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Fun with the A99!

mazor

New member
I have my a99 now for close to two weeks, and I love it. I used an a900 before (and a NEX-7). The EVF is something I like most of the time and the hinging LCD is great. It is very useful on a tripod, especially when working low. Having iso 50 is very nice. very clean files that can handle an enormous amount of processing. in general I think the files at low iso are at least as good as those out of the a900, and in some ways, hard to define, even better. Somehow the files are very believable, I do not know how else to put it. it is something that shows especially in (bigger) prints. and the files are much more malleable than those out of the a900. when pushed, the a900 files sometimes showed ugly color spots, which I have not seen happening with the a99 files yet. maybe it is the 14 bits and probably just improved technology in general.
when using the camera on a tripod I mostly manual focus, with magnified view, which gives 100% certainty the focus is where I want it to be.
High iso is great too, although that is not something I use a lot. maybe I will use it more now it is so good.
It's a great tool.
nice shots, like the extreme lines
 

etrigan63

Active member
Held the a99 at Pittman Photo in South Miami / Pinecrest yesterday. I was with my 7 year old so I didn't have that much time to fiddle around with it. One thing that struck me was just how light it was compared to the a900. Same price as at B&H for you south Florida Sony fans.
Sony at Pitman? Since when? Every time I go there it's Canon, Nikon, & Sigma (lenses for Canon & Nikon).
 

MikalWGrass

New member
Carlos,

Since two weeks ago. I walked in and almost hit the floor out of shock. Seems they have a full line of Nex bodies and maybe a bunch of lenses. The young woman behind the counter even told me about a friend of hers who uses R lenses on the Nex.

Who knew Pittman even knew it was almost 2013?
 

4711

Member
Actually, there are lots of advantages, but like most innovations (autofocus comes to mind), it needs a sideways step from the user to realise the advantages. We tend to simply try and use the new technology the way we used the old.


What Advantages? I hear you say . . well, just for starters:
No mirror slap (and the inevitable camera shake that goes with it)
Less lag time (no need to up the mirror or close the aperture)
Visible exposure makes it much easier to get the exposure right
Visible white balance
No need for stop down metering on 3rd party lenses

I could go on (and on and on and on)
However, I'm not sure this is the place for a discussion of this, and I'm quite willing to agree that some people will always prefer an OVF . . . All I'm trying to say is that 'simply no advantage of having this EVF' is pretty hard to qualify, whatever LL may say!

all the best
I do not say that in the long run EVF might not be a serious alternative to OVF. I only say the EVF of the A99 is a joke against the OVF of the A900. This is why I said it was a mistake.

There are so many years between the two models, that it is clear Sony should have offered a viewfinder (OVF or EVF) which is at least on par with the A900. The A900 is the benchmark. If you can not achieve this, then simply do not do it. But Sony did. And that is the mistake.

The viewfinder is one of the most important features of a DSLR. Especially with fullframe cameras. It is like the atelier of the painter.

I am not interested in buying and selling every 3 months a new camera. I need a working horse, not a toy. I am not interested in average technology in a pro-DLSR, if better technology is available. You can do this with a NEX7, so people have a toy and put all their 30 years old MF-lenses on it but not with a almost 3000 USD body of the year 2012.

This is the same nonsense Sony is doing with their Zeiss lens strategy. Overpromising and underdelivering. Same is valid for their EVF.

Regarding the cons of EVF in the A99, just read what is written on LL. I totally agree with that.

IMHO in 5-10 years this might be different. But not with the A99.



The EVF Translucent Mirror Reality

I know that this section is not going to endear me to anyone in the Sony community, but as always I have to call them as I see them. I have been a big fan of Sony's new EVF. In late 2011 and early 2012 I spent five months living in Mexico and shot more than 8,000 frames with my NEX-7. I realized and discussed in my review at the time the realities and shortcomings of using an EVF, but my comments were on the whole benign. The reason that I wasn't more critical at the time was not because I didn't see the shortcomings, but that they were ameliorated by the entire gestalt of the NEX-7 itself. Here was an almost pocket sized APS-C 24 Megapixel camera with a pretty terrific EVF. It was almost like the story of the talking dog. It wasn't so much what it had to say, but that it could talk at all.

