Mr. Stekovics (Shot with Sony A99) from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.
BBC cameraman and editor Johnnie Behiri posted a first [shoplink 14165]Sony A99[/shoplink] review including three new vimeo videos. The other two videos are here:
Sony A99-Aliasing test on vimeo
Sony A99-Dynamic Range test on vimeo
So what does he think of the Sony A99? Here is his conclusion (Source vimeo):
“Spending a day with the Sony A99 left me with mixed emotions. Sony listened very carefully to some of our need as documentary run&gun shooters but failed short delivering the “ultimate” picture….Why having aliasing and moiré in an advanced generation of HDSLR is beyond my understanding. (vimeo.com/50980422)
Camera strengths:
-Clean HDMI output (on Ninja 2, camera must be set to “HDMI resolution-Auto” and not 1080p).
-Peaking
-Green dot at the center of the picture as an additional focus aid tool
-Dynamic range looks good ( non scientific sample 🙂 vimeo.com/50982162)
-Front camera wheel which can be assigned to control aperture or audio levels (not when the XLR kit is connected, then use the level wheels on the kit).
-Monitor and control audio levels while recording
-Good EVF and LCD allowing shooting in minimize configuration
-Dual SD card slots
Camera weakness:
-The A99 produced a decent image although moiré and aliasing is clearly there!
-No histogram in video mode
-No “zoom function” for accurate focusing
-Audio meters have no db levels and there is no change in meters color when sound is clipped.
-No 1080/50p recording is possible to Ninja 2.”
While it’s pity to have some quirks on the A99 the good news is that in theory most of the mentioned weakness could be fixed via firmware update. So let’s hope Sony is listening. By the way Sony, where is our NEX-7 firmware update??? 🙁
—
Sony preorder list:
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.
RX1 Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK ,Wex Germany and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-6 body Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK, Wex Germany Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-6 with kit lens Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Jessops, Wex Uk ,Wex Germany and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-VG900 Amazon, BHphoto, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, Wex Uk and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-VG30 Adorama, Amazon, BHphoto, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals.
Sony E-mount 16-50mm Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals .
Sony E-mount 35mm Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals.
Sony E-mount 10-18mm Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals.
Sony A-mount 300mm f/2.8 Amazon, BHphoto, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH.
70 Responses
Nice review!
He’s right…ok..but not amazing.
NEX-7-Firmware-Update? Better expect a NEX-7n to buy rather than that. Only first generation NEX cameras started promising here, but got dumped before Lens Compensation would have made them really final. Sony does not get it, that small give aways keep customers for longer, but forcing them into buying something new by firmware limitation doesn’t do any good. Even hackable firmware like the GH2 is a better solution.
True!!
Does his video with the A99 look a little soft !?
It does look soft, but I think either there is too much compression from Vimeo or maybe they compressed it too much when they made the final product. If you download the original file from Vimeo, it’s only about 6-7Mbps. That’s too low for 1920×1080!
Look at the text over black… it has, in my opinion, significant aliasing on the text. Certainly that can’t be blamed on the a99!
Those are good points, but everything I’ve seen so far indicates that IQ isn’t super-hot in video mode, on either this cam or the VG-900.
Louder bollocks with crap AVCHD 24mbps. its big failure in video.
Dont record on built-in memory. Buy Ninja or Shuttle.
Its not even worth mentioning for video. And definitely not breakthrough, instead Sony assume we r not good enough to go with higher bit rate+4:2:2. For that FU—-OFF sony for the shit 24mbps.
1200$ gh3 has better codec than sony.
why would i have an external recorder to record few extra bits??? why cant i do it in on board.
Still at this day I don’t even consider sony DSLRs shoot proper video.
ITS 2012 WAKE UP SONY.
When Sony announced all of these cameras, it all sounded like this (here on SAR a well): “Canikon and Olympus may have amazing handguns, but Sony is really bringing up a shotgun to this fight”
The problem is, they shot themselves in the foot with their own shotgun.
I like Sony, I really do, and the constant flow of optimism in this site is a show that many people are willing to stick with a company that innovates. That being said, they appear to just have done a ‘Canon’, bringing up a product and pitching it as a major competitor in the world albeit being considerably crippled by software and, likely, the marketing department. The fact that professionals only get a day or two to shoot with a camera is either a show for lack of trust and confidence in their products -therefore minimising the negative opinions building up-, or (equally as likely) the fact that they are in really hot demand to be reviewed.
