Watch “The Calling” from David McLain. Shot on the new A99!
The Calling from SonyElectronics on Vimeo.
If you want to see a great work shot on the new Sony A99 than watch this! And there are two more backstage videos: First a video portrait of David McLain on Vimeo and than a Back Stage video again on Vimeo. Really a great work that shows you the huge potential of this camera. I don’t see any banding or any other issue on this videoclip. Colors and Dynamic Range are great. Of course we are looking at a compressed video on Vimeo and this doens’t show the maximum potential of the camera. On paper this camera beats any other FF camera when it comes to video quality and features. What do you think of the quality of this video?
And the second good news is that Sony started shipping the A99 in Europe and will ship it tomorrow in US too (according to BHhoto). Here are the links to check price and shipping date:
A99 body Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Jessops, Wex UK, Wex Germany, Sonystore DE-UK-FR-IT-ES-NL-SE-FI-CH and more links at Alphacameradeals.
A99 with kit lens links Alphacameradeals.
Kancho
7 months ago |I don’t see anything to make me spend 2500£ in a99.a77 cost half of the price and12fps burst.af-d work on 1 lens so far and firmware update is about to come at 2014 so….make your choice loose your money or not.
Sky_walker
7 months ago |I don’t see anything to make me spend 2500£ in a99.a200 cost one tenth of the price andoptical viewfinder.af-d work on 1 lens so far and firmware update is about to come at 2014 so….make your choice loose your money or not.
carnevali
7 months ago |if you don’t see it, this camera is not for you. this video is just ANOTHER good reason to upgrade from A77 or A900. Unfortunately, the A77′s video IQ leaves some to desire, not that I could say the same about this A99 sample.
I’ve seen the uncompressed version and looks, at least, on par with 5d3 on low light and slightly worse than d800 on sharpness, but with less artifacts.
Most impressive, the apparent low rolling shutter combined with 60p show its goodness on the helicopter shot.
pancanikonpus
7 months ago |1st blood!
emopunk
7 months ago |This is why Canon rushed the firmware announcement 6 months before release. The mighty A99!
Kancho
7 months ago |All my equipment from sony is on eBay.about 20000 in sony and I have enough.1 day before the day a99 has been announced they mentioned that firmware is beta,gama,updates re coming xaccxaax.are you believe them????
HL
7 months ago |please link to your ebay? may wish to pick up some of your stuff if it’s in good shape.
Frank
7 months ago |and we should care why exactly?
emopunk
7 months ago |Hey guys, stop feeding this troll please. I know it’s funny but the site gets hyperspammed!
Kancho
7 months ago |Sony didn’t show us the a99 and the day before they say that firmware is beta-gama and update is coming.
Kancho
7 months ago |How many time you heard about firmware update are coming and how many times you been disappointed?just remember!this camera will not get update soon.50mp ff is coming they will be busy and new sensor is about to be announced.
Bennywong
7 months ago |Yes, it’s a beta fw, and the beta fw version can take this quality of video already
Sky_walker
7 months ago |Nice video
Really enjoyed it. Looks like someone fall in love with slow-motion there, hehehe.
ps. 3:50 – lol at press version of A99 (notice the orange sticker at the top).
Pablo
7 months ago |SONY, bring that E-MOUNT FF camera out ASAP!
I don’t have the money to spend and the enthusiasm to lug around a 900gram FF camera like the A99.
The machines are there to serve us, not that we serve the machines.
A camera has to be unobtrusive, light, small, portable. Just like my NEX 5N.
Give us a FF NEX and you’ll earn more money than Canikon together in several years!
Sky_walker
7 months ago |Another NEX whiner?
uh…..
“The machines are there to serve us, not that we serve the machines.” – that’s exactly the reason why I’m not interested in NEX. No way I’ll break my fingers on that.
Now -> posts about NEX are that way -> -> ->
emopunk
7 months ago |Hell we never can get enough of those whiners. They’d buy the hell out of Sony and NEX system.. if only.. if only.. Well, what was their “if only”?
P.S: This video is awesome!! I can’t wait for A99 to be readily available in my country too.
lifeispixels
7 months ago |Truly inspiring video O_O Thanks for sharing!
Jurka
7 months ago |Fakin so booooooring…i can shoot the same on samsung galaxy…pfff
Sony video marketing sucks! Philip Bloom rullz!
=Thats all!
Santa
7 months ago |Is anybody planning to get the A99 to use primarily for video, if so, why get the A99 over the vg900.
Rick
7 months ago |I’m getting the A99 primarily for video and there are a number of reasons I choose it over the VG900:
Customizable Picture Profiles – In addition to portrait, sunset etc. you can lower contrast, sharpness and saturation on the A99 to get a better image without lots of in-cam processing baked in that ruins the image, with the VG900 you only get Cinetone and Normal. See VG forums for the complaints about that. I refuse to shoot with a camera that doesn’t allow me to lower the sharpness and contrast as it creates artifacts that degrade the image. I would have bought a VG20 if if had the adjustments my Nex5n has, sadly like all VG cameras it doesn’t.
Steadyshot with all lenses – all lenses are stabilized, even legacy glass with a chipped adapter, huge when using manual lenses to shoot video. I have the EM5 and I love this feature, now I’m getting it with a FF sensor. I’m more excited about this than almost anything else.
