Sony A9 III Review by Ken Rockwell 4K

Sony A9 Mark III Review by Ken Rockwell 4K
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[@johnsmith1474]

What is also state-of-the-art is Ken Rockwell reviews of equipment. No cult-of-personality mugging, no foolish beer can mic, nothing but fast paced data, and the RIGHT data, because this guy actually knows the practice of photography. His advice, within the scope of his practices which he freely admits (no tripods or heavy Photoshop) is camera decision gold. Thanks Ken, you kill it, a delight to watch.

[@lephotographinc]

Yep.. no fluff and right to the point! No one wants to sit and watch a 45 min review of a camera! How refreshing.. !!!

[@KenRockwellTV]

Thank you! A thousand thanks for noticing. I try to keep it short and to the point. Actually I have mics bigger than beer cans as I’ve been in pro audio since middle school (I had access to and used original Telefunken U47s in high school) - but as you can hear I certainly didn’t use them for this particular video 😊. I do use them for my usual studio videos. Thanks!!!

[@Chris-ey7zy]

No stupid videos about coffee

[@BikesAndBatallas]

@@KenRockwellTV I was actually going to say that the only thing that was a little off to me was that the audio (seemed to be) panning. Thank you for the video!

[@philipsutton8921]

Unbelievable - a YT creator who actually succinctly and quickly runs through the main points, tells us exactly what we need and no more. No crazy fillers, no goofy intro's, no adds for 'Triangle Space', and no big-noting themselves. Ken's been doing proper reviews (from his blogs), forever, and the only one I trust out of the whole gamut of plastic creators.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Thanks! I’m a shooter, NOT a KZbinr, so all I care about is getting you the facts you need as seen through the eyes of a seasoned shooter, cutting through the marketing BS and getting to the point. I don’t really have time for this so it’s getting to the facts and not worrying about sizzle. THANKS!

[@ab-cx6bd]

Nice to see your content after so long 👍👍👍

[@KenRockwellTV]

Oh yeah!! Thanks!

[@bugalaman]

This is game changing for the weather and storm chasing community. Lightning never came out correct with a rolling shutter. This camera is amazing.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Exactly! Game changer!

[@grassrootsphotographysean4474]

theres no rolling shutter with the A1 though?

[@flyingfox2005]

@@grassrootsphotographysean4474 the Sony a1 has 16.6ms rolling shutter.

[@johnsmith1474]

Why would lightning be associated with rolling shutter? Rolling shutter, as far as my limited knowledge, is related to panning the camera while the sensor info is scanned by lines. And it's not "a rolling shutter" it's "rolling shutter." It's an effect ie a consequence of a technique, not a thing ie a type of shutter. (I know this without ever having shot one video.)

[@flyingfox2005]

@@johnsmith1474 sorry - but it is "a" rolling shutter. Most Cmos sensors have "a" rolling shutter. It's a specific technical term describing how the sensor scans from top to bottom and this leads to the ugly effects. If you've not shot one video, then you have only experienced a small number of the artefacts that come from using a camera with a rolling shutter. Skew and jello effects are the most usual issues, but so are strobes and any fast light effect - and this includes lightning.

[@paololarocca7684]

now that there is no longer the problem of the sync speed, please give us back the built in flash, at least on future aps-c camerss, thanks for your early review...

[@KenRockwellTV]

Yes yes yes!!! That’s why the Fuji X100 series flash works well; their leaf shutters work to 1/4000 sync.

[@paololarocca7684]

as good as sony engineers are they could also make some improvements on the design of the built-in flash, more powerful, bounceble or something else...

[@twoblink]

I love that they invited you!!

[@KenRockwellTV]

Me too! Still need to write up my full written review with sample image files I shot. Thanks!

[@tonygreenmike]

I was wondering what happened to Ken Rockwell when a to z of youtube "influencers" were pouring their points ..now I am a bit relieved to hear your points... Thanks Ken. And the menu....is it still like the other SONY models ?

[@KenRockwellTV]

Sort of. Runs in weird directions. I tried not to bother with it seeing how little time I had with the camera.

[@tonygreenmike]

@@KenRockwellTV oh.

[@heathwirt8919]

Great quick review Ken, lots of important information in a relatively short video.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Bingo! I go for all content and no fluff. Thanks for noticing.

[@mettacitta2000]

To me Ken Rockwell has been, is and always will be the benchmark of camera and camera gear reviews. It because of him I started on a Nikon F4 then moved to digital but appreciate all types of camera. Thanks always!!

[@KenRockwellTV]

Thank YOU!!!

