Sony A9 iii: WAY better than we thought!

[@FilmByKyle]

Thanks for covering this camera! Crazy how underrated it seems to be. Global shutter alone makes it so valuable. Would love to get my hands on one to test.

[@POW.CREEPER]

CLICK BAIT!!!! The bird wasn’t on top of the Camera for the entire video 😂😂😂

[@SuchetB]

Thank you for the amazing review - I’ve had my eye on this camera for the movie work I am doing, and your review was the best I’ve seen so far because you’ve actually showed us some great examples of footage.

[@avx111]

Before the FX3 Sony was always struggling with readout speed, which directly impacts how responsive the AF can be. The solution was using a quad bayer 48mp sensor that bins down to 12mp, like the ones Sony makes for iPhones, but the tradeoff is there are certain artifacts that happen right at the start of the image pipeline inherent to quad bayer sensors (a 2x2 cluster of green pixels can't accurately reproduce blue or reds) like false colors and chroma flares in the highlights. The built in noise reduction and sharpening takes care of these, but they are what make the image have that digital feel. Sensors using standard bayer arrays can represent more accurate colors and textures, though only pixel peepers notice these things, and with a global shutter there is no hardware limitation to how fast the autofocus can be, but right now the tradeoff seems to be a bit of dynamic range.

[@SquareDealProd]

FX3 sensor readout is plenty fast. No need for a global shutter.

[@Vincentecreativeservices]

I was saving up for an A7Rv, but I think you convinced me to get the A9iii. Idk maybe I'll get both, with the A9iii later on but this sounds amazing. I hear the rumor people saying the FX3ii will have the same global shutter, it just makes sense to, so they would perhaps fix those issues you mentioned, add an SDI port and all that.

[@markwiemels]

Great insight. Been thinking about this camera for a while.

[@nick_salazar]

Thanks Mark!

[@Ben-cx8de]

Very similar to my story with this camera. Had an R5C (with my C70) fed up with autofocus and battery life. Interested in the A93 but read all the bad comments but also the positive Cine D results. Then watched the Slashcam footage and thought it looked amazing so took a punt. I am so happy with it, dynamic range is superb and the roll off is much nicer than my previous Sony cameras. My last two corporate shoots I only shot with the A93 and left the C70 in the van. It is so easy to capture quick content with this camera.

[@Ben-cx8de]

Oh and I have just bought the 28,35 & 50 Simera-Cs and they are a great match for both photo and video.

[@nick_salazar]

Awesome! So glad the camera is working out for you. Remember, cameras don’t have roll off. That’s just a mapping. If you’re shooting in rec709, you’re just using its default mapping. If your shoot log, you’re giving yourself more manual control over that mapping.

[@Ben-cx8de]

Of course, I shoot log and the sensor is ‘mapped’ beautifully - especially the way the highlights roll off 😅

[@dcameron7736]

PRORES RAW is available via Atomos Monitor/Recorder

[@fangost]

@9:07 - I am not sure about the FX3 or the A93 but on my A74 or FX30, the HDMI can mirror you LCD to monitor your settings. I think you would have to go to Setup -> External Output -> HDMI Info. Display.

[@nick_salazar]

On my A9 iii as well as the FX3, that setting blacks out the LCD. Yes you get the settings visible via HDMI, but now you've lost the second screen as well as any ability to do touch focus,

[@fangost]

@@nick_salazar oh I see what your saying... you also pointed out the samething on the Video. Great Video!

[@dcameron7736]

Smallrig has a fan that is USB C powered that will prevent any overheating

[@nicholasboulemedia9317]

I had the same thought you did, but I havent got my camera yet. good to know it works good for video.

[@PokeFodder]

I have both the a9iii and the fx3 and since when I am doing videos it is indoors under uncontrollable lighting. I always just reach for the fx3 because of how good it is in low light. Are you saying that my a9iii can handle the low light just as well as the fx3?

[@nick_salazar]

For the work I do, it's fine. But I usually use at least some kind of lighting, and I very rarely shoot past iso 3200.

