PUSHING THE LIMITS of the A7III & Sony 100-400 GM

[@azalbalushi]

I've been Canon photographer for over 20 years. in December 2018, I had the opportunity to go on a photograpy tour of Antartica. We were advised of the limited weight we can carry on the Zodiac boats. I was concerned of the heavy weight of my canon kit. So I sold my entire Canon kit and bought 2x a7R III bodies, Sony 100-400 F4 GM , Sony 24-105 F4 and Sony 16-35 F4 lenses. Almost cut my kit weight by half !!! As you can imagine the environment and the lighting conditions at Antartica are very chellenging. Its very bright and 90% of the background is white which is very tough for auto focus! Half of the time we were shooting from moving and rocking zodiac boats ! with 8 other, shoulder-to-sholder photographers, and shooting subjects that are either flying or popping in and out of the water! meanwhile we were stuffed with heavy layers of water and waether proof cloths and gloves. However, the camera and the lenses performed extremely well; given the extreme condition. surprisingly the Sony batteries also did vey well two. We spent 4 to 5 hours each day photographing at freezing temperatures. I shot around 1000 on each camera. I used two batteries for each camera.The very bright and snowy back ground worked well most of the time with the F4 lenses.

[@SebaXeneize]

I’m not too well oriented in photography and gear, but everything I’ve seen tells me that canon is like that fat but still worthy older brother.

[@themadgreek]

This video had special meaning for me...at time stamp 8:54, there's an F-15 with tail ID "LN" - I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath before retiring from the USAF - thanks for the memories.

[@InMission]

I shot Canon and Nikon for over 27 years and I decided to go with the Sony A7III and I don't regret at all and I just love it. For me, the only thing that my A7III bugs me is the AF Point (the little square box), they really need to change the color of it, usually I don't have a problem, but the other day on a really sunny day I was having trouble to see it. Other then that, I really love this camera. Thanks for the review, I really enjoy it.

[@GeorgeRTurner]

I agree 100% on the color issue for the little focus square! I wish Sony would release a firmware update to allow the user to change the color. It can be very difficult to find.

[@anthony71571]

totally agree. I like shooting sports with both eyes open in order to see where the play is coming from and the AF Point is barely visible and makes it harder for me to focus on my subject.

[@tomdullage1531]

Thanks Dave, this is the first test of the A7III I've seen that gave me a clue about the focusing in a situation similar to birds in flight, one of my interests. I'm currently using a Nikon D500 and don't really need to change just yet, but am thinking of rationalising my kit and going mirrorless, so the A7III is very interesting!

[@broundgeef48]

One of the reasons you wasn't tracking threw view finder at the BTCC is that you're in Hi+ mode where you gain fps but you lose the ability for live tracking/viewing in view finder or screen! I know it's over a year old and everyone already knows that. But hopefully someone, like me, who might be watching this who is STILL deciding and saving for A7iii knows why and isn't put off :)

[@brianritchie1807]

Shoot continuous Hi and not Hi+…. it drops to about 8fps yet your EVF still works.

[@njrtech]

100-400gm is an amazing lense... And does not cost $10k like the 2.8 you speak of ( get ready for price, it won't be cheap!) . Just use higher ISO... Sony bodies handle that really well.

[@minusinfinity6974]

No the reason the f/2.8 or even f/4 superteles are desirable is the AF is much faster than a zoom due to more light on the AF sensors and they have physically larger/more pwerful AF drive motors. Also you get better separation of subject and background. I'd also much rather use ISO 1600 than ISO 6400 say. A 400 f/2.8 obliterates a 100-400 in performance as good as the zoom is. Also the IQ with TC's is also even better. Yes they are very expensive but thye are also worth it after you shoot with them for a short time; you'll soon forget the price.

[@njrtech]

Whayne Padden hmnn... Forget the price? Bad case of GAS ?? If your getting paid jobs on a regular basis I all sure it's no big deal. But most of us do this part time and aren't willing to spend upwards of $11k on a lens. I'll stick with my 100400GM. And by the way, the GM has very fast auto focus motors (I've used a Nikon 400 2.8 and it wasn't any faster). Yes you lose light when using a TC, but I often shoot 5.6, f8 anyway as depth of field becomes a real issue at those focal lengths. Most of us aren't going to forget the price... Even pros often rent such lenses!

[@keeblerhunts]

Of course the 400 2.8 would smoke the 100-400 - I would expect that from a lens that is 3-4 times the cost of the other one lol

[@njrtech]

@@keeblerhunts obviously, anyone could have guessed that. Can you afford it though? LOL

[@keeblerhunts]

Not right now I can't lol My reply was directed at Whayne. I'm really hoping Sony announces a 600 F4 next week at Photokina. That lens would be on my 'obtain' list immediately. Oh to win the lottery lol

[@richardpcrowe]

I shoot the A7iii generally equipped with the Tamron 28-75mm lens. I use that in tandem with the A6500/A6400 with a 12mm f/2 Rokinon or the 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lenses (depending if I want a wider or closer view). I used to shoot with Canon and had a 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS ii lens on a 7D Mark-2 body. This combination did not get as much use as I had expected. The darn combo was just too heavy and I would frequently leave it at home. In view of my use of an APSC camera in tandem with the A7iii - I plan on adding the new 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS lens to my kit. I will have 50mm less reach but, will gain 30mm on the short end. I will also lose 1/2 stop of light at the longest focal length. However, the A6400/6500 combination weighs 2.4 pounds (about 1,089 grams) while the 7D2 combination weighs 5.6 pounds (about 2,540 grams)... That is, IMO, a very decent trade off. Sure, the Sony lens is APSC only but, I always used the Canon lens on a crop sensor body, so no loss there. I would always have my 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens for the full frame camera BUT! If the new Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 lens is as small as I hope and if it has IQ rivaling the Sony 70-200mm lens, I will sell the 70-200mm f/4 G OSS and switch to the Tamron lens...

