Sony a7R IV vs a9 Birds in Flight Autofocus Comparison
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- Опубликовано: 14 ноя 2019
- In this video I compare the autofocus and tracking capabilities between the Sony a7RIV and Sony A9 for shooting birds in flight.
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You can find a full comparison between these two cameras as well as the sample images included in this video on my website here: www.alphashooters.com/compare...
Camera settings used in this video: Focus Mode: AF-C, Focus Area: Tracking Center, Tracking Sensitivity: 1 (locked-on). The a7R IV is on release firmware v1.00 and the a9 is on firmware v6.00.
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👉My a7R IV Lenses Guide: www.alphashooters.com/cameras...
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Sony a7R IV
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Sony a9
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Sony FE 200-600 G
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👉Amazon (UK) - amzn.to/33MypIG
Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
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This RUclips video was recorded on the Sony a7III with the Sony FE 24 F1.4 GM lens and the Rode Wireless Go microphone.
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Awesome video! I appreciate your hard work to bring this to RUclips!
Thank you!
I’ve been looking for a video on this exact comparison...excellent video!
Cheers Alexander!
Once again GREAT WORK ! Your advice on the Oly EE-1 dot sight was a big help to me. Thanks for your valued efforts in sharing knowledge !
Thank you. Sounds like you are enjoying the dot sight! :)
Great, informative review. Thank you for all the details and the rest of your information. Very, very well done. Bravo! Not that know where to go from here, but I will keep watching. I will stay tunned to your further information.
Thank you Joel! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Excellent video!!! Thank you and such wonderful shots!!
Thank you very much Chaim!
Not sure if I'm more impressed with the cameras' tracking or yours! Great technique!
Thanks. I’m using the Olympus Dot Sight that helps with my tracking especially as I can’t use the EVF or LCD when recording the screen using the HDMI out unfortunately, just my Atomos display which is really difficult to track with at 600mm.
I was going to say the same ! Great skills !
Great video, thanks.
Looks an amazing location for red kites, where were you please?
You can find a comparison between these two cameras as well as the sample images included in this video on my website here: www.alphashooters.com/compare/sony-a7riv-vs-a9/
Camera settings used in this video: Focus Mode: AF-C, Focus Area: Tracking Center, Tracking Sensitivity: 1 (locked-on). The a7R IV is on release firmware v1.00 and the a9 is on firmware v6.00.
👉Discover our new community forum: www.alphashooters.com/community/
My a7R IV Guides:
👉Accessory Guide: www.alphashooters.com/cameras/a7riv/accessories/
👉Lenses Guide: www.alphashooters.com/cameras/a7riv/lenses/
👉Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/sonya7rivshooters/
Gear used in this video:
Sony a7R IV
👉Amazon (US) - amzn.to/2KnIW55
👉Adorama (US) - adorama.rfvk.net/ogrvO
Sony a9
👉Amazon (US) - amzn.to/34Y2CEk
👉Adorama (US) - adorama.rfvk.net/ogrvO
Sony FE 200-600 G
👉Amazon (US) - amzn.to/31zRegi
👉Adorama (US) - adorama.rfvk.net/4BzjG
👉Amazon (UK) - amzn.to/33MypIG
The above links are affiliate links. If you decide to buy something after clicking a link I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
My Sony Alpha Facebook Groups
===========================
Sony Alpha Wildlife Shooters: facebook.com/groups/alphawildlifeshooters/
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Sony Alpha Portrait Shooters: facebook.com/groups/alphaportraitshooters/
Sony Alpha Sports Shooters: facebook.com/groups/alphasportsshooters/
Sony Alpha Wedding Shooters: facebook.com/groups/alphaweddingshooters/
Sony Alpha Urban / Street Shooters: facebook.com/groups/alphaurbanshooters/
Sony Alpha Macro Shooters: facebook.com/groups/alphamacroshooters/
Sony Alpha Video Shooters: facebook.com/groups/alphavideoshooters/
Sony Alpha Shooters Group (Everything Alpha): facebook.com/groups/alphashootersgroup/
Sony A7III Shooters: facebook.com/groups/sonya7iiishooters/
Sony A7R IV Shooters: facebook.com/groups/sonya7ivshooters/
Sony A6400 Shooters: facebook.com/groups/sonya6400shooters/
My Amazon Store for Alpha Shooters
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www.amazon.com/shop/alphashooters
Connect With Me!
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This RUclips video was recorded on the Sony a7III with the Sony FE 24 F1.4 GM lens and the Rode Wireless Go microphone.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Great comparison video Tim!
Cheers Kenny!
Excellent video, thanks for doing the work!!! I tried an a7r4 at the zoo last weekend and when I got home the images really blew me away. I will be upgrading my a7r3 to the a7r4 as soon as I’m able to.
Thanks Andre. It’s definitely a nice upgrade and I appreciate some of the smaller things like larger buttons more than I though I would. My a7R III won’t be getting too much more use now!
It's nice to see a video done in the real world by a competent bird photographer. I'm a little surprised you were using auto ISO under those conditions, with sky and foliage backgrounds rapidly following each other. I just subscribed and am looking forward to watching more of your videos. Cheers Rory.
Thank you very much Rory. I often use auto ISO unless the light is very stable. It was up and down a little this day. I find it to be pretty accurate. Thanks for subscribing! All the best, Tim
Great video! That was extremely helpful, thanks!
Thank you Bryan! Glad that it helped.
Real Time Tracking is out of this world. Great video I love it👌😍😘
Many thanks Jerome! The real-time tracking is pretty impressive.