[@catalin-ap]

Something understated about this camera: it's 2mm wider (more grip space on the back too), and its grip is rounder, its shutter button is on a slighly more sloped plane. So Sony finally copied some of Nikon and Canon's appreciated ergonomics. It would be nice to know how it is to hold, vs. the previous Sony bodies - A1, A7R V etc.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Still feels hard and uncomfortable. The edges and angles are all square like a VCR; Sony has yet to hire an outside industrial designer to do this right. It’s still not a pro body with integrated grip and still too short so all my fingers don’t fit as they do on an R3 or R1 or Z9.

[@sivanimmadala]

@@KenRockwellTV R1 😮😮😮

[@allencrider]

Amazing. Thanks for showing this!

[@KenRockwellTV]

Quite welcome.

[@Skidoo22]

Looking forward to your in depth review of the ZF. Apparently the shutter doesn't take a screw in cable release, just a button....

[@KenRockwellTV]

Those bums! Just updated its review at www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/z/zf.htm

[@Kevon420]

@@KenRockwellTV Yep! You can screw in a soft release button but it cannot take a real cable release to actuate the shutter mechanism, the new Leica Q3 is the same, it’s just there to look nice and to have a soft release button add-on. The only digital cameras I’ve found that allow for a proper cable release are the digital Leica M cameras such as the M9 or M10 or M11; which is funny as the Leica iOS app is the only one I’ve gotten to work for remote shooting and data transfer!

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

@@Kevon420 Many Fuji cameras allow a traditional cable release as well. I really thought the ZF was threaded for a cable release. What a bummer.

[@daesong1378]

I clicked on this because this is the first Sony camera review I’ve seen from you 😂

[@KenRockwellTV]

Thanks; I’ve reviewed everything at www.kenrockwell.com/sony/index.htm

[@d.k.1394]

I will wait for mark 11 version

[@KenRockwellTV]

In 2052!

[@d.k.1394]

@@KenRockwellTV hehe

[@TW-iu9zy]

… well done Ken, thx for the video Ken! 👍🏻 And well done Sony! 👍🏻

[@KenRockwellTV]

Always welcome. Shot on a chair in my hotel room. 😊

[@lewis3000us]

I see T* on viewfinder housing. I wonder if this is indicating some IP licensed from Zeiss, perhaps in the viewfinder? Harkens me back to the 50mm f/1.4 Zeiss I long ago had with my Contax 139.

[@KenRockwellTV]

T* is simply Zeiss’ trademark for their multicoating used since the 1970s. It was hot in the 1970s while everything optical from every brand has it today.

[@jamesmgreen15]

Thanks for this informative video. Sony really is leading the vanguard with tech, as are you with knowledge-based reviews.

[@KenRockwellTV]

They have been leaders in electronic image sensors since the days of video pickup times in the 70s and I’ve worked with their CCDs since the 70s. They’ve often defined the envelope; digital cameras aren’t new to them.

[@toasty-toast]

Can you do a7Cii vs Iphone 15 Pro vs a 6-7 year old SLR with on screen vies and prints, and have lay people tell you rate better / worse or equal for each pic? Would also love to see a review of new expensive Full Frame camera with a kit lens (which is how a lot of people buy cameras at XMAS) vs. Cheaper APSC with a high end lens. Does the FF sensor compensate for a cheap lens?

[@KenRockwellTV]

No one ever dares compare - but I did! See my LEICA vs Fuji vs iPhone vs Canon DSLR comparison at www.kenrockwell.com/tech/comparisons/2020-06-leica-versus-iphone-versus-canon-versus-fuji.htm

[@toasty-toast]

@@KenRockwellTVnice !

[@popcornparam]

Is there an actual shutter inside !??

[@KenRockwellTV]

I can’t recall. If there is it’s just a blind to keep dirt off the sensor with no lens.

[@maurogalch2098]

Greetings from Brazil! Great camera. Next step for mirrorless: global shutter? Great review!

[@KenRockwellTV]

The A9 III has a global shutter, meaning all pixels are read at the same instant.

[@johnsmith1474]

Are you asking? He just told you!

[@MehdiRF]

Looks like big three brands are well prepared for 2024 Olympics, I think the biggest hit for sports pro shooters will be the Canon R1 next year. Thanks for quick yet detailed review!

[@KenRockwellTV]

You’re welcome!

[@destinyangel5]

Great inside to the new Sony but are the Nikon flag ships with shutterless stacked sensors the Z8 and Z9 and similar mirrorless cameras obsolete now ? , this global shutter on Sony a9III seems like a big game changing generational leap tech moment. Or are we all still good with R3 Z8 Z9 ?

[@MichaelCortese1]

Considering those cameras worked before this one came out, they'll still work fine after this camera is released in 6 months don't fear.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Never liked any of the Nikon Z cameras: crappy autofocus. Yes; they’re all obsolete now.

[@johnsmith1474]

@@KenRockwellTV - Unless it's the only camera you own, then just use it.

[@Kevon420]

Those cameras were always unusable and could not take good photos. The Sony α9III will be the first camera capable of taking good photographs.