[@Tempest261]

I used the A7iii + 100-400 GM at the F1 Montreal GP recently, and I noticed an issue with shutter-priority mode in that Hi and HI+ would stutter. Switching to full-manual or aperture-priority worked fine. Any ideas? Have you tried shutter-priority with that lens+body combo yet (and tracking a fast moving object)?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Unfortunately I can't give much help as I primarily shoot manual or aperture priority. I did notice that strangely there seemed to be slightly more lag in Hi than there was in Hi+

[@brianritchie1807]

I have the Sony A7 3 with 28-70, 70-200 and the 200-600. I‘ll be going to the RedBull Ring next weekend and hope to get some great shots of all the racing. The 100-400 looks like a really nice in between lens to have. I interested to know in which Mode you photographed your various subjects?

[@drashadibudi]

I am interested on the mach loop so much. Are the jets & planes will be there all the time? Is it difficult to get there?

[@TomHerriman]

Very nice report Dave! I am a Canon shooter who is on the move... I have rented and tested the a7R3 and loved it. I want the a73 and a7R3 in my bag! The new 100-400 G looks like an awesome lens!

[@NL0Gwenster]

Not saying this camera is bad or anything. But as far as "AF Tests" go this is a rather easy setup that any DSLR in the last 10 years can do just fine. Ofcourse the jet against a clear sky (whether it's grey or blue on the day) is going to stand out as high-contrast for your AF sensor. Which is why it kind of failed with the large gunship being green on green. Your lens doesn't need to hunt through it's entire range either it`ll stick to the far-end if not infinity. Unless you mishappen to try to focus on the background. Speed of subject is all about you as a photographer tracking it than AF performance. Tricky AF tests are trying to shoot volleyball players through the net and nailing the focus on their head etc.

[@HesselFolkertsma]

That A9 zero blackout could have been helpful though.

[@scb2scb2]

He was shooting hi+ (guess he can handle it?) in that mode there is delay but no blackout. But i agree a a9 would be even better. Also the R3 would be better since it would be able to crop more. I tested a a6500 vs a7r3 and in crop mode the R3 beats the 24megapixels with the 18megapixels left because no AA filter.

[@reg171reg]

The A9 definitely would have made it easier to keep the subject in frame. It’s like using a video camera. Seriously good.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

No doubt the A9 would have been ideal, but obviously the A9 is quite a bit more expensive. This just highlights that despite being "entry level" it still performs extremely well, obviously if you are primarily shooting these sorts of things then the A9 would be a better consideration in the same way a 1DXII would be better than a 6D2 or a D5 would be better than a D610

[@HesselFolkertsma]

Dave McKeegan Oh definitely, the A7III keeps blowing me away with how well of a performer it is. I think the A9 would be a great investment for you down the road as a more specialized tool.

[@cuuppaajoe]

Hi, thanks for the great video!. Just wanted to ask a question as a novice, I was under the impression that the A73 only had blackout when you are using uncompressed raw. I might be doing something right because I get zero blackout at 8 fps as well as 10 with curtain & compressed. Thanks again, you truly are a pro!

[@njrtech]

Question, already own 100400gm and love it. That said, need more reach for birding. It's the 1.4tc worth it or should I plan to buy the 200600G? Reason I ask the 1.4tc limits you to f8... But 6.3 on upcoming 200600. Ughhh. Decisions

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I'm in a similar situation and I'm finding myself leaning towards the 200-600

[@njrtech]

@@DaveMcKeegan yeah I hear you. I'll never part with the 100400gm though ..too good of a lense and will no doubt be sharper In the 200-400 range than the 200600. I guess I could use the 200600 for the 400mm plus subjects? But I have to wonder how much difference going from f8 to f6.3 on the long end actually makes in practice. I'd be disappointed if early morning birding still required ISO above 6400 with the 6.3 combo

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

Well put together and interesting photos. Thank you.

[@aimlessphotographer]

Dave what focus settings did you use at mach loop? My first trip using the A7iii & 200-600 & it performed abysmally. It seems as though it’s the focus area & tracking settings I didn’t get right.

[@Sey357]

WOW 👑 SONY GOD FOREVER ✌️#1 👑

[@markfuller6892]

Great video Dave, this video helped my decision in moving from my trusty Canon 5d mark iii to a Sony A7RIII . For the time being I’m going to be using my canon for sigma 150-600 sport with the MC-11

[@racinghome657]

Dave you don't get the view finder blackout if you use the hi mode which is 8 frames a second. I've been shooting a lot of bikes lately at Cadwell park and am slowly getting the hang of the focusing. I've got the same set up as you, you couldn't enlighten me on what focus mode your using and your other settings please. As I've not been getting anywhere near 100 % hit rate. Cheers

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I was shooting in Continuous AF (obviously), with Priority-Set to AF (this can cause a drop in burst speeds if it needs longer to acquire focus), and AF area for the planes was generally either wide or zone as I find the camera seems to prefer working it out on its own rather than sticking to a small point, however for the motorsport I was opting more for a smaller square and moving it to where I wanted so it didn't try to lock onto the background.

