentiate. But at this level, its spot on. Matter of fact, I really feel like it performs much better than my Canon systems did and that’s really saying something. 

I’ve photographed a number of situations using multi autofocus points tracking animals through very busy situations which normally would give most systems trouble, but almost always it stays on point. Also if you like face and eye detection, the technology will leave your jaw on the ground, at least it did for me. Photographing my kids running around, the face detect never misses and enabling the eye focus, it locks on every time. 

Now a couple small gripes. First the menu system. Come on Sony, lets get things organized! I won’t go into this too much as there’s a ton of critiques on this already, but it could be better arranged. It still takes me time to find my way around, definitely not a deal breaker but can be improved upon.

The other big thing I’ve heard gripes about, not just on the a9, but across their other bodies as well, is the lack of weather sealing on the bottom of the camera. Be sure to see Roger’s tear down on Lens Rentals if you want to see the innards of a Sony and also the weather sealing issue addressed in detail. Besides the omission of sealing on the bottom,  the rest of the camera is tightly sealed for tough use. I don’t know why they did this, but it’s turned some photographers who routinely shoot in rough environments away from investing in Sony’s system.

Initially I had concerns about this, as I do routinely shoot in some pretty unforgiving environments.

However, I spent numerous days this summer and into fall shooting in torrential rain storms, some of the dustiest environments you can imagine and both of my Sonys came out just fine. On one trip I spent 4 days in the mountains of Montana in some serious torrential downpours using a Lenscoat Raincover just as I did with my Canon’s and not one problem. 

After that experience, I’m not worried one bit. Still mindful when out, but not worried. I will say on future builds going forward, put the darn seal in! 

Summary

So I’ve put the a9 through its paces, worked in the some of the usual demanding situations I’ve shot in over the past 20 years, and came out with big smiles. I really love this camera, it just feels right, especially paired with Sony’s 100-400mm. I’ve also added the additional battery grip for better handling and vertical shooting controls and it feels like a little solid brick in the hands. 

In summary, if you’re looking for a fast, predictable and reliable body for sports or wildlife, the a9 delivers. Is it worth paying the extra cash above the a7rIII? I would say yes if you’re a dedicated wildlife or sports shooter who needs every last bit of help making your job easier in the field and really need those few extra features this body offers. 

Highly Recommended!

Switching to Sony

September 7, 2018 by Jason Savage 2 Comments

Sony Alpha

My Switch to Sony

This last year has been a very interesting one to say the least and I’ve felt somewhat like a fish out of water for the better part of it when it comes to my camera system.

For some reason or another late last year I got a wild hair to go all in on Mirrorless and sold off every single bit of my Canon gear just like that. Completely nuts, I know! (I had been primarily shooting Canon since I started photography nearly 20 years ago).

I decided to jump into Fujifilm’s medium format system while also supplementing it with their X system for longer lens stuff. First off I’ll say that Fujifilm’s cameras are extremely fun to shoot and their lenses are superb in every respect. Their 50s medium format system is wonderful with incredible image quality, but certainly designed for a more specific type of photographer. Their X system is also great and well rounded for APS-C shooters, a good fit for photographers wanting to lighten their load. 

With that said, I really wanted to make Fujifilm work for me, but in the end my own particular shooting style along with their lens limitations of the medium format system and a few other issues with their X system (which I’ll touch on in a later post) had me back at square one. 

For my own shooting style I really needed a full frame sensor along with a mature lineup of zoom lenses and was determined to stay with a mirrorless system. After doing some more dipping of toes in the water I decided to take the plunge with Sony and to see what all the fuss was about.

I picked up an A7rIII and an A9 with their entire lineup of G Master lenses as well as their excellent 12-24mm f4 G lens. I also added their wireless flash system and transmitter. 

I received my full kit just in time for my upcoming workshop in Glacier National Park and what better place to test out a new camera system! I was able to spend time in the field evaluating the system with both landscapes and wildlife, really putting it through its paces. I’ve also had the opportunity to travel and shoot with it the last couple months so I feel pretty confident by now to make an overall assessment. 

Here’s my take: Sony has developed a superb mirrorless system that rivals and exceeds anything I have shot with in DSLR’s and other mirrorless cameras. Their quality of design and performance deliver.

So what’s it like to shoot? Here are a few of my thoughts on “real world use” of what I like, what can be improved and everything else.  

Sony Cameras

Right away I was impressed with the attention to detail and overall build quality on their bodies. 

The bodies are high-rigidity magnesium alloy, have fairly thorough weather sealing (I’ll touch on this in a bit) and have a button layout that works. The resolution on their viewfinders is as high as anything out there and looks great. I also like the tilt screen and quality of the back LCDs. So overall layout, viewfinder and aesthetics work well for me. The bodies are compact and much less in size to a DSLR.

Battery life seems to be good and not too different then what I was used to with DSLRs. Although I will note that when shooting wildlife and constantly using the EVF for extended periods of time it can wear things down compared to DSLRs, nothing too bad but worth noting. An obvious issue with all mirrorless cameras.