Now we have Sony taking this same EVF technology (still one of the better ones on the market), and marrying it with their so-called translucent mirror technology, and putting them both into a full sized, full-frame DSLR. And, if hints from Sony executives are to be believed, this model likely spells the end of the use of rapid-return mirrors and glass prisms in that company's DSLRs (or DSLT's as they perversely prefer to call them).

Speaking as plainly as I can – I don't care for it. While the Sony EVF works fine on a NEX camera, and even on an APS-C sized model, it just seems out of place on a pro-grade full-frame DSLR. I stress the word full-frame, because to my mind this lies at the core of the issue. Previous Sony DLSR/DSLTs have used this same EVF, but they are competing with other brand's APS-C sized sensor cameras, which typically have small, dim and distant appearing optical viewfinders. But one of the big selling points of full frame DSLRs is that they have larger, full sized (usually 100%) viewfinders, and they are bright and with natural clarity, contrast and dynamic range; essentially the same as what the human eye sees unaided.

When I first picked up the A99 my very first impression (I'd been using my Nikon D800e the day before) was that there was something wrong. What it turned out to be was the outcome of virtually a lifetime of using full-frame film and digital cameras with their large and bright viewfinders. Holding up the A99 side by side with a camera like the D800, or new Nikon D600 or Canon 6D, brings the matter to light – so to speak. As good as it is, the Sony EVF just can't compete in terms of realistic contrast, brightness and overall clarity to a full frame glass prism viewfinder.

And in reality, that's one of the things that attracts photographers to full frame cameras. A large bright viewfinder has a definate role in both the pleasure of use as well as the functionality of such a camera. So why isn't this as much of problem with Sony's APS-C cameras, and especially their NEX series? In the case of the APS-C cameras it's that the relative difference to competitive optical VF models is less. In the case of the NEX cameras it's one of expectations and willingness to accept trade-offs.

I have no beef with Sony's translucent mirror technology. There's a small light loss, and likely a small resolution reduction, but nothing to get fussed about. It also has real advantages, such as the ability to feed an optical image directly to the sensor and the Phase Detection sensor at the same time. Canon used a pellicle mirror back in 1965 with their Pellix camera and again in 1989 with the EOS RT.

Sony could have (and in my opinion should have) used an optical prism and finder with the A99. It would also have eliminated the EVF switching lag, which can be annoying when going back and forth quickly between the EVF and LCD. Of course one would lose the fully electronic image, with instant playback in the EVF and other things that video people like. Amateur video users like EVFs but serious film makers will still have to purchase accessory electronic viewfinders or clip-on external monitors. They need these regardless.

There's one other downside to an EVF, and that's that the camera needs to be powered on to be able to see though it. With a traditional DSLR's optical / prism viewfinder that camera can be lifted to ones eye for framing and composition without power. The image can be focused and if a zoom lens is attached the focal length changed before turning the camera on. No battery waste, particularly at the end of a long shoot when the battery may be low and you've left your spare battery back at the car a mile or two away.

The issue of OVF vs. EVF has to also be seen in the context of competitive price point and market positioning as well. Currently (early October, 2012 from B&H) the Nikon D800 is $2,999, while the Sony A99 at $2,798 is just $200 less. The Canon 6D at $2,099 and the Nikon D600 at $2,096 are both a significant $700 less expensive. There is no denying that the A99 offers a lot of camera for the money, and as we've seen above it has almost every feature enthusiast photographers want. But when it comes to its use of an EVF rather than a prism / optical viewfinder in combination with its translucent mirror I feel that Sony has sailed on the wrong boat. Loyal Sony fans will undoubtedly not be swayed, but I believe that when a prospective customer is standing at a sales counter looking though the viewfinders of these four cameras by way of comparison, Sony will have a tough sell on its hands, particularly at its current uncompetitive price point.
Nick Devlin's View

My friend and collegue Nick Devlin spent the better part of a week shooting alongside me in Algonquin, trying the A99 himself (he was shooting with an Nikon D800e), and listening to my stream of conscious praises and complaints. Here are his comments...