[@minusinfinity6974]

Consensus usually is wide or expandable flexible spot L or M. Avoid lock on for most things

[@N4865G]

@@DaveMcKeegan Thanks Dave, truly informative and comprehensive video. I was about to ask the same question, but since you answered I need to comment on wide/zone for aircraft shooting - I shoot a lot of inflight shots between aircraft at high altitude and using zone or wide the AF system tends to focus on contrails rather than the aircraft itself. So I have been using Expanded Flexible Spot successfully. Thanks again for your video

[@terryanderson7036]

Great Video Dave! I shoot with an A9 and like you I have found the battery life is amazing. A few months ago I shot a theater show. I had two FZ100 Sony batteries in my grip. I had shot nearly 2300 shots when I finished. And I had only used 38% of one battery. Now do keep in mind the A9 has a electronic shutter that doesn't show rolling shutter when using it. With no mirror or shutter curtains flapping around, the A9 uses very little power. The A73 might be my next camera to compliment my A9. Thanks again for the video!

[@thebowleggedrunner]

Thanks for this video, I’m contemplating buying this camera and this lens, this video really helped...

[@DaveMcKeegan]

My pleasure!

[@Pan3optic3on]

Great video, helped me to make the final decision. I intitally had the same problem with the viewfinder delay but found it can be eliminated by disengaging electronic front curtain which isnt supposed to use at fast shutter speeds from what I understand. The camera might seem a bit slower but it might be that EFC allows the camera to shoot faster than 10fps. Certainly sounds quicker than my old 7d mkii but about the same with EFC disengaged. I went ahead and bought the Sony A7III and MC-11 adaptor. After using it for three weeks with a Sigma 150-600c, I've been blown away by how well it works with the A7III. Its like the lens has had all of its full potential unlocked when you pair it with this camera. Its much more responsive and smoother than on my old 7dmkii which is making me think that Canon was limiting the 150-600 in some way. Perhaps to keep lock and key over their dual pixel tech perhaps? It means that even at split second moments the camera is really good at locking on. Its therefore improved my yield of photos already. Thats exactly what I want from a camera of that price range. I mean for big subjects like planes I cant say there is any difference between the AF response in the Sigma and the 100-400gm. The real test for zooms with the A7III is bird photography which has to be the most impressive aspect of the Sigma even at silly distances. Its not always 100% accurate in these situations as you can expect when a lenses its at its softest range but the camera could lock on at times where most cameras would tap out. Most impressive has to be tracking subjects in flight coming towards the camera. Probably lost 2-3 frames that were fractionally out of focus towards the end of of a series of 25 burst shots handheld at 500mm. Actually more impressive is tracking diving Red Kites in the pissing rain up the Brecon Beacons in low light. Not that you you would have much use for these photos in such miserable conditions but A7III can lock on. Not 100% accuracy through an entire burst but still seriously impressive for poor light conditions. Shots taken with Sony A7III with MC-11 and Sigma 150-600c are available on my instagram @drewdaviesphotography

[@davidparker6944]

Dave, what shutter speed did you use? In particular, for the Mach loop aircraft? Also, what mode did you use? When I do location work (mostly portraits ) I'm in Manual mode with Auto ISO (would have been TAv mode on my Pentax K-1). I choose shutter and aperture and let the camera choose ISO...

[@Roadkingboogie]

Dave I'm with you Just as Carlos shot the big two for 27 years, I did Nikon for 17 years Canon 30. The review was great. I became tired of the incremental, oh hum changes Canon did to boost sales and not really stretch the limits. I eased into Sony lightly with an RX10 lll and then lV. The MK lV is impressive! It did not leave me wanting having come from full frame country. I also became tired of dragging two bodies and 7+ lenses around. Unfortunately, I wanted a 600mm lens however, a nice motorcycle could be purchased for the cost of a pro lens. Enter the A7lll; my decision was to keep the lens kit light however, high quality. I put the savings difference between the A7lll and AR7lll toward one of the lenses. Point being: my RX 10 4 is used for travel and moving subjects as 24 FPS is hard to beat. I believe your review tipped the scales toward the 100-400 as I primarily do landscape. The game changer here is Topaz's new A.I. Gigapixel which obviates the need for 36+ MP. Enlarge what you like and save space on your drive. For those not familiar With the RX10 lV it will give you decent coverage to 600mm (equivalent) for the cost of a nice Sony lens and makes a great travel / walk around.

[@jesserenaud3622]

You mentioned the viewfinder not being "live" when you were shooting bursts. This is because when shooting in the drive mode "Hi+" at 10FPS, there is a slight lag in the display. Switching to "Hi" will fix the lagging! But you do drop down to 8FPS.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thanks Jesse, I've recently been finding myself avoiding Hi+, the 8fps is still enough for most situations

[@R.Hogarth]

I just got back from shooting the Jedi Transition (similar to the Mach Loop, but located in Death Valley National Park California). I shoot an A7iii with the Sony 70-300mm G lens. The big take away from this is that if I ever do this again, I will have to switch the 100-400GM from the "Want Column" to the "Need Column".

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Haha, yeah the 100-400 is certainly a worthwhile lens for this sort of thing

[@huwjones5879]

I've hired this lens for a weekend shoot at Leicester Comedy festival. Really looking forward to seeing how it and my A7III work in this environment.