[@SquareDealProd]

Nick, adding an external monitor does not black out your LCD on the FX3 as you suggest near the end of your interesting video. I recently modified a a6700 to create the lightest travel rig/zoom lens combo I could, and yes in this case adding a external monitor does unfortunately black out the LCD and use of touch focus (though PortKeys makes a monitor that does this and more, and so will a super light iPhone with the Monitor app). So check your settings on the FX3 maybe you missed something there. And maybe demo the problem on your channel if it persists. I can show you mine works fine in this regard.

[@nick_salazar]

It does when you switch to playback (reviewing footage), as stated.

[@Giovanni-Giorgio]

This global shutter would fix the challenges when shooting NTSC framerates in PAL regions right? And mixed lighting conditions where some LED lights, always seem to flicker. Like cheap built-in RGB lights. In computer hardware for instance?

[@nick_salazar]

It will certainly help with some of those issues. However the best solution is just to use better lights, when possible 🙂

[@carbon_originals]

Is the Sony a9iii auto applying noise reduction like (I've heard) they do with a7siii & FX3? I guess it doesn't matter a whole lot because the footage looks excellent, but I'd be curious to know. Thank you for this review.

[@nick_salazar]

Well I couldn’t say for sure without comparing against the raw hdmi output, which I’m not equipped to do. But based on the image, and cined’s testing and the image at results, I’d conclude any NR or sharpening is minimal if at all.

[@angryrabbitproductions1690]

FYI: I also own this camera. In video it doesn’t appear to be applying noise reduction from what I can see. I have uploaded some footage shot in very low-light conditions if curious.

[@MikeMarrah]

I've owned this camera since it came out and this has been my exact experience. Since then it's replaced pretty much every other camera in my arsenal, of which there were quite a few across several brands. The noise profile is completely different from any other camera I've ever used. Not only is the noise very easy to clean, but it's also the first time (outside of Red) that I've experienced noise that almost feels like it's own inherent grain. Like you said, its very uniform. There arent any weird banding patterns, no major color shifts, extreme macro blocking, etc. Even all the way up to 25,600 iso (which is the max in slog3 for this camera). I really do feel like all 15 stops are useable. That, and the fact that it does indeed have a second iso switch at 6,400. It's maybe not a "true" second native iso. But the image does clean up alot in the same way you'd expect from an fx3 at 12,800. I'm really hoping that Sony uses this sensor, or an optimized version of this sensor that can actually record a 6k image instead of down sampled 4k, in either the new fx6 or fx9 replacement coming soon.

[@ItsBerg]

if you think you're getting 15+ stops @ 25,600... you're buggin.

[@MikeMarrah]

@ItsBerg hahaha no. Those are two completely different thoughts. I'm guessing 25,600 is probably like 9 stops or something

[@nordfilmcompany]

Great video mate. Thanks! Have you tried the Sony App yet? With the a7s III we use our phone via wifi and Monitor & Controll app to get a minimalistic touch monitor with added features. Cheers

[@nick_salazar]

Not yet, but I will! Certain things are really handy though, like bluetooth run/stop. No wires needed on a small gimbal.

[@chakk0]

Great video but iam confused because i can't remember when I've seen SOO many blown out highlights in a KZbin video🙈

[@Mr.Zen_73]

will be interesting to compare AF between A9III and R1 in both photo and video which is a more apples to apples comparison. R5C is more than 2 years older and quite a bit cheaper so not a fair fight!

[@maiigophotography]

Honestly even the r5 mk ii. R5c knowingly had the worse af out of all of the mirrorless camera bodies. Canon is on par with Sony.

[@Teslien]

Thru NR software you get 32 image stacks and switching the settings per shot to extend "dynamic range". It's difficult to do but can result in good images if taking the time. I'm personally trying to program stuff so it can be done thru remote shoot but alas, to b on the brink of tech is time consuming

[@MARZILLI]

We are 3-5 year out from almost all mirrorless cameras having perfect Auto focus (except for Fuji) so I’d look at other factors and that global shutter is pretty good, plus TODAY Sony leads in AF. Good choice.

