Your excellent review was well timed as I am currently considering buying the A9 for its Eye Af and Real time tracking which in my opinion is superior to anything else in the current market During your testing did you find any way to toggle on/off a Custom key to switch the Eye AF without having to hold the button in all the time you required it to function.
Ziggy
June 10, 2019 4:04 am
The AF area Spot – Small has trouble locking onto a small bird in foliage. Certainly not up to my D500’s performance in those circumstances. I’m wondering whether that’s because the Sony only has line-type PDAF sensors. Or f8, the max with the Sony 100-400mm & 1.4x TC, doesn’t provide enough data. Or on-sensor PDAF isn’t quite as accurate as a separate module.
I don’t know if they’ve improved the mk2 but mine is absolutely spot on with the 200-600G
Alfred
January 18, 2019 9:23 am
13.6) ISO Performance at High ISOs (ISO 1600-25600)
“ISO 12800 shows a major increase in overall noise with chrominance noise now starting to taint the quality of the colors. This is especially noticeable in areas of subtle colors, such as the in the image with subtle color changes”
Uuhh, Looks like there was a thief… ;-)
Mathias
December 29, 2018 2:16 am
I wonder why did You not mention about using LCD screen as “touchapd” for choosing AF point??? Wouldn’t You struggle with aquisition of small objects then? I am not Sony user but after seeing Canon 80D/70D and M5 being capable of this I think this is obvious. Am I missing something? Or is touch AF on Sony not precise enough?
Blake
December 25, 2018 2:21 pm
“On Canon DSLRs, you can only ever recall one set of unique overrides” This comment is wrong the 1Dx and 1DxII allow 5 completely unique over-rides that you can toggle through with the Fn button beside the shutter button.
The Canon custom over-rides can be edited on the fly allowing you to toggle through the pre-sets with the changes your using for that session. Sony pre-sets do not update so you have to make changes like exposure, each time switching back to the preset.
The Dragons Father
November 2, 2018 2:06 am
Just have to comment in the review on this (despite loving the review, and the site, as a whole) : *The camera never showed any signs of stopping when used in some light rain and high humidity. Something that can’t be said about the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM which fogged up internally on more than one occasion when faced with high humidity and abrupt temperature changes*
This isn’t an issue with the 100-400 (which I have) it’s pure science. There is air (containing moisture) in every sealed lens. I’ve shot everywhere from wind-chilled -50C (Snowy Owls in Inner Mongolia during a blizzard) to the high temperatures and raging humidity of the rainforests of Taman Nagara and Sabah. It’s the same for all lenses (e.g. I was using Nikon’s 300/2.8 and 500/4 and 200-500 at that time) – keep the cameras and lenses in zipped plastic bags with a few silica gel bags when moving from inside to outside (or vice versa) until temperature of the camera/lenses have equalised.
InLighted
August 5, 2018 7:57 am
That issue may not be on you. I haven’t seen any comparisons between the D850 and the A9, but I have seen an AF comparison between the D850, A7RIII, and A7III.
Granted, it’s comparing people moving towards the camera so no idea how that would translate to dogs.
ZE'EV KIRSHENBOIM
August 4, 2018 7:39 pm
Hi Dvir, Nice review. One feature that you have not mentioned is the Eye-focus for portraits. I have the Nikon D5 and D850 as well as the Sony a9 and ar73. For portraits and people photography, I exclusively use the Sony due the Eye-focus feature. I also use the camera for underwater photography. Mainly super macro photography, shooting small moving critters from a distance of 5 cm and less. The fantastic AF system in this case is second to none and enables me to nail tack sharp focus on an eye of a moving 2 cm long fish which is almost impossible to achieve with other first class professional cameras. One severe limitation of the mirror-less cameras (in addition to poor weather sealing) is the exposure of the sensor when switching lenses. It collects dirt very fast, and while riding an open SUV in Africa, I would not dare changing a lens. As much as I am careful doing so, I need to clean the sensor almost every second day. And as was written in a previous article here (by Nassim?), the sensor coating is very sensitive and prone to damage. I wish Sony created a Lens Changing Mode that shuts the mechanical curtain to protect the sensor during the lens changing process.
Ze’ev Kirshenboim
sceptical1
July 31, 2018 5:07 pm
This is a very good review and your photography is stunning. I spent a day with this camera last year and was, in general, very impressed. I did have one issue which I now believe is on me. I was disappointed in the way AF worked with the subject coming directly at me. This type of AF is key to the type of photography I do – fast moving dogs frequently coming straight at me. I couldn’t get the Sony to work as well as my Nikons. I found that if the subject was moving parallel to the camera it tracked even better than my Nikons – but that was not what I wanted. I need the best AF possible for objects coming at me. Your review makes it clear that this camera does that as well or better than its competitors so I now know that I didn’t understand the necessary settings. Regardless, I was impressed. I will probably never purchase this camera or any other FF camera. If they produce an APC version of it, I would be very tempted to switch to it after I wear out my Nikons.