[@sic04250f]

I currently use the 70-300 on my A7RIII, 18mp in apsc mode gives 450mm which isn't bad but would love this lens one day.

[@Paulus449]

I love this video and you've convinced me to buy this amazing lens after Christmas to go with my own a7iii. Liked and subscribed to your channel. I just need to find someone to road trip to the mach loop now!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Hopefully lockdowns don't interfere with your road trip

[@Paulus449]

@@DaveMcKeegan thanks. Lens attired last week along with 1.4 teleconverter. I absolutely love it!

[@MarvinBoydCo]

Do you think a 100-400 or 200-600 a good lens for air show photography?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I'd personally lean towards the 200-600 as the extra reach would certainly come in handy for airshows (unless you're using the A7RIV as some people have reported focusing issues with the 200-600 on that camera)

[@kat4178]

Thank you for this review. I’ve been considering moving across from (my rather heavy) Nikon and as I mostly photograph fast jets, the accuracy of the autofocus under these conditions is exactly what I wanted to know about. Prior to Nikon, I used Panasonic and the autofocus was a constant frustration and I wanted to be sure I wasn’t going to find myself in the same position again. I think you’ve convinced me to make the change. Just gonna have to get a converter for my Sigma 150-600.

[@anthonyhall9453]

Hello Dave McKeegan, thank you very much for sharing this real world experience. The A7III continues to impress. I'm curious about time to clear the buffer after a long rapid burst. I like to know how the buffer clearing performed especially when shooting the car race and the Mach Loop. Thank you in advance.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Buffer depth was pretty impressive, even running multiple bursts in quick succession at the race track I rarely managed to max out the buffer (when I used to shoot the Canon 7D2 @ 10fps I would run the buffer out more often) Unfortunately though I can't fully comment on clearing the buffer as I am not using the fastest possible cards. I was using SanDisk Extreme Pro which have a 90MB/s write speed however the camera supports USH-II up to about 300MB/s I am currently finding it takes roughly 1 second per image to record to the card but with a faster card that would obviously be greatly reduced, however I don't have any USH-II cards as they are currently quite costly and I have no real need for them

[@anthonyhall9453]

Thanks for the rapid reply Dave. The Pros for this camera are continuing to mount. Very few Cons noted thus far. Cheers.

[@Nayson]

I stumbled upon the Mach Loop by accident a couple of years ago. Was driving home from the Welsh Coast and just pulled in there to look over the valley as it was so pretty. Less than five minutes later a jet fighter came screeching though, I wasn't expecting it at all. Doubt I'll ever get that lucky again.

[@totalgood]

Whats your opinion about Sony's latest 200-600 G lens for sony a7iii

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I'd own it if I could afford it 🤣

[@desertoo23]

Excellent video. Very informative and some incredible images as a good review should always be :)

[@TheBrookElliot]

Excellent lens. More unique and capable of rarer shots than the 70-200/2.8 GM.

[@mattisrobowski]

The Shelf in the Background makes me so nervous... I Would love to Photograph at the MachLoop! How do you know if there are many Jets flying by... Is it an annual Event?

[@jeffersonpichinte3910]

What was your focus mode? I’m trying to figure out what’s the best option for moving options.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I was using AF-C set to AF priority and used zone area AF

[@jeffersonpichinte3910]

Dave McKeegan Thank you. Do you think that would work for running subjects?(people)

[@DaveMcKeegan]

It should do, although for people you can then use the face tracking AF instead

[@tonyjames5444]

Glad to see your enjoying the Sony with the 100-400, it's a good camera and lens. Just like to add though that it's not alone in achieving these results as is evident when searching for mach loop images & videos.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Absolutely Tony, as I mentioned in the video I am in no way suggesting that this camera outperforms good DSLRs, however it is certainly a match for them and one of the big holdbacks of mirrorless cameras in the past was the weak AF performance compared to DSLRs, however it is clearly that is changing

[@GilbertVanE66]

What was you AF setting?

[@benjaminbjacobsen]

2 years later I know, but your viewfinder comment on panning, if you shoot high+ there's lag. If you shoot "high" there's no lag. You still get blackout but it's a liveview when you have the view.

[@1967incPhotography]

I love my A7 III for portraits and snapshots, but I think if I were going to use a Sony to shoot action I would either want the A9 for it's faster frame rate or the A7RIII for its extra megapixels (and ability to crop). Currently, I shoot a Canon 100-400 with my 1DX for sports and 5D Mark IV for wildlife.

[@Rickyswoop]

Sorry if I missed it, what af settings were you using?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I generally use AF-C with a zone focus area to allow some room for movement, I then have the focus priority set to accuracy rather than speed

[@forgeyourphysique]

What was you AF configuration? Did you use Wide or Zone?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I tend to mix between zone and flexible spot/center

[@minusinfinity6974]

Great review, very informative. It's a shame you couldn't test the AF with the 1.4x TC attached to the 100-400. I always take a 150-600 for FF or a 200-500 for crop to airshows. Do you think the A7R3 would be comparable for this sort of thing?

