Sony Thoughts! The a7rIV vs a9II for wildlife photography - is it worth upgrading?

I finally rented the Sony a9II and Sony a7rIV for a weekend to see how I liked them for photographing birds. Please enjoy this video where I share my thoughts on these awesome cameras!
Check out the Sony a9II here: amzn.to/2RTr6K2
Check out the Sony a7rIV here: amzn.to/2RS3mG6
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/ emacandhedwig
My gear bag
Camera bodies for stills
Sony a9: amzn.to/2WUoY5D
Sony A7RIII: amzn.to/2X1f5n5
Battery grip: amzn.to/2D29wgs
Camera body for video/vlogging
Sony A6400: amzn.to/2G97Gwj
Lenses
Sony 10-18mm f4 OSS: amzn.to/2I7wAyi
Sony 24-105mm f4 G: amzn.to/2YYEgs4
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Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM: amzn.to/2UslYRh
Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro L: amzn.to/2WWNmUy
Sony 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G: amzn.to/304ApuC
Sony 400mm f2.8 GM: amzn.to/2sKD8gx
Sigma MC-11 adapter: amzn.to/2D3ciC1
Sony 1.4x and 2x TCs: amzn.to/2G9cQbB and amzn.to/2D1Ap42
Tripods (stills)
Gitzo tripod: amzn.to/2GbhEMz
Induro GIT304L tripod: amzn.to/2YY5hvJ
Tripod (vlogging)
K&F Concept 62” DSLR Tripod: amzn.to/2UAPYtC
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[@p_adam19]

We need more reviews like this: clear and honest.

[@emacandhedwig382]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

[@ronschuddeboomdigiscoping3693]

Hi where are you?…missing you😉

[@markrigg6623]

A lot of wildlife reviewers dont seem to be experiencing the dramatic difference in AF speed between the A9 and A7R iv that you were complaining of here. The A9 is obviously best in class but people like Mark Smith dont seem to be having troubles nailing fast subjects and he actually makes a point of saying how well the A7riv compares. I'm thinking there might be something amiss with the copy you rented or maybe a setting you missed. Certainly my copy has no problems nailing small perched birds that are jumping around a bit and I have found it to be in another league altogether compared to my A7r iii. Being such complex devices there's a always the possibility of a fault hidden somewhere and I think it would be worth your while to try spending a bit more time with a different copy

[@Stefan1968ful]

I use both the A9 II and A7R4 for my Wildlife work, mostly birds. The A9 II is my preferred tool in low light situations or where ultra fast autofocus performance is needed. At good light and where details are needed the A7R4 is preferred. I personally don't like that much the pattern of the noise on the A7R4, it is really ugly beyond ISO1250 and I try to sty at ISO800 and below with this camera. And use fast glass, e.g. the Sony 600mm 4.0 GM I am using for my work. This needs to be kept in mind.

[@njrtech]

The A7RIV is only viable for wildlife IF you can afford the 600mm GM. Even then it will not touch an A9/ii. The A9ii with 200600G is an amazing combo...fast AF and high ISO makes it formidable even with the lens at f6.3. The 200600G with 1.4tc at 840mm is still very quick and responsive on the A9...where on the A7RIV that combo is useless

[@njrtech]

@Gap tried that had 100400GM and results weren't any better than my A9 with 200600G at 600mm. And the A9 handles high ISO better so that sent me to the A9 over the A7RIV. Also, A7RIV is a bit slow to acquire focus and far less consistent with AF precision which is another reason to go with the A9 if birding is your thing

[@anandbhargava667]

For birding that too in low light Riv fails to impress. Too much dependence on post processing made me switch from this impressive piece of tech to 9ii in just 4 months of field use. Though, i will miss the amazing crop capability and shallow DOF but, capturing the moment at the right time with greater hit rate would suit me better. With that faith i have taken this decision. Let us see if i can find peace with it.

[@DanielBengtsson]

Thanks. This was EXACTLY what I was looking for. The very best video about these two cameras! GREAT!!

[@CarlosBarronJr]

Good to hear nice and honest feedback. I almost upgraded to the a9ii. I was excited about the updated ergonomics and improvements but when I finally got my hands on one, I actually preferred the feel of the original a9. I may still upgrade in the future depending on what new firmware brings but completely agree the a9 is still the sweet spot in value in Sony’s lineup for action shooting and af performance.

