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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!

Montana Photography Destinations

February 13, 2017 by Jason Savage 1 Comment

Montana Photo Workshop

Planning a photography trip to Montana and wondering where to spend your time? Here are few of my favorite locations throughout the state that I revisit year after year for amazing landscapes, wildlife, and to experience the diversity of Big Sky Country. 

Montana is our fourth largest state in the US but it feels much bigger partly due to its large open spaces and much like Alaksa it’s one of the least populated states, topping just over a million people for the entire state. Definitely more cows than people here, in fact more than double.

What really makes Montana stand out even more than its big wide open spaces is its diversity. Spend your time in the northwest and you’ll find expansive wilderness areas, millions of acres of national forest and mountains, big mountains. The Continental Divide cuts right through here creating an impressive backdrop from Glacier National Park down to the southern border of the Rocky Mountain Front. 

Venture east and you begin to head into the plains where rivers like the Missouri and Yellowstone snake their routes through the state joining in the northeast to continue their journey to the Mississippi. When you get out this way you get an understanding for what “Big Sky Country” means and you also get a sense of how small you are in the great wide open of eastern Montana. 

Below are just a few of my favorites places to explore that represent a good cross section of the state if you’re looking for some key locations during your travels. I have left out Yellowstone, because technically almost all of it’s in Wyoming (although many of us still secretly consider it a part of the state).

Two Medicine Lake
Two Medicine Lake. Canon 5D MkIII 16-35mm 2.8L II f16 3″ ISO100

Glacier National Park

If you can only visit one destination in Montana, Glacier National Park is the place to go.  I find my time spent here is usually some of the most productive of anywhere else and for good reason. You simply can’t beat the dramatic landscapes and abundant wildlife. The mountains rise up from the plains in the east and tower over you with sharp jagged ridges, glaciers, and sweeping vistas. The blue waters tinted with glacier silt of the many lakes reveal their multicolored rocks, like candy under the turquoise surface and wildflowers erupt in an epic display of color throughout the park.

There’s also only one road though Glacier and it’s probably the most jaw dropping 50 miles you may ever experience. Literally blasted out of the cliffs, hugging the mountains with thousands of feet of empty space below, it joins the west and east side of the park climbing in the middle to the top of Logan Pass. Completed in 1933 after nearly three decades of construction it’s a real testament to the determination and ingenuity of the men who constructed it and put in place a scenic drive that seemed an impossibility.

Bringing your long lenses? Grizzly & black bear, moose, big horn sheep, mountain goats are just a few of the large mammals that call Glacier home. Head to the northeast for some of the highest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 or head up high and hang out with mountain goats as you point your camera over sub alpine meadows dotted with wildflowers and stunning backdrops of some of the parks 10,000ft peaks. 

Best time to visit is July-Oct, the rest of the year main access to the interior of the park is closed due to snow.

Montana State Parks
Makoshika Sunrise. Canon 5D MKII 17-40mm f4 f11 1/30 ISO100

Makoshika State Park

Head east, far east in Montana, to the small town of Glendive nestled up against the North Dakota border where you will find Maksoshika State Park, a surreal landscape and one of our coolest State Parks (in my opinion) in Montana. Makoshika is relatively small, only about 11,000 acres, but it sits in an area that is unique geographically and gives a glimpse into our prehistoric past. The park is an ancient exposed seabed that has been shaped by wind and water over millions of years and gives you a sense as you’re hiking through that you’re wandering in some sort of martian-like landscape. 

Makoshika in Lakota translates to “Bad Land” or “Bad Earth”, which seems appropriate as it’s situated in the badlands that stretch between Montana and North Dakota connecting up in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is a short drive east from Makoshika. The badlands in this area can be beautiful in late spring as the rains come and green starts to dot the brown parched landscape. In early summer, awesome thunderstorms make their way through bringing lightning shows and dramatic weather that can make for some fantastic landscape photography.  

To get to Makoshika head to the town of Glendive just off of I-94. There is some camping inside the park and also lodging in town. Late spring through fall is the best time to visit, but be prepared in mid summer for hot temps and drier conditions. 

Montana Fall
Rainy Lake, Montana. Canon 5D 70-200m 2.8 f11 1/20 ISO100

Seeley-Swan Valley

Are you searching for the perfect fall location to explore in Montana? Wondering where the best time is spent for great colors and epic landscapes? When fall arrives there is one place I head every year and that’s the Seeley-Swan Valley located in western Montana, a short 45 min drive northeast of Missoula. 

The valley is bordered by two distinct mountain ranges, the Missions to the west and the Swan Range to the east. On the other side of the Missions lies Flathead Lake and the Mission Valley and to the east past the Swan Range lies the famous Bob Marshall Wilderness. What makes the Seeley-Swan Valley so special? 

