Again, Hugh, bravo. At first I thought this video was going to be an all out Sony pile-on, but you managed to take us all the way into the world of Sony only to bring us back to center. Perspective is everything, and and communicating a solid, centered perspective is an art form... you've mastered it wonderfully. To the point of earning the trust of your viewers. Not easy to do because it should always take longer than 10 minutes. And you managed to do so while exposing your bias, which is counter intuitive, but you do so with a little sugar and butter and my goodness, we come along for every inch of the ride. Thankfully, when the last frame of this video ended, I felt enlightened, and educated, but not persuaded. I look for this flavor of content, as do many others I hope, to build a base for better decision making, which leads to better output for us all. Thanks for content, it is helpful and entertaining, and it works.
Rick Warrick Thank you, Rick - I try. Each one of these takes me a long time because sometimes I need days just to mull it over, go back, and take another look. It's tough trying to be three Blind Men at the same time, let alone one! :)
I've been a long standing A-mount user for years starting with the Minolta 7000i, then moving into the Sony camp with the A100, A900 and A99. The Nex-5N bought me into the E-mount too, which I love for its portability and the chance to play with adapted lenses, and then more recently upgrading to full frame with the A7 and then A7r2. Where I struggle with the A7r2 is that the camera is smaller, but all the lenses end up being a little bigger due to the short flange distance - take several with you and at some point the A-mount actually makes a smaller overall system! And fit longer lenses with an adaptor and the balance doesn't work as well either, so I would often carry both the A7r2 for short focal lengths and the A99 for longer ones (85mm in the middle) With the A99 getting long in the tooth, this always left me a compromise on image quality compared to the A7r2, so I thoroughly welcomed the A99ii and picked up one just in time to shoot a friends wedding. The autofocus is faster, I have dual card slots and the grip curves beautifully with my hand making a wonderful pairing with my 135mm f1.8 ZA. And I can still use the A7r2 for the same quality images with wider lenses, both with that exceptional sensor. Not a camera for everyone, but for some of us, it's almost perfect!
As a non-videographer, I love ❤️ my A99ii! Having upgraded from the A77ii, I already had the muscle memory to use it blindfolded - hold that thought, that mayn't be so useful - so the learning curve was easier. It does everything photographically that I ask it to, and does it better than my skills can justify. I have too much A-mount glass to easily migrate to another system, but the A99ii means I don't need to do so any time soon. Having said that, there is still room in my life for crop sensors, most recently in the form of the A6500 as a compact system for travel.
You can adapt Nikon F to Sony A using the Leitax mount. I have my Zeiss Milvus glass mounted to a A99II natively with a focus confirmation chip, pulling focus in a cine setup. Any cine lens made for a Nikon F mount will fit by swiping the mounts. If the person wants plug and play compatibility, then E-Mount is a better system. I like using my MIlvus glass without an adapter on the A99II, which I can't do on my A7II. Big heavy glass is better on the A99II.
I moved from film with the minolta x-700 and alph-9 to the sony a77ii for the use of my minolta glass and i love the look og a full size slr. I didn't have the a99ii $. At 61 yr old i don't think ill need to upgrade cameras in 77 i started with the k-1000 then in the 80s my x-700 (wich happens to be the same x-700 i use today not one repair even with the thousands of backpacking mile under it's belt)i used up to 2020 when i purchased my first AF camera the minolta alpha-9 then in 2023 my my first digital sony a77ll. At this speed probably not going to upgrade any time soon. I enjoyed your video and joined up so thanks for sharing. ❤
I started with Minolta 25 years ago. My last A-mount camera is the A99. I didn't get the A99 II because 1) too pricy, 2) mirrorless is the future. The A99 II is Sony's last commitment to its long-time A-mount users.
Totally agree, Halt and Catch Fire is one of AMC's best ever series, and what's amazing is the show is pretty low in it's ratings. Season 2 almost didn't even happen, but it's been picked up for a fourth and final season for AMC. Pity, I think this series has a good 8 seasons worth of drama!