[@gregharvey4663]

I enjoy your presentation style and love your photos. I hope you will continue to post content to KZbin.

[@theFATEfactory]

Love the honest comparison 🙌🏽📷📷💯

[@emacandhedwig382]

Thank you, and thanks for watching!

[@ro3843]

Good insight!

[@Grr8jon]

Fantastic video. Im leaning towards the original a9 myself.

[@AdrianChoPhotography]

Good to hear your thoughts on this, Elizabeth. I think it definitely depends on what you’re shooting. I’m on a trip now looking mostly for mammals and don’t expect encounter any fast birds and brought two A7RIVs and left my A9II at home. For those subjects the A7RIV will definitely have no problem but I’m also rarely using tracking modes for such subjects since Animal Eye AF works so well with them (and the tracking modes don’t work with Animal Eye AF on the A7RIV) or they are slow enough that I can move the focus area around manually if necessary.

[@emacandhedwig382]

Yes, I can see how the a7riv would be great for mammals! I'm definitely impressed with the IQ of that camera. If AF was just a little faster... :)

[@njrtech]

Totally agree..i got tired of the missed shots with the A7RIV and 200600G. Sold the A7RIV and purchased the A9ii instead. I dont miss the A7RIV...i am getting pin sharp shots with a very high keeper rate. All those mpx are overrated and not needed. A9/A9ii are amazing wildlife cameras.

[@anandbhargava667]

Going for this switch myself. Hope i wnt regret it just like you 😉

[@njrtech]

@@anandbhargava667 you won't. And when you want more resolution for other types of shoots like landscape, just stitch when needed. Easy to do

[@gideonliberman8461]

@@njrtech is the 24 Mega of the A9ii not enough for landscape?

[@clavagarful]

I have both bodies and I find myself always reaching for the A7R4 for that extra cropping power even for birds. Now that's with the 400 2.8 and 1.4 tele but I guess the A9ii would be more preferred if the birds were much closer

[@emacandhedwig382]

The a7riv is definitely a great camera for cropping power, for sure. I was impressed with the resolution. If Sony comes up with a firmware update to improve AF, I may try it again. I'm also interested in trying the a6600 to see how that does.

[@Buffer0verflow]

Very helpful review. Thanks so much!

[@njrtech]

I was wrong putting your video down months ago. My A7RIV is getting traded for the A9ii. Why? The A7RIV has serious AF consistency issues that are now being documented (check fred Miranda forums) the A7RIV and 200600G misses focus often (backfocuses) ..we are talking 3-4 keepers per 10 shot burst. I also hate the file sizes...excessive. getting rid of the A7RIV asap

[@CamillaI]

A very fair assessment I would agree with your recommendations entirely I have reviewed the A9ii on Camilla & I

[@emacandhedwig382]

Thanks! I'll check out your review!

[@gtiboogiemann]

Very helpful video!

[@pkh540]

Sorry, but that was a silly review... you can’t compare the AF of the a9 (or a9ii) and the a7Riv. The a9(ii) is purpose built for AF and absolutely rocks. (I have both the a9 and the a7Riv and use them based on the type of photography I’m shooting.) BIF = a9. Other wildlife (especially ones I can’t or don’t want to get too near) then the a7Riv is great as the resolution is amazing for cropability.

[@SilatShooter]

I have both as well. I have to say the crop-ability of the A7R IV files is nothing short of amazing. I do like the no-black out viewfinder of the A9, but I definitely think the IQ is noticeably better with the A7R IV. Again, speaking for myself, when shooting wildlife I'm always cropping to properly frame the animal so having that 'head room' is critical. I find the AF pretty close to that of my A9. So I have to disagree with your findings.

