Sony Alpha SLT-A99: Long Term Review
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
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The Sony A99 was released in 2012, and was the first SLT full frame camera from the company, The SLT concept was quite interesting, albeit with some compromises. It also marked a significant upgrade over the A77. In this video I show the camera in detail, I discuss areas both good and bad, image quality, design, ergonomics, and real world shooting experience using this model over a number of years.
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Timestamp:
00:00 - Start
00:13 - Key Features
00:27 - Body Tour/Controls
02:19 - Vertical Grip
03:20 - Focus Limiter/Articulating LCD
04:04 - Dynamic Range/High ISO
04:54 - High ISO Samples
05:17 - Autofocus
06:17 - Video Summary
06:33 - Evaluative Metering
07:18 - Shutter Sound/EVF/Samples
09:10 - Problems to look for
10:18 - Pros/Cons Summary
#sonyalpha #sonyslt #amount #minolta #a99 
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October 2022, just bought one of these on ebay. Your review, explanations, images were all very helpful. Thank you!
Not a problem I felt there was a gap on this camera for information, hence I made the video. Glad you found it useful
Can't believe this camera is >10 years old. It remained my workhorse camera until I upgrade to A7R5 this month.
Yes time moves fast. I wish Sony had a more DSLR type feeling body in E Mount
I bought the a99 at a discount new, it was the last one in Brussels before the a99ii was launched and my first digital camera. As a Minolta man for 30 years, I acquired a whole battery of top Minolta lenses and these old lenses a Mount thus far have performed magnificently on the a99. I thought at first to keep the a99 for a couple of years to then 'upgrade' to the a99ii but I won't. This camera works great, the image quality JPEG or raw is excellent. Paying a ton of money for a new 'modern' body for some marginal gains or fancy gizmos is pointless, in stead invest your money in some VERY high level lenses like I did e.g. the Zeiss 135 f1.8 and the Zeiss 16-35 f2.8. 24mp is PLENTY to work with. I'll keep this camera until it breaks or is irreparable. The Sony badge refers primarily to the (considerable) video capabilities of the a99 which I rarely use. The Sony a99 in fact is a digital Minolta. Its a fantastic camera. If you have Minolta a Mount lenses, buy it, you'll never regret it.
I grew to like the camera over time, it worked well with the 80-200mm Minolta APO G
I never tried the A99II at that point it looked shaky with Sony's A mount future - so I passed. I do think they should have made a more budget geared model, the initial price was high and I couldn't see it competing with Canikon on that alone. It's a more interesting buy at used prices, still good enough I think for use today. It's a shame they didn't expand the AF coverage a bit, that was probably the most obvious mistake they made.
I've read somewhere that semitransparent mirror was something minolta was working on before sony acquired them.
@@SomeUnremarkableGuy Hard to say Minolta did experiment with concepts, but I'd be surprised if they would have given up the OVF as quickly as Sony did.
I'm not sure the SLT angle was the best approach. You took a hit with higher ISO a bit, and the AF coverage wasn't better v a DSLR or the overall AF performance.
If they pushed the higher FPS more it might have done better, I never cared much for the EVF myself, it was usable but hard to work with for action photography
Would be interesting to have a camera with an A mount style body for people who don't need compact, and native support for A mount lenses- only generic adaptor needed, and a motor built into the camera.
Sadly Sony discarded A Mount users silently so I suspect other than the LAEA5 adapter (which only works on newer bodies for screw drive lenses), is all you're likely to get. It's something I suppose. If you like the E Mount bodies is another question in itself.