[@ianbrown704]

brilliant review - very honest and comprehensive

[@6gwilliams]

Thanls Dave. I have the Sony 70mm-200mm f2.8 G-Master lens and Sony 2X extender, and have the Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens with 1.4X extender (with MC-11 adapter) and find they fill my present long lens needs for both my Sony A7RIII and A7III. I concur the focus system in the A7III is outstanding and as fast,or faster than my former top-end pro Canon gear. Cheers

[@Cazak69]

Gerald williams, do you have any problems with the sigma 150-600 + mc11, mine doesnt AF correctly, what firmware do you have on the lens and adaptor?

[@6gwilliams]

I have no issues with the 150-600mm and MC-11 with latest firmware for MC-11, from several weeks ago. Lens says it is up to date as of 6/17. You need to be in the proper focus mode for your subject and all lenses on Sony E-Mount have f8 limit for best autofocus performance. Stopped down to smaller aperture than f8 and they hunt in AF for A7RIII and A7III, Sony or Sigma lenses. A9 still auto focuses well at f11, but that has a stacked sensor.

[@Cazak69]

I will try this thank you for the info.

[@mks0]

Martin Oakes, taking forward Gerard Williams' advice, how was your experience? am scheduled to receive the A7iii in about a week and am looking forward to trying it on the Sigma 150-600. is shoot mainly wildlife and am a bit apprehensive at this stage. If i understood Gerard Williams correctly, F/8 seems to be the best solution. seems a bit restrictive, though, for some fast-moving and low light stuff. however, the A7III's low light capability could offset that. would appreciate some feedback. thanks!

[@Beyondmediauk]

Great review Dave :)

[@mountaingateswitzerland]

Thank you dave for this very interesting video. I had with the 100-400 at an air show various problems with the sharpness. did you use mode 1 or 2? which focus settings did you use? thanks for an answer. Reno

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Generally I'm in mode 1 and tend to use AF-C with a large flexible AF spot - but I set priority to AF rather than release so the camera will favour getting AF accurate and slow the shooting speed down if required

[@sanderw1000]

I have the A7R III and the Canon 5D Mark IV, I am in doubt which is the best zoom lens option I should buy, Sony 10-400mm or Sigma 60-600mm, where can I use the MC-11 adapter for sony, Could you Give me an idea of ​​which one I should buy? I'm scared, maybe sigma will not work well on sony, with the mc-11 adapter, and sony is my main point.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I have tried that particular Sigma lens so can't give you a direct comparison, however I do use some of Sigmas Art lenses with the MC-11 and they work fine The big problem with adapters is that they are usually third party trying to convert 1 brand of lens to a different brand of body, however with the MC-11 Sigma have optimised it to work with their own lenses I dont think the Sigma will be quite as fast and response with AF as the Sony, but still usable and jt will allow you to use it on both your Sony and your Canon body

[@sanderw1000]

Thanks a lot man

[@projectmorf]

Would u recommend this lens for moon shots with the Sony a7 iii?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

If just for moon shots only then no I wouldn't. For around the same price you could have the 200-600 which has more reach so will be able to better fill the frame than the 100-400 There are also several third party options like Sigma & Tamron 100-400 & 150-600's which would work with an adapter and would be significantly cheaper. The main advantage of the Sony 100-400 GM over these alternatives is the autofocus speed which for moon shots is irrelevant, and the image quality but that difference is less noticeable on the A7III, it would be more a factor if you had an R line camera ....but then even if you did the sharpness would be somewhat limited for moon shots because of the atmospheric haze. But if you will be using this lens for other forms of photography as well where the autofocus and image quality would be more of a factor then yes I would recommend it.

[@projectmorf]

@@DaveMcKeegan thanks for taking the time to reply and for the feedback Dave. Very much appreciated 👍

[@projectmorf]

@@DaveMcKeegan I’ve just been looking at the sigma 100-400, looks like a possible option. Have you reviewed or used this lens on the full frame Sony?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Unfortunately no I haven't tried out the Sigma to give you a comparison, however everything I've seen and heard of about the lens has been very favourable and if I was in the market for a 100-400 I would personally be giving the Sigma a lot of consideration

[@projectmorf]

@@DaveMcKeegan thanks again Dave, bit more researching but it’s looking very likely 👍

[@brutus_ch]

Hey Dave. I switched from Canon to the 7iii , i wonder what AF settings you had..

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Generally shoot in AF-C, with focus area set to zone and priority set to AF in the menus

[@brutus_ch]

@@DaveMcKeegan Perfect. Tyvm for the answer

[@sidvicious3129]

Excellent performance Dave, how was the buffer.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Buffer was excellent, I didn't run the buffer out at all shooting short bursts.

[@NigelSwan]

Thank you for the review, I feel like those who use these just for portraits are missing out on reviewing the most important upgrades and features; if I were shooting still subjects I’d nearly never need to update. This looks perfect for motorsport which is what I’m doing more of, so now have to convince swmbo that I need it 🤔

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Or there is also now the 200-600 to consider 😉

[@JCrowe86]

Do you feel the 100-400 had enough reach for you during the air shows? One of my favorite events to photograph and I'm torn between the 100-400 or the 200-600.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I generally found myself cropping into shots with the 100-400, I would definitely say the 200-600 would be better suited for airshows in terms of reach, however it's weather the extra size and weight is a problem or not

[@JCrowe86]

@@DaveMcKeegan Noted. I think I'll end up renting both before I make my final decision. Thanks for the fast response!