This video was very helpful! Thanks :)
Great video Tim, great shots and I am amazed by the number of keepers you got. Glad i found the video, I was the guy chatting to you just before the kites got busy ;) I did not get anywhere near the quality of the shots you got using my A7riii and the 200-600. Need to seriously brush up on my skills, biggest problem was tracking them ;) If the Olympus dot sight had anything to do with it, i have ordered that one since. Keep up the great videos... i'll keep watching
Hi Bart, good to hear from you! I hope the rest of your stay was an enjoyable one and you managed to get a few shots that you were happy with. Yes, you left just before the action started! The rain wasn't too heavy luckily and the light was coming and going, not ideal but it could have been worse. The R4 does have improved tracking over the R3 but using the Olympus Dot Sight also makes finding and tracking at 600mm a lot easier! I'm sure you'll soon be nailing BIF shots that you are very happy with. Thanks for subscribing! :) Take care, Tim
I’m coming back to that video again and again. I would love to see a similar video that compares a7r iv against v.
Thank you again!
Thanks, great review with practical examples
Cheers Chris!
Just the comparison I was waiting for. Nice choice. I think I also like the new body of the A7r4. Just a bit more noise as the ISO increases considering our UK weather Lovely shots!
Thanks Necip. The new body is nice as well. I think I appreciate the larger AF-on button the most for BBF. I wanted to get some shots and video in better light but got tired of waiting! Really need that 400 2.8! 🙂
Great video! Thanks
WoW, WoW ! Great video ! Great photos! Great spot! Great testimony! Full 100%. Tracking AF with these last generations of Sony's cameras seems so seductive ! I run as fast as possible to your website. Thanks ;)
Thank you JC! The real-time tracking does work very well. As Sony have said, it will be all about AI going forward.
Beautiful video :)
Thank you very much. You have answered my question of choice: speed or resolution.
I love this video, the photos are pure awesomeness!
Glad you like them!
Great comparison!
Thank you!
Wow, fantastic video. Thank you!!!!
What a fantastic review.
Thank you kindly!
Great video thanks for sharing
Thank you!
This video is great. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is a great video, very helpful. I have two A9's and have been mulling over the A7R IV or the A9 II. I love the idea of really being able to crop tight with the A7RIV, but was leery on the autofocus performance, but this test proves it's worthiness. I often shoot in bursts at ISO's of 6400+ during night time sports games, but for brighter, day time events I'd imagine the A7RIV will allow for some extremely tight, sharp crops with a G-Master lens at lower ISO's. This video has settled it, A7RIV it is! I'm not expecting 20 out of 20 like the A9 delivers constantly, but even if I can get 50% I'd be good to go
Glad that you found the video helpful for your decision making Jimmy! I don't think you'll be too disappointed with the a7R IV!
Hi Tim thanks for the video .. did you change af-priority to release or balanced emphases ? - How far you were from these bird? approximately .. I’m still trying to learn and find the best way to shoot with my A7r iv and 100-400 GM
Good Job, Like that birdding so much.
Many thanks!
Great video, very useful. Have you ever done a comparison between A7 iii and A7 r4? In terms of autofocus speed and EVF blackout times in bursts?
Not yet I'm afraid.
Great comparison video Tim - thank you! I have the A9 and I'm extremely tempted by the A7R4. This video may have just made me hit 'buy'! Do you also have a video about using the Olympus dot sight?
Many thanks Bruce. These two cameras definitely compliment each other very well. I don't have a video on the Olympus Dot Sight but this one is pretty good: ruclips.net/video/gnTAbBSUHZk/видео.html - The only thing I'd mention is that it can twist a little in the hot shoe, but only if you knock it and you could tape it up if you wanted to, I'm still very happy with it. There is a Nikon version available too which I know people like but I haven't tried it myself.
Hi Joe I have Sony A7111 can you tell me how to setup please as in focus area , what to turn off to make focus better etc thanks great videos
Hi Joe, I'd recommend watching this video from Mark Galer, he covers everything that you need to know regarding setting up the focus areas. ruclips.net/video/a-X-9w0iKJ4/видео.html
Awesome demonstration
Thank you!
Thanks for the video. One question: the AF Off feature with the face where is that, couldn't find it. Thanks again!
Thank you. It’s under Camera Settings 1 > AF2 > Face/Eye AF Set > Face/Eye Prty in AF (on/off).
Astounding work. Thanks. Question: I noticed the exposure compensation was changed several times on both cameras. What conditions changed to cause you to make those changes?
Thanks Louis. I’m always fiddling with the exposure compensation if the light is changing and I’m on auto iso especially with the Kites as it’s far too easy to blow their white heads out and I like to try and get it right in camera rather than correcting in post if I can.
@@AlphaShooters Thanks for your insight...good tip for wildlife in general.
Thanks very much. Good comparison. Wondering if you ever did comparison of auto focus of a7riii to the new iv. I cut have the riii and am wondering if worth upgrading. I understand the auto focus to be much improved but really don't think I need 61 mega pixels. Thanks again...s
I've done a written comparison between the a7R III and IV (www.alphashooters.com/compare/sony-a7riii-vs-a7riv/) but I haven't done an autofocus comparison like in this video just yet, but it is on my to-do list. The a7R IV is certainly faster and the tracking modes are useful as well, but I don't think it's a night and day difference. Unless you have money to burn I'd wait for the prices to drop which knowing Sony won't take too long.
what lock on number 1-5?