[@dannyelfilms]

Interesting review!!! Now I may just have to forgo getting a second A7siii and go for the A9iii instead. I really wonder why this camera was dismissed by so many reviewers

[@nick_salazar]

Probably because dynamic range is a difficult concept to fully understand or independently verify, and so people just trust what they hear from the first couple of reviews.

[@dannyelfilms]

@nick_salazar exactly!

[@deonvnzl]

I am curious how you are dealing with the 2000ISO base?

[@nick_salazar]

ND when needed for bright scenes (outdoors mostly), or shoot under native when it makes sense (indoors where there’s less total range and you want clean shadows). Same as anything else really.

[@codythep]

Wow! Thanks for the sleeper recommendation!

[@angryrabbitproductions1690]

Great review happy to see you are enjoying the Sony A9III. There I was thinking I was the only one that felt this way about the Sony A9III. I’ve been saying for sometime, this camera sports the best Sony sensor currently available. The dynamic range is on par with the Red, but the Sony brings the best AF ever seen in any camera… at any price. As you point out, the noise pattern is fine and organic. I can confirm, it cleans up really well in post and retains detail. I think this camera has the least in camera noise reduction of any modern mirrorless. It’s similar in that way to the Red and also to the Fujifilm XH2S. But unlike the Fuji, the Sony A9III can capture really nice over sampled 1080p. And the noise performance is consistent in this mode. The Fujifilm’s 1080p noise performance is pretty bad and the noise pattern in HD is anything but organic. I believe the Sony A9III has the most advanced sensor of any camera to date, being both stacked and global shutter and managing this performance all while not requiring any active cooling and drawing only 7 watts. I concur, the Sony A9III is the sleeper of the year.

[@nick_salazar]

It’s definitely not quite as good as the red. I have some direct comparison footage. I’ll be uploading later this week or next week. But it’s still extremely good especially considering the size.

[@angryrabbitproductions1690]

​@@nick_salazar I’ll be curious to see that. In my real-world testing vs my Reds I saw very little between them. If Sony was to add opengate (easily done with firmware) and internal raw (which they already have the license for) or internal (Which is being added to the FX series), it would elevate this camera to the next level. It’s a tough call, but I feel that with Red being owned by Nikon, it might not be bad to go full in on Sony.

[@nick_salazar]

@@angryrabbitproductions1690 those things would be nice, but don't hold your breath. Sony isn't known for adding huge amounts of features after launch. Certainly not quickly anyway.

[@ChampagneSocialist]

Awesome. I’d love to see the A9 III up against Sony’s OG global shutter boss, the F55. The F55 with XOCN raw is relatively forgotten in the shadows of the Venice cameras (and Burano) these days, but the global shutter is unbeatable. I think the A9 III could be an excellent B-camera to the F55.

[@nick_salazar]

These days for a Super-35 global shutter, you're going to be hard-pressed to beat the Komodo-X. I know lots of people loved the F55, and yes they can be bought pretty cheaply these days. But with the recent Komodo-X price reduction, it's undeniably going to be the better purchase. If I didn't already own a V-Raptor X, the Komodo-X would probably be my next purchase.

[@dcameron7736]

Use the app with USB - C cable to iPhone or Andriod phone you get all the tool natively

[@edhughes8893]

Which App? Monitor & Control?

[@Bo_Hazem]

I might not buy it, but I see it as the best camera in the world. Have the A7SIII and A7Rv so not sure about buying another one soon. A7SIII is irreplaceable though due to low light performance.

[@docart3054]

Looks like it’s an absolutely amazing sensor. Honestly, global shutter sensors can’t stop shocking me with how great they’ve gotten. Can’t wait to see Sony implement those in their cinema camera line. On a side note, Nick, which baseplate and 15 mm rod clamps are you using for your V-Raptor X rig? Always wanted to ask, your setup looks very compact.

[@nick_salazar]

Base plate is just a smallrig DJI-compatible baseplate. Then nato side ribs from Breakthrough with a Tilta rod clamp when needed (attaches to the nato ribs).