I like the look and audio, as well as the content of your videos, can you post a picture of your studio arrangements for this video, showing the light sources, microphones and your position for this type of take ?. Thanks , great job
I have been WAITING for you to review this camera... THANKS!!! I'd like to see you get more time with it and REALLY put it through its paces for both stills AND video. Excellent review. Keep up the good work and thanks for the GREAT videos!
I feel like you bring a something that is sorely lacking in camera tech reviews: you tell a story. You give us a context. It must take a ton of work to plan out so just let me say, thank you!
Because of you.....I'm hooked on Halt and Catch Fire. I'll follow up once I catch up on the series to see if I agree or disagree on if it's the best AMC series to date.
Just a simple correction, Sigma have stopped support A-mount no new releases for more than two years. When a current Sigma lens is discontinued or replaced (by new sports, contemporary or ART lenses), then the A-mount will lose yet another Sigma lens. Eventually there will be no Sigma lenses for A-mount, Sigma have stated though they will consider starting making Sigma lenses for E-mount, but this doesn't help A-mount shooters.
Great review of the A99II! I shoot Weddings, and I have about 14 older Minolta A-mount lenses, many are "G" glass, that I have not sold. I'm weighing... I'm wondering if I should sell or keep those lenses. Their weight and size is a double edged sword. (I was NOT satisfied with the original Sony A99, and am going mirrorless via Olympus)
The F 3.5 fixed autofocus in video has plagued A Mount from the beginning. This forced me into e mount immediately. Definitely an awesome PHOTO CAMERA though. You get lenses with A mount that DON"T FOCUS BY WIRE which is nice for manual focus video.. and then they cripple the auto focus in video. :(
Spot on Hugh. I own the Sony A77M2 and I understand the limitations you've mentioned even though mine is an APS-C sensor. You nailed it at the end when you said: "too much, too little, too late". I will continue to use mine until it breaks down since it'll probably cost an eye to get it fixed if that can even be done and probably switch back to Canon or even try out a Nikon. Again: Great job on this video. From now on I will coin you the scholar of RUclips ;-)
TRUE sportscam, dual card slot, and 1500 $ cheaper than A9 Sony lowlight capability is so awesome these days, SLT is perfections, no more light loss issue.
This Video was informative and entertaining, but it was also enlightening, putting me in a direct conversation with the reviewer in that moment. I do have A mount glass, shoot stills, and prefer this to the E mount, even if Sony will put me on a display shelf next to the last Minolta to run off the assembly line.
Prashant Rawat Thanks for the encouragement. Each one of these things takes a lot of time - don't know that I could add value if I had a daily schedule to meet, let alone how I could afford to do it!
Interesting to see your insight into the A99II. Is it me or is this camera a total enigma? It makes sense and doesn't make sense both at the same time. If Sony announced new A mount lenses to coincide with its release then it would make sense to me, but no, it seems totally uninterested. Clearly Sony see's shortcomings in its own E mount mirrorless designs that the A99II attempts to overcome. Its dependency on legacy A mount users ( many who ironically moved on to E mount ) seems bizarre to say the least. Sony need to make the message loud and clear, fully support A mount in the way they do with E mount or completely let go altogether.
dunnymonster It's very tough being a camera manufacturer these days. Imagine your income falling as rapidly as their revenue lines. It takes years to develop lenses and cameras, but in order to take on those tasks, you have to be confident the market will still be there for three to ten or twenty years from now. With the steep rate at which the market is shrinking, this is a very tough call to make.
Lord Helmchen The a99 has a second AF sensor (you can see it in the diagram) in addition to the image capture sensor-based AF. More than that, and we'll have to talk to Sony! Hmm... maybe I'll do that!
Lord Helmchen Ah! At an instinctive level (since I can't test them side by side) - and given my subject matter -- for me there isn't a significant practical difference. I can see the a99II is faster, but the a6300 is plenty fast for me, including catching dancers mid-leap.
Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions Thank you very much. I like the way, you are trying to explain operations in a very intellegent and sensitive way. Respect 🖖
I think your voice is amazing, specially listening with headphones on. I would like you to tell me bedtime stories, no kidding. Wait, do you happen to read out loud the Blind men and an Elephant fable in any of your videos?