Great images! I just returned from a week in Costa Rica shooting birds and wildlife with the a9, the a7iv, and the 100-400gm, sometimes using the 1.4 teleconverter on the a9 or punching in to APS-C mode on the a7iv. While I did not do a quantitative breakdown of the shots with each configuration, the results were pretty terrific a cross the board. Quick focus acquisition and phenomenal tracking.
Thank you Dave. Sounds like an awesome trip! I really hope to get to Costa Rica myself one day. The a9 and a7R IV definitely compliment each other nicely.
How was the 100-400gm on the a7iv in low light on smaller birds
@@markwalker8374
I did not try to do any sort of quantitative tests, but my subjective observations are that the a9 performed better in low light, but not by a huge margin-a stop, maybe 2 at most. With smaller targets, I just punched the a7iv into APS-C mode, giving me 600mm reach and a 26 MP file-actually bigger than the a9 files. For most of my shots, things looked good on both cameras at 1600 iso, usable at 3200, though better on the a9. How much noise is acceptable is a subjective thing, so your mileage may vary, and the results did vary from image to image-sometimes 3200 looked very clean, sometimes noisy. BTW, the best plug-in I have found for reducing noise is Topaz DeNoise AI. It works miracles at reducing noise and maintaining color and sharpness. It's the coolest thing I've seen since Adobe introduced content-aware fill. It cleaned up some 6400 iso files and some 12,800 iso files to an amazing degree. And the a7Riv really killed it with the 90 mm f/2.8 Macro on the small frogs, bugs, etc. Fantastic detail.
@@markwalker8374 my question as well. I currently use the 100400 in APSC mode for BIF in A7RIV and it's been excellent. That said, I'm curious how the 200600G competes wide open
@@DavePruett yes ...I use PRIME noise reduction in Photolabs and it's incredible. I also like Topaz Denoise AI...but find Prime a little more consistent. Take care
Love you video keep going cheer up
Thank you!
Confirmed the A9 for me but may have to get A7R4 great flight shots thanks for the video
They definitely compliment each other very well! Glad you liked the video.
Nice work.
Thanks Ted!
Interesting comparison, but more interesting is the red kite spot!!! Can I ask you where is it?
Great video, could I ask what lens foot you have on the 200-600mm
Cheers Martin. I'm using the Kirk LP-68 lens foot on my 200-600. It's night and day compared to the original Sony foot. Much more comfortable to carry the lens from and you get the arca-swiss dovetail grooves as well.
Very helpful video. Best yet BIF session video to convey what an experience a BIF shooter will get with those cameras.
I was surprised to see IBIS on at 1/2000, I thought one might be better off turning IBIS off above 1/1000. Also very pleased to be able to so clearly compare the experience of shooting a non-blackout A9 vs the blacking out A7R4.
Your video made me reconsider going for a future 48mpx A9R instead of waiting for A7M4 (. currently on A7M3)
Glad that the video helped Afonso. I've not really seen a difference between leaving the OSS on or turning it off when shooting above 1/1000, so I'll normally just leave it on. It also helps with stabilizing the viewfinder.
Nice job Thank you.
Thank you Hervé!
Very impressive work. Would love to see the A9II in action =D
Thank you. Hope to try out the a9II soon but I'm not expecting to see much of a difference is AF and tracking between the a9 and a9II. Well hopefully I won't as I can't afford to upgrade my a9!
Tim youre awesome thank you very much
Thank you!
Great video and photos! What are your settings for focus?
Thank you! If I remember correctly I was using tracking center for these shots.
Hi Tim, Excellent video. Can you tell me your settings? How is it that AF is OFF as shown on the screen? How did you capture a video of this? I have both bodies and I have also found that the A9 is better for BIF's than the R4. Keep up the great videos. Thank you, Rich
Many thanks Rich. I have the Eye AF turned off that might be what you are seeing? I generally turn off everything that I don’t need for what I’m shooting although whether it actually makes a difference I couldn’t say! I use the HDMI Out and the Atomos Ninja V to capture the screen when I’m shooting. It adds a bit more weight!
Question: Enjoy your review. I only have A9, and no issue with focusing to shoot photos. I use zone focus area. What is your favorite focus area for video when shooting video?
Thank you! I don't shoot a great deal of video. The capture here was all in stills mode using my Atomos Ninja V. I'd recommend taking a look at Jason Vong's video as he covers the different focus area for video very well: ruclips.net/video/3UxZJpR7zQA/видео.html
Very nice comparison 👍🏻👍🏻 how is the iso noise between the two on fast actions subjects?
Definitely a little bit more noise with the a7R IV especially when cropping in. I will do an ISO comparison soon.
Thank you 🙏🏻 I’m looking forward to it
Wonderful video, where did you photograph the red kites? I've now purchased both cameras but the A9 will be my camera of choice for birds in flight ...... amazing camera
Thanks Pete. These were shot at the Bwlch Nant yr Arian Visitor Centre in Mid Wales. They feed them everyday at 2pm in the winter and 3pm in the summer. Couple of hours drive for me but well worth it!
What do you think about the 60 mp files? How hard are they on the computer? And what do you think about the image quality of the a9 photos compared to the R4?