[@niconic6660]

You wrote in your video, that this is you early experience. Its now 4 weeks since this video ... are you regret sending back the fx3 or are you happy with your desicion ? (love the video and the work you put in .. standing for a same question ... FX3 or A9 III )

[@nick_salazar]

Overall very happy with the A9 iii. One thing that REALLY bugs me is that it has no tally light. SO DUMB. I use those when doing PTC to make sure everything is all good. What it has over the FX3 is the god-tier autofocus, which is part of what I want in a little camera. And I "solve" the tally light problem via the Shinobi II, which has camera control (and a record indicator). I just flip it around when I'm doing a PTC and it lets me monitor the record situation.

[@niconic6660]

@@nick_salazar yes heard about shinobi .. whish the tracking function is there too .. thank you for your answer ... the AF is my main concern @ fx3

[@bladerealm124]

Have you used the Canon R5II? Canon made some great strides in video AF. I've also found Canon's animal eye-AF to be far superior. I shot sony previously, now Canon and Nikon but there are certain things I still miss about sony like the excellent compact lens lineup.

[@nick_salazar]

I haven’t. It’s very interesting, but still doesn’t give me what I want in terms of silent lenses. The new VCM lenses are great (I tested the 35), and once that’s a full line it will be pretty compelling. But the G and GM lenses already exist and I can shoot on them now with Sony’s insane AF.

[@guydesrouilleres]

@@nick_salazar I have recently used this Sony camera and the Canon R5II on a production shoot over multiple shoots for a few weeks and man, the Canon has caught up and may have slightly surpassed the a9III from our experience, but it is minor and both cameras worked wonderfully in terms of AF, dynamic range, and functionality. It is exciting times and all these cameras are pretty amazing. Love the light weight of the a9, the ergonomics of the Canon. Great video man and I hope you continue to enjoy this amazing camera and continue to spread the word on how good it is!

[@nick_salazar]

I wouldn’t say they’re equal. The R5ii still has like an 17ms shutter, which is a bit slow.

[@bladerealm124]

@@guydesrouilleres I think you're the first person I've come across who's used the A9III and R5II back to back. Can you elaborate on your experience? Any major difference with regards to log profiles? (CLOG2 vs SLOG3), low light performance, lenses, etc. Which camera do you prefer if you could only choose one?

[@howardtownsend2574]

​@@nick_salazarYou're right, sony lenses are quieter. We should have an almost full line of vcm lenses, which will be better than the gms overall because of their handling of focus breathing.

[@KK-ol5ov]

People change camera brands like they change socks.

[@nicholasboulemedia9317]

I cant wait to test the 4.7k Prores raw from the Atomos Ninja V+

[@Slipsch]

Would love to see the A9III inside an FX3 body.

[@marklholloway]

Sigma EF to E Mount adapter works 💯 perfect. Only works with Sigma EF lenses tho. Canon EF lenses are hit or miss

[@marklholloway]

Also autofocus with the adapter is just as fast as using native E mount lenses. Great solution for those with Sigma EF glass

[@chaochewei6213]

thanks for the great content. btw are you still using DJI focus pro on v raptor x?

[@nick_salazar]

Yes! It’s still glued to the camera most of the time. You can see it in this video if you squint.

[@FrankDavalos]

For an extra $2K vs the FX3, I sure hope there’s some added value. The IBIS looked a bit wonky, do you recall which more you were in? Either way I really appreciated this video, less about the specs and more about real world results. I just wish it didn’t cost $6K because I’m not sure it adds enough value on top of other hybrid cameras like the old A7V, and if you’re a video only shooter I’m not sure it’s $2K better than the FX3 for daily use. Definitely one of the GOATs for hybrid cameras for that shutter alone. Would be hard to choose between this and the A1!

[@nick_salazar]

Yeah the price is steep. I lucked out and got an open box for like $4700, so a much closer price gap. In my experience the autofocus performance is significantly better on the A9iii versus the FX3, and since that's one of my primary reasons for using the small camera, I thought that mattered. I still do a little stills shooting on occasion, and the A9iii stomps the FX3 for that. I do miss some of the features from my Canon cameras (monitoring, exposure tools, menus) but it's hard to argue with the autofocus performance and that global shutter.