The camera feels very comfortable in my hand. However, without an L plate on the camera or bottom plate for that matter, I can see what some folks are saying about the ergonomics being a bit small for some people’s hands and how the pinky finger has nowhere to go when gripping the camera. I would agree with this, but I don’t see it as being terrible or completely uncomfortable. For me this issue doesn’t matter as I have Really Right Stuff L Plates on both bodies and with an L plate it’s a perfect fit giving a spot for all your fingers to rest. Also if you’re using a battery grip, it’s a non issue.

I imagine Sony will address this with future releases as it’s a topic brought up frequently in photography forums. 

The cameras menu system is another area of contention, with photographers claiming that it’s confusing, unorganized and hard to navigate. 

I would say I agree with those sentiments for the most part. They could have done better and the way it’s currently laid out makes navigating to certain areas hard to remember. For instance every time I go to format a card I have trouble remembering exactly where to go and there are a few other much used options that take a little bit each time to find. This isn’t a deal breaker for me, but I do hope they improve upon this. 

The last negative I have with both the a7rIII and the a9 is the weather sealing. Both bodies are very well sealed on the top, sides, back, everywhere except the bottom. The battery door and bottom of the camera are not sealed at all. Why they did this I do not know. There are many photographers who have not bought into the Sony system on this one oversight and it kills me that a company designing a camera for professional photographers would make the decision to leave out a tiny little rubber seal. It’s certainly cost Sony some customers. 

Now this isn’t exactly a huge deal for most, but in today’s climate in the photo world, every little thing counts as competition has become rather fierce and photographers are ever more so demanding. 

But in real world use you are very unlikely to have a problem unless you’re setting your camera down in a puddle or really getting dumped on without a camera cover. This is probably the only thing that really bothers me on these cameras, but I’m willing to roll with it as I love everything else about their systems.  We’ll see how they fair, so far so good though. I’ve had a few trips in the rain and some days shooting waterfalls in the mist and everything has worked just fine. Be sure to check out Roger Cicala’s teardown on Lens Rentals to get the whole lowdown.

Sony Lenses

Impressive! That was my first thought when I was testing out their new glass. Great build quality and design. All of their G Master lenses feel solid and are tack sharp. Zoom and focal rings turn smoothly and have a feeling of quality. In addition all of the G Master lenses are fully weather sealed. The optics are really outstanding and coming from Canon I was surprised to see most of their G Master lenses producing better results then Canon’s equivalents. If you visit DXOMark you can view lens tests revealing some interesting comparisons with Sony. Most are out-resolving Canon and Nikon by just a hair. 

I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Sony’s lenses, I think they’re some of the best out there and image quality is tack sharp. I really really like these lenses (I have my eye on you 400mm 2.8!)

Sony Alpha Gear

Shooting Experience

The first thing I noticed when I sat down to Lightroom was the dynamic range and proprietary color of Sony’s sensor. The dynamic range on the a7RIII is amazing and I find a lot more shooting situations where I’m only taking one exposure rather than two to blend or foregoing a graduating filter altogether. Very impressive indeed! The colors are also very good, although I will say out of all the camera systems I’ve used, I still think Canon has a leg up in this department, not that the Sony colors are inferior they just take a little more working in post processing to get me where I need to be. But I will say I am completely satisfied with the results and feel I’m getting better results at the end of the day. 

The other thing that I noticed right away with both cameras is their autofocus system. I don’t think I’ve every used anything quite like these. Even the 1DX’s I shot with don’t seem to match what Sony has done in some areas. The focusing for one never seems to miss. I’ve been photographing wildlife in difficult and very busy situations and the autofocus seems to work through and stays amazingly on point. 

Their autofocus is a huge selling point in my opinion especially with the face and eye detection.   It never seems to miss and the technology although somewhat perplexing to me in how it works, is pretty incredible. I’m still amazed at how it does this, but it works! 

The other thing I really like is the overall feel of everything working together between the electronic viewfinder, customization of controls and construction. It really feels like a mature, professional Mirrorless system. I think we’ve finally arrived at the juncture where Mirrorless is a real viable choice for professionals. In the not too distant past, many systems I’ve used weren’t quite there, almost, but not quite. Many had a number of quirks, bugs, or just didn’t offer everything professionals need for their day-to-day work. With both Nikon and Canon’s recent announcement of their new full frame Mirrorless entries and Olympus, Fujifilm and Panasonic refining their systems, I think we’ve reached that point where mirrorless is there. Not to mention the options are now huge for photographers. Micro Four Thirds, APS-C, Full Frame and even Medium Format give photographers a ton of choices based on their shooting styles and needs.

I’m extremely excited to be shooting Sony’s system and it’s working very well for what I do. I plan on posting a full review on both the Sony a7RIII and their A9 here soon. For now I’ll say not only am I completely sold on Sony’s system, but it’s hands down the best I’ve used of any camera system and fits my needs perfectly. I have absolutely no regrets leaving Canon for Sony and that’s saying something!

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About

Based in Montana, Jason works as a freelance and commercial photographer, specializing in travel and outdoor photography.

His work has been featured in National Geographic Traveler, Time, Outside, Audubon, Outdoor Photographer,The Nature Conservancy and many others.
His images have also been featured in numerous advertising campaigns, books, and calendars around the world.

Contact

Jason Savage Photography
546 Fox Meadow Ln.
Hamilton, MT 59840
jason@jasonsavagephoto.com
406-202-0709

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