Yeah,his voice is so soothing,you want to have some ice cream,get in bed and curl into a ball.Great review and perspective,and as someone who used Sony,they do make some great products,yet they also miss wildly on others,and that's been their pedigree for decades.I might still get this camera because i invested before in A mount,and i think they also can use old Minolta glass.
You can play Philip Glass on the piano? Ah, that wasn't you, so I'm less jealous. About the camera though, I think it's a test, or a holding action. With the A99II Sony is in the weird position of having its flagship camera on its legacy line. They don't want to be in that position for very long, so we should see the much rumored E-mount A9 pro body soon. But it may come out very expensive, to which the answer is, well, there's also the A99II.
bit surprised at how bad the ibis performed on your a99ii, looks really bad where as mine has a much smoother movement. fully agree with the points bought up about video AF, annoying to say the least being stuck at f3.5 during a dimly lit function and fast movement where AF plays a big role. love the channel, subbed. all the best, matt.
I love mine except...I've been struggling for about 5 months on an intermittent issue with my a99ii. Seemingly at random, though slightly more often at higher temperatures and after several hours of use, my a99ii will get "stuck" writing an image to the card. I can continue to trigger the shutter, however nothing is being written to the card after the snag. I don't notice until I take my face away from the camera and can see that the writing to card light is stuck on. It will stay on indefinitely. If I try to enter review mode, or if I turn the camera off and on, that's when the glitch comes on fully and I loose complete control of the camera. Full on freeze. Only way to get it back is to pop out the battery, at which point it tells me there was an error writing to card, and it will have to recover data. Doing this, I regain control, but nothing after the snagged image shows up on the card. I've been working back and forth with Sony Pro support- who claims that they cannot replicate the issue, so I'm wondering if anyone else out there has run into this issue? I've played with two other rentals from them, and it's happened with each body (3 total including mine). To answer some initial tech questions upfront: No, it's not the buffer that I'm running up against. Yes, I'm using a SanDisk 300mb/s SDXC Class 10 card, and yes, the issue also happened with a similar quality Lexar card. Getting desperate for help as this is a huge inconvenience and has seriously damaged my performance on several professional jobs. I shoot primarily in bracketed exposure, three single shots, at 3.0 EV differentials. However the issue has come up in the single shot drive mode while being used heavily at a wedding reception. Anyone out there run into anything remotely similar?
Yes, for about 7 or 8 months now I've been going back and forth with someone from Pro support who refuses to acknowledge the problem, or tries to blame the card. Even though the same issue happened with the Sony brand card they sent me (SDXC 70 mb/s), my SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC 300 mb/s, and my Lexar SDHC 300 mb/s. I've sent video clips of each instance to them for their analysis.
I know this is out of topic but, you're just amazing .. you should be in a big tv screen lol really.. think about big projects you have everything it takes.
When Minolta went under, Sony took over A- mount and continued supporting all Minolta Maxxum lenses. To this day all Sony A-mount cameras support old, screw driven lenses (even Nikon doesn't do that with their D3XXX and D5XXX cameras) Around 5-6 years ago they started making mirrorless cameras with E-mount, for smaller size. I don't think anybody expected them to take of as they did. Sony as a new player in camera market is in tough position. If they stop supporting A-mount, everybody would say "there goes Sony again, dumping another line of product" And who would invest in E-mount after that.
Dustin Dilworth A mount is for mirror & translucent mirror cameras. E mount is for mirrorless. So E-mount much more compact and give some lens manufacturer ability to go closer to sensor.
I don't always agree with your videos...and then there are times like this where you just get it right,,from all the perspectives, I have been tossing the idea of buying an a99II around for over a year and can't make that leap...,I am setting here looking at a pile of Sony A-mount glass--some I have had since the Minolta film days,,very good lenses,,,possibly heading for oblivion. I was hoping beyond hope that Sony would give the A99 a MKIII treatment,, but I'm pretty sure the A mount has seen the end of days. I am reminded of something Greg Geraldo said when he showed up at one of those celebrity roasts and poor old George Hamilton and is deep tan was on the dais..."George Hamilton, you're like Tang,,,you're dry , you're orange and nobody has given a F..K about you since 1968",,,,,well, the time line is off, but it seems nobody has given the A mount any F..ks either in awhile..and may never again.....