[@nick_salazar]

Here's an amazon affiliate link, use the "Used from $4899" to find deals. That's how I bought mine. It was basically brand new, and you still get the full return window. amzn.to/3NMTbQN

[@FrankDavalos]

@@nick_salazar that’s a good price for sure, no doubt the A9iii is best in class autofocus. And yeah it’s def better than the FX3 at a lot of things. Even cameras like the S5iix are coming so close at 1/3 the price. It’s like walking into a Michelin star restaurant that has a ten page menu… so many great options, which do you choose!

[@danielduanetv]

Native ISO?

[@nick_salazar]

Native is 2000 for video, 250 for stills I believe.

[@MikeAnthonyPhotography]

i have this camera and as a sports and portrait photographer is great....i will for photos its not great at low light anything over 3200 iso has strong noise and 6400 iso makes for alot of denoise in lightroom.....now for video its fine and great focus and speed for following and tracking ....i wish it wouldnt get as hot as fast in 4k videos ....i am looking at buying a fan from smallrig to put on it to keep it cool ....other then that i love the camera for anything inside or day light

[@simonyoung1339]

Does it get hot even when shooting 10bit 4k 24p?

[@MikeAnthonyPhotography]

@@simonyoung1339 not as fast but it if you recored for longer it will ...so i am going to buy one fan from smallrig for it

[@apachewolf6460]

Sony a9iii does output 16 bit raw via HDMI to an atomos ninja

[@nick_salazar]

Yeah that’s true, but ProRes raw is not a workflow I’m interested in. Plus adding the ninja and the ssd and the power supply start to defeat the “small camera” purpose. For those cases when I want raw I’ll just bust out the Raptor.

[@nicholasboulemedia9317]

@@nick_salazar true but for others this is a good solution at a $5k dollar 4.7k 60p V raptor rather than $25k

[@nick_salazar]

As far as I’ve seen, there isn’t a ton of NR or sharpening going on in the xavc. So there’s probably little to be gained with the raw on this particular camera. I’m going to post a DR test soon. The RED still stomps all over this camera, but the A9iii is amazing for how small and efficient it is.

[@apachewolf6460]

@@nick_salazar would be nice if you could do a general image quality comparison. Really curious how the a9iii holds up against a Red Raptor X. I'm still on the fence on which one i should buy for myself.

[@nick_salazar]

@@apachewolf6460 You got it. I actually have that video in the works, I'll probably drop it later this week or next week. Long story short, the V-Raptor X is still significantly better. More DR, more latitude, the OLPF is amazing, and I prefer the colors. Overall it's a way better image. But that's not surprising. If you have the means, and it fits into your workflow, you won't be disappointed.

[@poti732]

Adapt everything to PL . Easiest solution. I’m doing the same with my setup that is like 10% of the budget of your rigs . An A7SIII and a normal Komodo.

[@cogmission1]

Wow. I came across the global stigma of the A9iii having mediocre dynamic range, and just let it go at that! LOL! I'm glad you're so open minded - saving us all from a over-trodden path of snap judgements!

[@rogerlee1112]

CF Express Type A cards have come down a lot in price. Lots of alternatives to Sony Tough Cards. Some are cheaper than equivalent v90 cards.

[@nick_salazar]

Yeah that’s true. I’m using OWC cards, which are great. Still wish they were type B though.

[@rogerlee1112]

@@nick_salazar I agree, Type B would have been a better choice

[@Filmgoblin]

You really need to try the dji ronin 4d with e mount it will blow your mind unless your stuck on global shutter. I’m probably gonna be getting the simera c set. Ronin 4d gets out of your way and lets you be creative as possible.

[@nick_salazar]

I tried one briefly, and I've always liked the idea of it. But its limitations were never right for my kind of work. Maybe with the new Simera-C lenses it will have a renewed practicality.