Hello Tim, very informative video. I have watched this at least 10 times over just for the EVF footage so really helpful indeed. Thanks for that. I'm still however debating between the A7R4 and A9. I'm not a professional photographer and do not have an unlimited amount vitamin 'M' :-) so buy both is not feasible at least at this point. I don't necessarily do large prints. Mostly shoot for fun and post it on my online work library, so don't know if the big MP count helps my cause. I know as you mention in the video it helps with cropping but my question would be does the cropping power on the A7R4 outweigh the difference in the number of keepers you get using the A9? I also own a D750 so thinking may be I could use that as more of a landscape camera (instead of the A7R4) and buy the A9 for fast action BIF or sports stuff. What do you think you would have done in my situation?
PS: I think you should ask Olympus to have an affiliate link on your video, I just bought a EE-1 after I saw it mentioned on your video :-)
Hi Tarun, if your primary focus is shooting BIF and sports then I'd definitely recommend the a9 or a9II over the a7R IV. You will lock on faster and as a result miss less shots, you'll also get more keepers and also won't need to deal with the very large file sizes that the R4 creates. If you shot a range of different wildlife and no sports then I'd recommend the R4.. The dot sight is definitely very helpful! :)
Was the firmware update for the A7RIV out at the time you did this review? Wondering if the 1.1 version helps at all. Beautiful shots and gorgeous work!
This was shot before the firmware update Jen. I've not noticed any autofocus changes with the new firmware, although that's not to say they haven't tweaked anything here. Thanks for your positive comment! :)
Just pulled the trigger on a used a9, this video makes me feel like I did ok ;) I shoot a lot for fun including sports and nature, and some pro work, mostly weddings, so the ultra resolution and better card slots, gets trumped by faster burst, quicker focus, and easier to buffer/manage file size.
Congrats on the a9 Nick. Sounds like you made the right choice. Managing those larger files isn't much fun!
This was a great help. I have the a7rIV because of the 61mp but I was insecure about not having the new a9. I feel like I have to have all the new gear, it’s really heartbreaking. I cannot even buy the 200-600 as it is not in stock. Were you hand holding for the entire length of each film?
Glad it helped Cheryl. Hopefully the 200-600 comes into stock for you soon, might be worth trying the smaller retailers as well. Yes this was all handheld. It’s definitely a good workout for the shoulders!
My thought too thanks confirm
Thx4sharing your screen. I use a7r4 and 200600 as well and I must say... that it really struggles when the background is as disturbed as in your video (tried wide field and tracking flexible spot). But just just proved that it can work pretty good, any ideas which setting I might have missed?
I was using tracking centre focus mode in the video. If you are using wide it will struggle to lock-on if the background is messy although tracking flexible spot should work reasonably well. I also change af tracking sensitivity to 1 (locked-on) but this just makes more of a difference if another bird flies in front of the one that you are tracking, it doesn't help much with distracting backgrounds. I also turn off eye af and any other features like red-eye, af illuminator, face detection etc that I don't need, although whether this helps or not I don't know!
@@AlphaShooters Thank you for your reply! I will keep testing till I get better results, left a sub;)
Génial tests
I have the a7r IV and whilst I appreciate the a9 is better for action, I love the ability to use crop mode and still retain 26mp and it also means use get more focus points to use. If you can afford both thats the best option for wildlife/action and for Landscapes. Very nice review - thanks
Thanks Ian. Yes the crop mode of the a7R IV is pretty handy! Although I tend not to use it a great deal and just crop in post.
Whaaat! Ok. This is incredible. I knew the autofocus tracking of mirrorless cameras these days are very good but wow, this blew my mind. There is some times where the camera literally waits for the bird to come beck into the frame and then waits for it on the side of the frame. And sometimes I couldn't even see the bird but the camera kept tracking it. Wow. Mirrorless is awesome.
Glad you liked the video Johan! The real-time tracking of Sony's latest cameras certainly works pretty well! Will be interesting to see how this develops over the coming years especially with more competition from Nikon and Canon.
Johan Smit , not ML autofocus, Sony a9 and a7 III and a7 R IV ones. I have Nikon Z6 and Z7 and they do not 10% of this 🙈
Johan Smit , PS: Nikon nailed it with the Z mount and Z lenses, best glas ever in my 45 yrs of shooting. But they (Nikon) obsoleted and cannibalised their own glas buy having worst ML AF ever - it’s ok in bright light but at low light a total failure in comparison to D5/D500. Nikon should license that Sony AF algorithms, their software department is not able to make it (on their MLs, the DSLR ones in same price class is excellent). Me after this video: a totally disappointed Z shooter if it comes to need of fast and reliable tracking AF.
hi Tim, you say that you were using Focus Area: Tracking Center, the video seems to show that Tracking: Wide is being used,please would you confirm which is being used,thanks
Captain, just awesome video.. Hows this combination for Aviation photography.. Heard bad reviews abt this particular combination.. Sony A7R4 and Sony 200-600
I'm really stuck between the two...
That depends if your a7R IV plays nicely with the 200-600. There are definitely plenty of people having AF issues with this combination, but then there are many more that don't. It's a pity really that Sony can't seem to resolve this issue.
Great video and very helpful. What do you think of the A7riii?
Sorry for the slow reply Ron. The a7R III is still a great camera, I still have mine. AF performance is actually very similar to the a7R IV and there isn't quite so much noise. Tim
@@AlphaShooters Thanks
Great video, I'm still on the fence as to what to buy, would love to see how the A7RIV performs in crop mode with BIF at the 26 MP
Thanks. I will do a comparison between the a7R IV in crop mode and the a6400 at some point soon.