I have both the a99ii and original a99. The a99 remains a favourite of mine for landscapes, travel, architecture and portraits. I find the AF adequate for those subjects, as is 24MP, and I LOVE the colours and tonality from the sensor - in my experience the colour is nicer than that of the a99ii (I am a raw shooter BTW). The a99 is a lovely camera for everything other than action/sports/very low light photography. BTW other common fault - the front and rear command dials can "slip" and start to feel rough. Ergonomics are superb - the vertical grip is awesome and unlike the VG for the a99ii allows use of 3 batteries as you can still have a battery in the camera. I often use the a99 with an old Sigma 85 1.4 and it delivers superb portraits. Also with the fantastic Minolta 80-200 HS G f2.8 white lens. A beautiful camera - I only really use my a99ii if I have fast moving subjects, wildlife, sports, aviation, kids running around or for very low light photography such as low light amateur theatre productions.
I've not used the A99II so can't comment much on that, but like you say the tonality of the A99 was something I always felt was appealing. I like the camera quite a bit. but my first one wasn't reliable - the shutter locked after every shot, usual error message. You could pull the battery and take another shot, not ideal for any kind of event photography! Odd thing was, it was previously repaired for that, had less than 40K on the shutter.
Second one was a low mileage one, but I was a bit put off for such a high end camera.
I think the tipping point was the EVF, for action shooting I just found it was restrictive, didn't quite keep up fast enough. It could be argued Sony were ahead of their time with an EVF, yet it could also be said they were premature and it wasn't quite ready for mainstream.
Despite the annoyances it's a fine camera, at the time I had an extensive Minolta lens collection - yet Sony's abandonment of A mount users, was done in a way which was not very palatable. Had they stuck with A Mount I probalby would be using it to this day. For low light I would estimate the D780 I have it probably 2 stops better in low light/high ISO, for some reason Sony were behind back then, the SLT mirror I wasn't a fan of either it put them another half stop pentalty. A modern SLR with the newer 24mp sensor, pretty much negates the steadyshot advantage.
I would have liked Sony to have done another A900 more refined body, sadly wasn't to be. I skipped the A99II it was a bit too expensive, and I wasn't sure they were commited to A Mount, they still fetch high prices used. Interesting to hear your thoughts thanks
@@MrBazReviews I would not recommend anyone go a-mount now as Sony have abandoned it as you say and the a7r or a7 or a9 line are where it's at although they lose the excellent ergonomics of the a99 line in my view. I do have access to an a7iii via work but do not like the color or tone as much as my a99. The issues you mention were addressed in the a99ii which is a much faster camera in terms of operation, AF, EVF than the a99mk1 but the 43MP a99ii sensor loses some of the lovely color that is a feature of the a99 mk1. What do you shoot now?
@@dingbat19 I still have the Dynax 5d bodies (x2) and a few Minolta lenses left. My main system is the D780 and Nikon. I wanted to get as near to Minolta in terms of dials/switches/ergos and the drive mode dial and overall feel does that. The sensor is excellent, and the lens range extensive.
I did try Sony mirrorless and I just can't get on with it, I don't like the boxy design and the ergos are not even close to A mount. Really sad, that is their idea of progress?
I did have the LA-EA4 adapter, but it was limited, bulky. The new LA-EA5 I was interested in, yet it doesn't work for screw drive lenses on most of the E mount bodies, and no video AF for any lenses which even the older adapter could do. It seemed to me Sony were crippling the adapters so as to not make them too good. I never got the F3.5 limitation either. My interest in Sony was mostly about using the Minolta lenses I had, when that went, I entirely lost interest in any of their products.
What really bugged me with Sony is their lack of updating lenses on A Mount. The 70-210mm F4, nope nothing. Yet E mount got the F4 version and plenty of other lenses A mount never did get.
I bought the Tokina 70-200mm F4 for F mount, great lens will be doing a video on that. I doubt I will ever use Sony again, just left a very bad taste in the mouth so to speak!
@@MrBazReviews I had Minolta 7 film SLR back in the day and went to KM 7D and then Sony a700, a77, a99, a99ii. Keeping my Sony a99 and a99ii due to lens collection but if they break will likely go Nikon FF as their ergonomics look good. Shame sony abandoned a-mount but I heard a99ii just did not sell well.