My view is that there is nothing inherently good about EVFs. They are at best a necessary evil, chosen for the form-factor advantages they bring and the cameras they make possible. Sony clearly does not share this view, since they built this camera around an EVF simply for the sake of doing so. It offers no notable advantage of any sort, most notably not in price. I can see no reason to chose an EVF in any context where it does not significantly reduce the size, weight or price of the camera, or substantially enhance its usability. The case is simply not made out beyond, "It's cool new technology".

To me, the experience of viewing the natural world through an EVF is like crashing at a cheap motel, closing the blinds, and turning on the small, fuzzy old cathode-ray tube TV on the dresser. It's a shame, because this is otherwise a cracker of a camera, really nice to hold and behold. – Nick
source: Sony A99 Field Report
 

jonoslack

Active member
I am not interested in buying and selling every 3 months a new camera. I need a working horse, not a toy. I am not interested in average technology in a pro-DLSR, if better technology is available. You can do this with a NEX7, so people have a toy and put all their 30 years old MF-lenses on it but not with a almost 3000 USD body of the year 2012.

This is the same nonsense Sony is doing with their Zeiss lens strategy. Overpromising and underdelivering. Same is valid for their EVF.

Regarding the cons of EVF in the A99, just read what is written on LL. I totally agree with that.

IMHO in 5-10 years this might be different. But not with the A99.
Hmm well, I accept the GAS dig, I wear the hat. Of course, I've also read Michael Reichmann's article. It's a rare thing for me to disagree with him.

But I think his only arguments against the EVF of the A99 are:
1. Aesthetic. And here I quite agree with him
2. The lag in changing from the rear LCD to the EVF: this is silly: just put it on full time EVF and there is no lag - if your D800 is on live view there is a lag before you can look through the viewfinder.

What he completely fails to mention are the advantages of the SLT in terms of the lack of mirror slap for hand holding (at much slower shutter speeds). The much reduced shutter lag (no mirror needs to move) and the real and obvious benefit of being able to see the exposure and white balance when taking the photo. Not to mention focus peaking when using manual focus (you don't need a 30 year old lens to want to focus manually!).

I do agree with you about Sony's Zeiss lens strategy though. . . . And that is the principle reason why I'm not buying an A99.

I've been using an OMD for the last 6 months; it's not my principle camera, and it does have some limitations, but its proved to me the real and tangible benefits of a decent EVF (better than the Sony I think, despite the reduced resolution)

Remember, the point of taking a picture is to take a picture. It's not for the joy of looking through a big bright EVF (joyful experience though it may be!).

All the best

PS is it okay to be quoting Michael like that?
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Sorry, but one personal opinion does not actually validate another personal opinion and certainly the crew at LL are not the end-all-and-be-all of photography. In most cases I prefer an OVF, but that is just me. I think extreme positions tend to be wrong.
 
The viewfinder is indeed one of the more important parts of a camera, but the purpose of a camera is to take great photos and for that the EVF has several advantages over the OVF. True, I have never used the A900, but using manual focus on the various Nikon bodies I have owned over the years has been an exercise in frustration. And yes, I like using manual focus lenses.

Even when I use AF, however, the ability to pre-chimp makes the EVF so tempting that I am switching to Sony. I suppose I simply fail to see how any of the current OVFs I have experienced (which are adequate at best) lets me take better photos than a EVF. And if I feel like using a truly great OVF, I take my Fuji GX680 out of the bag :)

But then we all have different priorities when chosing a camera.

Martin
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I can answer that, Jono meant with EVF the viewfinder does not go dim when stopping down the aperture in legacy glass. with a traditional OVF SLR type camera, the brightness of the viewfinder gets real dim when the stopping down to f8 say or f16 etc

On electronic aperture type lens, the same effect can be simulated by pushing the depth of field preview button on the camera, and setting a small aperture.
Well... yes, I see, but one still has to stop down to meter.

There's an added advantage to this:
When using a lens that shifts focus when stopping down (my OM Zuiko 50/2.0 macro does that at distance further than 3 meters), one can actually do the focusing stopped down, thus avoiding the focus shift. I had some interesting exchanges of opinions with my E-1 regarding this a few years ago, but the camera always won of course :(
 
Having used the A77 since may and now the A99, below is my own very personal view on the EVF. The opinions of Reichman and co are unusually poorly thought out and seem biased. There's no mention of the benefits. The benefits outweigh the drawback. Why bang on about D800? Are they being paid by Nikon or something?