@@AlphaShooters Tim, that will be brilliant, given that Sony didn't release the widely anticipated A7000 I'm sure this vid will be really popular, thanks again for the Ar4 vs the A9, loved it
I shot with the RIV and 600mm f/4 in crop mode a LOT when I was at Conowingo Dam (Bald Eagles). It performed very well, but remember that your field of view will be narrower and tracking (yours, not the camera's) will be more challenging. It was especially nice having the increased buffer. Example shots here .... flic.kr/s/aHsmJP3pdt
@@AlphaShooters it would be great if you share any comparisons between the crop A6600/A6400 and the A74 in crop mode.
Amazing footage！ I bought the A7RIV!
Great video and structured well. This video was the deciding factor for me in purchasing the a7RIV. I realize the video has been up for a while, however I have technical question. When setting the Focus Area to one of the tracking options, attempting to replicate your video, I get a warning message that my subject detection is set to animal. Setting it to human resolves the conflict... but doesn't track animals. What is the obvious setting that am I missing? Matt
Sorry for the slow reply Matt. Glad that you liked the video and it helped with your purchasing decision. Unfortunately the tracking modes don't work when Eye AF is set to Animal with the a7R IV, this is only working with the newer cameras with the faster processors like the a7IV and a1. I don't think we will see this added with a firmware update to the a7R IV unfortunately. In my video I have eye AF disabled if I remember correctly.
@@AlphaShooters thanks for getting back to me. I eventually figured that out. I suspect you will be correct regarding the firmware update. Oh well.
Excellent job ..
But, I see that the R7iv has a viewfinder blackout .. isn't it?
Has it been fixed in some firmware lately?
I think it is a big problem especially when using burst mode.
No, you still get some blackout with the a7R IV I'm afraid, only the a9 is blackout free. Personally I've got used to it and it's not an issue. I'll also use a dot sight quite often for birds in flight and then it's also no longer an issue.
Awesome video. Thank you for taking the time to do this. Although a photographer for 40+ years, I'm new to Sony. I guess one can teach a old dog new tricks. I picked up the R4 and 200-600. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were using Wide area AF for all the shots? Is that the best area to shoot with?
Thank you Yervant. I'm using AF-C with Tracking Centre (so it locks on faster when the bird in in the centre of the frame but will still track across the frame). I have tracking sensitivity for still images set to 1 (locked-on), this just stops the tracking jumping to another bird if it flies in front of the one that you are tracking. I'm using this setup most of the time for birds in flight but it's something that you'll most likely want to experiment with yourself.
@@AlphaShooters Thanks for your quick reply. Much appreciated.
I would expect with tracking sensitivity set to 4 or 5 you'd get a dual distribution - more shots completely out of focus under your test conditions with those caught in the net, sharper.
I use 4 on my A9.
@@ernreeders1487 With it set to 4 or 5 you should still get the same number of shots in focus as if it was set to 1. The only real difference this makes is how well the focus sticks to your subject when something else comes between your subject and your camera. With it set to 1 if another birds flies in front of the one you are tracking it should stick to the bird that you are tracking, change this to 5 and it will now jump to the closer bird without you needing to refocus. A setting of 4 or 5 is generally more useful for sports photography when a player runs in front of the player that you are tracking and you now want the focus to jump to the player closest to you without refocusing.
How to record the screen of camera? THANKS!
I'm using the Atomos Ninja V.
Thanks for this video. I have been shooting an A9 since it was released, but I am printing at larger size (50"x30") and am wanting more resolution. How has the A7R IV held up for you so far? Have you had any issues with buffer depth shooting compressed RAW? I shoot mostly action shots of my kids and wildlife.
I rarely hit the buffer but it does take the buffer some time to clear even when using the fastest UHS-II cards which can prevent you accessing certain menu items but not shooting.
thank you very much!!! Same as you I shoot not only birds but macro insects, landscapes and also people, so, I guess the 7rIV would be a better choice, right? Just by chance did you compare bif with the canon eos R5 and any of its new zoom tele lenses??? thanks a lot and regards from Uruguay.
Sorry for the slow reply Daniela. Did you make a decision? I have an R5 but I haven't shot any BIF with it yet. See this video from Mark Smith: ruclips.net/video/wG6L8fMxhKU/видео.html
@@AlphaShooters Don't worry my friend! I thank you for the answer. For the time being, and as bringing things down here, is way too expensive, even if you don't have economic issues, I bought a Fuji xt 4, ( I own the xt2) Actually, I love the way it is photographing BIF with my 100-400 lens. On the other hand for longer reach I still have my Canon 5Ds r with the Tamron 150-600. When the chance to travel again is opened, I will see if Canon R5 is really convincing me.... Best Thanks Giving for you ! (we don't cellebrate that day down here! )
Congratulations. If you only have one option for wildlife photography, especially birds, what is your choice? A9/A9 2, or A7r4 ? And when you shoot in raw modo, do you use compressed or uncompressed? Thanks
If I was mainly interested in shooting birds in flight then I’d probably go for the a9 or a9II. I normally shoot jpeg + compressed raw, I dont edit my images enough to warrant shooting uncompressed.
What tool do you use to record the camera screen? Can you introduce me!?
I use an Atomos Ninja V.
Very impressive! Thank you! Clicking subscribe next! Would you repeat this test on the iv in apsc mode with the 70-350. I can’t afford the FF glass. A very effect video indeed. I ordered the iv, grip, and 70-350 with your link!
Thank you very much Joe! I haven’t tried my 70-350 on the R4 in crop mode yet but will give it ago if it ever stops raining here. I find the 70-350 a little soft at f/6.3 but stopping down to f/7.1 sharpens things up nicely. Hopefully Tamron or Sigma will come out with a native telephoto lens next year for under $1000.