@@dingbat19 I just sold my film 7, I got more than I paid for it, ditto on the grip.
I think at the start it did well if this is correct:
www.dpreview.com/news/4362292719/sony-a99-ll-to-be-available-on-time-but-in-very-short-supply
Over time though, have to be honest even as invested as I was in A mount. It was a £3000/€3500 euro body or around that, and the price stayed high. I paid under 2K for the Nikon. I never understood why Sony didn't have an affordable FF body, the A99 was also very expensive at launch. They had nothing to compete with the D610/6D type bodies. Seems like an obvious blunder.
By 2016 Sony had run down A mount so much, I doubt too many people would be buying into it then. I know people were saying it was toast years before that. The lack of A77II update also was a sign I think looking back. I had one, never got on with the AF was all over the place for some reason. Would have made more sense for Sony to come clean 5-6 years ago and say it was over, v pretending things were going to happen that never did. Odd company! Other than a few names and features, I see almost 0 Minolta in Sony E these days, sad as Minolta were an exciting company, who tried new things
Wow, great review of and I hate to say, an older camera. I purchased one used a few years back used for the only reason that, it had a full size sensor. I also have a Minolta 7D and the lenses are compatible with the Sony. I am experiencing the same thing as you with the sticky front and rear dials. I'm going to try the spray silicone that you suggest to see if that will help. Right now it feels like I might break something inside when I try to spin the dials. Other than that I've been pretty happy with the camera. I just wish I could find more time to use it.
For lenses I have the Minolta 50mm F/1.4 and I bought a Minolta 28mm f/1.2 to try with the D7 so when I go to car shows, I can get closer to the car and not have idiots walk between the camera and the car. Thanks for a current review that isn't filled with all the hype and drama that come with the "this is the latest and greatest thing to come along", reviews of brand new cameras.
With the silicone don't put too much into the dial area, and let it sit for a few days, the rubber can soften on the outside of the dials. But it does work, seems to be an issue on many bodies. The second one I had didn't have this problem, but the first one also dumped out with the remove battery error every shot (it did it a few times then went away, then came back again)
It's still a decent camera, overall. I'm looking at other brands/older cameras, because I think the cost of new camera gear is excessive, people are still interested in these models even if they are older. You can also find they will do the job just fine, you don't always need the "next best new thing" out there.
@@MrBazReviews Thank you, I'll limit the amount of silicone spray I use and let it sit a few days. I haven't had a problem with the battery error. Before I got the 7D I used a Minolta Maxxum 9 film camera. I'm having a problem with the thick rubberized coating on the body, grip and around the lens mount. it's cracking and it's sticky. I think the rubber is breaking down chemically It seems like they intentionally use products that fail prematurely. I can clean it with rubbing alcohol and the stickyness goes away for a little while but then returns.
@@LightningFabrication I believe the film 9 body has a grip issue, I've seen plenty which have just cracked and crumbled, same for the vertical grip it cracks. Minolta had this problem perhaps more than most it turns up on a fair few bodies.
The film 7 grips are fine it holds up, yet the body becomes a sticky mess with that rubber coating.
I don't know if they do it on purpose, I've seen similar issues with Canon and Nikon on some bodies. Maybe they just didn't think about it properly. Over time this rubber seems to harden and crack. I seen the same issue on the flaps/covers on the Maxxum 5D, they snap off. Some people use Sugru to replace the grips which seems to work well enough, though not easy to get a nice finish.
Still have the A900 and A99.. Sometimes ppl still asking why you not upgrade to A7 series, simple answer, I love the ergonomics of DSLR more than A7 series.. And I can have 3 battery in my camera 😛
Yes I have tried E mount cameras, even the new ones are just not to my liking at all ergonomics wise. Very boxy bodies and not very comfortable at all. Sony got the ergos mostly right with this camera, good grip and comfort. I would have added a drive mode dial myself over the button (like Nikon do), otherwise it is quite good.