Either way, for the sake of their own SLR line, they better improve the software compression and final video image quality of the a99 because for the price, it better do video and stills extremely well.
Hey, can we please stop talking about videography!? I use my sony camera for taking pictures a.k.a. photography, and not motionpicture a.k.a. video. I am really bored of these reveiws talking about video and everything with it. Yes, I know this camera is a real breakthrough for video and that there are videographers here, but what I now feel, is that Sony has really abandoned photography and photographers with the A99, and is just trying to sell something to the mass, even the “pro” mass of people/consumers.
I miss the SLR lineup. I’m not sayin’ that the SLT is bad, but just that the SLR is SLR, which is meant for photography…
Just sayin’
I suspect Sony’s angle is to be awesome for video. But like you, I don’t care a bit about video as I just want the best photos I can get. Every camera has video these days, it seems. But I do notice video is emphasized so much more with the A99, though. Sigh.
I understand your frustration (I feel the same disappointment when there’s a photo-centric post on the A99)–but for a lot of us, myself included, videography is the only reason I’m buying the camera. If I wanted mainly a stills camera I’d go for something higher pixels so I could blow it up to framing size.
Can we all just get along? 😉
well… mhh no 😉 sorry to be so harsh but you surely know the saying “if you try pleasing everyone you end up pleasing no-one” this in my opinion applies to the whole video-DSLR debate.. honestly, if there was any Photo-DSLR still left on the market i think photographers would just shut up but there is none.. even for my amateurish needs i´m majorly annoyed(which i guess applies not only to me) by video features hindering photographers needs.. best and most know example would be the pesky video-rec button on the NEX7 or A77, another thing thats a major annoyance for me is that the NEX7 comes with a microphone jack BUT NOT with a shutter remoter port, i wonder how many photographers would love to record brilliant audio to their photos.. nowadays people feel entitled to have brilliant video out of their PHOTO camera, but i´ve never heard anyone ever complaining to ARRI that the ARRI Alexas photo-abilities and ergonomics clearly lack.. or to Speedlight manufacturers that their flashes cant do 60 actuations per second. i dont know who ever came up with the idea that merging camcorders into Photo cameras was a brilliant thing, well its not..because whenever you merge two things you have to make compromises and pros dont like one thing: compromises.. so if you are even complaining about the latest Video-DSLR generation, well do yourself a favour and damn get a Video-camera for the same money which does anything video related simply better and stop forcing Photo-cameras to do things they are not meant to do, or that simply oppose their original intent of taking highres photos..like stronger AA-filters. there is a reason why pro video cameras dont simply use photo-sensors or other internals.
well i will buy another Sony camera if Sony offers a proper upgrade to the NEX7 or A77 with photographers in mind.. the A99 for me simply is not that, as i dont care too much about high ISO which is the only thing i see where its actually better..
More and more “professional” video cameras are flirting with photo sensors. If I was a serious still photographer I’d be complaining about a lack of medium format quality sensors. Cameras change, morph and so do their uses and their users. I feel bad that you’re stuck in the middle but I’m grateful that filmmakers have better choices than they ever did, thanks to DSLRs (or whatever they’re calling them this week). 50 fps for a full frame sensor camera is a breakthrough for my needs and if that doesn’t mean anything to you wait two weeks; there will be another camera to come along and better suit your needs.
Well i really think that the market is clearly answering to what people is asking for. 5D mkII was clearly released as a stills camera and became best known for its poor but attractive video capabilities, the when the mkIII arrived it was a huge disappointment for so many people tha the video didn’t almost improve.
I think sony is aiming at what they think is their best chance to pick a share on the pro/semi-pro segment by doing something different that the competition. As they dont have a legacy big of pro photographers waiting for the release of a perfect stills-aimed camera, they need to create new Amount users, and thats only coming from innovating people who are willing to change their working style adapting to the evolution of the imaging world, wich obviously includes not only photo but video. Also from people growing up from A55, A33, …etc
For me, personally, it was good news, but i understand that people looking for only still will not be that happy. I was just about to buy a Pana GH2 or a nex7, but i’ll save for this one as all my lenses are full frame.
