As to the banding issue on the A7iii (as per the firmware 2.10 version), I've only encountered the banding issue in silent shooting mode AND at ISO 12,800. I've yet to encounter banding at a lower ISO but I'm not certain that this could always be the case. So this does change up the way I use/select my lenses. If I want silent shooting, I'll want to have my fastest glass (and likely at the maximum aperture) and watch the ISO closely if it's getting close to night or if lighting in general is not good.
Good breakdown. Ideally, one would have both, much like yourself. I guess all rounder a7III works best, but the more special tools you need you can also choose 7 R-for resolution, soon to be released new 7 S-for sensitivity and video centric camera, and off course a9 for sports and wildlife, while also being able to shoot just about everything else too.
Great video David! It really points out all the differences and similarities well. I'll throw in one caveat for the 10fps on the 7iii with flash that you didn't mention. One must have flashes that can cycle that fast and not everyone does. The best flash/strobe I have is the AD200 and it's quick but I can't go 10fps with it and my 7iii. Do your profoto lights go that fast?? Also, I vouch for David on the banding as I'm the guy (or one of the guys) that had the banding issue in the dance recital with the silent shutter. You can't fix different color bands going across your subject in post. I still LOVE my 7iii but wish the banding wasn't an issue and won't rely on silent shutter indoors again!
You make soooo many great points...the point about the extra dial is so on point. I had an A7Riii for a while and I was always looking ofr that dial, to no avail. I wish they wouldve created an A7Riiithat had that extra dial. i would have been willing to pay for it.
Hey David! I shoot portraits, street photography, and concert photography. Plus I’m looking to get into filmmaking and editing with log. Which combo should I get: AR3, A73 AR3, a9 A73, a9 Right now I have an a9 only bc I got It a decent price and needed a camera bad. The AR3 wasn’t out yet nor was the a73. I’m mostly worried about losing my a9 speed. Are the other 2 great for concert photography and in terms of focus and not missing a shot? Thanks!
Brother, many times you mention minimal rolling shutter in the A9 but never mention if this is only for photo. I saw some rolling shutter tests of the A9 early on and the RS for VIDEO was not much better that the alphas. Can you confirm or show a test that the rolling shutter in minimal on the A9 for VIDEO? Thanks, brother.
Firstly David great review of both of these cameras. I have a couple of questions. At there moment I own and use a Canon 1D Mk 111 and a Sony a7r. I have always used Canon and actually have 8 Canon bodies dating back to the original F1, all in working order. I switched to Sony for general photography, i.e. not sports where I use the 1D with a Canon 400mm f4 DO lens. Whilst Ive been happy with the Sony as far as picture and video performance the build quality is way below the Canon. One of my biggest gripes is that the E mount appears weak and with all 3 lenses I use (all Sony/Zeiss) there is some slop, i.e.minor rotational movement as if its not properly locked into place. I have never had this on a Canon in 45 years. I read sometime ago that the mount was strengthened from the first variants, is this so? Have you heard of or encountered this sloppy mount issue on current or past Sony a series cameras? Maybe it's just my body? I ask you this because I am considering purchasing the next variant of the Sony a9 and a Sony 400mm f2.8 G lens. As you will appreciate this is a big investment and I am a little concerned the weight of the 400mm could overpower the E mount. If this is not the case and assuming the next a9 will have S-log I will have one camera to fill all my requirements. Looking forward to your thoughts.
David... if I had heard this video before I purchased my Sony A7iii, my money would have gone to the A9. Don't know how I feel about that now. Good thing Sony continues to produce exciting products.
Did you day the A9 was as good in aps c as full frame do you mean video or stills. have you noticed any difference in video picture quality between the two cameras cheers.
Thanks. This was very informative. I have recently been in several situations where I had to photograph skateboarders and another outing where I was photographing a dance show. While I got some wonderful shots on the a7iii, there were times it just wasn't fast enough to grab what I was seeing at the precise moment. It was often just a hair to half a second too late and you can't get those opportunities back. I am looking at trading my a7iii for the original a9 but am worried about stepping into a camera that's been around for a few years now. I wonder is it still worth getting at this stage of the game.
Watching thru the ads for support! I’m fortunate that the a9 is going for $3600 where I live and that pushes me more to sell the a7r3 for an a9. Your conclusion on the a9 speaks what I think too. For me, the 20fps for streets help a lot in getting the ideal shot.