I still like this camera, but it is a tragedy how A mount was abandoned by Sony, it deserved better.
How's the A900 now?
I took the a99 once apart to clean the wheels. I was shocked by the amount of used of plastic for the party that are meant to hold the body together.
Had the a900 once and it is like a Metal can compared to a paper tetra pack.
I've not opened one up, but exterior wise the build is decent enough. I've seen teardowns on it and it does seem to as you say have a lot of plastic in there. Front panel is plastic, top/bag mag alloy - so I suppose we'd have to give the Canon and Nikon equivalents the edge there in build.
A900 was IMO unique in it's rugged meaty build, and it had a really good OVF too, it's a tragedy a follow up wasn't made with a newer sensor.
A99 I quite liked, but the low light performance does suffer. Even the D800 soundly beats it for high ISO and that also came out in 2012. Prices are also going up on this camera on the used market, I paid about 500 for one in 2018, and now they're 800-900 for a good one. Crazy, probably due to Sony's A Mount abandonment pushing prices up.
@@MrBazReviews
uff, just saw the prices on ebay. Bought mine used for 900€ in 2017 with a vertical grip and prices still in that region.
Must addmit that I still use the alpha99 and sold the alpha 900 because the alpha99 was better at low iso and had more reserves when correcting exposure due to better dynamic range.
Iam stick using the alpha99 next to my a7s because it is still good enough and during normal daytime other cameras will not make any wonders (unless you depend on Super fast AF or other nice to have things).
Recently went out with the Minolta 28-135 and the alpha99 and what to say: Good enough😎
Maybe I will extend my a7 series by a native 24-105 but for now I still use the older Sony with nice sony and minolta lenses (eg Minolta 100F2, 35F14 sony,).
I also bought this new La Ea5 adapter (allthough I knew it would not fully work on my gen. 1 a7s but I took one in oder to make use of older lenses in case of switching one day to latest bodies. But then again! The Adapter is made from plastic. Havn't taken out a screw yet but I think they even used plastik threads for the Bajonett screws. It pisses me off when with nowadays machinery tecjnologies they safe money on such quality stuff. This adaptor is 250€.
Even my Zeiss 35F28 (I took it apart because the metal back ring became lose), has those cheap screws that just burry themself into plastik threads.
Cmon, a Minolta 50f17 has fi e threaded screws that go into metal and hold the Bajonett. F this robbery capitalism...
The articulating LCD is the best in the business - fully articulating without awkwardly sticking out of the side. Mind boggling how they just dropped it and didn't use it on the E-mount cameras and no other mfg. tried to copy it. Never liked the rubbery, stiff front dial. I'll try the silicone trick.
The silicone does work, but be careful just a small bit. Leave it for a few days afterwards, sometimes the outer dials can swell a bit (they return to normal), so you don't want to break the rubber quick spray turn dials and leave it for a while.
I think the issue is the mechanism inside, where the rubber binds a bit, the first one I had did this front/rear, dials were stiff and squeaky. It did fix it, not quite perfect but close enough. Second body I owned, didn't have this issue. Sony do have a few annoyances like this, and the "LCD AR coating delamination", it's the softest coating on any LCD ever!
But the ergonomics I found mostly good, the camera is comfortable and the articulating display is clever. I think Sony have a new LCD design, not sure if it's as good. Sadly I don't find E Mount models nearly as fun/comfortable/or ergonomic as this. They're too lego like blocky/boxy and the grip is just all wrong, the grip is excellent on this.
@@MrBazReviews I agree, except for the rubbery dials the ergonomics are excellent. The a7c is very tempting simply because of the compact design but not at that price and with no support for the LA-EA5 adapter, no thanks.
@@GeorgeStar Yes that's the problem the adapter only works on the more expensive cameras and that put me off. Some expected other cameras to get firmware and they didn't. (ie A7III etc)
Sony lost me after that move, and the silent treatment didn't go down well with many users.
