Fun with the A99!

[kuau]

Thanks Cindy,
Shutter speed was 1.3 seconds.
I wish there was more to shoot around here though.
Well at least I got a good image with my A99 which has been sitting in my backpack for a few months now.
Do you think the image looks level or a little skewed?

Steven

 

[Cindy Flood]

Looks level to me.
I know about living in boring places! I bet you will find some interesting things to shoot if you go out looking. It isn't like being in NYC or Seattle or Hawaii!

 

[kuau]

3 more from the waterfall.. Not much else to shoot around here.....

 

[iiiNelson]

Now that the A99 has been out for a little time now and people have gotten somewhat comfortable with it. How is the autofocus speed and accuracy on this camera? Does it work for fast action and subjects moving quickly (like sports, kids playing, etc?)

 

[MikalWGrass]

Hired,

Ran into a guy on Sunday who was shootng our synagogue's Purim celebration with his brand spanking new a99 and ZA 24-70/2.8. He told me that he loves the EVF and everything else, but in terms of focusing on "event type" subjects, it still leaves a lot to be desired. He said it still can't hold a candle to the Nikon system that he sold for the a99, but that everything else was better than the Nikon.

 

[iiiNelson]

Hired,

Ran into a guy on Sunday who was shootng our synagogue's Purim celebration with his brand spanking new a99 and ZA 24-70/2.8. He told me that he loves the EVF and everything else, but in terms of focusing on "event type" subjects, it still leaves a lot to be desired. He said it still can't hold a candle to the Nikon system that he sold for the a99, but that everything else was better than the Nikon.

Thanks for the reply... I was afraid of that probable answer. I've been looking at the D800/E and the 5DmkIII (or OM-D) as a possible dSLR for a few working projects that might be easier to do with AF. That being said I already have a 70-200/2.8 and that would be about all I needed for the projects so it would've been great if the A99 would nail it and I could just dump the A77+16-50+grip (and use the money towards an A99) instead of the whole kit. The Leica M will still remain as my primary system because that's what I love to shoot for myself but I'm trying to cut all the unnecessary camera "fluff" out.

 

[kuau]

If you want a DSLR that is suited for any kind of fast moving, sports, etc., look no farther then either a Nikon D3, D3S, D4, or Canon's offering.

For almost everything else, as long as you don't need 36mp of the D800, D800E, the new Sony A99 is a really nice camera...

 

[iiiNelson]

If you want a DSLR that is suited for any kind of fast moving, sports, etc., look no farther then either a Nikon D3, D3S, D4, or Canon's offering.

For almost everything else, as long as you don't need 36mp of the D800, D800E, the new Sony A99 is a really nice camera...

I was leaning toward the 5DmkIII. I really would like the 6D (if it had more cross type autofocus points.) The D600 is an option as well. I really would like to stay in the 16-24 MP range.

 

[Ocean]

I much prefer the A99 over the 5DmkIII. The color from Sony A900/A99 is better to my eyes than both Nikon and Canon. I have using the A99 for few months and so far I am very happy with it.

 

[iiiNelson]

I much prefer the A99 over the 5DmkIII. The color from Sony A900/A99 is better to my eyes than both Nikon and Canon. I have using the A99 for few months and so far I am very happy with it.

I hear you and generally I would agree with you on the color thing but the 5DmkIII isn't bad. I don't know what they did with the Canon formula but it's a lot better than how I remember Canon. The same can be said for the 1Dx.

As for my uses AF speed and accuracy WILL MATTER above all if I invest into a separate 35mm system. As for color - I prefer my M9 over everything else that I've seen in 35mm for color... I reserve judgement on the M240. It's all a matter of opinion and preference though.

 

[Ocean]

The focus accuracy of A99 is excellent. It is actually better than A900 for my 24/2 ZA and 50/1.4 Sony lenses. I also felt the A99 is more accurate than my D800. Without having the mirror, the shutter operation is much smother and than that of the D800.

 

[iiiNelson]

The focus accuracy of A99 is excellent. It is actually better than A900 for my 24/2 ZA and 50/1.4 Sony lenses. I also felt the A99 is more accurate than my D800. Without having the mirror, the shutter operation is much smother and than that of the D800.

Thanks. How accurate is it with fast motion though. Everything I read puts the D600, 5Dmk3, and of course the 1Dx/ D4 way ahead of it for what I want. I think I may just put the money towards another M and manual focus with adapted lenses on a mirrorless body. I've gotten decent at that.

 

[Lloyd]

3 more from the waterfall.. Not much else to shoot around here.....

Great shots, Steven. Hope things get better, new home wise.

 

[Andrew Gough]

This guy seemed to think that the A99 was very good...

"In real world use, the AF-D setting is really quite impressive. The lenses/camera can track moving targets in the same way that Olympus’s Micro Four Thirds cameras can. But it’s not only that: the motors are fast, the objects can be tracked through the entire sensor area, and the camera can also do this while maintaining incredible sharpness. It is indeed a game changer."

Tackling Southern California with the Sony A99: Fast Cars, Helicopters, Sunsets and Aquariums

Maybe a board member can chime in?

 

[Andrew Gough]

More, and yes I know its pop photo...

"One place where the Sony A99 did exceptionally well is in autofocus speed. This is a new Hybrid AF system, so it’s especially impressive that the A99 proved the fastest in its class. At EV12, the brightest light level in our test, the A99 showed blazing speed by focusing in 0.27 second. It wasn’t until EV6, the equivalent of a very well-lit room, that it fell to 0.36 sec, faster than either the 5D Mark III or the D800 at their best"

Sony A99: Camera Test | Popular Photography

 

[wentbackward]

For kids, the Nikon seemed faster at A/F (I sold Nikon moved to Sony), but it's almost impossible to miss now for other reasons. I used to shoot the D700 in short bursts of at least three to lock on. Focus Ranging and focus peaking are killer for kiddies. The biggest complaint is that the A/F area is pretty small. The tracking doesn't seem to recover as well as Nikon. 3D mode and DMF are great, but it's the visual feedback in the EVF that makes this camera.

 

[wentbackward]

Has anyone noticed a slowdown on the A99 during power on?

I've let a 32GB card fill up and it takes over 4s to power on. I'll format shortly to see if the card is the cause, but really quite annoying.

 

[MikalWGrass]

WB and Andrew:

Thank you for the update. Question: is the camera great at focusing on objects that move side to side or is it also lightening fast at focusing on subjects moving towards the shooter. Having learned to shoot with a rangefinder, I can pretty much pick my spot in either situation and get at least one good shot. The issue is really with subjects moving towards me. Thanks again.

 

[etrigan63]

Hey gang, I am back from the hospital with a clean bill of health. Went out for a walk today and shot some flowers (boring, I know) and processed them with the latest version of Capture One Pro v7. Shot wide open for bokeh and speed (it was windy today).


IMG_20130313_2067 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


IMG_20130313_2066 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


IMG_20130313_2061 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


IMG_20130313_2060 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


IMG_20130313_2059 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


IMG_20130313_2058 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr

 

[kuau]

Carlos,
Glad to hear your ok...
Nice pics btw, which lens were you using?
Steven