No camera is as exciting or interesting as the Sony a9 III. Since Sony announced it in early November, the a9 III has occupied considerable space in my mind. Many questions have swirled since, and the answers to each have proved mercurial.
Following DPReview publising its Sony a9 III studio test shots, PetaPixel wrote about our hands-on experience with the a9 III's image quality. We wanted to add more context to that discussion, even if it spoils parts of our impending review.
While PetaPixel is currently deep in its real-world test of the upcoming Sony a9 III (expect that review in the next couple of weeks), Richard Butler from DPReview just published a studio test that highlights a very real issue with the global shutter: noise.
The upcoming Sony a9 III brings with it many incredible new features, including a novel global shutter system that will enable the camera to shoot at up to 120 frames per second, use shutter speeds as fast as 1/80,000s, and, perhaps most impressively, sync with a flash at any shutter speed.
Like most photographers, I’ve never reviewed a piece of gear before. Also like most photographers, I tend to voraciously read reviews each time I consider upgrading. Many of these reviews parse through micro-level analysis of pixel detail, noise levels, and test charts but to me fail to answer the simple question: “will this help me get the shot?”
The Sony a9 III is not officially launching until next spring, but that doesn't mean there isn't more exciting information to discuss.
The Sony a9 III is still months away from release but has already sent photographers into a frenzy. The positive buzz around the camera is as high as any camera reveal ever, and with good reason. The a9 III's global shutter system is a complete game-changer for a wide range of photographers and videographers and will enable shots that have long been impossible.
It's been a busy week in the photography world, highlighted by the launch of the Sony a9 III. As the first full-frame CMOS sensor camera with a global shutter made for photography, we had to ask: is this the start of widespread adoption of the tech?
This week, Sony announced the a9 III featuring the world's first full-frame 24-megapixel sensor to feature a global shutter in a interchangeable lens mirrorless camera. There have only been a few times in my reviewing career where I would, in all seriousness, call something an actual game-changer. This is certainly one of those moments.
It is difficult to overstate just how big of a deal the Sony a9 III is, at least on paper. As is always the case with press events, and especially ones where hands-on time is limited, pre-production firmware is installed, and shooting opportunities are cultivated, you should consume pre-release content with (many) grains of salt. Hypertension be damned.
In what is perhaps the most significant Sony camera announcement, well, ever, the dominant force in the mirrorless market has introduced the a9 III, the world's first full-frame camera with a global shutter system, which promises massive benefits for high-speed photography.
The White House has released the official portraits of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. They were shot by Chief Official White House Photographer Adam Schultz using a Sony a9 II full-frame mirrorless camera.
Over the past week, multiple rumor sites have reported that Sony is actively developing a new Sony a9 full-frame mirrorless camera that could be described as a "Canon R5 Killer." The camera will allegedly feature a 50MP sensor, shoot 8K video, and be released in Q1 of 2021.
DxOMark have published their results after testing the sensor inside Sony's (relatively) new a9 Mark II, and despite sporting the exact same chip as its predecessor, the Sony a9, the Mark II somehow managed to get a higher score.
Yesterday, Sony unveiled their latest Xperia smartphones. And while you don't typically see Sony's phones at the top of the smartphone photography heap with Google, Apple and Samsung, the new Xperia 1 Mark II might change all that.
By now, it's a near-certainty that Sony will be revealing the high-speed Sony a9 II near the end of October. And thanks to a few leaks, we now have our first look at the full-frame mirrorless camera.
If you own the Sony a9, it's time to head over to the Sony website and download some new firmware. The long-awaited Firmware Version 6.0 has finally been released, adding Eye AF, an Interval Timer, and more to the high-speed Sony sports shooter.
There are pros and cons to both DSLR and mirrorless cameras, but one advantage of mirrorless is making headlines after the Democratic debates this week. The completely silent shooting of the Sony a9 turned out to be a "great advantage" for one photographer.
Sony has launched firmware version 5.0 for its flagship a9 mirrorless camera. The major software update brings AI-powered autofocus capabilities, better image quality, and workflow improvements.
Sony has just announced major upcoming firmware updates to the a9, a7R III, and a7 III mirrorless cameras that will include improved autofocus performance and features.