“honestly, if there was any Photo-DSLR still left on the market ”
Sigma SD1M
about video-DSLR quality read here: 😉
http://www.petapixel.com/2012/10/09/bbc-contradicts-nikons-claim-that-its-dslrs-passed-the-bbc-test/
but i grant you that video-DSLRs made filming with nice shallow DOF and interchangeable lenses a lot more approachable, but only on the price level..
i`m just asking that Sony not completely forgets about photographers in favor of videographers, they release a billion of Nex’s and Alphas each year, so when photographers wait 3-4 years for a serious update they should not be given a video-camera 😉
i used Sigma cameras before and though their pixel level resolution is unmatched i cant say much good about their colors or anything else.. by a photographers camera i dont mean a camera that basically leaves away everything, not only video 😉 ALSO: how am i supposed to put my Alpha glass on a Sigma? i was talking about Sony, sorry for not clarifying..
+1
I am buying the A99 mainly for video function.
Stef.
No one’s forcing anyone, the market is there. I’m so glad that people who have no interest in shooting video are so knowledgeable about what kind of video equipment I should be using.
Even if you’re a pro photographer, it’s hard to deny that there’s pressure lately to get into videography, as well. I don’t blame you for not liking it (I wouldn’t!), but the reality is that it’s now an important thing to consider.
@Vedran Mandić
Yes. I’m with you. I too never care about videography on a still camera. I hope SONY devotes all of their expertise in inventing the best camera for photography.
Its not even worth mentioning for video. And definitely not breakthrough, instead Sony assume we r not good enough to go with higher bit rate+4:2:2. For that FU—-OFF sony for the shit 24mbps.
Its not even worth mentioning for video. And definitely not breakthrough, instead Sony assume we r not good enough to go with higher bit rate+4:2:2. For that FU—-OFF sony for the shit 24mbps…!
Firmware update for the A99??? The only way anyone’s going to get a firmware update from Sony is if they wait for the next new camera and buy that. That, as we have come to realise is Sony’s policy.
A65/A77 owners know this only too well. We’re still waiting for a decent Jpeg engine amongst other things so we can get decent pictures and use the facilities of the camera at the same time.
Until Sony give us these firmware updates and prove they care about their existing users, anyone buying a new Sony camera are taking an enormous risk.
Still haven’t figured why someone buys a semi-pro body and wants good jpegs…shoot RAW and learn to process them.
the a77 has had 5 firmware updates so not sure where the negativity is coming from. I know the NEX-7 still hasn’t had one and that baffles me, but on the dSLR side Sony has been decent w/ Firmware updates.
They had a lot to fix on the 77. My 850 had one fw update. Not what I would call stellar support.
* No “zoom function” for accurate focusing
Please tell me that it related to video only . . .
I wonder about that as well. It would have been nice with a good example as a reference.
Is it digital zoom he wants? Or motorized zoom?
/E
It is only when shooting video, like all SLTs to date.
The A99 is not the ultimate video tool
The A99 is not the ultimate stills tool
But that was to be expected, if you don’t want to hurt your own pro video division (Sony video) nor your main sensor customer (Nikon).
But, who’s actually going to buy the A99?
Sometimes I think that Sony cameras are just to test Sony sensors 😉
and lenses, well you just need one to test with, and Sony does hame more than one, so stop complaining 😉
I believe that Nikon will market a mirrorless 36MP pro full-frame ILC camera and it will use a Sony sensor, before Sony does.
Indeed, that has come to my mind as well. Sometimes I think of a Sony camera as a reference design or proof-of-concept, that unfortunately lacks the tweaking and polishing to make it a great success.
Yes because Nikon have really been pushin themselves into new markets. Nikon will not be doing that any time soon, if ever. Sony are the ones who seem to be pushing the boundaries of what a camera ‘is’ not Canon or Nikon. I’m not a Sony shooter because they make Canon and Nikon clones and never would have been either, like their choices or don’t but Sony are one of the few companies pushing things in all new directions. Sony are the first major player to have a mirrorless FF camera (VG900) and nobody other than maybe Pentax is positioned to compete with them anytime soon.
Yes, agreed…
But you are talking video, Sony is about video with its SLT and the a99
Nikon is an optics company
Sony’s a highly professional company when it comes to advanced video and they’re an excellent gadgeteer since their famous WALKMAN era, but they’re having problems with something in between, especially since for really competing against Canon & Nikon on the photography market only middle class support isn’t enough, of course.
What I don’t understand is this stupid firmware strategy, that you’re mostly dumped the moment you’ve paid your money, while simply additional lens profiles would offer the great chance already to send people eM@ils about new lenses available and keep them as customers for longer. I had my problems with this behaviour for quite a while until I lowered my expectations and simply accepted NEX cameras as the perfect sensor for my existing manual lenses plus a few ones I bought from Sony, but this way they’ll never make me invest into lenses over €/$ 400, of course.