Superior AF – I don’t use AF much in video, but looking at the A99′s face/object tracking abilities, I will experiment as it looks pretty good. In stills mode the A99′s AF will kill the VG900.
Superior stills experience – its actually a camera and not a camcorder.
Better build – an all metal chassis and weathersealed, VG cameras are cheap plastic and no weather sealing. The A99 is a pro camera, the VG series is a consumer-level camera and the build reflects that.
Price difference – the $600 difference in favor of the A99 is going into an external recorder to get 4:2:2 uncompressed Prores – I’m guessing most of the footage in the McLain videos was recorded externally. Probably the Sound Devices Pix220i, so I can have pro level audio recording, an external monitor and uncompressed recording at the same time in one small device – no more Zoom/dual audio/sync in post garbage. Two jobs I have booked next month will pay for the recorder.
Can you tell I’ve thought this through?
zedrick
7 months ago |Excellent reply. I hope the naysayers will now keep quiet.
Santa
7 months ago |Thanks for that Rick. That was really useful advice. I have been anxious about moving from a video camera to a DSLR but I think the A99 + external recorder might be a good choice. I guess the main advantages of the VG900 are the zoom controls and the ability to use e mount lenses. Although, the image is cropped with e-lens so effectively turns the camera into APS-C size….which defeats the object of having a full frame camera.
Rick
7 months ago |The VG does have its advantages which I also mulled over…
The E-mount has unmatched adapt-ability if you’re planning on using other lenses. The Alpha mount limits adapted lenses somewhat, though the best IMHO still work fine such as the Leica R, Zeiss C/Y and Minolta Rokkor if you change the rear flange.
Camcorder form factor and presumably better built-in mics which lends itself for better shooting on the run as DSLR’s typically need some sort of rigging.
E-mount lenses have OSS, some of which are very good, and they’re smaller and cheaper than most A-mount equivalents.
Metabones adapter will let you use EF lenses with full aperture and IS, if you have a Canon lens base this can be attractive.
But in the end – for me – the A99 advantages outlined above made it an easy choice. Even if the VG900 was price at $2799, I would still choose the A99 as IMHO the advantages are significant.
For me the image controls and Steadyshot make the A99 the most attractive video option until you hit the FS700. YMMV…
lol
7 months ago |crap…. 1dx is better
kalpurush :)
7 months ago |^^^ Now I know all about TROLL!
Santa
7 months ago |Thanks again Rick, some very good arguments for both cameras…i got a tough decision to make now! Best of luck with your new camera!
Frank
7 months ago |crap… D800 is much better!
Frank
7 months ago |Nah my iPhone is better.
astar
7 months ago |Crap… my cardboard pinhole camera is better.
Bruce Bachand
7 months ago |You know I watched all three of those last night and was really impressed by the choices he made in the whole production. All three videos are very good.
One side thought: it is amazing how many Canon or Nikon users assume/presume that the Sony Zeiss lenses are somehow inferior quality Zeiss glass. Which is especially ironic when you see these videos and the gorgeous color throughout the footage. Ironically the Sony Zeiss are amongst the only AF-capable Zeiss in the world… and all of it is image stabilized on the Sonys!
Rick
7 months ago |+1
Judging by the number of ZE/ZF images on the web, CaNikon shooters would kill for AF Zeiss lenses – its one of the reasons I’ve dumped Canon for the A99 (in addition to IBIS, 60p and so on). The Zeiss look, with the sharpness and micro-contrast makes the CaNikon counterparts look really flat and dull by comparison and its what gives Zeiss that “3D” look so many talk about.
Given what Zeiss primes cost, the ZAL lenses are an amazing value for the Zeiss shooter too. If you like the Zeiss pop, Sony is the way to go.
Darian
7 months ago |Note the inclusion of a colorist on the production team, that the uncompressed HDMI output was used for “a bit of” footage, creative styles were used to dial down the contrast on the majority of footage, they used lenses ranging from 16mm to 500mm along with steady-cams, sliders, and time lapse gear.
Behind-the-scenes of The Calling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7akEMpm_saI
canino
7 months ago |Plus 1.
I dumped Canon 4 years ago for the a900 and the zeiss. The Sony are not too shabby either.
Never looked back.
Canon and Nikon lenses gives a flatter picture.
Maybe the last generation of Nikon lenses are almost on parr with the Zeiss, but almost.
Rick
7 months ago |Some of the best A99 videos to date, wish these were out when the camera was announced instead of the poorly produced pieces by some of the other testers. Pre-orders would have been much better IMHO. These look great in HD, and that’s compressed on the web.
Impressive DR, note the tonal gradation in the highlights and shadow detail, something GH2 and 5d2 owners can only dream of, motion looks great and notice the lack of jello with the helicopter blades. Slow-motion is of course beautiful. Still nothing but impressed with the A99, can’t wait for mine to arrive.
The A99 has raised the bar.
Ship the U.S. cameras please!
sabunyuma
7 months ago |Beautiful work. All debates about IQ, price, firmware, etc. aside, this is a great little story about a passion for photography.
DUY
7 months ago |I SAW VIET NAMMMMMM
Mark
6 months ago |Rick, What $600 recorder are you referring to? And if you had to get one lens for the a99 which one would you get?