Great video. You are amazing communicator. Presented pros and cons in a fun and intuitive way and give viewers a lot of useful info. I have the first a99 which I love and will now become my backup camera when I purchase the new a99ii. I have played with one and love it. Robert Bottenstein Photography ( Instagram)
.I AM PISSED OFF BECAUSE SONY has abandoned the A Mount Lens, and the new Sony a99ll is an A Mount camera, it just happens to be the best camera in it's class.....The only lens maker who is still making A mount Lenses for Sony cameras is CARL ZEISS, THANKS TO THEM....IF SONY CONTINUES TO BETRAY THE A MOUNT USERS I WILL GO WITH CANON, NIKON IS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE....CANON WILL NOT JUST ROLL OVER AND LET SONY BECOME #1......THE RIPPLES AGAINST SONY FOR THIS BEHAVIOR IS JUST STARTING TO SHOW........
Again, Hugh, bravo. At first I thought this video was going to be an all out Sony pile-on, but you managed to take us all the way into the world of Sony only to bring us back to center. Perspective is everything, and and communicating a solid, centered perspective is an art form... you've mastered it wonderfully. To the point of earning the trust of your viewers. Not easy to do because it should always take longer than 10 minutes. And you managed to do so while exposing your bias, which is counter intuitive, but you do so with a little sugar and butter and my goodness, we come along for every inch of the ride. Thankfully, when the last frame of this video ended, I felt enlightened, and educated, but not persuaded. I look for this flavor of content, as do many others I hope, to build a base for better decision making, which leads to better output for us all. Thanks for content, it is helpful and entertaining, and it works.
Rick Warrick Thank you, Rick - I try. Each one of these takes me a long time because sometimes I need days just to mull it over, go back, and take another look. It's tough trying to be three Blind Men at the same time, let alone one! :)
I've been a long standing A-mount user for years starting with the Minolta 7000i, then moving into the Sony camp with the A100, A900 and A99. The Nex-5N bought me into the E-mount too, which I love for its portability and the chance to play with adapted lenses, and then more recently upgrading to full frame with the A7 and then A7r2.
Where I struggle with the A7r2 is that the camera is smaller, but all the lenses end up being a little bigger due to the short flange distance - take several with you and at some point the A-mount actually makes a smaller overall system!
And fit longer lenses with an adaptor and the balance doesn't work as well either, so I would often carry both the A7r2 for short focal lengths and the A99 for longer ones (85mm in the middle)
With the A99 getting long in the tooth, this always left me a compromise on image quality compared to the A7r2, so I thoroughly welcomed the A99ii and picked up one just in time to shoot a friends wedding. The autofocus is faster, I have dual card slots and the grip curves beautifully with my hand making a wonderful pairing with my 135mm f1.8 ZA. And I can still use the A7r2 for the same quality images with wider lenses, both with that exceptional sensor.
Not a camera for everyone, but for some of us, it's almost perfect!
Tim Boyle Delighted it works so well for you!
As a non-videographer, I love ❤️ my A99ii! Having upgraded from the A77ii, I already had the muscle memory to use it blindfolded - hold that thought, that mayn't be so useful - so the learning curve was easier. It does everything photographically that I ask it to, and does it better than my skills can justify. I have too much A-mount glass to easily migrate to another system, but the A99ii means I don't need to do so any time soon.
Having said that, there is still room in my life for crop sensors, most recently in the form of the A6500 as a compact system for travel.
Adam Houston Thanks for sharing!
But would I buy any A-mount body if I didn't have the glass? Sadly, no way, but I have no idea what I'd choose instead.