[@livejames9374]

@@KenRockwellTV goodness what a goofball.

[@Twobarpsi]

120fps? My 5D Mkii does 4! I really like using it. I think the global shutter is more effective for video, when panning.

[@KenRockwellTV]

The global thing is mostly about getting fast sync for fill flash. It means a lot to me, but if you don’t use flash it’s not as big a deal.

[@Peezy71421]

I have an A1. This gives me hope for the A2 or the A1 v2

[@KenRockwellTV]

Sony never sleeps.

[@RishiRajKoul]

AS ALWAYS BRILLIANT

[@KenRockwellTV]

THANK YOU RISHI!!!

[@E6MND]

When is the Leica Q3 review coming out?

[@KenRockwellTV]

Soon as I get mine. Broke my elbow earlier this year and still catching up.

[@CamillaI]

Amazing will it replace my A1 for wildlife though ?

[@KenRockwellTV]

I don’t know about you, but I can shoot just about anything with any camera. Which is best for you depends if you value high ISOs and pixel count over 120fps and unlimited flash sync. I’d go A9 III if you use flash, and stick with A1 if not.

[@CamillaI]

Yes I think that's a good call high speed flash sync would seal the deal. Waiting for ISO and Dynamic range tests @@KenRockwellTV

[@GungKrisna12]

While everyone (including Sony themselves the whole time) pursue the fastest readout and lower rolling shutter, Sony decided to completely eliminate the rolling shutter altogether, by implementing something called global shutter, which comes in several advantages like flash sync at all shutter speeds, no banding in artificial light, and no more subject warping Its base ISO is quite high at 250, though And the camera's target market will be mostly journalists

[@KenRockwellTV]

Yes.

[@jamesmlodynia8757]

Every time that a new full frame camera comes out you hear..it only has a 24 mp sensor, it does not allow much room for cropping or shooting in crop mode, now a new camera comes out and the big news is that it has a global shutter and is super fast FPS only sets you back 6 thousand dollars, every U Tuber is raving about this camera, i have no use for a camera like this since I don't shoot video and at the price point it is much higher than I would pay for a camera body, i set my upper limit at 2 thousand dollars for a camera body and after buying a ZF and Z6Ii from Nikon along with the other cameras that I have acquired over the last 15 years I have enough to last a lifetime. So getting back to the new Sony A9 MKIII it is a ground breaking camera crippled by a 24 mp sensor..now i own many different cameras from 16mp to 4omp, many of which have a 24 mp sensor so the sensor size is not a problem from me, but I think a lot of people that are resolution crazy will not like the fact that it's a 24mp camera.

[@KenRockwellTV]

24 MP is the optimum value for today’s digital cameras. Anything more is pixel bloat. To each their own; as a pro camera we have facility access and the right $12,000 lenses to get close enough and this is a camera for full time pros. Thanks!

[@teethtrainsandcameras2668]

How long does it take to clear the buffer? Thanks

[@KenRockwellTV]

Don’t know; it never got in the way, and I also used a slow 48 MB/s SD card to see. The buffer works well, writing to the card while you can start the next bust unhampered.

[@RichardLarssen]

11 seconds on a Sony tough cf express type A. 23 seconds on a Delkin v90. Over over a minute on a slow sony 300MB/sec, according to the petapixel guys.

[@teethtrainsandcameras2668]

@@RichardLarssen so pretty slow then making the 120 fps a bit redundant, I wonder why they didn't go for the type B cards? In the action scenario's this camera is aimed at, a lot can happen in 11 seconds.

[@cmacclel]

"More than enough pixels for anything imaginable" I shoot wildlife and had the A9 and A9II moving to the A1 made a huge difference.

[@KenRockwellTV]

All good. That’s why they make so many cameras. If pixels and ISOs matter more than FPS and flash sync then the A1 still wins.

[@airjaff]

That low light image was seriously mushy

[@MichaelCortese1]

Looked pretty horrendous. Especially for a 24MP sensor

[@KenRockwellTV]

Agreed and as I said, if you’re shooting above ISO 6,400 or so you probably aren’t doing something right. All that scene needed was less than ISO 250!

[@teethtrainsandcameras2668]

@@KenRockwellTV journalists have to shoot in all lighting situations, also higher iso allows a higher shutter speed etc. Looks like this camera will have a narrow use case vs Sony A1.

[@d.k.1394]

Lovely

[@KenRockwellTV]

Thank you.

[@d.k.1394]

Its pretty too

[@KenRockwellTV]

Thanks!

[@antistiolabeo8950]

I guess someone was eating just a few seconds before starting the recording of this video. Prove me wrong XD

[@KenRockwellTV]

What? The hum on my crappy audio is helicopters.

[@markmeszaros76]

Apparently bending still happens...