Other stupidity to annoy serious customers is the kit strategy. I would have bought a NEX-5N already simply because of 50p SlowMo and I liked the white version, but they don’t sell this in Europe and elsewhere only with the kit lens I already have, while so far there’s no sign of the NEX-5RL/W with 50p video and silver SEL-P1650: http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10551&productId=8198552921666489351
Sony, why making it so difficult to let me say: Yes, that’s what I like to buy?
You’re right on both counts. And in answer to your question, anyone who can’t afford 60,000 dollars for the head-only of the ultimate video tool. 3000 bucks is the price of a good weekend in Bangkok.
From the samples I’ve seen the A99 outclasses every FF camera released before 2012 and its featureset kills the 6D/D600 IMHO. Then its down to wants/needs. The video looks no better or worse than the 5d3/D800, but I find Steadyshot, peaking and the tilt LCD a necessity for video and handy for stills with legacy glass.
On the stills side it looks comparable to the 5d3 and D800 up to 6400, and again it outclasses the 5d2, D700 and all APS-c/m43 cameras – especially when you start looking at DR.
Sony makes the one and only FF camera that does 1080/60p.
That’s why I’ve ordered the A99.
+1
Stef.
I ordered one too, yay for 14 bit files!!!
Yeah Andrea !! I’ m waiting desesperatly a nex7 firmware update ! I’m not sure Sony is listening …:'(
Sony knows and is listening but doesn’t care!
It was once said that a sucker is born every minute, It’s a bigger world now Sony knows that there are 10 suckers born every second.
A new camera will come out next year……..buy that 🙂
Sony cares about profits and not customers
What, are you a communist? Show me one company that doesn’t care about profit and I’ll show you a company that’s either run by a goverment or is out of business
Yes, but there are some that do understand that they have two masters.
Shareholders and customers.
John,
Sony has lost money every quarter for years. Their stock is hovering around $12 and two years ago it was at $36. If they don’t start listening to their customers, they will go bankrupt. Forget cameras for a second, their offerings in every other category have been junk. If they manage to screw up the few areas that are still profitable, they will be out of business sooner than you think. Granted, it will still take awhile because of their reserves and the Japanese government.
At the same time higher-end the photography branch of their business (meaning: one excluding P&S compacts) and semiconductors are among most profitable parts of Sony corp.
Is this a review?
By the BBC?
Really?
Johnnie Behiri is a freenlacer cameraman for BBC, he previously used a nice variety of cameras in documental works, even the Nex 5n was used on one.
https://vimeo.com/33429338
And one with the Sony a65
https://vimeo.com/29245251
How about two lines of cameras one for perfecting video and one for perfecting photography. The industry keeps trying to make both work on one system but frankly I for one couldn’t care less about video. I would consider the D800E if it had an EVF. I was holding out for a Sony 36+ mp camera seeing as I mostly shoot outdoors with a tripod.
Personally I like looking threw a full frame OVF but I hate the guess work as to how the photo will be exposed. With EVF what you see is exactly what you get (before taking the shot). What’s the point of seeing how the human eye sees if the camera sensors will never match it. We can see something like 36f stops of light where the very best camera cab only see 14.
+100
Never gonna happen. Good luck selling a DSLR in 2012 that only shoots stills when all your competition can shoot video and stills. That would be an epic failure.
I really wonder what Sony’s true business is. So far it looks like Nex cameras, video cameras and selling sensors to other DSLR makers. Their own SLRs are a portfolio only. I have more than 12K in sony gear and start feeling cheated.
Sony plays games with their full frame users by not releasing an ultimate camera that is fit for a professional. There’s always something wrong with it. Poor iso and ok AF (a900), good AF and poor iso (a77), good iso and shitty AF sensors position (a99). Don’t get me started on Flash and Flash shoe. It’s got to be messed up one way or another, late in the game, no support for all lenses, software or firmware is missing something and you have to WAIT & WAIT. I’ve had enough, I have a business to run.
So far Canon 5Dmk3, Nikon d800 and D4 I had a chance to use were able to deliver great sensor and stellar AF performance. Sony is still dragging its feet. D600 is already out by the way, Sony can’t yet put their firmware together. I learned my lesson with a77, thank you Sony for those hours at my computer creating custom noise, color and lens profiles, I learned something.
True that us Sony shooters have to work harder in PS and LR and do our own profiles.
And I’m not sure if the company I use for tripods and ballheads, Really Right Stuff will even make an “L” bracket for the a99.