You can adapt Nikon F to Sony A using the Leitax mount. I have my Zeiss Milvus glass mounted to a A99II natively with a focus confirmation chip, pulling focus in a cine setup. Any cine lens made for a Nikon F mount will fit by swiping the mounts. If the person wants plug and play compatibility, then E-Mount is a better system. I like using my MIlvus glass without an adapter on the A99II, which I can't do on my A7II. Big heavy glass is better on the A99II.
Color Crush Media Thanks for the additional info!
I moved from film with the minolta x-700 and alph-9 to the sony a77ii for the use of my minolta glass and i love the look og a full size slr.
I didn't have the a99ii $.
At 61 yr old i don't think ill need to upgrade cameras in 77 i started with the k-1000 then in the 80s my x-700 (wich happens to be the same x-700 i use today not one repair even with the thousands of backpacking mile under it's belt)i used up to 2020 when i purchased my first AF camera the minolta alpha-9 then in 2023 my my first digital sony a77ll.
At this speed probably not going to upgrade any time soon.
I enjoyed your video and joined up so thanks for sharing. ❤
My pleasure. 😊🖖🏻
Some mention of the Minolta G legacy lens would be appreciated.
I started with Minolta 25 years ago. My last A-mount camera is the A99. I didn't get the A99 II because 1) too pricy, 2) mirrorless is the future. The A99 II is Sony's last commitment to its long-time A-mount users.
This guy has THE best ASMR voice. I'd be asleep if this wasn't so interesting.
You should see Analog Insights channel
the best voice on youtube. factzzz
Now you need to compare this with the a9!
Frank Wood I know. But first I need some sleep. Up most of the night editing...
One of the best camera reviews I've seen to date. So well focused and executed. Great job Hugh!
Thank you!
Totally agree, Halt and Catch Fire is one of AMC's best ever series, and what's amazing is the show is pretty low in it's ratings. Season 2 almost didn't even happen, but it's been picked up for a fourth and final season for AMC. Pity, I think this series has a good 8 seasons worth of drama!
I like the look and audio, as well as the content of your videos, can you post a picture of your studio arrangements for this video, showing the light sources, microphones and your position for this type of take ?. Thanks , great job
I have been WAITING for you to review this camera... THANKS!!!
I'd like to see you get more time with it and REALLY put it through its paces for both stills AND video.
Excellent review. Keep up the good work and thanks for the GREAT videos!
FAMUCHOLLY Thank YOU for taking the time to watch and comment!
I feel like you bring a something that is sorely lacking in camera tech reviews: you tell a story. You give us a context. It must take a ton of work to plan out so just let me say, thank you!
Running on Empty Thank you so much! Yes, it takes a lot - but it's an amazing and wonderful way for me to learn.
Because of you.....I'm hooked on Halt and Catch Fire. I'll follow up once I catch up on the series to see if I agree or disagree on if it's the best AMC series to date.
Color Crush Media It's got tough competition - AMC has Mad Men and Breaking Bad, after all...
OK I just watched all three seasons. It's an amazing show. Hard to put it ahead of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, but it is great television.
Hugh, another classic in depth review. Thank you!
SwitchBack Events Thank YOU!
Just a simple correction, Sigma have stopped support A-mount no new releases for more than two years.
When a current Sigma lens is discontinued or replaced (by new sports, contemporary or ART lenses), then the A-mount will lose yet another Sigma lens. Eventually there will be no Sigma lenses for A-mount, Sigma have stated though they will consider starting making Sigma lenses for E-mount, but this doesn't help A-mount shooters.
molan Thanks for the correction!
Thanks for the comprehensive and insightful videos! Loving my gx85. But some stellar opportunities, and cheap, with A mount.
Planar79 Great cameras, both!
Superb report as usual Hugh!
Mitch Aunger Thanks, Mitch - really appreciate that!
Great review of the A99II! I shoot Weddings, and I have about 14 older Minolta A-mount lenses, many are "G" glass, that I have not sold. I'm weighing... I'm wondering if I should sell or keep those lenses. Their weight and size is a double edged sword. (I was NOT satisfied with the original Sony A99, and am going mirrorless via Olympus)
I don't knwhy sony did this but supposedly the a77ll is even faster ?