I don't know why they used softer rubber on the dials, the Nikon's I used never had this issue, a few Canon's have
@@MrBazReviews You would think Viltrox, Commlite or some other third party would step in. There has to be a decent sized market for it.
@@GeorgeStar There is a lot of Minolta glass out there, yet mostly screw drive. Not a problem I didn't mind, but the old LAEA4 was too dated and bulky (I had one for a while), and it wasn't a great solution.
Sony should have done a better adapter a long time ago.
The LAEA5 is too limited in support and they also stopped it doing AF in video (even the old one could do that), that's to crippled it to put some people off I think help sales of E Mount lenses. People are still buying and interested in A Mount lenses
Maybe another maker might come in and do something, there are a lot more A Mount lenses out there then say Pentax.
I love mine, will never sell it. produces beautiful photos and between ISO 200 to about 1250 you get pleasing noise "grain" but without colour splotches. I've captured many precious memories with mine. Only things I don't like - it's very very slow, particularly when writing to card, and the sensor is a dust magnet. Got a shutter jam when I was out in the desert in California, thought that was the end of the road - took it back to the motel, thumped it on the desk and it's worked fine ever since. Love it.
I remember when it came out some were disappointed with the modest buffer size/fps/and AF coverage.
I suspect some thought due to the SLT Sony would push the "speed" aspect more. The clearing times were not too bad, it was just the buffer wasn't that big, then again it wasn't on the 5dIII either. What I found odd was the small jpeg buffer (not really much bigger than raw).
I learnt to live with the AF coverage and quirks, until one body I had quit on me (single shot locked up) the dreaded Sony error message turn off/on take one shot lock up unusable for any assignments. Camera only had 40K shots on it and was already on it's second shutter! It had a replacement before I bought it used. The second A99 I had started to double shot on the shutter. So I had some doubts (unsurprisingly in my own case) about longevity.
Image quality still holds up, it's just that sensor was for some reason behind rivals, add the half stop SLT aspect put the Sony at a disadvantage. But the Steadyshot made up some of that, and built in GPS another bonus.
A99II fixed the small buffer, but still for a really odd reason didn't have UHS II card support. Sony never updated the firmware bar one bug fix, looking back I think it was obvious they were pulling the plug. Do still like this camera, was never a fan of the SLT concept, but it can kick out some nice images
@@MrBazReviews I remember when it came out new, I thought at the time "I'll never be able to afford that". Years later I bought it for about £550, with minolta 50mm f/1.7 and the battery grip. I think like anything you can be unlucky but I got a good deal which probably helps my perception of fondness towards it. On the other hand I have an A77ii that I absolutely hate, it's a complete dog of a camera that doesn't live up to any of the expectations (particularly re AF capability) and produces mostly soft rubbish images on all but one lens I use with it. It was clearly a Friday afternoon job - so much so I went out and bought a Nikon D500 which is an absolutely stellar performer for wildlife.
@@SPTSuperSprinter156 Yes agree with that, at the time A99 was far too expensive in my mind. Yet I got a good deal on the body I first picked up.
I had the A77ii for a while, used it for video. The first time I did any serious photo work, the Autofocus was a complete nightmare. Hunting, slow, missing a lot of shots. Even missed static standing still people shots. I was completely disgusted with it. I tested lenses for micro AF adjust, even with SSM/Sam it was awful focus.
I read the imaging resource shooters report on the A77ii and he had the same thing, big number of lost shots.
Shame because it added some nice stuff, at the time I still had the A77 and that was far better for AF. The A99 smashed the A77ii to bits for action shots on AF, albeit with narrow coverage.
For this reason I was not willing to try the A99II, I was afraid the AF would be not much better than the A77ii. MPB took the A77ii and I was glad to be rid of it being honest, no idea what went on there. I heard some people say the early firmware update ruined the AF performance.