David Oastler I do miss the MP of the a7r3, but I don't do prints firstly. Also, I view my images mostly on an ipad. So I say minimum after crop should give me at least 3000px on the long side should be fine. But the 20fps ensuring an ideal frame keeper, and the zero distortion is the real deal for me. Once in a while, a video like this comes out which reinforces my decision is right. Now Sony, get the a9r out there, not so soon, maybe 2020? 😆
The A7iii is awesome for sports and wildlife as well. I've taken amazing sports and wildlife with it. I'm not claiming it is an A9 but it sure gets the job done pretty darn well. Honestly you can't go wrong with any of the current Sony's. I would chose the Riii last because of the focus points and system for sports and wildlife personally. I got to play with one a few months ago and L O V E that resolution!!! What an awesome landscape camera!!!
the question on which one to chose well the answer is simple... get both one as the main camera and the other as a back up and supplemental or B roll camera as it were..... that i how i use my canon equipment one main one as back up or when i do event my granddaughter is the second photographer and she uses the backup
Hi David, I have the A7iii and I'm considering trading it for the A9 because the price has dropped a lot, I'm now shooting a lot more sports (my son made it to the football team👍🏻😄), and I want to make good use of the silent shutter when I'm traveling to places like Japan where it's best not to disturb others. The A7iii's mechanical shutter is very loud as you may agree. The question I have for you is, if I use the electronic shutter for sports like football, will there be any roller shutter problem? Thanks mate!
Have you found a huge difference between used and new camera bodies? I am an enthusiast. At this point, I mostly shoot my daughters' sports events (usually in a gym - poor quality lighting) and family portraits. I have been leaning towards the a7iii because of its overall profile (just seems like a really solid camera for everything I'll be doing over the next few years), but I just check and the used a9ii are being offered by b&h for $2500 w a new a7iii being around $2000. The a9ii will offer better stills I think. Of course, the specs for the Canon R5 are great... I'm sure it will be beyond my budget, but he R6 may not be. I'm not in a rush (I won't be purchasing until July-August.... unless an amazing deal comes up ;-) Do you have any suggestions? I'm starting new so70which ever system we go with, I'll also have get glass (70-200 & another lense). Thank you David.
Hi David, great video... Do you know if the A9 turns off face detection when recording to an Atomos recorder in 4K? The A7iii does which is a bummer, but the manual in the A9 says as long as you just output to the hdmi (and do not write to the card) it will keep face detection on in 4K. Thanks a bunch... keep up the awesome videos!
The A7iii has one major downside (unless there has been a firmware upgrade to add it) - you can't use the heating issues that the A9 has for survival situations (keep your body warm, start a fire, cook food on it 😆). Have you had a look at the battery doors for each camera to see if there is a noticeable difference (ie for water proofing)?
Hello thanks for the video. I'm trying to make a decision, your input will be very helpful. I have a Sony A7Riii and a A7iii, would you trade in one or both cameras to get the A9, I don't do any sports photography.
I never use flash, nor do I want to, so forgive my ignorance, but why on earth do you need to use mechanical shutter for flash photography? That to me doesn't make any sense, or is it just that the sensor readout is too slow, even on the a9, so that the flash blinds the sensor, so to speak?
@@DavidOastler Ah of course, didn't consider that. Still, the A9 sensor is pretty damn fast. Could probably compensate for what little impact there is, if you really want.
I really hate the fact that everyone is talking about 4K. I need 1080p, my system and storage aren’t ready yet. Can you please compare 1080p between these two camera
David Oastler one more question, how do the two cameras crop in when shooting at different FPS. I’m not buying the A7Sii because it’s crop in insanely at 120fps. Please help, can’t find this info in the manual
Well done mate! the best review i have seen...brilliant! YOU ROCK!!!
Thanks so much mate
This was a extremely well done video. I'm a wedding pro and understanding the difference and limits is huge. Thank you so much for this!
My pleasure
Superb overview and analysis, David...
It's always a pleasure to listen to your passionate and cogent video presentations/conversations...
Thanks mate.
Thanks for this, I'm getting ready to get a second body to go alongside my A9. I think you swayed me to get another one.
Seriously helpful review, have been struggling to decide between these two cameras. Many thanks.
Thanks.
Wonderful comparison David, thank you!
Thanks for watching
Thanks for this. I have had the a9 since it came out and I love it.
