Sony a9 Mirrorless Camera Now Available for Preorder

[Mikehit]

That is indeed impressive. The key thing will be how often it nails focus like that - 'pretty respectable' will not cut it with a pro.
Also, that is with the native Sony lens - performance with f2.8lenses (which will be from other marques and need an adapter) is something else again.

 

[3kramd5]

Also, that is with the native Sony lens - performance with f2.8lenses (which will be from other marques and need an adapter) is something else again.

That is an f/2.8 lens, right?

I wouldn't judge a sony on its ability to focus lenses from other marques any more than I'd bemoan the responsiveness of third party speedlight systems on my canons. If adapters allow it to focus third party lenses well, that's bonus.

I'm not feeling moved to sell my 1Dx by any means, but it gives me new hope for mirrorless focusing systems.

 

[Dylan777]

That is indeed impressive. The key thing will be how often it nails focus like that - 'pretty respectable' will not cut it with a pro.
Also, that is with the native Sony lens - performance with f2.8lenses (which will be from other marques and need an adapter) is something else again.

Said before, going to say it again. Stay with native lenses to get the BEST out of mirrorless. People keep adapting 3rd party(DSLR lenses) and expect to work as good as native = SAD

 

[Mikehit]

Also, that is with the native Sony lens - performance with f2.8lenses (which will be from other marques and need an adapter) is something else again.

That is an f/2.8 lens, right?

I wouldn't judge a sony on its ability to focus lenses from other marques and more than I'd bemoan the responsiveness of third party speedlight systems on my canons. If adapters allow it to focus third party lenses well, that's bonus.

I'm not feeling moved to sell my 1Dx by any means, but it gives me new hope for mirrorless focusing systems.

The thing is that this camera is clearly touted as being for the sports and wildlife photographer - and they use a lot of telephoto f2.4 and f4 lenses. These are lenses that Sony lack (yes, they have the 70-2000 f2.8 but that is it) which means that the pro would be using Canon/Nikon lenses with an adapter and performance takes a nosedive if the tortuously long list of Sony footnotes are decyphered correctly.

From what I read even Sony A mount lenses take a hit with an adapter.

 

[3kramd5]

The thing is that this camera is clearly touted as being for the sports and wildlife photographer - and they use a lot of telephoto f2.4 and f4 lenses. These are lenses that Sony lack (yes, they have the 70-2000 f2.8 but that is it) which means that the pro would be using Canon/Nikon lenses with an adapter and performance takes a nosedive if the tortuously long list of Sony footnotes are decyphered correctly.

From what I read even Sony A mount lenses take a hit with an adapter.

Yes, they have some holes to fill up. There is a rumored 400mm prime coming for E mount (no details), but it's going to take time.

A-mount lenses certainly take a prescribed hit to framerate (50%). It's probably related to expected AF performance since a-mount lenses are designed to focus differently than are e-mount lenses (E-mount focuses stopped down, and the linkages in a-mount lenses can't do it as quickly).

 

[3kramd5]

Adapted canon 500mm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=GjPHze8dOCE

 

[privatebydesign]

Adapted canon 500mm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=GjPHze8dOCE

Interesting, it refocused on the plane really quickly but it failed to reaquire the helicopter for a long time.

 

[3kramd5]

Adapted canon 500mm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=GjPHze8dOCE

Interesting, it refocused on the plane really quickly but it failed to reaquire the helicopter for a long time.

Yah, it has that "closest subject to the camera" feel to it, at least in whatever mode this was.

 

[3kramd5]

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2017/20170525_2056-Sony_A9-PatternNoise-at-ISO100.html


Pattern noise at base ISO. Sony is doomed.

 

[privatebydesign]

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2017/20170525_2056-Sony_A9-PatternNoise-at-ISO100.html


Pattern noise at base ISO. Sony is doomed.

 

[Sporgon]

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2017/20170525_2056-Sony_A9-PatternNoise-at-ISO100.html


Pattern noise at base ISO. Sony is doomed.