I was luckly they made a bracket for the a850/a900
Same here – all that money in lenses and every time bad iso because of one reason or the other and ok IQ.
Wish I had chosen Nikon when I bought the A100 and bought into this system.
I have no idea who the intended customer is for any of Sony’s DSL … whatever.
I was really hoping that this full frame was going to be something I can switch to and I wont look stupid when being the Alpha guy at a place full of CaNikon. Seriously this is just frustrating.
Would it be that hard for example to have a mirror lock up type mode for the A99 and get that little extra resolution and light and better ISO.
REALLY GETTING FED-UP.
Why would you post a link to this video? It’s terrible, and it looks so tiny, about the size of a thumbnail, I watched about 5 seconds and left.
“‘By the way Sony, where is our NEX-7 firmware update??? ”
Firmware update!! you might be Joking…
Don’t you know Sony policy?!!
No firware updates only camera updates, Other companies will release firware updates, sony will release next edition of camera instead. To which you can upgrade….
Do you know in India, Sony haven’t even released next version of NEX after the old NEX-3 and NEX-5. Without firmware updates and no new camera models release we NEX users in India are forced to stuck with old stuff
Sony policy is to release firmware updates for high-end cameras (and new-camera-updates for low-end). So expecting NEX7 updates is perfectly within reason. But I say: be patient. Probably A77 will get an update first, and this one hasn’t come yet.
I doubtful some issue about A99.
why still have translucent mirror while AF on sensor ?
Have the limitation of AF on sensor ?
I see Image Resource on hand review the hybrid of Nex5R can use for some lens. so that I doubt what is require from lens.
After A99, I hope Sony will devote (and commit) to developing fullframe, interchangeable-lens bodies (perhaps NEX9).
A99 already is “fullframe, interchangeable-lens body”.
Im guessing you will get moire and aliasing because all DSLR sensors use only 1920×1080 pixels from the sensor, rather than use all 6000×4000 pixels and average them … and no camera will do the averaging for some years as its both too intensive and will drastically reduce the max record time due to sensor temperature.
I hoped that the a99 would utilise its unique 50p mode when shooting at 24p (i.e. 24p is actually 50p using an alternate pixel grid that is averaged on every other frame to add more information, and reduce moire and aliasing… and probably give a much sharper image).
Perhaps something they could add via firmware as a new ’24P oversample’ video mode.
You don’t need to use 6000×4000 – I guess for most uses 4k downscaled would be good enough to avoid any artefacts (and it’d open the doors for recording 4k video – which already happens, eg. Canon 1C can record 4k with DSLR sensor).
+1 .. And this is also the reason for poor shapness in video with this camera.
Canon and Nikon FF footage need sharpening in post as well, this just seems to be the reality of high MP sensors being scaled down to a ~2mp image and the AA filters needed for stills, though the D800e has its own issues with moire.
Sony, I don’t give a c–p about video..Make a camera for photographers and please A FIRMWARE UPDATE for the A77!!!! No need to make a new A77. listen to people who are fed up with your camera updates..make firmware updates!!!!!!
The Moire/line skipping/interpolation artifacts of the A99 are 100% intentional.
Sony Pro video department will never EVER approve any Alpha or large sensor Handycam to exist without Moire artifacts.
Sony Pro group will introduce a FF PRO camera next year that does not have Moire problems. It will be a FF sister to the FS100. It will be a low megapixel FF sensor that is designed for video, not pix.
I’ve been speculating for awhile that a 4k FF sensor (FS900?) is somewhere in the pipeline. Problem is that camera would probably cost somewhere north of $12,000 and be positioned as a C300/Red killer. If it were priced lower it would kill the rest of the FS line.
Doesn’t look any better or worse than any other DSLR, but the DR looks very good – a major shortcoming with smaller sensors – and it has the FF look. Still waiting for more MTS files to tinker with before my camera ships. I can work around moire since every still camera has it, but I can’t improve the DR out of a GH2 or Nex5n – which is a real advantage for video. Stills-wise the 14-bit raw files will crush any m43 or APS-c camera, it will be competitive with current CaNikon FF cameras and better than my now departed 5d2, which means it will suffice for a part-time pro. Don’t care about EVF/OVF because I use constant fluorescent lighting for stills and video – and extra strobes to blow out backgrounds so they both work fine for me.
Digital video stabilization kills movie quality, when shoot handheld.
Panasonic gh video sharpness is much much better.
Dynamic range dro option is good.