I'm also biased, I hate DSLRs and don't particularly care much for Sony as a corporation either (yes I'm still pissed at them over the George Michael fiasco). I use DSLRs because I want the technological assistance, otherwise I'll use a Mamiya RZ or Leica. Nikon and Canon have done nothing to advance their technology, whereas Sony are pushing the boundaries. You want to be stuck with no advancement except more dense sensors? Give Sony some praise here please.

The next time you pick up an A99 use the AF/MF button to focus, then tweak the focus. Focus-peaking will kick in and you're in a different world of full on heads up display. The EVF of the A99 is a formidable tool.
- Information overlay,
- focus peaking,
- focus range,
- full 3D levelling,
- histogram,
- key parameter adjustments with one or two buttons,
- Real-time preview of settings (if you want it, but I turn that off)
- no front shutter curtain and mirror slap is a biggie, that should be pretty apparent to 36MP camera owners.
- 100% what you see is what you get. Not sure about the D800/D600, but my D700 certainly didn't have that.

And all the above without ever taking your eye off the subject through the viewfinder. It's amazing.

The argument about a big bright viewfinder holds some water, but if that was the MOST important thing about your camera, you'd shoot an MF or LF.

The only really valid argument against the EVF is loss of subject visuals when shooting continuous frames on a moving subject. However that is offset somewhat by being more anticipatory with an EVF.
 

petetsai

Member
4711 - How much actual time have you spent using an A99? I find it ridiculous when people make blanket statements without having actually used a product.

I see it happen quite often, and its always been odd to me how very adamant and biased people that have never used said gear that they are comparing in real life. A few years ago there would always be Nikon vs Canon wars, particularly about how perfect the 5D2 was. I never commented about the body until after I acquired and used it for many weeks. I've owned two of the bodies and while the sensor was great for its time, the rest of the camera was barely average. The AF system is really pathetic, yet many 5D2 owners would tell you its works perfectly and having lots of AF points is silly. Yet another biased view from people that had never actually shot with a proper 51 point AF system, so to them the idea focus and recomposing is what everyone did. I only give informed opinions on gear and technology that I have actually used. In the case of Nikon vs Canon I am well versed in both and therefore I can give a proper assessment of what works and doesn't work on each side.

I don't really see the point of bashing a specific technology that one doesn't fully understand in real life usage. I was skeptical of EVF technology as I have used extensive makes and models of video and point and shoot cameras in the past, but having used this one it has changed my mind.
Being able to see the actual image captured milliseconds after the capture is very valuable information to some photographers. A strobe didn't fire, a setting changed, etc its all seen immediately and not after stopping for review. Likewise being able to zoom in to check critical focus can be a valuable tool. Both these things can be done without ever moving the eye from the viewfinder. This can add value in making the better image as well keeping the subject focused vs seeing the photographer constantly pulling back to chimp...
 

etrigan63

Active member
I had a discussion with Trey Ratcliff regarding this and other technologies that are coming together at this time. We are in the midst of a paradigm shift, like it or not. I applaud Sony for being daring (and smart enough to bring a gun to this knife fight). Instead of taking Canon and Nikon on their own turf, they are dictating the terms of engagement by altering the field of battle. This method has worked for centuries and was well documented by a fellow named Sun-Tzu.

I have taught photography to middle-school children for several years. These kids have almost no idea what an OVF is, let alone film. I show them and those who own DSLRs learn to appreciate it, but as EVF's and Live View are in the majority now, the expense of an optical viewfinder may not make sense. HUD and all the other tools EVFs bring to the table far outweigh any limitations they currently have (and will be soon overcome).
 

Shashin

Well-known member
...the expense of an optical viewfinder may not make sense...
When you think of photography as an art, when did it ever make sense? I work with college students that grew up in a digital world. Some of them are hooked on those funny film cameras. Had one student do her entire thesis with a Holga and another with a 4x5 and 6x12 cameras.

Trey Radcliff is a good photographer, but with very limited experience in photography. I don't think he is really giving anything more than a personal opinion. You can still buy view cameras today and shoot on glass plates.

if anyone thinks this technology "war" is something to be won, you are mistaken. All we are doing is creating poverty in our own field.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Well... yes, I see, but one still has to stop down to meter.