The F 3.5 fixed autofocus in video has plagued A Mount from the beginning. This forced me into e mount immediately. Definitely an awesome PHOTO CAMERA though.
You get lenses with A mount that DON"T FOCUS BY WIRE which is nice for manual focus video.. and then they cripple the auto focus in video. :(
Not A mount, but A mount SLT cameras.
Yes you are 100% correct. I forgot about the non video sony A mount alpha's that had a real mirror.
Fantastic. This video was made with a A99II?
2010Maia Talking head segment shot on Panasonic G85 (we always list our gear in the show notes below the video).
Are you using a speedbooster (EF adapter) on the G85 ?
ScubaManK Nope: Sigma 30/1.4 at f/2 or 2.5
Can I use the lav mic you are using with a Zoom H1 or do I also need the RODE SC3 adapter? What about directly plugged into a GH5?
Gear Candy You will need the SC3 for both.
Thank you. Can you please tell me where to see the full clip of the street performer playing Philip Glass?
Colin Huggins plays in Washington Square Park near the arch. Fantastic way to spend some time late in the afternoon on a warm spring day.
Spot on Hugh. I own the Sony A77M2 and I understand the limitations you've mentioned even though mine is an APS-C sensor. You nailed it at the end when you said: "too much, too little, too late". I will continue to use mine until it breaks down since it'll probably cost an eye to get it fixed if that can even be done and probably switch back to Canon or even try out a Nikon. Again: Great job on this video. From now on I will coin you the scholar of RUclips ;-)
Jose A De Leon
TRUE sportscam,
dual card slot, and 1500 $ cheaper than A9
Sony lowlight capability is so awesome these days,
SLT is perfections, no more light loss issue.
When are going to do a complete review on the Hasselblad X-1D?
You way overdue Sir.
Jean-Michel Argentin Maybe second half of this year? I'm way backed up!
How did you record the segment at the market around 2:08?
This Video was informative and entertaining, but it was also enlightening, putting me in a direct conversation with the reviewer in that moment. I do have A mount glass, shoot stills, and prefer this to the E mount, even if Sony will put me on a display shelf next to the last Minolta to run off the assembly line.
Hah! Glad you enjoyed it; I enjoyed your humor!
Hugh, I love your videos! Thanks.
Robert Holloway Thank you for the encouragement!
you should consider starting a podcast series on RUclips.
Prashant Rawat Thanks for the encouragement. Each one of these things takes a lot of time - don't know that I could add value if I had a daily schedule to meet, let alone how I could afford to do it!
I heard the write times are sluggish too............
I sincerely pray that the A99 MK2 wasn’t responsible for your eyebrow destruction, it must have been the A99 menus.
😜
Interesting to see your insight into the A99II. Is it me or is this camera a total enigma? It makes sense and doesn't make sense both at the same time. If Sony announced new A mount lenses to coincide with its release then it would make sense to me, but no, it seems totally uninterested. Clearly Sony see's shortcomings in its own E mount mirrorless designs that the A99II attempts to overcome. Its dependency on legacy A mount users ( many who ironically moved on to E mount ) seems bizarre to say the least. Sony need to make the message loud and clear, fully support A mount in the way they do with E mount or completely let go altogether.
dunnymonster It's very tough being a camera manufacturer these days. Imagine your income falling as rapidly as their revenue lines. It takes years to develop lenses and cameras, but in order to take on those tasks, you have to be confident the market will still be there for three to ten or twenty years from now. With the steep rate at which the market is shrinking, this is a very tough call to make.
This is the very reason I dont think we'll ever see a Sony A99 mk III, Sonys lack of A mount lens commitment is enough to tell me that : )
your channel is going to blow up man
VMKAROUND 365 Thanks!
Great Video 👍
Can you pls describe the difference of the autofocus of the A99II and the A7RII?
Lord Helmchen The a99 has a second AF sensor (you can see it in the diagram) in addition to the image capture sensor-based AF. More than that, and we'll have to talk to Sony! Hmm... maybe I'll do that!