The Sony a9 has been named "Camera of the Year" by in the prestigious Camera Grand Prix 2018 held by the Camera Journal Press Club (CJPC), a 55-year-old coalition of 10 of the most influential photography and camera publications in Japan.
Photo Gear News recently visited the Sony factory in Chonburi, Thailand, where the highly-acclaimed Sony a9 mirrorless camera is being manufactured. This 6.5-minute video offers a behind-the-scenes look into the factory.
Take a look at the video above. It's actually a string of still photos that shows how blazing fast the new Sony a9 is. The sequences were shot using the camera's 20fps burst mode for photos.
The flagship cameras from Sony, Canon, and Nikon -- the a9, 1D X II, and D5 -- are all brilliant pieces of kit, but which is right for you? This 45-minute shootout from Michael Andrews (aka Michael The Maven) objectively compares the three cameras in great detail.
Until 2016, I had photographed weddings using nothing but Nikon cameras. First the D90, then D700, D3s, D4 and then the D4s (while dabbling with the D800, D810, and D750 in-between). I love/loved my Nikons and never regretted avoiding Canon at any stage.
Photographer Jared Polin has discovered something very strange in his "real world use" of the Sony a9: some of his photos have come out with some weird banding patterns over certain parts of the image.
If you're a sports or wildlife photographer, you may be giving the Sony a9 a long and eager look. But so far, telephoto options are limited, and there's nothing available over 200mm from Sony (yet). In this video, photographer Dan Watson mounts the Canon 300mm and 400mm lenses to test the autofocus capabilities.
Amid recent reports that the new Sony a9 would overheat easily in fairly normal shooting conditions, Imaging Resource decided to put the mirrorless camera through an overheating test to see whether it has a problem.
The Sony a9 mirrorless camera has been turning heads ever since it was first announced in April, and it will continue to do so with DxOmark's latest findings.
Sony’s flagship a9 camera is the first full-frame mirrorless that can really compete with DSLRs when it comes to overall speed. This 30-minute comparison from Max Yuryev and pro sports photographer Paul Nelson pits Sony’s camera against the Nikon D5 under a variety of conditions.
Episode 181 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast.
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Featured: Commercial and documentary photographer, Sam Comen
The Sony a9 is supposed to be a game changer in the world of sports photography, but now a new potential issue is threatening to disrupt those ambitions: photographers are reporting that the camera's overheating indicator is turning on after relatively short periods of use in ordinary conditions.
Photons to Photos has updated its Photographic Dynamic Range versus ISO Setting test database with results from the new Sony a9, and it found that the a9 holds its own against the flagship Nikon D5 and Canon 1D X Mark II DSLRs.
Sony is touting its new a9 camera as a sports camera with blazing fast autofocus and shooting speeds. If you weren't impressed with the camera tracking a pole vaulter at 20fps, check out the demo in the video above: the camera accurately keeps its focus locked on a basketball being tossed back and forth near it.
Episode 178 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast.
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Featured: Fashion and fine art photographer, Richard Terborg
As the saying goes, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." And it looks like this applies to camera tech as much as anything else. According to a new report, the Sony a9 had to sacrifice some dynamic range to reach the crazy 20fps speeds everyone is so excited about.
One of the main complaints when Sony releases a high-powered new full-frame E-Mount camera is, "Okay, but where's the glass!?" The release of the impressive Sony a9 'sports camera' was no different, but a new report claims Sony is working on at least one long, fast prime to silence the critics.
Sony claims the a9 is an autofocus tracking monster—its 693-point AF system performing 60 AF/AE calculations every second. But that's not limited to regular subject tracking; as this demo video shows, the eye-tracking AF has been significantly improved as well.
When editorial journalist Nick Didlick arrived at Churchill Downs for the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby, he wasn't toting Canon 1DX Mark IIs or Nikon D5s. No, he came equipped with six Sony a9 cameras to see what this new camera could do at one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
It's time for one more Sony a9 demo, because a high-speed sports camera is only as good as its AutoFocus system. Sony Artisan Gary Fong uploaded this pole vaulter demo, showing how well the a9 can keep up with a running athlete while shooting wide open.