The Sony a9 is a camera aimed at sports and fast action, and in these kinds of situations the photographer doesn't have to create a rapport with the subject, and so has time to concentrate on exposure. An exception to this might be photographing the Russian women's Olympic Curling team, when the photographer may be trying hard to create a rapport with his subjects, but as curling is a pretty slow sport anyway he could use his 1DX.

This would not be the case with a camera such as the 5Dsr, which is intended for photographing pretty girls half an hour after sun down, and in these situations the photographer must concentrate in creating a rapport with his model, and this leaves little time to consider correct exposure. Thus any reasonable person could conclude that read noise in an A9 is perfectly acceptable whereas in a 5Dsr it is a disaster.

Also, as a footnote, it seems that in the a9 the red channel is the main culprit so if you stick to photographing Smurfs you'd be fine anyway.

 

[Ryananthony]

The ''1DX killer'' apparently over heated in 20 minutes shooting stills only on a hot day according this photographer.

Canon is doomed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxGl9Tl6Sao

 

[Jopa]

An Mk2 is coming in ~6 months, hopefully they will fix at least some of those issues.

 

[Jack Douglas]

The ''1DX killer'' apparently over heated in 20 minutes shooting stills only on a hot day according this photographer.

Canon is doomed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxGl9Tl6Sao

He sure gave Sony a piece of his mind over that. It's like, here is a life boat, jump in; it usually works.

Canon is not presently doomed but I bet they are paying attention.

Jack

 

[drjlo]

The ''1DX killer'' apparently over heated in 20 minutes shooting stills only on a hot day according this photographer.

Canon is doomed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxGl9Tl6Sao

Kind of reminds me of the Sony HVL-F60M flash overheating fiasco. Sony "fixed" the issue after boatloads of complaints and bad publicity by issuing a new firmware that slows down recycle time and reduce flash power output :-[

If Sony fixes the A9 overheating issue by firmware fix to slow down the camera, then I would just spray paint the camera in white color to combat the overheating under the Sun issue

 

[Keith_Reeder]

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2017/20170525_2056-Sony_A9-PatternNoise-at-ISO100.html

Pattern noise at base ISO.

Its users will be able to thank Canon (and specifically some older 7D sensors) for the fact that the likes of Topaz DeNoise comes with a debanding tool!

 

[Jopa]

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2017/20170525_2056-Sony_A9-PatternNoise-at-ISO100.html

Pattern noise at base ISO.

Its users will be able to thank Canon (and specifically some older 7D sensors) for the fact that the likes of Topaz DeNoise comes with a debanding tool!

Wow... apparently they had to sacrifice a lot to get fast speed.

 

[Keith_Reeder]

Yep - but the Canon-bashing Sony groupies on here will still find a way to contort this into being "OK", because - y'know - Sony.

What with this and the "surprising" sensor in the D5 (the Canon 80D has better low ISO DR - which as we're forever being told, is all that matters - than the D5!), it seems like Sony's sensor-fu is getting weaker at just the same time that Canon's is getting stronger...

Wonder if Mikael's head has actually exploded yet...

 

[IglooEater]

https://diglloyd.com/blog/2017/20170525_2056-Sony_A9-PatternNoise-at-ISO100.html


Pattern noise at base ISO. Sony is doomed.

In curious; this became evident when he isolated the Red channel. I don't see it in the complete image. Will this show up in day-to-day normal usage?

 

[Mikehit]

it seems like Sony's sensor-fu is getting weaker at just the same time that Canon's is getting stronger...

I don't think it is so much that Sony's follow on sensors are getting weaker, as they made such a huge advance with the A7R series that they hit the technological buffers before Canon has. Tortoise and hare. Which means by the time that mirrorless really catches on, the two will be very similar.

Also, I suspect that Canon has been developing all-purpose sensors with a bent towards their main high-profile lead which is sport and wildlife. Now that Sony is venturing seriously into that market, what we are seeing is Sony having to make the same compromises that Canon and Nikon have been doing for years. And it is a very rude awakening.