Thank you for your detailed reply but I think you got me wrong. I ment the difference in the real world when taking a photo or shooting video 😉
Lord Helmchen Ah! At an instinctive level (since I can't test them side by side) - and given my subject matter -- for me there isn't a significant practical difference. I can see the a99II is faster, but the a6300 is plenty fast for me, including catching dancers mid-leap.
Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions Thank you very much. I like the way, you are trying to explain operations in a very intellegent and sensitive way. Respect 🖖
I think your voice is amazing, specially listening with headphones on. I would like you to tell me bedtime stories, no kidding. Wait, do you happen to read out loud the Blind men and an Elephant fable in any of your videos?
Juan Pablo Ayala (Filmmaker) :)
Yeah,his voice is so soothing,you want to have some ice cream,get in bed and curl into a ball.Great review and perspective,and as someone who used Sony,they do make some great products,yet they also miss wildly on others,and that's been their pedigree for decades.I might still get this camera because i invested before in A mount,and i think they also can use old Minolta glass.
I have to say very nice to meet you . i don't feel like i have broken nose or blacken eyes . :)
Halt and catch fire was awesome 1st season.
JoeCnNd Right? Season 2 is even better!
You can play Philip Glass on the piano? Ah, that wasn't you, so I'm less jealous. About the camera though, I think it's a test, or a holding action. With the A99II Sony is in the weird position of having its flagship camera on its legacy line. They don't want to be in that position for very long, so we should see the much rumored E-mount A9 pro body soon. But it may come out very expensive, to which the answer is, well, there's also the A99II.
Pavlos Papageorgiou Good points!
Nice work. I like this channel!
Kenneth Sporsheim I'm glad!
lol you know it's faster focusing in AF-C vs AF-A?
William Davis I can't begin to tell you how much I don't know...
Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions please retest with af-c
William Davis sorry, already returned the demo unit!
bit surprised at how bad the ibis performed on your a99ii, looks really bad where as mine has a much smoother movement. fully agree with the points bought up about video AF, annoying to say the least being stuck at f3.5 during a dimly lit function and fast movement where AF plays a big role. love the channel, subbed. all the best, matt.
Matthew Wilkes Well, Claudia is a MUCH better camera op than I am, but I was flying solo that day...
Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions 😁 i'm not the best either as i suffer from tremors. 🙂
We need a monologue of the Alphabet!!!
I love mine except...I've been struggling for about 5 months on an intermittent issue with my a99ii. Seemingly at random, though slightly more often at higher temperatures and after several hours of use, my a99ii will get "stuck" writing an image to the card. I can continue to trigger the shutter, however nothing is being written to the card after the snag. I don't notice until I take my face away from the camera and can see that the writing to card light is stuck on. It will stay on indefinitely. If I try to enter review mode, or if I turn the camera off and on, that's when the glitch comes on fully and I loose complete control of the camera. Full on freeze. Only way to get it back is to pop out the battery, at which point it tells me there was an error writing to card, and it will have to recover data. Doing this, I regain control, but nothing after the snagged image shows up on the card.
I've been working back and forth with Sony Pro support- who claims that they cannot replicate the issue, so I'm wondering if anyone else out there has run into this issue? I've played with two other rentals from them, and it's happened with each body (3 total including mine).
To answer some initial tech questions upfront: No, it's not the buffer that I'm running up against. Yes, I'm using a SanDisk 300mb/s SDXC Class 10 card, and yes, the issue also happened with a similar quality Lexar card. Getting desperate for help as this is a huge inconvenience and has seriously damaged my performance on several professional jobs.
I shoot primarily in bracketed exposure, three single shots, at 3.0 EV differentials. However the issue has come up in the single shot drive mode while being used heavily at a wedding reception. Anyone out there run into anything remotely similar?
Evan Melgren Have you spoken with Sony directly?
Yes, for about 7 or 8 months now I've been going back and forth with someone from Pro support who refuses to acknowledge the problem, or tries to blame the card. Even though the same issue happened with the Sony brand card they sent me (SDXC 70 mb/s), my SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC 300 mb/s, and my Lexar SDHC 300 mb/s. I've sent video clips of each instance to them for their analysis.
