Ever since I got my first a7s back in 2015 I have pondered what would make me switch from Canon. Now having owned an A7Rii for some time I was talking to someone quite recently and came up with a list of things I'd need in a Sony camera to make me ditch Canon altogether. This camera has EVERY SINGLE ONE!. Honestly, my things i'd like in a camera update were..
1. Mini joystick to move the focus point around (so much faster than the current system).
2. Around 24MP as 44MP is great but if you are shooting a lot of images the processing power and space required is obscene.
3. Faster overall, write speeds, fps etc. This camera delivers that..20FPS..bloody hell that's 8k video!
Sony have pulled it out of the bag. The new Sony A9 has all of the above and more. Things such as dual card slots, 2x the resolution in the viewfinder, better focusing coverage (you can now focus on 95% of the view you see through the screen which embarrasses SLRs). Dedicated autofocus type switch. All this in a tiny body with the usual Sony features like remote control from your phone.
Now the release of a new crazy spec camera is always interesting but the main thing that got me hyped about this is the idea that I might be able to lug less gear around. If I could get away with it i'd carry my iphone around or something smaller but since the quality isn't there we are stuck with conventional cameras for a while. At the moment I carry around 3 camera bodies, a bit of a mix between the Sony and Canon gear as I prefer the Sony for static shots and video but the Canons were so much faster...up until now!
The current weight of this setup on my back (not including laptop, spare batteries, lights etc etc) is 7kg. Switching to a Sony only setup would knock this down to 4.3kg..that's a 2.7kg reduction in the weight i have to carry around whilst improving quality and speed, that's insane. Nearly 40% less weight! I'm sold, I'm ordering one and I'll let you know how it is when I get it. I've included below the full press release from Sony for those that want to geek out.
The new camera offers many impressive capabilities that are simply not possible with a modern digital SLR camera including high-speed, blackout-free continuous shooting3 at up to 20fps(4), 60 AF/AE tracking calculations per second(10), a maximum shutter speed of up to 1/32,000 second(8) and much more. These are made possible thanks to its 35mm full-frame stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS sensor – the world’s first of its kind – which enables data speed processing at up to 20x faster than previous Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras(11). This unique sensor is paired with a brand new, upgraded BIONZ X processing engine and front end LSI that maximizes overall performance.
This industry-leading speed and innovative silent shooting(7) is combined with a focusing system that features an incredible 693 phase detection AF points. Covering approximately 93% of the frame, the focusing system ensures that even the fasting moving subjects are reliably captured and tracked across the frame.
The new α9 also features a vibration free, fully electronic, completely silent anti-distortion shutter(7) with absolutely no mechanical mirror or shutter noise, making it an extremely powerful photographic tool for any shooting situation that demands quiet operation. To ensure maximum usability and reliability, the camera features a new Z battery with approximately 2.2x the capacity of W batteries, as well as dual SD media card slots, including one that supports UHS-II cards. An Ethernet port (wired LAN terminal) is available as well, and there is a wide variety of new settings, controls and customizability options that are essential for working pros.
Critical to the record-breaking speed of the new α9 is the combination of the new stacked 24.2 MP(2) Exmor RS image sensor, new BIONZ X processor and front end LSI.
The immense processing power from these new components allows for faster AF/AE calculation while also reducing EVF display latency. The processor and front end LSI are also responsible for the larger continuous shooting buffer, enabling photographers to shoot at a blazing 20 fps(4) with continuous AF/AE tracking for up to 362 JPEG(6) or 241 RAW(5) images.
The camera’s innovative AF system tracks complex, erratic motion with higher accuracy than ever before, with the ability to calculate AF/AE at up to 60 times per second(10), regardless of shutter release and frame capture. Further, when the shutter is released while shooting stills, the electronic viewfinder functions with absolutely no blackout, giving the user a seamless live view of their subject at all times(12). This feature truly combines all of the benefits of an electronic viewfinder with the immediacy and “in the moment” advantages that not even the finest optical viewfinders can match, and is available in all still image modes including high speed 20 fps(4) continuous shooting.