[@Filmgoblin]

@ I guess when you say “limitations” do you mean the load capacity for lenses on the 4d? Also side note with the ronin 4d flex unit you can lock mount and use heavy lenses. You can also change the actual mount to e,m,l, or pl and obviously use any adapters you desire. I’m just really amazed at the lack of rigging needed for this camera and the dynamic range is just stellar. Haha selling point done..for now

[@asifchowdhury460]

Nice Pionus

[@EquipmentList]

hoping Sony sells this global shutter sensor to dji, Nikon and Panasonic.

[@mbenjamin292]

I subscribe to see more of your bird verry sweet.😊

[@TrenchfootSalvador]

You should try the Nikon Z8 and Z6III, you can adapt Sony lenses to it and the autofocus is just as fast & amazing as native. Internal Raw in them is phenomenal

[@nick_salazar]

If I ditch the A9 iii, it will likely be for something more cine-oriented, like a Canon C80. I do shoot stills sometimes, but rarely. I'm much more in the video world these days. And half the time, I just grab stills from the video anyway. 4k is enough for most stills purposes.

I liked, is just too expensive 😅

[@Xavier_Sc]

Real question, why didn't you simply buy a little Komodo ?

[@nick_salazar]

Autofocus, full frame, and 30W draw are the answers. Komodo is a compelling option, but isn’t quite here nor there for what I’m looking for.

[@TotalRADandMORE]

I dunno man… this dual rf - e mount life sounds like a crazy pain in the butt and overtly expensive. There just seems no way itll be worth it.

[@TotalRADandMORE]

Finished your video, yeah it sounds good but I would implore you to try the Canon RF 24-105 2.8, basically silent AF and the R5mkii should get you the image youre looking for but the R3 / R1 has been reported as absolutely incredible AF. A1 does sound good though, godspeed!

[@contentm3893]

And you have the R5 II that is way better than the R5C.

[@nick_salazar]

I did test out the R5 mk ii for a few days, and some things are definitely improved significantly from the mk1. But for both stills and video use, I still prefer the A9 iii.

[@contentm3893]

@@nick_salazar Thanks for the quick reply. I'm stuck between having Canon and the R5 II and it overheating and deciding if I stay with Canon or move to Sony. I do photos and video and have the R5 now. I can't justify the A9III cost and could pick up a FX3 and use the R5 for photo or get the A1 for photo and video. I'm frustrated with the R5II because when it overheats in 4K 120p your record times go down even further. The R3 seemed to over heat quicker but recovered faster.

[@nick_salazar]

@@contentm3893 Any camera will push its limits at 4k120. That's meant for quick bursts, not extended recording.But anyway, have you tried the Canon CF-R20EP battery grip? It adds an additional fan which should help a lot with cooling and possibly solve your issue.

[@contentm3893]

@@nick_salazar The R5 would overheat in about 5 minutes shooting 4K 120p in short burst before they fixed this in the firmware update. The R3 would give a warning filming the same way. The R5 II at first will get about 18-25 minutes of 4K 120p before shutdown. After shut down it's waiting for the heat icon to go away or shoot for 5 minutes or less. It's the cumulative build up over a real world shoot that I'm worried about. If it's NBA basketball you don't have much time to start and stop and most sports are this way. It's weird that the R5 will record 4K 120p and only stops because of the 30min record time. I have heard that the Sony A1 will overheat and even the FX3 has overheated at events in Florida summer temps. I'm debating and debating to find a solution. If I could get my hands on a C80 I might do that.

[@albertocostell4449]

Nice video men, keep working hard. Subscribe

[@35mmdigitalcinema]

So Sony it’s not giving you shit for singing praises to their camera right ?

[@nick_salazar]

As I say at the top of the video, I don't even have a contact at Sony, and I used my own money buying this stuff.

[@howardtownsend2574]

In your autofocus comparison you're comparing the R5C to the A93. Not a fair comparison. On the best cameras from sony and canon, the AF is pretty comparable. The biggest difference on the new cameras is the AI chip. The R5II has it and so the A7rv. I have both cameras. I have 100% confidence in the AF. I can't speak to A93, but my R5II image quality is much better than my A7rv, A1 and my old R5C. The only thing that I have beats it is my s35 raptor

[@andersistbesser]

This camera is way to expensive for what it is. Nikon z63 has the same video specs and better for much much cheaper.