Thanks for watching
As to the banding issue on the A7iii (as per the firmware 2.10 version), I've only encountered the banding issue in silent shooting mode AND at ISO 12,800. I've yet to encounter banding at a lower ISO but I'm not certain that this could always be the case. So this does change up the way I use/select my lenses. If I want silent shooting, I'll want to have my fastest glass (and likely at the maximum aperture) and watch the ISO closely if it's getting close to night or if lighting in general is not good.
Great review, very helpful guide for people planning to move over to Sony.
Thanks Orio.
Good breakdown. Ideally, one would have both, much like yourself. I guess all rounder a7III works best, but the more special tools you need you can also choose 7 R-for resolution, soon to be released new 7 S-for sensitivity and video centric camera, and off course a9 for sports and wildlife, while also being able to shoot just about everything else too.
Yes we are very lucky
Great video David! It really points out all the differences and similarities well. I'll throw in one caveat for the 10fps on the 7iii with flash that you didn't mention. One must have flashes that can cycle that fast and not everyone does. The best flash/strobe I have is the AD200 and it's quick but I can't go 10fps with it and my 7iii. Do your profoto lights go that fast??
Also, I vouch for David on the banding as I'm the guy (or one of the guys) that had the banding issue in the dance recital with the silent shutter. You can't fix different color bands going across your subject in post. I still LOVE my 7iii but wish the banding wasn't an issue and won't rely on silent shutter indoors again!
Yes the Profoto can depending on the power you use.
Thank you David for the helpful video comparing Sony A9 and A7III, informative and useful! God bless and Good luck!
Thanks for watching
You make soooo many great points...the point about the extra dial is so on point. I had an A7Riii for a while and I was always looking ofr that dial, to no avail. I wish they wouldve created an A7Riiithat had that extra dial. i would have been willing to pay for it.
Yes I love that dial.
I want a few custom buttons there-so much wasted space.
Interesting opinion. I have both also and they are both great for different reasons. Everyone can find an article on any view they want.
great review
Thanks Gilbert
Hello and thanks for your videos! Is there a chance to talk about petions for PICTURE PROFILES and GAMMA DISPLAY ASSIST in Sony A9?
Hey David! I shoot portraits, street photography, and concert photography. Plus I’m looking to get into filmmaking and editing with log.
Which combo should I get:
AR3, A73
AR3, a9
A73, a9
Right now I have an a9 only bc I got
It a decent price and needed a camera bad. The AR3 wasn’t out yet nor was the a73.
I’m mostly worried about losing my a9 speed. Are the other 2 great for concert photography and in terms of focus and not missing a shot?
Thanks!
I would get the a7III it is close to the a9
Yes, love my a9
Me too
Brother, many times you mention minimal rolling shutter in the A9 but never mention if this is only for photo. I saw some rolling shutter tests of the A9 early on and the RS for VIDEO was not much better that the alphas. Can you confirm or show a test that the rolling shutter in minimal on the A9 for VIDEO? Thanks, brother.
It is really only better in stills and yes I should have stated that.
If had my way, I would have all 3 cameras A7lll A7rlll A9. In my work, they cover anything i need to do. And work seamlessly tie together.
I have the a7rII and love that as well
Which would you recommend for landscape and wildlife?
Firstly David great review of both of these cameras. I have a couple of questions. At there moment I own and use a Canon 1D Mk 111 and a Sony a7r. I have always used Canon and actually have 8 Canon bodies dating back to the original F1, all in working order. I switched to Sony for general photography, i.e. not sports where I use the 1D with a Canon 400mm f4 DO lens. Whilst Ive been happy with the Sony as far as picture and video performance the build quality is way below the Canon. One of my biggest gripes is that the E mount appears weak and with all 3 lenses I use (all Sony/Zeiss) there is some slop, i.e.minor rotational movement as if its not properly locked into place. I have never had this on a Canon in 45 years. I read sometime ago that the mount was strengthened from the first variants, is this so? Have you heard of or encountered this sloppy mount issue on current or past Sony a series cameras? Maybe it's just my body?
I ask you this because I am considering purchasing the next variant of the Sony a9 and a Sony 400mm f2.8 G lens. As you will appreciate this is a big investment and I am a little concerned the weight of the 400mm could overpower the E mount. If this is not the case and assuming the next a9 will have S-log I will have one camera to fill all my requirements. Looking forward to your thoughts.