Thanks for the great review. I use an a99 as my main camera, and I am pleased with it. What type of glue did you use to glue the rubber grip parts near the sd card door? Thanks in advance.
This is the best I've used it stays put
www.uhu.com/en/product-page/max-repair-power/64587
@@MrBazReviews thanks very much for the tip!
Funny, the microphone section has a great look, better than the usual discreet tiny holes found on other cameras. Does this camera autofocus with Minolta AF lenses?
Sony have good microphones on these cameras in terms of quality. AF works with Minolta AF lenses, same mount A mount
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I am thinking the minolta lenses are aps c though... right? If not, if they are full frame I will pursue getting one of those. I love the layout of this camera! So intuitive. We use canons in our business (school photography) but I like to experiment with others in my daily quests for fun pictures. I am using aps c lenses from my other older sonys currently on the a99.
Thanks,
Liz
All those lenses are full frame lenses, so they will work on this camera. Crop Minolta is DT label things like the 18-70mm, 18-200mm, they have DT if crop. Everything else is full frame, I've done videos on many of Minolta's lenses.
@@MrBazReviews Thanks for the explanation!!!
@@Lizerator Not a problem
Basically, all mechanical lenses are based on 35mm format (1/1 = which many have been brainwashed into calling them Full Frame). Entering the digital photography, companies have so many lenses (bodies) flooded in their warehouses & 1/1 sensors are harder to make. So companies used the 1/1 lens & inserted only about 50% correction of field of view. They came up not APS-A, APS-B, APS-H, but APS-C (1.5 or 1.6 reduction optics)
It was based on ATG's formular (FTD) meaning you can use Hasselblad CF/Mamiya/Nikon AI lenses on Sony.
@@angelisone Perhaps it was a cost thing for crop. Either way some APS-C lenses cover full frame (the 30mm DT Macro in one example albeit with heavy vignetting), and some don't. Does anyone care? Probably not, still when you look at modern MILC systems, and look at Fuji. There is a compelling reason IMO to not go APS-C, cost wise it's not attractive. Crop DSLR was and is, still interesting.
I lost interest in Sony after their A mount silent abandonment last year, shame they could have done so much more with A mount
Hell yeah. Love the original a99 and a77ii
Yes they still have a lot of charm. Out of the two I prefer the A99 despite it's limited AF coverage
Hello, excellent video, and well balanced review. I am also a Sony Alpha shooter and after trying almost all brands, I fould this system to be the best in terms of cost/benefit . Now, about the fact that this is a SLT camera, did you find it to generate JPEG files that are lower in quality compared to that of a DSLR? I have an A57 and it seems that even in daylight the images don't look that great. If you were to get a FF again would you pick A900 or A850 over the A99?
To me A mount was interesting due to the MInolta aspect, some good lenses available at modest prices.
I had the A57, was never a fan of the jpeg output, you could try raw. Sometime the white balance can be a bit off. The sensor is decent enough.
The SLT concept takes light away from the sensor, so you get a hit in low light performance about half a stop is lost.
With the A99 compared to say modern 24mp BSI sensor, it's 2 stops worse (comparing it to a D780 I have). Dynamic range is still very good on the A99, it's competitive with modern cameras, just the low light has been surpassed.
The A900/850 are good for their day, but the sensor is getting on a bit, even compared to something cheap ish like a D610, it's a very solid camera but the DR and low light are not really up to rivals.
The annoying thing with Sony was they abandoned OVF cameras, so there was no modern choice bar the A900 or A700 for crop. Everything was SLT. I still like the A99 for what it is, as used buy it is a good camera still to this day. The EVF is mixed, useful in low light, but I found it dim in daylight. I prefer to use an optical finder these days as I do more action type photography. It would be hard to pick the A900 over the A99 because it has it's own limitations, despite having a very good quality viewfinder. You could get both at the right price, the A99 seems to be going up in price these days!