[@KenRockwellTV]

I haven’t seen any. It’s a totally different technology. Honestly I never had rolling shutter problems with the older top cameras; it’s just flash sync I need faster in daylight

[@jmich5123]

If it’s truly a global shutter bending won’t happen…. But blurring still of course with long exposure times. Also based on other comments elsewhere note that global shutter cannot solve LED flicker issues by itself. Banding yes but PWM’d light sources are still a potential problem in that some shots won’t be “properly” exposed. In any case kudos to Sony for delivering this solution. For certain apps it will be sweet.

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

I can't wait for this global shutter technology to trickle down to a camera that's priced closer to say the Canon EOS RP.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Oh, and it will.

[@Laundry_Hamper]

I'm waiting to see which reviewer will be first to bring enough strobes and patience to a gun range to use that 1/80,000 sec shutter to catch a bullet in mid-air. Will it be you, Ken??!

[@KenRockwellTV]

Not me! It’s not about stopping action, it’s about letting the flash atop your camera compete with direct sunlight for fill flash, as well as allowing instant recycling and long flash battery life. See www.kenrockwell.com/tech/syncspeed.htm

[@highlyunprofessionalreviews]

Amazing camera but Jesus Christ are Sony cameras hideous looking. They should probably add more 1987 looking buttons and dials 😐.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Not only that, but they feel awful in-hand, loaded with right angles and hard, square edges - not at all comfortable or ergonomic. Oh well.

[@highlyunprofessionalreviews]

@@KenRockwellTV They're the worst. Tesla internals with 1987 Trans-Am externals. Makes no sense. Generally speaking, Sony makes nice looking and feeling electronics... their camera bodies, however, are trash.

[@isavkov]

Mmm 5 minutes video is hardly a “review”

[@RichardLarssen]

This is Ken Rockwell ;)

[@KenRockwellTV]

It’s everything a full time pro needs to know to decide if this camera is right for them compared to what he already has. My reviews are for people who shoot for a living and have paying jobs to go do - my videos are not intended as entertainment for the idle. I keep them as short as possible for exactly this reason. Thanks for noticing!

[@jasonrosewarne6762]

Wow, you need to slow down when you're talking, it's coming at us at a million miles an hour

[@KenRockwellTV]

Hi Jason, that’s right; as a fourth-generation native New Yorker I have things to get done and no time for chit chat. If I fly along too fast getting to the point, no worries: find the gear icon in your player, select PLAYBACK SPEED, try 0.75x or 0.5x and problem solved. Thanks!

[@MikeLikesChannel]

Just a New Yorker, I’m from Boston and I follow 😆

[@FierceSleepingDog]

Yawn I take good photos with my Nikon and Olympus cameras and glass. If you are a rich person, thus camera is for you. Dump what you have and go buy this. Buy, buy, buy!!!!!

[@berkeleyfuller-lewis3442]

Well, goody goody two shoes for you. (The rest of us are all tech-hypnotized idiot-zombies. We get how superior you are. So, yay you!)

[@FierceSleepingDog]

@@berkeleyfuller-lewis3442 I must have hit a truth nerve

[@KenRockwellTV]

It’s all about the churn. Thanks!

[@danh2716]

So people don't need speeds above 10,000... ...unless they, IDK, are shooting sports in venues that don't allow flash. Seeing as the A9 series was always considered a camera for sports, this offhand dismissal of the reality of it is a joke. Stopped watching at that point.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Pro venues are well lit. I can’t vouch for high schools and everywhere. Thanks!

[@CockpitScenes]

Wrong, 24 mp is not enough for everything imaginable. For anybody that has to crop in a lot, this is not the camera for you. I do aviation photography, and even with a 600 mm lens I have to crop in a huge amount on most photos. 24 mp doesn't cut it.

[@KenRockwellTV]

Sorry about that.

[@Chris-ey7zy]

Get 1200 mm

[@CockpitScenes]

@@Chris-ey7zy 1) That would not be enough. 2) It has to be shot handheld to track fast moving jet fighter aircraft. I would have to start some weight training...

[@martinsmyth5580]

Bad dynamic range, poor low light, no thanks, keep it.

[@edc5338]

Good grief people. It's just another camera that takes pictures.

[@martinsmyth5580]

Depends on what pictures you're taking @@edc5338

[@KenRockwellTV]

Yes, it’s a pro camera for people who earn their livings with their images, not a camera for spec and pixel counters. Thanks!

[@johnsmith1474]

Right so you & I go shoot an F1 race, I'll use the Sony you can use whatever and we'll see who gets the shot.

[@JET-Photo]

@@johnsmith1474 So nobody ever shot F1 before Sony? Wonder where all those great shots from 10 years ago came from? Probably skilled photographers that didn't need super fast speeds to get good shots...