Alpha Shooters Tim, “lf it ever stops raining here” where is “here”? I’m guessing UK, or New Zealand, or Australia. Thanks! And thanks for 7.1 tip. Arrives Friday!
@@T-Slider I'm in the UK and it's living up to its reputation at the moment.
How fast was the elephant on the tractor in 4602 ? ☺
I found this by a link posted on DPReview Sony Cybershot forum. Thank you for a great video. I have an A7Riii, and was hanging on for a new A9ii with 36MP. When the new one still only had 24MP I bought the A9 instead. So this was very timely. I was trying it with the 200-600mm G lens plus 1.4TC, and did find it very easy to lose the bird, so really picked up on your use of a dot sight. However, even after watching the video you suggested, I am still a little puzzled about how to do it -- presumably you have back button focus set up, so you can just keep your thumb on that, and press the shutter when you see the spot on the bird -- and hope the focus is working as it should? Or do you somehow keep an eye on the screen as well?
Sorry if this is hijacking your comparison, but as the comments show, it's a great opportunity to learn a new skill from someone who clearly has it.
Reply to my own comment... I got the sight, and tried it out. Left the AF-on button unchanged. Routine is to point the camera at the bird using the sight, press AF-On continuously, and shoot whenever it seems appropriate (using audio feedback to gauge the length of the shot). Works brilliantly. Now need to try it with the teleconverters, but that's for another day.
Hi Rachael. Sounds you have sorted this out for yourself :) Glad to hear that the dot sight is working well. I normally like to use the focus mode tracking centre as this way it should lock on to anything in the centre of the frame which is where your dot sight will be pointing, then it will still follow the bird around the frame. You can use back button focus or the shutter focus it just comes down to which method you prefer. I prefer bbf. Enjoy!
Wow, I'm impressed. I've been surfing for a7Riv info and lucked into this.
I'm selling my Nikon gear (D850, 200-500, trinity lenses, etc - already sold the z6) and going for a A7Riv with a 24-105 for a start, then the 200-600 to follow.
A couple questions for you about the Sonys as I'm not familiar with the AF yet. When the little green squares consolidate into the bigger green box, does that indicate 'in focus'.
And for this video, the A7Riv is full frame. For the birding - would there be any advantage in focus tracking by using the apsc crop mode, other than the 1.5 crop factor.
Thanks Hamish
(A7rIV shooter) The advantage the APS-C mode has, if you're going to be cropping later *anyway* , use it and gain 3x the buffer depth and buffer clearing speed. (and a modest +1 to +1.5 frames per second). All of these are useful, however there is a huge downside. Once you have images in the buffer, you have to *stay* in APS-C mode until that buffer is cleared. You cannot flip out of the mode if the action gets closer if you have images in the buffer still clearing - so you have to be reasonably certain in advance that the action is not going to get much closer before you commit to using it, otherwise it can get super frustrating as the subject gets close enough to not use APS-C mode but you can't turn it off yet.
Glad you found the video Hamish! The little green squares indicate that the subject is in focus and the larger box indicates that tracking has locked on to the subject. You'll only see the larger box if you are using one of the tracking modes like I was using in this video. If you use the crop mode then the af points cover pretty much the entire frame, with full-frame mode there is a small area on both left/right edges not covered so you might lose tracking on your subject if they get to close to the frame edges. Personally I just prefer to crop in post.
Thanks Tinfoilnation and Alpha Shooters for your repys. Last week, I received the A7RIV, 24-105 and 200-600. This channel's videos are of great assistance already.
Now all I need are some birds. In Eastern Ontario, we're into winter mode, so I'm hoping to find a snowy owl this season. Meanwhile, the squirrels are still around - I can practice on them.
Cheers
Hamish
I love nature and these are amazing
sorry if I missed it, but what setting do you have the AF sensitivity level at (for BIF)? It's default at 3, but some people are telling me to go to 5, and some others are telling me the opposite and go to 1
I'm using AF Tracking Sensitivity 1 (locked-on). This basically means if another bird flew in front of the one that I was tracking the tracking should not jump to the closer bird. If you change this to 5 then the tracking is more likely to jump to the closer bird. 5 is more useful if you are shooting a football match and a player runs in front of the one that you are tracking, in this instance you normally want the tracking to jump to the closer player without re-focusing.
I have both a9 and a7R iv plus Sony 100-400mm GM and Sony 200-600mm.
Which camera and lens will fit best, in your opinion?
I love Them all...📸🥰
I need to shoot some comparison shots between the 100-400 and 200-600 using the a7R IV and a9 before I can answer that one. It’s on my todo list! It’s definitely a luxury to own them all but there is definitely a place for them in my gear bag too.
This is a great video, I have the a9 but really doubting to switch to a7riv for the cropping. Did you maybe try the a9 with 200-600mm using a 1.4 converter? It appears to be very good with that too.
Btw: where is this beautiful place to photograph the Red Kites?
Glad you liked it Lesley. The a9 with 200-600 + 1.4x works well but you’ll want lots of light as this pushes you down to f/9. The kites are at a place called Nant yr Arian in Mid Wales. It’s a feeding station and they are fed at 2pm in winter and 3pm in summer.
@@AlphaShooters thanks for your answer. F/9 isn't too bad I think, especially because you can get rather high iso with the a9. Was also thinking of getting a a6400 or so on the side but I heard that wasn't to good for action.