[@KenCheng]

the a9III will have CFexpress card support, which will be worth the wait

[@jefflong8449]

Great review

[@janseneca7366]

Hi Elisabeth. I miss your follow-up to the Sony 400mm f2.8😇

[@Lunafilms12]

Great comparison . I sold my a7riii and my a7iii to get the the a7riv. I shoot allot of landscape and just started getting into wildlife photography. I love landscape photography so the extra megapixels is awesome. I never owned the A9 camera but that will be my next camera . I am a student so i get a great discount on the A9ii. I figured if i have them both i will be covered for wildlife and Landscape. I shot some bison a few weeks ago and was surprised with the fast autofocus of the a7riv compared to my a7riii. I’m sure when i get the A9ii i am going to get spoiled with that auto focus. I have been shooting with the 70-200 gmaster lens with a 1/4 teleconverter and the 200-600 lens, I can’t wait to finally use the A9ii. I have never used it nor retened it but I’m sure it will become my main camera when i start using it. Love your videos I am so happy i came across your channel.

[@emacandhedwig382]

Thank you so much for you kind words about my channel! The a7riv is a fantastic camera, and I have no doubt you will get some awesome images with it. And you're right - I am definitely spoiled by the fast autofocus of the a9 cameras! I would probably think the a7riv had great autofocus if I didn't have experience shooting with the a9. I would like to own the a7riv eventually, I do love those megapixels! But for now, I'm good with my a7rIII.

[@starkwinterfell6016]

Thanks for video.... Sony camera is amazing

[@alanross3661]

I agree with your conclusions. I find the a9 to be necessary for birds in flight. But for stationary wildlife the a7r4 is fantastic in two ways. First, the 61 mp provide great detail. But when required, the APSC mode allows better reach and still provides 26 mp. I like not putting a teleconverter on if possible.

[@emacandhedwig382]

Great points on the a7riv. I've never used cropping mode in camera and just crop in post processing, if I need to. I'm interested in trying the a6600 to see how that does, the resolution isn't too far off from the a7riv in crop mode.

[@alanross3661]

EMac and Hedwig Another reason to use the crop mode is to save space on data cards and increase the buffer when necessary.

[@bobstringer9809]

Nice video -- Thanks 👍 Place your camera on a tripod and extremely close to the feeder bowl and use the wireless function to remotely take the close-up shots but, remember to cover your camera with electrostatic Saran wrap or other covering material to keep it from becoming covered in bird-poop A close-up shot with a fast lens will provide excellent result's and in silent shutter mode. You can use a fill-in flash because lighting is seldom perfect. Experiment and have fun 👍

[@joshuamaser7345]

Lots of great insight, thanks so much. And are you still liking the 200-600 six months later?

[@njrtech]

One thing very few mention about going to an A7RIV....it requires top notch glass to get the results you paid for. Very few lense can actually resolve all 61mpx...there are a few (24 1.4GM, 135GM, 400 2.8GM, 600F4 GM, Voigtlander 65, 110, sony 90mm macro) not too many can handle 61mpx. Unless your ready to spend big in glass! (especially wildlife photographers) stay away and go with an A9 series

[@KetansaCreatesArt]

There will be firmware update for the R4m which will improve the autofocus speed.

[@harrymultimedia]

i had the same experience with the a7r3 i got rid of it within weeks of purchase and picked an a9 now i m wondering if its worth upgrading the A9ii i kind of need that voice tag for big event cant remember the names of people i get on the red carpet..initially coming from nikon d4,d5

[@jannes7926]

Great video, great comparison. The pictures of the a9ii are very good and clear but to be honest: The Pictures from the a7r iv are way better. I mean the first pictures of the birds with the a7r iv are gorgeus! Im definitely gonna choose the a7r iv over the a9ii. Dont get me wrong. The performance on the a9ii is incredible but the results from the r iv are just way better. Great video!

[@Rascallucci]

I have to say I am quite surprised with your take. You are the ONLY person who has picked the A9 or A9 II over the A7R IV out of all the videos I've seen. I am not leaning one way or another, afterall is just an opinion and personal preference. But, I am just curious, don't you find in the context of bird photography, 99% of the time you will have to crop in? Or are you just shooting the birds in a controlled setup like you have shown in this video whereby you are able to shoot the birds in extreme close range?

[@kdlin1]

Hi Elizabeth, I also have A9, A7Riii, and 200-600 G lens. I enjoy the AF performance of A9 but wonder if I should get an additional APS-C camera like A6600 or A6400 to extend the reach? Could you please comment?

[@anjak4004]

Do you still use the 400mm GM or more the 200-600 now.