This all adds up to a luminance that is 2x higher than the XGA OLED Tru-Finder from the α7R II, creating a viewfinder image with a brightness level that is nearly identical to the actual scene being framed, ensuring the most natural shooting experience. The frame rate of the Tru-Finder is even customizable, with options to set it for 60 fps or 120 fps(13) to best match the action.
The α9 is equipped with an innovative 5-axis image stabilization system that provides a shutter speed advantage of 5.0 steps(9), ensuring the full resolving power of the new sensor can be realized, even in challenging lighting. Also, with a simple half press of the shutter button, the effect of the image stabilization can be monitored in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen, allowing framing and focus to be accurately checked and continually monitored.
The unique design of the α9 image sensor represents the pinnacle of Sony device technology. The 24.2 MP 2 full-frame stacked CMOS sensor is back-illuminated, allowing to capture maximum light and produce outstanding, true-to-life image quality. The sensor also enables the diverse ISO range of 100 – 51,200, expandable to 50 – 204,800(14), ensuring optimum image quality with minimum noise at all settings.
The new α9 is very capable as a video camera as well, as it offers 4K (3840x2160p) video recording across the full width of the full-frame image sensor (15,16). When shooting in this format, the camera uses full pixel readout without pixel binning to collect 6K of information, oversampling it to produce high quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth. Recording is also available in the popular Super 35mm size.
Additionally, the camera can record Full HD at 120 fps at up to 100 Mbps, which allows footage to be reviewed and eventually edited into 4x or 5x slow motion video files in Full HD resolution with AF tracking (17).
-NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Battery – high-capacity battery with approximately 2.2x the capacity of the NP-FW50 W-series battery. It also supports InfoLITHIUM® technology, making it possible to view the remaining battery power as both a percentage display and five step icon on the camera’s LCD screen.
-VG-C3EM Vertical Grip – provides same operation, handling and design as theα9 camera, doubles battery life and allows USB battery-charging via the camera body.
-NPA-MQZ1K Multi-Battery Adaptor Kit – External multi-battery adaptor kit capable of functioning as an external power supply for four Z series batteries and as a quick charger. Kit comes with two packs of NP-FZ100 rechargeable batteries.
-GP-X1EM Grip Extension – Grip extender with same look, feel and design as α9 body. Enables more solid hold on camera.
-BC-QZ1 Battery Charger –quick-charging battery charger. Charges one new Z series battery in approximately 2.5 hours.
A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new Α90 camera and other Sony α products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site built to educate and inspire all fans and customers of the Sony α brand.
3. Electronic shutter mode. At apertures smaller than F11 (F-numbers higher than F11), focus will not track the subject and focus points will be fixed on the first frame. Display updating will be slower at slow shutter speeds.
4. “Hi” continuous shooting mode. The maximum frame rate will depend on the shooting mode and lens used. Visit Sony’s support web page for lens compatibility information.
5. “Hi” continuous shooting mode, compressed RAW, UHS-II memory card. Sony tests.
6. “Hi” continuous shooting mode, UHS-II memory card. Sony tests.
8. 1/32000 shutter speed is available only in the S and M modes. The highest shutter speed in all other modes is 1/16000.
9. CIPA standards. Pitch/yaw stabilization only. Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA lens. Long exposure NR off.
10. At shutter speeds higher than 1/125 sec, smooth and blackout-free live view images are shown in EVF.
11. Compared to the front-illuminated CMOS image sensor in the α7 II.
12. Display updating will be slower at slow shutter speeds.
13. When the auto or electronic shutter mode is selected the viewfinder frame rate is fixed at 60 fps during continuous shooting.
14. Still images, mechanical shutter: ISO 100 – 51,200 expandable to ISO 50 – 204,800.
Still images, electronic shutter: ISO 100 – 25,600 expandable to ISO 50 – 25,600.
Movie recording: ISO 100 – 51,200 expandable to ISO 100 – 102,400.
16. Class 10 or higher SDHC/SDXC memory card required for XAVC S format movie recording. UHS Speed Class U3 required for 100Mbps or higher recording.
17. Sound not recorded. Class 10 or higher SDHC/SDXC memory card required.