The a7riv looks rather good for action and has enough mp for cropping, what do you think is the better choice. Sometimes I just miss some focal length.
For you whats the best camera in one body between the two for wildlife and landscapes? Nice song at 4.30 may I know the song title? Cheers.
For a mix of wildlife and landscape then I'd be looking at the a7R IV. This is the song: www.epidemicsound.com/track/ZByULI6fuN
Any suggested AF settings for shooting birds in flight specifically?
Sorry for the slow reply Joel. The settings vary so much depending on what you are shooting and the situation/environment at the time. I'd actually recommend this video from Mark Smith for setting up the a7R IV: ruclips.net/video/gJx0lru_evY/видео.html
how about camera setting for A9?
I used the same settings for each camera. AF-C and tracking center. Tracking sensitivity was set to 1.
The Nikon D5 and D500 have similar AF accuracies. But both only 20.9 megapixel. I gave the Z6 and Z7 a try. Watching this, you made me jealous. Nikon should urgently license that Sony algorithms for their Zs and deliver a firmware upgrade asap. Thanks for the valuable summary at the end 🖖
Thanks! I’d like to try the z6 at some point, the ergonomics and menus certainly look much better than the Sony’s. I expect the af will only get better.
I currently own the Canon 7dii and the 100-400ii lens. I find the focusing goes in and out more often then I'd like. I plan on switching to the Sony a7iii and the 200-600. I'm hoping the tracking and keeper rate will be better. Can't afford the A9. What are your thoughts on this. Cheers. Dave
I’ve never shot with the Canon 7dii so can’t cant comment how it compares with the a7III I’m afraid. If you check my previous videos I have one shooting the Red Kites with the a7III plus 200-600 so that might help you to decide. I’ve been happy with the results.
My combo for Wildlife is the Sony A9 and Sony A7r4 with a Sony 600mm 4.0 GM. I came from Canon and this Sony combo is better than whatever I used before from Canon. Especially the Sony A7r4 is a game changer for me, I programmed the function ring of the lens for switching between Full Frame and Crop Mode - absolutely stunning. Well done, Sony.
Yes the cropmode is stunning you cannot use it when the camera is writing to the memory card, that is a shame and should be fixed!
@@jorisdijkema if enough complain, maybe Sony will fix in a firmware update? Let's hope and see if they are truly listening
@@jorisdijkema I'm not sure what you mean here? My a7R IV in crop mode still allows me to continue taking photos whilst the camera is writing to the card just like in full-frame. Or did you mean some other feature doesn't work?
@@AlphaShooters i mean you cannot change tot aps c mode OR back to fullframe mode WHILE the camera is writing images to the memory card. And you have to change mode when an animal Comes close. You have to wait until buffer is cleared
@@jorisdijkema I've got you now! Yes that is a pain and a shame that Sony placed this restriction.
Did these cameras have the latest firmware updates at the time of shooting?
Awesome vid 👏👏
Thanks! a7R IV is on release firmware v1.00 (latest) and the a9 was on the latest v6.00 firmware.
Alpha Shooters
Thanks for the reply. Also wondering about the R4’s buffer. For example near the end of the R4’s shoot segment of this vid, several shots take the buffer down a ways, and it slowly creeps back up. I’m assuming you have fast SD cards and that the buffer recovery is the camera’s processing speed?
I’ve learned that during this time the camera can’t switch between APSC and full frame - a big bummer for me, but this is like the only vid I’ve seen with actual usage, thus my question. Thanks again for the excellent video, it’s super informative!
Edit: one more question - are the R4’s jpgs around the same file size and definition of the 9ii’s raw files?
@@orbitaljellyfish808 I'm using a mix of the Sony SF-G UHS-II cards and the SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II 300MB/s cards so both very fast. I normally record both jpegs + compressed raw so this does hammer the buffer and it will take some time to clear. The buffer clearing is limited by the a7R IV and not the memory cards. I think it writes at around 200MB/s but I plan to test this very soon (and do a video) along with a quick test of the Sony vs SanDisk UHS-II cards.
Nice! How did you manage to record the screen on which you see the camera tracking as a video? And are you able to just making images at the same time or not? What i would like is use an A9/A7RIV, look through the electronic viewfinder, capture the viewfinder screen as a movie (so make a movie of the bears walking in the forest AND the autofocus tracking icons on bears) WHILE i just take pictures of the bears. I am using a tripod head from a hide then. I was also very impressed by the A9 autofocus and found out that A7RIV misses more shots (still great camera)
Thanks. You just need a HDMI Recorder. I use the Atomos Ninja V. I'm shooting in stills mode but the recorder captures the display at the same time that I'm shooting and taking photos. You could certainly do this for bears as well. Only downside is when you have the HDMI Display (In HDMI Settings) turned on (this shows all the screen info and focus points) you lose your EVF/LCD display and can only use your external recorders display. Also with HDMI Info Turned on you are limited to 1080P even if you are using a 4k recorder. I upscaled to 4k for this video. Hope that helps!
@@AlphaShooters Thanks i appreciate it! I am not super happy about the limitations you mentioned because the Atomos Ninja is quite expensive. Another question, do you know a cheaper option (maybe more simple HDMI recorder?) in case i just like to record the menu's of different cameras (mirrorless but also Canon/nikon DSLR)? And i think the camera needs to have HDMI option for that also and older cameras do not have that i think.