[@asheler1]

@@DaveMcKeegan, I have the A7III and 100-400 but borrowing a friend’s 200-600 for an airshow in August. Just wondering what AF mode you prefer? Do you use electronic first curtain shutter? I’ve read it’s a good idea to turn off the efc for higher shutter speeds. Any other camera settings you recommend? Thanks!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I personally don't use EFC, I stick with full mechanical. In terms of AF settings, my chosen settings are to shoot AF-C, with a zone box in the middle 1/3 of the screen (although wide will work just as fine for aircraft) I then set AF-C priority to 'focus' rather than 'release' - this might slow the camera down a fraction at times but should produce a better rate of shots in focus

[@marcosrangel4953]

Can you try it for wildlife like birds?

[@Asagtr]

Nice vid. Thanks for sharing, so you can shoot 10fps with full focus tracking in Af-C with this camera?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Yes it can, one of the big things that has impressed me with the camera

[@Asagtr]

@@DaveMcKeegan thats great to know, as some people say its only 8fps. Im a wildlife shooter currently with the d500 and 200-500mm looking to make a switch to sony. This what I shoot: www.flickr.com/photos/asabtz

[@jackwern8685]

@@Asagtr Very impressive portfolio Asael.

[@slyfox720]

I am kind of a stand point right now...I have the sony a7iii, do you think the sony a9 is that much better than the a7iii? I am debating if I should get the a9

[@DaveMcKeegan]

The A9 is undoubtedly a better overall than the A7III - faster AF, faster burst speed and less rolling shutter, but it becomes a question of if that is worth the extra cost. For me personally the A7III covers my needs enough that I don't need to consider the A9

[@bhimpurja5937]

great convincing review, hopefully I'm gonna buy soon

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I'm sure you'll enjoy it :)

[@bobmackenzie5690]

Wish you had mentioned the camera/lens settings - or did you and I missed it?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

AF-C with focus priority emphasis set to balanced AF area set to zone That's my usual setup

[@bobmackenzie5690]

@@DaveMcKeegan Thnx. I have both pieces of equipment you are using so that’s very helpful.

[@photogenic2010]

You are good at making me want the A73, But I am awaiting the A7S3. Are the Sony zooms getting close to the better primes (in sharpness) yet?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I haven't had any issues with any of my zooms (16-35 f4, 70-200 f4 & 100-400), very happy with them all

[@longrider9551]

rob the 16-35 2.8 and the 70-200 2.8 are stellar the 24-70 2.8 is ok but not great

[@njrtech]

Rob Svm I can tell you the 100400GM is crazy sharp. The slight loss of quality with a TC still outperforms other zooms without a TC! That's a fact as I've compared many raw files I've taken with more expensive lense I have rented for trips ( Canon 400 2.8 etc. Nikon 500f4) But I am no longer using Canon gear or Nikon.

[@njrtech]

Longrider you are spot on... I love my 16-35GM but sold the 24-70gm after seeing how sharp and more usefull the recent 24105G actually is. I'll trade one stop of light for a more versatile lense (and lighter too) any day. The 24105 also better matched up with the 100-400gm. I was shocked that a24105f4 could be as sharp as it is! It's that good

[@giovi727]

With an A7S3 you don‘t will need extra sharp lenses anyway since the sensor will have „only“ 12MP or 18MP. All the GM zooms resolve above that resolution, so you could get any GM lens...

[@LivingTech]

Thanks Dave, most excellent review. Tomorrow I'm receiving an A7R3, 24-70mm f/2.8 GM and this 100-400mm GM. Cannot wait to start using it all. Question: What do you think of the Sony 1.4TC for wildlife photography (amateur)?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I personally would hold off a TC until you've tried the gear out in anger, as with the high resolution of the A7RIII you'll find you can heavily crop in to your images. Obviously TC's give you more reach but also degrades the image quality slightly which reduces how much you can crop in before it starts to show.

[@LivingTech]

Hi Dave. I appreciate your response, thank you. OK, great. This is exactly what I figured I'd do. Of course, I'll also try out the crop mode, which (if I understand correctly) is essentially the same as cropping in post. Thanks again!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Yes it is, in crop mode it only reads the centre portion of the sensor so cuts away a lot of the information but gives you much smaller files that are quicker to clear the buffer

[@LivingTech]

OK, thank you! :)

[@LivingTech]

Dave McKeegan Hi! So far, I’ve had the new gear for 2.5 months. It’s all brilliant! I’m glad I held off on the 1.4 TC, per your advice. The 100-400mm GM is perfect for me for now, for wildlife photography! Thanks again!

[@Cazak69]

Which viewing location were you at at the mach loop ?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

All my visits so far have been Cad west, although wouldn't mind venturing to other sites for future visits

[@Tore377]

Hi Dave, can you please do a low light AF test with the A7III? In my experience, autofocusing in low light is what is the hardest part og AF for most cameras, like kids running around in a dark living room…. Thanks for an excellent review by the way :)

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I've used the camera for a few weddings where the evening bit from very poorly lit rooms and the AF still worked fantastic ... At times it even managed to detect faces

[@Tore377]

Thank you so much :)

[@kentuckybourbonfade4264]

great shots. Which focus setting did you use?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I was shooting generally either centre or wide zone and set priority to AF, which can occasionally drop the burst speed but seems to improve accuracy

[@maztouliatos1307]

Hi Dave, Very nice shots indeed! As an owner of the a7iii myself I have the same questions about the EVF delay. Do you think this is something that can be “fixed” with a future firmware upgrade?