I like your videos, but why are you always talking about gear?
Tech Proof I LOVE this question! Stay tuned. 2017 is a pivotal year. What would you like to see from me?
Work! Productions, the gear being put to good use!
Tech Proof In the works!
Joe Bordo Thank you for that. I can't manage daily - takes too much time, and I don't think I'd have enough to say!
Sony has to redo the sensor stabilization, it is not good. The footage with the horse is too shaky.
That would be great. But this is a full frame sensor, and not easy to stabilize like m4/3 or APS-C
A6500 is the same.
1:10 "depending on from which" ? ;-)
Hank Roest Yeah, that was convoluted. Sorry!
Jus' ribbin' ya, Hugh. ;-)
Hank Roest you're still right! :)
I know this is out of topic but, you're just amazing .. you should be in a big tv screen lol really.. think about big projects you have everything it takes.
Aladdin Khentout Thank you so much! Working to get a number of projects launched this year. Big screen? Don't know about that!
I missed a history lesson. Why does Sony even offer two mounts? Why not make it all either A or E?
When Minolta went under, Sony took over A- mount and continued supporting all Minolta Maxxum lenses. To this day all Sony A-mount cameras support old, screw driven lenses (even Nikon doesn't do that with their D3XXX and D5XXX cameras) Around 5-6 years ago they started making mirrorless cameras with E-mount, for smaller size. I don't think anybody expected them to take of as they did. Sony as a new player in camera market is in tough position. If they stop supporting A-mount, everybody would say "there goes Sony again, dumping another line of product" And who would invest in E-mount after that.
I really appreciate you posting that. I couldn't ever seem to get a concise explanation 👍
You are welcome.
Dustin Dilworth A mount is for mirror & translucent mirror cameras. E mount is for mirrorless. So E-mount much more compact and give some lens manufacturer ability to go closer to sensor.
i like you videos very much. very carefull thinking..
he's selling it
I don't always agree with your videos...and then there are times like this where you just get it right,,from all the perspectives, I have been tossing the idea of buying an a99II around for over a year and can't make that leap...,I am setting here looking at a pile of Sony A-mount glass--some I have had since the Minolta film days,,very good lenses,,,possibly heading for oblivion. I was hoping beyond hope that Sony would give the A99 a MKIII treatment,, but I'm pretty sure the A mount has seen the end of days. I am reminded of something Greg Geraldo said when he showed up at one of those celebrity roasts and poor old George Hamilton and is deep tan was on the dais..."George Hamilton, you're like Tang,,,you're dry , you're orange and nobody has given a F..K about you since 1968",,,,,well, the time line is off, but it seems nobody has given the A mount any F..ks either in awhile..and may never again.....
Clint Johnson So appreciate your contribution to the convo! 🙏🏻
50% of sony's R&D camera budget go into autofocus technology...
Nah, just kidding. It's more like 99%.
Great video. You are amazing communicator. Presented pros and cons in a fun and intuitive way and give viewers a lot of useful info. I have the first a99 which I love and will now become my backup camera when I purchase the new a99ii. I have played with one and love it. Robert Bottenstein Photography ( Instagram)
Robert Bottenstein Thanks! I'm sure you'll enjoy the 'II!
.I AM PISSED OFF BECAUSE SONY has abandoned the A Mount Lens, and the new Sony a99ll is an A Mount camera, it just happens to be the best camera in it's class.....The only lens maker who is still making A mount Lenses for Sony cameras is CARL ZEISS, THANKS TO THEM....IF SONY CONTINUES TO BETRAY THE A MOUNT USERS I WILL GO WITH CANON, NIKON IS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE....CANON WILL NOT JUST ROLL OVER AND LET SONY BECOME #1......THE RIPPLES AGAINST SONY FOR THIS BEHAVIOR IS JUST STARTING TO SHOW........
to close... sorry.
Sorry man, but this video is so boring. Regret that I pushed the play button.