@@jorisdijkema The limitations are due to Sony unfortunately and not the Atomos Ninja V, these limitation will be the same no matter which recorder you are using unless Sony changes this. I've not done a great deal of research on these I'm afraid I just went with the Ninja V after a friend recommended it, so I don't know if there are any cheaper alternatives. I've seen FroKnowsPhoto using a HDMI recorder in some of his videos that doesn't have a screen, I'm not sure exactly which recorder it is but I'd imagine this would be a cheaper solution if you can manage without the screen.
@@AlphaShooters thanks a lot. I feel a bit uncomfortable asking a lot of questions. I wonder how many minutes you approximately can record to an SSD Atamos Ninja V when the qualityis 1080p (using Sony Alpha A7RIV / A9)? Can you recommend a speicific SSD and size (TB)? And i understand i cannot use the lcd or EVF of the sony camera when i turn on HDMI Display. So i look at the screen of the Atamos Ninja V when i take pictures and ONLY when i hit "record" on the Ninja it will record? Because i dont need to record hours of my camera screen when i am in a hide for wildlife. Other question with regard to recording screen menu;s of different cameras. Does this only work with modern cameras or can i also record the screen/menu of older DSLR's when i use the Atamos Ninja V? (i think the camera needs the option HDMI Display, so only modern ones?) I will leave some comments under other video's for you because i like your enthusiasm
Both cameras are very impressive in their tracking ability!
The A9 might be faster, but the R4 produces better results, it's quantity vs quality. Love the shots at 5:00
Makes me wonder that u would get more keepers with the A9 with less than half the res. 61 mp will show every little era in your shooting.
it appears that you shot Both sequences with tracking center. Is that the case? I have been using wide and zone, what is your opinion? By the way I shoot jpeg. Great camera work!
Thanks Martin. Yes I was using tracking center. I prefer this as if there are multiple birds then I can select the one I want using the center spot and then it will track them around the frame. If I was using wide or zone it probably wouldn't lock onto the bird I want. I also use the Olympus Dot Sight and this works better when using tracking center as well.
How do you setup the real time tracking at the A7R4?
Sorry for the slow reply Jia Yang. Did you figure this out? It's just under the focus area settings. I'd recommend this video by Mark Smith as well: ruclips.net/video/gJx0lru_evY/видео.html
Great upload Tim. I have purchased A7 4, how do you think that would stack up against the A9?
I am considering buying an A9 2 but don't know if it would be any better than the A7 4 for the bird in flight shots, perhaps you could give me the benefit of your experience. Keep up your sterling work with the Sony products. Forgot to mention I would be using 200-600 and 75-200 2.8 mk2+1.4converter.👍
Thank you Smiffy! :) I don't own the a9II but do own the a9 and they are very similar in terms of AF speed. You will get a few more keepers with the a9 or a9II than the a7 IV simply because it locks on faster and is able to make AF and AE calculations around 3x faster than the a7 IV. But the a7 IV is certainly no slouch and is a very capable camera for BIF and a good all-rounder. The extra megapixels can also come in handy. If I had to choose between the a9II and the a7 IV I would go with the a9II. Choosing between the a9 and the a7 IV would be a more difficult choice. I'd probably go with the a7 IV as I prefer the ergonomic improvements and also the speed that the buffer clears when using a CFexpress card. However, if I was shooting sports for a living I'd probably stick with the a9. Hope that helps a little!
@@AlphaShooters thank you Tim, I knew I could rely on you for an informative and honest answer. I’m awaiting delivery of an A9 11 as we speak. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.
Having 2 bodies of this standard is always going to be an advantage, as well as a luxury 😂😂 Thanks once again, I really appreciate your input and help. Phil.
感谢分享
Are you adjusting ISO on the fly? I see it changing from Auto to numbers during the same sequence. I'm curious because I liked that on Canon you'd see what ISO AUTO ISO was choosing in real time.
My guess is that camera is set to ISO min SS with SS set to 1/2000 sec when iso would change automatically within the range set up in settings
It’s set to Auto ISO but when you half press the shutter to focus or use back button focus the Auto on the display will change to the actual ISO value for the correct exposure. So I guess this is working like Canon.
Thank you for the wonderful comparison.
What is the value of [AF Tracking Sens.]?
5(Responsive) / 4 / 3(Standard) / 2 / 1(Locked on)
(MENU → (Camera Settings1) →[AF Tracking Sens.])
I ’m sorry if I missed the explanation in the video.
Thank you. I normally have it set to 1 (locked on) although it really only makes a difference if another bird flies in front of the one that you are tracking.
@@AlphaShooters thanks!
Alpha Shooters. Good video and I concur with your assessment. I sold my A9 and A7III and bought an A7R4 and have no regrets. I have captured a Peregrine, Jays, Buzzards, some smaller birds and a dragonfly inflight with my A7R4 so far. I prefer to have the ability to achieve a better crop than the outright AF speed and accuracy of the A9. Speed and accuracy are fine, but if your cropped image looks like a blob, what is the point? If I go back to owning two cameras it is likely I will purchase a second A7R4 rather than another A9 or A9II.
I can see a big difference in detail too when comparing A9 vs A7RIV. The difference is huge there... So I suppose if you nail focus the results will be better
Cheers Pete. Glad you are capturing smaller birds with the a7R IV and dragonflies as well! The cropping power is pretty crazy. Sometimes it’s frustrating when I open a file from the a9 and realise I can’t crop in so much!
@@AlphaShooters Cropping is the best part. If you zoom in too close, it would be incredibly hard to track. You always need to zoom out a little bit for some wiggle room and then crop for your final image. The A7RIV is extremely generous with the pixels for this purpose.