Sony A9III review at PcMag: “nothing quite matches the a9 III on the market for action photographers needs”

PcMag reviewed the A9III and concluded:

The camera is tuned for speed, both in terms of performance and capture rate, with 120fps Raw drive and an autofocus system that’s a little more advanced than that from Canon or Nikon. That said, picture quality lags behind contemporaries, and you pay a premium for the cutting-edge tech. High-level sports and action photographers understand that nabbing a moment perfectly is more important than some grain in an image, so nothing quite matches the a9 III on the market for those needs. But if you don’t mind a slightly slower capture rate or intend to roll a lot of video, the Editors’ Choice-winning Canon EOS R3 and Nikon Z 8 are both top-notch alternatives.

Preorders (shipment start Feb 21):
Sony A9III at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.
Sony 300mm at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.
Sonny A9III Vertical Grip at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.

Minolta/Sony/Sigma A-mount lenses tested on the Sony A7cr

DC.watch posted a nice collection of Minolta A-mount lens tests on the Sony A7cR.

Let’s kick off with the Minolta AF ZOOM 35-70mm F4 (can be found here on eBay).

Sony 50mm F1.4 (can be found here on eBay).

Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM (can be found here on eBay).

Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM (can be found here on eBay).

Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM (can be found here on eBay).

Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO (can be found here on eBay).

Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM review at PcMag: Simply “Outstanding”

Preorders: Sony 300mm at BHphoto. Amazon US&EU. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.

PCmag reviewed the lens anc concluded:

The Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS telephoto lens backs its lofty price with a rare combination of superlative picture quality and quick focus in an exceptionally light frame.

Pros:

  • Outstanding optical quality
  • Light, 3.2-pound frame
  • Linear autofocus supports 120fps drive
  • Loads of on-barrel controls
  • Supports rear 40.5mm filters

Cons:

  • Tripod foot is not Arca-Swiss compatible
  • Omits Focus Preset feature

Northrup: Sony a9 III vs Canon R3 Image Quality, Dynamic Range & High ISO

In my opinion Tony made a fair assessment. And as we learned from Gerald Undone there seems to be enough flexibility to improve the IQ even further in post production. In the era of pixel peepers we sometimes forget that Image Quality is now super on basically any new camera you buy. The real difference now is made by features that allow you to capture moments you couldn’t get before. The Sony A9III with 120fps, pre-recording, no-banding no-flickr no-rolling shutter issue, flash sync at any speed….this all makes it do things no other cameras can do!

Preorders:
Sony A9III at BHphoto. Amazon US&EU. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.
Sony 300mm at BHphoto. Amazon US&EU. Adorama. FotoErhardt. Fotokoch. Calumet. WexUK.

Quick thoughts on the new FX6/FX3/FX30 firmware announcement

BI collected a couple of youtubers reaction on the new Sony FX6/FX3/FX30 firmware announcement (original article here). And now I am going to share my own key thoughts:

  1. Getting the FX30/FX3 firmware update in September can only mean one thing: Sony felt the pressure from the community to develop consistent new firmware updates. But they were unprepared to react in time and therefore they are “teasing” us that they are working on it.
  2. It now sounds unlikely that Sony will announce a new FX3II this year. But maybe that’s just a wrong impression and the FX3II will be so much more advanced that the FX3 firmware will not change the appeal of the new FX3II
  3. I am 100% certain a new FX camera is coming in the next months. But from what I heard this might be a completely different model…(stay tuned!)

Overall we can all agree that Sony got our complains and they are working to bring software updates on some if not all the modern E-mount cameras. So thanks to you folks for your constructive criticism and thanks for Sony for acknowledging the problem.