bike trailer Sony SLT A99V Full Frame Digital Camera
The best low light performance yet of the Alphas I have owned. Still would like and onboard flash, for those lazy moments, and to control the Metz Ring Light.
Yes, there is a wireless flash delay. Makes using the Metz Ring Flash nearly impossible. The current patch is to use the A99's FEL, or Flash Exposure Lock, and then the delay goes away. Just don't change the distance to subject or the exposure will be off.
You will need the HVL-F60M flash as the adaptor that comes with the camera is not secure enough to trust your F42, 43, 56, or 58 too. That little wheel just won't stay tight.
Can take nice clean video, but seems to be hit or miss unlike the A77. Some have recommended turning off Steady Shot for video and that seems to help sharpen things up.
The onboard MIC is very, very good.
Beautiful JPEGS!
Range lock for the autoexposure works great.
Not sure if it is weather sealed as well as the A77. Disney World raft ride... no problem for the A77. Even took a soaking at the water park and the A77 kept on shooting. Very impressive but not confident the A99 would fare as well.
The view finder is exceptional and the tilt swivel screen makes those high/low shots easy.
Duel card slots are interesting but seems that some software won't upload from both cards without manual intervention.
Seems to be a power hog but then again I have everything turned on. Getting approx. 200-220 shots per charge.
Definitely needs a firmware upgrade and I hope it gets as much attention as the A77, which is currently on release number 1.07.
Be sure to give the auto portrait feature a try! The Sweep feature works vertically also.
As mentioned above you will probably want the HVL-F60M flash, one or two 94mbs memory cards, an extra battery and a great lens such as the SAL2470Z which plays very well with the additional autofocus points.
I've done two jobs with my Sony a99 and the camera has already paid for itself. It's a wonderful imaging machine. Mine works flawlessly, the EVF is as close to an optical viewfinder as you can imagine and the extras on the camera are features you can't find in the Nikon or Canon camp. For me the biggest feature (behind the wonderful full frame, low noise sensor) is the EVF. It's so great to be able to see in advance exactly what the camera is seeing, with the addition of creative settings, white balance settings, etc. already factored in. I have been a professional photographer for 25 years and I've been through the arc, from 4x5 view cameras being the standard, through medium format film and finally through the last ten years of digital. I've seen a lot of progress and, in my opinion, the Sony a99 is the next step down the line of imaging evolution.
BalasHapusWith an 85mm 1.4 Zeiss on the front the camera might just be the ultimate portrait camera.
My likes: a very flexible, two memory card system. Great video performance. Wonderful images at ISOs right up to 6400. A range of autofocus Carl Zeiss lenses.
My dislikes: I wish there were a couple of slower, cheaper prime lenses for everyday use. I'd love a 35mm 1.8 that's full frame.
About the price: five years ago most of the professional photographers I know would have dropped $8,000 in a second on this kind of performance. That you can buy this bundle of advanced capabilities for around $2800 is astounding. And a great bargain.
If you can't make great photos and videos with this machine then you need to take some classes because it absolutely delivers.
A significant factor in my choice of this camera was that I had an extensive Minolta Maxxum lens collection I had purchased while living in Japan in the 80's. So, while the body was expensive relative to some other choices, this was offset by the savings I realized in purchasing new lenses. Buying a full frame SLR, I enjoy the same range of focal lengths the Minolta lenses were originally designed to produce. Sony/Minolta's choice of in-camera image stabilization means I can enjoy that benefit even with these older lenses. Other camera lines have the stabilization system housed in the lens and you have to buy new lenses to get this benefit. Many of these older, used, Minolta lenses are available at low cost on ebay and retail outlets offering used gear.
BalasHapusThe camera offers a lot of features for both still and video photography and I am still learning to utilize them all after purchasing the camera in January. I am very pleased with the color and detail in the images this system produces. This SLR design, using a stationary mirror, reduces noise, vibration and mechanical complexity and supports a high burst frame rate. Fewer moving parts should mean higher reliability with less maintenance expense over time.
I have been shooting Minolta and later Sony for more than 15 years. My last cameras were the A900 and Nex7, and now I upgraded to the A99.
BalasHapusAt first I was not sure, if I was really going to gain that much by moving from the A900 to the A99. But it turns out that I am super happy I did the upgrade. Here is why:
1) the enhanced Electronic Viewfinder. This feature I find totally amazing. And no other camera vendor has this on a FF camera. It will change the way you take pictures, because
- you can see the result of your exposure settings before you shoot. No re-taking pictures for better exposure any more.
- Depth-of-field preview button now doesn't give the typical dark image at closed apertures, because the EVF compensates, and you can beautifully judge the DOF effect.
- And in contrast to previous incarnations of the EVF, you can now use it in the studio. You can set it to give visible brightness views even at your flash settings in manual mode.
2) better high ISO and DR.
- the noise is improved by about 2 stops over the A900. DR is much better, too.
3) video capabilities.
- I have not tried them much, but I can see no more rolling shutter effect. Just great.
4) enhanced AF system.
- definitely faster than and more accurate than on the A900.
Honestly, I have worked a long time with my A900, and I also now tried the Nikon D800 and Canon 5D III, but I find this A99 a gamechanger. Especially with its EVF, I find the shooting experience so much superior to any conventional DSLR. I am glad I bought the A99.