One, it’s home to a chain of lakes that stretch from north to south, some large some small, providing great landscape opportunities, especially with fall reflections. Second the valley is thick with larch or “tamaracks” as the locals call them, the only deciduous conifer and one that turns a brilliant orange in the fall, one of the primary reasons for photographing the area. Third are the mountains. Both ranges provide great backdrops, especially when the snow comes to the high country, adding nicely fitting snow capped peaks into the scene. 

Not only are the views amazing, but you have some great wildlife opportunities with both grizzly & black bear, moose, elk, and other large mammals. Not to mention some birding opportunity as well with bald eagles, loons, waterfowl and other migrating birds.

The best time to visit if you’re coming for the larch, is mid-late October. 

Montana Photography
Sunset, Rocky Mountain Front. Canon 5D MKIII 15mm 2.8 f16 1/30 ISO100

Rocky Mountain Front

What can I say about the Rocky Mountain Front? Well if I had to sum it up in into one word, I think it would be “Wild”! That’s the sense I get every time I make a trip into this incredible wilderness area. The “Front” in Montana stretches from just south of Glacier to the town of Lincoln and the two main towns that border this area are Choteau and Augusta. The mountains here rise up dramatically from the plains towering over the foothills where ranchers graze their cattle and grizzly bears still wander onto the plains just as they did before these lands were settled. 

One of the main draws of the Front is the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Just beyond the front range lies one of the largest roadless wilderness areas in the lower 48. Home to the second largest migratory elk herd in the United State and also the largest band of Big Horn Sheep it encompasses some of the most important and protected lands we have here. For day hikes or multi-day trips you can explore endlessly here with jaw dropping views and wildlife just about everywhere you turn. 

In the late spring I like to visit the Front as huge blooms of wildflowers appear carpeting the foothills and making for some awesome foregrounds. Late May into early June can be the best time, especially when the rains arrive. As you explore here whether driving the backroads or hiking in, you rarely see many people, giving you a sense that you have this whole place to yourself. I liken it to Glacier without the crowds. 

Montana Bison
National Bison Range. Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS II f4.5 1/8000 ISO800

The National Bison Range

The National Bison Range is located just north of Missoula next to the small town of St. Ignatius in the southern end of the Mission Valley. The Mission Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop all along the valley in the east and extend to the Bison Range. The National Bison Range was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt to provide a natural habitat where bison could roam, protected. The Bison Range is just over 18,000 acres and is home to about 500 head of bison. 

What makes the Bison Range such a special location for photography is it also has some of the best elk and white-tailed deer photography around. Visit in the fall and you will have the elk and deer in rut, which is pretty amazing with some huge bull elk bugling everywhere you turn. The range also is home to black bear, bighorn sheep, and a fantastic bird habitat. 

The reason I like to visit here so often is the combination of great close-up wildlife  photography combined with the scenery of the Mission Mountains. It’s a productive area to work both early morning and late evening, with the latter providing the best lighting for your mountain backdrop. There’s one scenic drive that goes through the range with the upper portion being a one way tour taking you up into the higher elevations. 

Best time to visit is Spring-Fall, with special attention to Bison, Elk and White-tailed Ruts. 

 

 

 

Winter in Yellowstone National Park

February 1, 2017 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Yellowstone Winter
Sun Dog, Yellowstone National Park. Canon 5D MK4 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/2000 ISO800

Just returned from a week back in Yellowstone National Park during one of my favorite seasons to explore our first park’s incredible wildlife and winter landscapes. It seems like the theme of my trip this go around was “blue & cold”, at least that’s the way a lot of my images seemed to turn out! The weather was clear and cold with temps around -20f during the mornings in the Lamar Valley which made for some interesting landscapes and also produced some pretty cool sun dogs and overall shooting atmosphere. Not to mention some cold fingers! 

If you haven’t visited Yellowstone in winter, it’s really a must for nature photographers. Whether you shoot landscapes or are a dedicated wildlife shooter, the uniqueness and beauty of the park in winter really offers up something for everyone. Obviously its wildlife is some of the best in the lower 48, especially when winter arrives, but the landscapes as well can bring some pretty cool things you don’t normally get a chance to see. When the weather turns harsh, it gets even better with unique atmosphere producing sun dogs, trees with hoar frost, and dramatic fog in the valleys. 

Jan-Feb is a great time to experience winter in the park and also to find the solitude that comes minus the crowds. Spending a cold morning in the  Lamar Valley with only you and few others around you are quickly reminded of this. As wolves howl in the distance and frosted bison roam nearby, it’s also a reminder that you’re standing in the last little bit of wild we have here and a place that has a new surprises around every corner for photographers. 