[@skipsteel8553]

Very helpful and informative. I'm an amateur and like to practice shooting planes. I take hundreds of photos each time. I have an A7RII and now an A7RIV. I totally agree that the A7R4 focus tracks much better. I get three times the 'keepers' with the A7RIV than I got with the A7RIII. I was surprised when I watched another popular KZbinr couple conclude differently . . . but, I'm just an amateur. Focus access time is not as important when photographing planes in comparison to photographing randomly and rapidly moving wildlife. So, the A9 (which I have) or the A9 II are better suited. I have a craving to upgrade to the A9II but your insight provides me with solid reasons to hold off for now. I very much appreciate your style of sharing what you have learned versus trying to come across as an absolute expert.

[@njrtech]

A7riv may be slower than A9, but plenty fast for wildlife as many have already proved out. I hated the A7RM3 tracking ability...it was terrible to be honest. Not so with A7RIV...it can track just about any bird. You are wrong about this cameras abilities. You should check Mark Smith's work with the A7RIV. That will tell you how good the camera is. Also, 61mpx allows a ton of cropping ,where you have little headroom with the 24mpx A9 . I know a few wildlife photographers whonown both A9 and the A7RIV... interestingly they rarely use the A9 anymore. Not sure what focus settings you used, but the R4 is actually quite fast

[@markrigg6623]

Hey I actually I agree with you!

[@njrtech]

@@markrigg6623 glad someone else realizes how versatile this camera is. Never before has a high megapixel count camera been so fast. Take care

[@rghurst]

Video title says it's a comparison between RIV and a9II ... why all the time spent on comparison to original a9 and RIII?

[@IMDABROWN]

Great advice hoping to get me a sub $2700 a9. Oh and you hair did look nice!

[@emacandhedwig382]

Best of luck in your search, and thank you lol!

[@vladepast4936]

Rented for a few days and already have an opinion?

[@chriswildlife8826]

A1 can do it all better

[@ripley1690]

thank goodness you acknowledged the iffy focus system on the A7RIV, I found it very poor but unlike you I also found it was bad at tracking (in poor light at ISO4000). I bought it and sold after 2 months, it's not a camera for wildlife imo UNLESS you are using fast glass and by that I mean faster than the 100-400 and the 200-600. Sure you'll get some beautiful shots with it if the light is good enough but if you go into woods and are under the tree canopy where light is an issue then the noise will negate any benefit of the higher MP even in crop mode. There's also more than a few people experiencing issues with focus using the 200-600, I've reverted back to my ancient A6000 while I figure out where to go from here.

[@aturatur1]

Ripley what focus issues are you referring to? My 200-600 often back focusses on birds approx 40-50m away. sony has confirmed the issue and they are working on it. same results with A7R iv, A9 and A6400

[@ripley1690]

there are a few threads on FM regarding the focusing issues, more in depth to the one I linked to, give it a search. If Sony are aware then the UK division didn't acknowledge it, they gave me the scripted response, reset camera etc etc. I can't be bothered with their nonsense, I need a camera that works, so sold it before I lost too much cash, I'm having more joy with the 'ancient' A6000 without the nice colours of course

[@emacandhedwig382]

Interesting about the high ISO, I didn't try it quite that high. I didn't try it with my 400 GM because I figured most people will be using this camera with the 100-400 or 200-600, so I used my 200-600. I'm also interested in trying the a6600, to see how that does.

[@markrigg6623]

Mark Smith doesnt seem to have much problem using the 2 variable aperture zooms in his vids that pre date his purchasing of the 600 prime. I'm rapt in the results Ive got with the 2 zooms. Maybe theres a quality variance issue somewhere either with the lenses or the camera. Low light focusing for me has been at least the equal of my D 850.

[@markrigg6623]

@paul woodford Yeah my recollection was that he was referring to the general sharpness "rendering" as he puts it not specifically its AF capabilities. He does then say overall the other zoom worked just that bit better. His opinion of the A7R iv autofocus is that its "right up there with the A9". The A9 is obviously superior in AF but with the big 600 f4 the gap appears to be much closer. He makes a point in one video that the big difference hes noticing isnt the extra pixels, its the improvement in autofocus compared to the A9.