There's an added advantage to this:
When using a lens that shifts focus when stopping down (my OM Zuiko 50/2.0 macro does that at distance further than 3 meters), one can actually do the focusing stopped down, thus avoiding the focus shift. I had some interesting exchanges of opinions with my E-1 regarding this a few years ago, but the camera always won of course :(
Hi Jorgen
perhaps what I meant is that you don't have to stop up to focus! If you want to shoot a Leica R lens on a Nikon (for instance) you need to focus and frame wide open (to avoid a dark viewfinder) , then stop down to meter and shoot.

If you want to shoot an R lens on an A99, then you just put the aperture where you want it, focus using pieaking and shoot. It's exactly the same as using a Nikon manual focus lens on that Nikon (except that you can see the real depth of focus on the A99).

is all
 

jonoslack

Active member
if anyone thinks this technology "war" is something to be won, you are mistaken. All we are doing is creating poverty in our own field.
I agree about winning - but not about poverty. I think it's wonderful that Sony and others have developed the EVF - another way of thinking and seeing, not necessarily better or worse, but different and useful. Why poverty?
 

Shashin

Well-known member
I agree about winning - but not about poverty. I think it's wonderful that Sony and others have developed the EVF - another way of thinking and seeing, not necessarily better or worse, but different and useful. Why poverty?
No, the EVF is great so is all the other wonderful technology that is coming along. The loss of the "old" technology is what creates the poverty. It would be horrible if we ended up with a one-size-fits-all camera solution. I would be very sad to see view cameras, even digital ones, disappear. Swing-lens panorama film cameras are amazing and there is not digital equivalent, and no, a stitch does not duplicate what you can do with one of those. When a college student looks though a TLR for the first time, it is really illuminating.
 

etrigan63

Active member
The loss of the "old" technology is what creates the poverty.
This is spiritual poverty which comes from the loss of the knowledge of one's roots.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
-George Santayana

Sadly many have embraced this message to resist change instead of embracing it while keeping the past in mind.

As Jono said, all the wonderful new technologies enhance our ability to take photos but they do not invalidate the way we used to do it. Whether one is "better" than the other is simply a matter of opinion and personal preference. Nothing more, nothing less. Clyde Butcher's desire to take film images of the Everglades instead of digital does not diminish him as a photographer. That is simply the way he likes to do it. The important part is taking photos, that is the measure of the photographer. Comparing camera specs is merely a pissing contest.
 

MikalWGrass

New member
Older eyes, bad eyes, etc. need a bit more help than what an OVF can offer. If an EVF is a means to an end and allows me to continue to take photos of what I love, then I will welcome the EVF. If the EVF allows me to use 3rd party legacy lenses that are better than anything that Sony and Zeiss can cobble together, then I will welcome the EVF. I haven't pulled the trigger on the a99 because of finances, and more because I don't want to buy a camera that is really untested for how I intend to use it: shooting my son's water polo games, my other son's swim meets, my daughter's stuff (she is only 5), and my wife's triathlons.

Now, can someone please tell me where all the women are and why they don't seem to be chiming in on the pros and cons of Sony's EVF? Never mind, I already know the answer: they are too busy taking pictures to give a rat's *** about such ridiculous things.
 

etrigan63

Active member
Carlos,

Since two weeks ago. I walked in and almost hit the floor out of shock. Seems they have a full line of Nex bodies and maybe a bunch of lenses. The young woman behind the counter even told me about a friend of hers who uses R lenses on the Nex.

Who knew Pittman even knew it was almost 2013?
I went by there today and saw they had the A99 & 24-70 Zeiss. Luckily I have no credit anymore or i would be in deep trouble. I am honoring my order with Monza because it will save me over $300 in taxes.
 

MikalWGrass

New member
Carlos, being a man of your word is worth more than $300.00.

I had the 24-70/2.8 but got rid of it because it was too slow for me. It is a great lens but I really prefer to shoot with one focal length and not worry about getting every shot that is within range of the lens.

I am still debating about the a99. I am also thinking about - a pipe dream - a Leica M9P, but if my wife ever got wind of my thoughts I would be in the dog house, and rightfully so. Maybe a fast 24 or 35 will do the trick.

Let's meet up after Thanksgiving.
 
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