The latest cameras have an improved mount and the a9 is the strongest of them all
David Oastler thanks for such a prompt response.
David... if I had heard this video before I purchased my Sony A7iii, my money would have gone to the A9. Don't know how I feel about that now. Good thing Sony continues to produce exciting products.
There is nothing wrong with the a7III it is an amazing camera
a9 still rocks better. I sold the a7r3 for a9 after I had the chance to try the a9 for 5 days. despite the lower MP, more keepers for me.
Yep it is amazing
Adrian Lim How is the a7riii in eye AF, low light, and standard video profile compared to A9?
It is great I think the eye af on the a7III is better but the overall at is better with the a9. The video of the a9 is also slightly better
Did you day the A9 was as good in aps c as full frame do you mean video or stills. have you noticed any difference in video picture quality between the two cameras cheers.
It is the only full frame camera for video where you can use full frame without loss of quality
Re low light focus, 14m 52sec mark “ I’m not sure what voodoo Sony has done there” , that comment made me laugh. 👍😀
Lol
Thanks. This was very informative. I have recently been in several situations where I had to photograph skateboarders and another outing where I was photographing a dance show. While I got some wonderful shots on the a7iii, there were times it just wasn't fast enough to grab what I was seeing at the precise moment. It was often just a hair to half a second too late and you can't get those opportunities back. I am looking at trading my a7iii for the original a9 but am worried about stepping into a camera that's been around for a few years now. I wonder is it still worth getting at this stage of the game.
I would no worrie at all
@@DavidOastler Thanks for confirming. Much appreciated. I am taking the a9 plunge and can't wait to start shooting with it.
You will love it
@@DavidOastler You were right. I absolutely love this thing. Wow is it an amazing camera. Thanks again for your advice on this.
Watching thru the ads for support! I’m fortunate that the a9 is going for $3600 where I live and that pushes me more to sell the a7r3 for an a9. Your conclusion on the a9 speaks what I think too. For me, the 20fps for streets help a lot in getting the ideal shot.
I love the a9 but just make sure you don’t need the resolution I still have the a7rII but I must admit I don’t really use it now.
David Oastler I do miss the MP of the a7r3, but I don't do prints firstly. Also, I view my images mostly on an ipad. So I say minimum after crop should give me at least 3000px on the long side should be fine.
But the 20fps ensuring an ideal frame keeper, and the zero distortion is the real deal for me. Once in a while, a video like this comes out which reinforces my decision is right.
Now Sony, get the a9r out there, not so soon, maybe 2020? 😆
Maybe
Would you upgrade to the A9 from the A7r3 in a not professional situation.
It all depends if you need the resolution of the r3. The a9 has much better focus, silent shutter etc
A7r iii is still a good camera for wildlife and landscapes.
Yes it is.
The A7iii is awesome for sports and wildlife as well. I've taken amazing sports and wildlife with it. I'm not claiming it is an A9 but it sure gets the job done pretty darn well. Honestly you can't go wrong with any of the current Sony's. I would chose the Riii last because of the focus points and system for sports and wildlife personally. I got to play with one a few months ago and L O V E that resolution!!! What an awesome landscape camera!!!
Yes we are very lucky
i guess i need save more A9 it is
the question on which one to chose
well the answer is simple...
get both one as the main camera and the other as a back up and supplemental or B roll camera as it were.....
that i how i use my canon equipment one main one as back up or when i do event my granddaughter is the second photographer and she uses the backup
That is exactly what I have.
Hi David, I have the A7iii and I'm considering trading it for the A9 because the price has dropped a lot, I'm now shooting a lot more sports (my son made it to the football team👍🏻😄), and I want to make good use of the silent shutter when I'm traveling to places like Japan where it's best not to disturb others. The A7iii's mechanical shutter is very loud as you may agree. The question I have for you is, if I use the electronic shutter for sports like football, will there be any roller shutter problem? Thanks mate!
No there won’t be that is what it is for
Is it still interesting to buy the A9 in 2019? Or wait for the A9 mark 2
I would still get it especially as the new firmware is coming this month
Have you found a huge difference between used and new camera bodies? I am an enthusiast. At this point, I mostly shoot my daughters' sports events (usually in a gym - poor quality lighting) and family portraits. I have been leaning towards the a7iii because of its overall profile (just seems like a really solid camera for everything I'll be doing over the next few years), but I just check and the used a9ii are being offered by b&h for $2500 w a new a7iii being around $2000. The a9ii will offer better stills I think.