Yellowstone
Lamar Valley, Yellowstone N.P. Canon 5D MK4 11-24mm f4L. f11 1/250 ISO100

Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone Bison. Canon 5D mk4 500mm f4L IS II + 2X III. f8 1/1500 ISO400

 

Montana’s National Bison Range

May 10, 2015 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Montana Wildlife
Bison and Montana sky. Canon 5D markIII 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/1500 ISO400

It’s nice to be back doing some photography in Montana! It’s been a busy couple months getting caught up on print orders and traveling for workshops and now finally having a little time to sneak out for some photography in western Montana before I head back out. Things are looking spectacular out here right now and are only getting better. The National Bison Range is just a short drive from where we live in the Bitterroot and one of my favorite locations to photograph in the Mission Valley. Arrow-leaved balsamroots are in bloom, baby bison running around and snow still on the peaks. I only wish I had more time to spend here! Out last night I had some good luck with Yellow-headed blackbirds and some nice backlight work with the Bison. The light was also pretty nice on the Mission Mountains at sunset:) What I love about the Bison range is that even though it’s boundaries are small, it has so many rich elements in one area. The wildlife is usually within decent working distances, great bird habitat and you can’t beat the geography and the Missions as a backdrop. Lots of potential and you never know what you’re going to come away with. Looking forward to more trips this summer!

Montana Birds
Yellow-headed Blackbird. Canon 1DX, 500mm f4L IS II, 2X tc. f11 1/1500 ISO1600

Montana Sunset
Mission Mountain Sunset. Canon 5D markIII, 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II. f11 1/20 ISO100

 

Yellowstone National Park

March 19, 2015 by Jason Savage

Yellowstone Bison
Bison, Yellowstone. Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS, 1.4X f8 1/750 ISO200

This last month I’ve had the pleasure of working with Natural Habitat Adventures on their Wolf Quest Photo Trips in Yellowstone National Park. We’ve had some amazing encounters so far and I look forward to sharing some images soon when I return home.

Weather throughout the west has been really warm and things are thawing rapidly in Yellowstone. Signs of spring are definitely here with bears out, migrating birds showing up, and remaining snow pack quickly disappearing.

This big bison was taken in the northeast corner of the park as he broke his way through some of the remaining deep snow on a cold morning in early March.

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2014 by Jason Savage

Yellowstone WInter

Happy Holidays to everyone and wishing you the best in the coming new year!

Bull Moose, Yellowstone National Park

 

 

Holiday Print Sale

December 12, 2014 by Jason Savage 6 Comments

Churchill Manitoba
There’s still one week left for our Holiday Print Sale! Receive 25% off and free shipping on all print orders, including limited editions. I’m busy printing, signing, and packing prints this week, getting all orders out the door here, so if you need something in a hurry, don’t hesitate to call and we can rush your order.

Red Fox  Churchill, Manitoba

Canon 7D mkII Review

November 21, 2014 by Jason Savage 1 Comment

Canon 7D mkII Review

Canon Cameras

Now that I’ve had a couple weeks to do some shooting with Canon’s newest APS-C sensor camera, I thought I would finally weigh in on some of its pros and cons and why I’m excited about this new addition in Canon’s lineup. I’m not going to cover everything in this camera, but just some of the highlights that I feel are important to most photographers. I took a series of shots yesterday to highlight the different ISO, lens & teleconverter combos.

…

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Montana Bison

October 2, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Montana Bison Photography
Bison at the National Bison Range, Montana.

After spending an amazing week exploring locations around western Montana, I’m finally getting a chance to get caught up on some of the images here this morning.  I had the opportunity to spend some time at the National Bison Range last week and had a couple days of just outstanding light and activity with many different animals. The Bison were still exhibiting a little bit of their rutting behavior and were doing some great dusting and much more active. Sometimes it’s being in the right place at the right time, but I was hoping for some of these guys to wander into the great backlighting we were having at first light and managed to get a few that came in front of the camera. Hope to spend some more time this next week capturing fall colors across Montana and making another visit to the range.

Canon 1DX  500mm f4L IS II  f4.5  1/8000  ISO800

Montana Elk Photography

September 28, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Montana Elk Photography
Elk rut, western Montana

Here’s a shot from last week while I was out photographing fall colors and the elk rut in western Montana. I’ve had some of the most wild and intense elk photography over the last couple days I think I’ve ever had out here. The weather has been great and there’s been a ton of activity going on with the elk. I was fortunate enough on this morning to get some great backlighting to work with, allowing me to create some really nice landscape shots with the elk.

Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS II , 2Xtc  f8  1/1000  ISO800

 

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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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