GS
July 31, 2018 7:11 am
Great review. I am on the verge of deciding to buy one. Offers by Sony, have made it below US$3500; just within reach. Planning to combine with Zeiss 35mm and 55mm. I am not a pro; have been using Canon 5DSR for the last 3 years. Fast AF, full frame spread of AF points and good low ISO performance is too tempting. 20FPS will come in handy when my toddler starts walking!
Your excellent review was well timed as I am currently considering buying the A9 for its Eye Af and Real time tracking which in my opinion is superior to anything else in the current market
During your testing did you find any way to toggle on/off a Custom key to switch the Eye AF without having to hold the button in all the time you required it to function.
The AF area Spot – Small has trouble locking onto a small bird in foliage. Certainly not up to my D500’s performance in those circumstances.
I’m wondering whether that’s because the Sony only has line-type PDAF sensors.
Or f8, the max with the Sony 100-400mm & 1.4x TC, doesn’t provide enough data.
Or on-sensor PDAF isn’t quite as accurate as a separate module.
I don’t know if they’ve improved the mk2 but mine is absolutely spot on with the 200-600G
13.6) ISO Performance at High ISOs (ISO 1600-25600)
“ISO 12800 shows a major increase in overall noise with chrominance noise now starting to taint the quality of the colors. This is especially noticeable in areas of subtle colors, such as the in the image with subtle color changes”
Uuhh, Looks like there was a thief… ;-)
I wonder why did You not mention about using LCD screen as “touchapd” for choosing AF point??? Wouldn’t You struggle with aquisition of small objects then? I am not Sony user but after seeing Canon 80D/70D and M5 being capable of this I think this is obvious. Am I missing something? Or is touch AF on Sony not precise enough?
“On Canon DSLRs, you can only ever recall one set of unique overrides” This comment is wrong the 1Dx and 1DxII allow 5 completely unique over-rides that you can toggle through with the Fn button beside the shutter button.
The Canon custom over-rides can be edited on the fly allowing you to toggle through the pre-sets with the changes your using for that session. Sony pre-sets do not update so you have to make changes like exposure, each time switching back to the preset.
Just have to comment in the review on this (despite loving the review, and the site, as a whole) : *The camera never showed any signs of stopping when used in some light rain and high humidity. Something that can’t be said about the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM which fogged up internally on more than one occasion when faced with high humidity and abrupt temperature changes*
This isn’t an issue with the 100-400 (which I have) it’s pure science. There is air (containing moisture) in every sealed lens. I’ve shot everywhere from wind-chilled -50C (Snowy Owls in Inner Mongolia during a blizzard) to the high temperatures and raging humidity of the rainforests of Taman Nagara and Sabah. It’s the same for all lenses (e.g. I was using Nikon’s 300/2.8 and 500/4 and 200-500 at that time) – keep the cameras and lenses in zipped plastic bags with a few silica gel bags when moving from inside to outside (or vice versa) until temperature of the camera/lenses have equalised.
That issue may not be on you. I haven’t seen any comparisons between the D850 and the A9, but I have seen an AF comparison between the D850, A7RIII, and A7III.
youtu.be/ClBBuOHbuF8?t=225
Granted, it’s comparing people moving towards the camera so no idea how that would translate to dogs.
Hi Dvir,
Nice review.
One feature that you have not mentioned is the Eye-focus for portraits. I have the Nikon D5 and D850 as well as the Sony a9 and ar73. For portraits and people photography, I exclusively use the Sony due the Eye-focus feature. I also use the camera for underwater photography. Mainly super macro photography, shooting small moving critters from a distance of 5 cm and less. The fantastic AF system in this case is second to none and enables me to nail tack sharp focus on an eye of a moving 2 cm long fish which is almost impossible to achieve with other first class professional cameras.
One severe limitation of the mirror-less cameras (in addition to poor weather sealing) is the exposure of the sensor when switching lenses. It collects dirt very fast, and while riding an open SUV in Africa, I would not dare changing a lens. As much as I am careful doing so, I need to clean the sensor almost every second day. And as was written in a previous article here (by Nassim?), the sensor coating is very sensitive and prone to damage. I wish Sony created a Lens Changing Mode that shuts the mechanical curtain to protect the sensor during the lens changing process.
Ze’ev Kirshenboim
This is a very good review and your photography is stunning. I spent a day with this camera last year and was, in general, very impressed. I did have one issue which I now believe is on me. I was disappointed in the way AF worked with the subject coming directly at me. This type of AF is key to the type of photography I do – fast moving dogs frequently coming straight at me. I couldn’t get the Sony to work as well as my Nikons. I found that if the subject was moving parallel to the camera it tracked even better than my Nikons – but that was not what I wanted. I need the best AF possible for objects coming at me. Your review makes it clear that this camera does that as well or better than its competitors so I now know that I didn’t understand the necessary settings. Regardless, I was impressed.
I will probably never purchase this camera or any other FF camera. If they produce an APC version of it, I would be very tempted to switch to it after I wear out my Nikons.
Great review. I am on the verge of deciding to buy one. Offers by Sony, have made it below US$3500; just within reach. Planning to combine with Zeiss 35mm and 55mm. I am not a pro; have been using Canon 5DSR for the last 3 years. Fast AF, full frame spread of AF points and good low ISO performance is too tempting. 20FPS will come in handy when my toddler starts walking!