[@R.Hogarth]

There is actually a very easy "fix" for this. Simply turn "Review Time" to "OFF". You will still get the flickering (like with a DSLR), but you will be looking at a "real time" image, not a review of the last photo you took.

[@Americannorsk1]

Excellent review. Thank you

[@chrisimamura9946]

This is Great to know because I shoot mostly race cars [ Indycar and Jet aircraft ]. I’m thinking of switching to Sony I’m shooting a Canon 5D MIII and a 7D MII now

[@DipeshMehrotra]

Hi .. just got the same combination ...can u share a video how and what focussing modes etc u used and image stabilisation modes .. i was at beach covering the surfers.. it was fun . I have back button focus on af mf and eye af on the side button .. dun remember what it is .. thanks for sharing the video . Would request you to post exifs as well for the shots going forward .. thanks

[@colinjones7635]

Great video Dave,and great pics.But you said it yourself if you really want to test the Autofocus of ANY camera,it needs to be tested on Birds in flight.As you will know they come in all shapes and sizes and are very unpredictable,a true test for any Auto focus system.But thanks for the video,i enjoyed it.

[@JohnKorvell]

What were you AF settings? Wide? (etc)

[@DaveMcKeegan]

For the cars are was selecting a small area point depending on where I wanted to frame. I believe I was switching between flexible spot and Zone for the jets as it gave enough room for the subject to move around but reduced the risk of the camera jumping to the background.

[@queensz350]

Great shots. I have a a7rii and also looking into the a7iii. I like shooting motorsports also. 👍

[@njrtech]

Luis Martinez get A7riii... A7iii evf isn't nearly as good, and more mpx means you can crop in when needed. Worth it the trade off for only slightly improved AF in real world use. I've tested both cameras before deciding...A7iii is great, but 7Riii was better choice after handling both and editing the raw files

[@FitzMichael]

What was your AF setting AFC

[@DaveMcKeegan]

AFC with priority set to AF instead of release And zone set to flexible spot L

[@0nizukaS]

Currently using a Canon 70D with the 35mm F/2 IS USM Lens. I would really like to move to an a6300 or a6500 or even an a7ii cause they're way lighter. But I don't have a full-time job so can't afford the leap.

[@bernhardebner3105]

So helpful AND entertaining. Great and thanks alot Dave! Btw. I like your accent-humor combination :-).

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thanks Bernhard 😊

[@jamesbaxter9123]

OMMMGGGG I didn't know you did aviation! Wanting to go to the A73 for aviation night photography!

[@alsal30]

Just saw your video, loved it! Got a question though.. What focus settings do you use for that sharpness. I once used mine for a roller skating shoot but it was blurry around the edges. Would appreciate a response :)

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Hi Ali - for these I generally shot with focus area on Zone, AF-C with priority set to AF rather than release

[@alsal30]

@@DaveMcKeegan thanks Dave, for a very quick response :)

[@shabanaliosman2747]

@Dave McKeegnan u say when i was owning the a7iii in the beginning of the video did you sold the camera and why

[@DaveMcKeegan]

No definitely still have the camera and no thoughts of getting rid of it. My opening was "in the time I've owned the A7III", as in since getting the camera I have been impressed with the AF

[@fireguy48625]

Hey Dave, wondering how you shot these photos. Did you shoot high quality RAW to just one card or RAW to one card and jpeg to another or so on? Wondering if the different saving methods and using multiple cards play a big role on the A7iii's speed and battery life. Great video as always!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I was shooting only RAW. Compressed on Saturday & Sunday and then uncompressed on Monday. Had 2x SD cards in at all times set to auto switch between the two. Saturday was when I got the excellent battery life I mentioned, Sunday the batteries ran through a lot faster but I was shooting a lot of 4K & 120fps video footage as well (still got through the day on the pair of LeiFires in the grip), and then Monday I was only there for a couple of hours and only took around 200 shots

[@fireguy48625]

Thanks for the info and the reply!

[@GinoFoto]

Hard to believe this is possible at national park area, on the other way, what a stunning shooting opportunity

[@fabiogoncalves1519]

Hi Dave, Great Shots!! :D One question I do have, Do you think that the a7III would have the same performance with a 70-200mm from canon or a 150-600G2 from tamron (for canon) with an adapter... thinking about switching to that camera... but have to many Canon Glass. Thank you! Ps: Love your channel, how you explain things... keep going!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thanks Fabio I haven't had any real world experience with non-native long lenses. I had the Canon 70-200 which on testing I found the AF was fairly reliable in the centre of the frame but move out towards the edges and it just fell apart. I also tried the Sigma 120-300 f2.8 on the MC-11 and that seemed to perform very well (Sigma lenses with the MC-11 generally seem to perform very well)

[@fabiogoncalves1519]

Dave McKeegan ok, thank you for your feedback... will check others reviews 😉

[@MilosBencic]

What about sigma159-600

[@jtepsr]

dave did you try the 1.4 extender

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Unfortunately not James, I don't really use converters. I had a 1.4x with my Sigma 120-300 and never used it, and I find the 100-400 is naturally long enough for my needs with enough scope to crop in later if needed

[@ipadize]

It may be very expensive, but also very worth after i watched your video. Thanks

[@derekgillan7314]

4.55/16:49 sensor spot?