Of course, the specs for the Canon R5 are great... I'm sure it will be beyond my budget, but he R6 may not be. I'm not in a rush (I won't be purchasing until July-August.... unless an amazing deal comes up ;-) Do you have any suggestions? I'm starting new so70which ever system we go with, I'll also have get glass (70-200 & another lense). Thank you David.
I would wait and see what happens I. The coming weeks to see what happens
Hi David, great video... Do you know if the A9 turns off face detection when recording to an Atomos recorder in 4K?
The A7iii does which is a bummer, but the manual in the A9 says as long as you just output to the hdmi (and do not write to the card) it will keep face detection on in 4K.
Thanks a bunch... keep up the awesome videos!
When I get a chance I will have to check.
@@DavidOastler That would be awesome! I would literally pay you for this test, I can't find someone showing this anywhere on the internet.
Hi, is it still good to buy the A9 now in november 2018 or wait?
Yes it is great value
@@DavidOastler I dont know what you call value because its still 4200 euro here. Would i be crazy to sell my A7RIII for the A9?
It is value compared the the competition from canon and Nikon.
The A7iii has one major downside (unless there has been a firmware upgrade to add it) - you can't use the heating issues that the A9 has for survival situations (keep your body warm, start a fire, cook food on it 😆).
Have you had a look at the battery doors for each camera to see if there is a noticeable difference (ie for water proofing)?
Lol
Hello thanks for the video. I'm trying to make a decision, your input will be very helpful. I have a Sony A7Riii and a A7iii, would you trade in one or both cameras to get the A9, I don't do any sports photography.
I would sell one but that is the the tracking is so worth it.
Would you say for astrophotographers A9 low light Iso sharpness and noise or better on the 7iii? Thanks
A7iii is slightly better
I never use flash, nor do I want to, so forgive my ignorance, but why on earth do you need to use mechanical shutter for flash photography? That to me doesn't make any sense, or is it just that the sensor readout is too slow, even on the a9, so that the flash blinds the sensor, so to speak?
It has to be a global shutter to use flash electric shutter
@@DavidOastler Ah of course, didn't consider that. Still, the A9 sensor is pretty damn fast. Could probably compensate for what little impact there is, if you really want.
Video handheld and especially when walking is completely unusable with either of the Sony’s. Have you any experience with the Lumix Gh5 or G9?
Yes I had the GH5 and the stabilisation is not as good as that camera but they are great hand holding with little movement
I have an A7 now and I think I'll sell it for €500 and get the A7 III for €1500 used...
Great idea
0:10 "obviously I've had the A9 much longer..." - 0:28 "which one is *still* my favorite one..." - Big unintentional spoiler? :-)
I want the a9s, that will be awesome
Yep it will be
I really hate the fact that everyone is talking about 4K. I need 1080p, my system and storage aren’t ready yet. Can you please compare 1080p between these two camera
Thea9 is slightly better but both are amazing with 1080p that is what I am always shooting with
David Oastler one more question, how do the two cameras crop in when shooting at different FPS. I’m not buying the A7Sii because it’s crop in insanely at 120fps. Please help, can’t find this info in the manual
Sorry I don’t shoot at 120 at all I only shoot at 60p
which one is better for videographers and film makers ? a9 or a7iii ?
If you need log the a7III is better
ty for the reply, can i do super 35 on a7 iii ? if you have to choose between log and super 35 which one you choose ?
I don’t use log so I choose the a9
David Oastler thank you for reply ,my last question to you , at super 35 a9 gives what resolution video ?
4k
shutter Warranty a9 500,000 instead of 200,000 for sony a III
Yep but I rarely use the mechanical shutter
Rp Einstein Ya. I’m all ES
I find I'm always shooting natural light then flash and I mix it up.... do you do the same and do you just change from mechanical to electronic David?
Yes I do.
You are completely wrong! You get better IQ with all Sony FF camera when doing super 35mm 4k vs FF. You should know better than that
Not with the a9
What about low light video quality?
They are Both about the same.
David Oastler Thank you sir. I appreciate your videos:)
The A9II will be amazing.
Yes it probably will be
And is it amazing ? It’s out now ! Lol
Lol not really
Your depth of field in my opinion is too shallow. I love shallow depth of field but this is slightly distracting.