[@shiro-r4m]

Hi Dave, I've been enjoying your videos recently. I'm in the process of deciding what kind of camera I'm going to be buying. Apart from general photography I'd like to have low light capabilities. I do parkour and urban exploration so I would need that in a relatively small package too. Currently I'm looking at either a new Sony a7II with a store offering 5 years of warranty or a second hand a7RII from eBay (none available on the local used market). I'd like to ask your opinion about the choice of body, do you think it's worth ditching 5 years of warranty for the extra features of the a7RII? Will the budget lenses (see later in my comment) limit the detail that the a7RII can pull? I don't have a ton of budget left for lenses so the 28-70 kit lens and 50 f1.8 will have to do. I have experience shooting with my dad's Sony a77 with its selection of lenses, with the appropriate autofocus adapter I'll be able to use those lenses as well. I don't expect you do make a decision for me but maybe you can point out factors I didn't consider yet, like you do in almost all of your videos xD Thanks for your time and have a good one, Edward

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Hi Shiro Wondering if there is a typo and you meant a new A7III (not 2) If this is the case I would personally be more inclined towards the A7III over the A7RII, as the A7III is more of a general purpose camera while the A7RII is a bit more specialised towards the likes of landscape / studio etc. I certainly don't think you would get the full benefit of the higher resolution sensor using budget lenses (and also higher resolutions are a bit wasted unless you are either printing HUGE or cropping in heavily) The faster burst rate and improved AF on the A7III would probably be a big help for your parkour photography and it also has better low light performance than the A7RII. If, however, you mean A7II, then I'd bit a more torn, because obviously having the warranty is good for peace of mind, however the A7RII is much better spec'd than the A7II, particularly in AF and dynamic range. If you were looking at Gen 2's then I'd also consider a used A7II and put the extra money towards maybe some better lenses

[@shiro-r4m]

Thanks so much for your reply Dave, and no, that was unfortunately not a typo. The a7III and a7RII currently run 2300€ in my area where the a7II is 1250€ (both new in store with 5 year warranties). Since a summer job will have to pay for this stuff the MkIII is sadly out of my price range. I have indeed also looked up the prices of second hand a7II's, they're around 1000€. That doesn't leave a whole lot of extra money for a good lens, these bodies seem to hold their value relatively well. The a7RII's go for about 1700€ on eBay which would not leave much room for lenses whatsoever. What I could do however is buy one good lens with the body for now (it will be my first own camera after all) and look at different lenses next year. I'll have to do some more research on all the FE lenses out there. The first one that comes to mind is the sony zeiss 24-70 but reviews are very mixed...

[@izarscharf7845]

𝖘 𝖍 𝖎 𝖗 𝖔 consider the A6500 maybe and FF lenses upgrade the body later rather than going for body first ?

[@sidneyken9737]

what's wrong with ur exposure??

[@motobazuka2535]

I neeeeeeeeeed iiiiiit

[@jeffluo9591]

What a great review!

[@SnehPatel96]

i just got mine and using the genuine battery i got 1200 shots with 60% left

[@thethirdman225]

I’ve gone for the 200-600 on the A7 III.

[@sergioserramusic]

Great tests for the AF and the lens. I wonder how the AF works with adapted long glass, like a 150-600

[@ImadogGarcia]

If you want to track with an evf open both eyes. One eye on the evf, the other is on the subject.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Doesn't really give you accurate tracking especially when shooting telephoto. It ensures you keep pointing roughly at the right direction but wont keep you locked on the same point of the subject

[@DeusExAstra]

Damn the battery performance of the A7III is very impressive.

[@keeblerhunts]

It should be. I have the A9 and the battery lasts a ridiculously amazing time. I took over 1300 photos one day and the battery was still just under 70%. No joke...it was a rare find - a hummingbird nest and I had to spray n pray trying to get the right shot because the little wankers are incredibly fast. I also wanted to test various settings. I never had a Sony previously and I guess the batteries sucked.....not on the new models :)

[@RussellReflectiveMedia]

70-200 2.8 verse 100-400 What do you go with guys?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

If you regularly need longer than 200mm then probably the 100-400. Teleconverters degrade the image quality and slow the AF down.

[@RussellReflectiveMedia]

Dave McKeegan how about for swimming video and basketball video

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Can't really comment since I've never shot basketball or swimming ... If you are already doing it then you'd have to judge it based off what you are already shooting with - what sort of focal length / aperture @ ISO are you shooting and then decide if reach or light is more important

[@7ThrillFishing]

I'm getting 2 zooms, 24-105 and 100-400 to cover from wide to telephoto

[@christinam7255]

Does it work on the a7riii

[@DaveMcKeegan]

The lens will work on any E-mount camera - although results may vary depending on the AF system in the camera

[@ultragc8342]

Great video Dave. Can you share your settings (focus mode, focus area, etc.) you used during the events? Thanks

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Continuous AF Switching between wide and zone areas Priority-Set : AF

[@helixeagle]

From what I understand if you are shooting in HI+ vs HI you will have the issues you were talking about with not being able to track the target, Unless I misunderstood what you were talking about.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

No that's exactly it, dropping to Hi mode does show the last shot that was taken so you can track easier - it's still possible to track in Hi+ but it takes some practice

[@terencesertos7702]

@9:05 not straight out of the camera shot -unless your LR sliders magically moved by themselves... =(

[@DaveMcKeegan]

🤣 I meant from a crop perspective, to show how much a difference in distance the two environments were

[@cristibaluta]

Of course the focus is perfect with an object on a blue sky, but i found it to not be. able to find the eye of a person with some parts of the face covered