I skipped the A99II, it was a 3 grand camera and IMO is still very expensive, even used. I wouldn't put that kind of money into it.
@@MrBazReviews Well, what strange is that the mk1 Sony A7 is now very cheap as a second hand camera so I will most likely skip A99 or A900 and just go mirrorless with A7 + Le-la5 and all the Minolta lenses I have. Seems to me to be the best choice, although the mirrorless cameras are not so ergonomic, the mid size DSLR type body was the best. I also own a Samsung NX20 and it is an awesome camera ( I can adapt almost all manual focus vintage glass ). But it just feels weird in my hand and i leave it home most of the time and go out with A57 which is my favourite so far
@@invisiblespark Be careful with the LA-EA5 it only works for screw drive lenses with a few bodies (A7RIV, RV, A7IV, A6600, A1). It will work for in lens motors.
I had hoped Sony would update firmware for more support, but they never did.. For the older bodies you need the LA-EA4 which is around used (it's discontinued I believe for a while)
I didn't really get on with E Mount I tried a few, just the body design was nowhere near as comfortable as A Mount, but try a few things see what grabs you
@@invisiblespark You should get LA-EA4 for your A7, as LA-EA5 only supports a handful of FE-mount cameras. The A-mount lenses focus decent with LA-EA4 on A7, better than many A-mount bodies I have used.
Please take note that just about anything ergonomic on this one that remind you of other cameras - these were all done by Minolta before they were bought out by Konica and subsequently, Sony. Indeed CaNikon (and eventually the rest) owe about 80% of any preferred ergonomics to Minolta's pioneering. It took them a long time to finally "give in" and start implementing these features, but as we were using these cameras in the 90's and early 2000's we started to see them finally understand that ergonomics such as presented in the Minolta/Sony brand, were absolutely paramount. And quite honestly, an absolute no-brainer :)
There were bits of MInolta still left in Sony's ergonomics, but they gradually did move away from that (sadly)
This is I suppose a bit like the xi Minolta bodies in terms of shape. And whilst I find the ergos quite good overall, it does have a nod to Canon (top deck buttons) and they already moved away from the excellent Minolta shutter button/dial placement to a clone of Nikon's shutter.
If you look at the A700/900 both have the MInolta dials/shutter, and overall body shape, but even then Sony removed the drive mode dial and dual dial design (aka 7D and film 7/9), and moved more to buttons then switches/dials. They did at least have the metering mode switch. That finally got chopped with the A77/99
I felt that was a shame but they were still alright cameras to hold and use (mostly), but I was a big fan of the drive mode dial, much quicker to use.
I've since picked up a D800 and find that has more in common with Minolta than this does (it has the drive dial and metering dial, and is more comfortable overall to use). I still like the A99, but the SLT aspect wasn't the best idea, I wasn't a big fan of it.
Looking at the E mount cameras, I can't see any Minolta left there at all. I did try a few but didn't get on with them, frankly the ergonomics/comfort were just not there. It's a huge loss Minolta isn't making cameras anymore, I would probably still be using them today. They had some excellent lenses too.
@@MrBazReviews I absolutely agree with you. Sony appears to have given up after the A77ii and A99ii on ergonomics and they "simplified". When I first started looking at the newer A7 series I just couldn't connect with the camera whatsoever. I never went beyond serious hobbyist with some part time professional on the side, but I did a lot of event photography like concerts and a few weddings. When shooting for those you *absolutely* depend on the ergonomics to switch everything by feel and within a split second. Can't waste time looking at menus because that's when you'll lose the moment you're trying to capture!
IMO the Maxxum 7 (35mm film) was the pinnacle of these ergonomics. It literally felt like an extension of my hands and it allowed changing of any required setting in absolute darkness with no looking at menus, etc. Actually, I now wonder if the DSLR with the image review/menu on the back actually became a sloppy substitute. The manufacturer's assuming that it could take the place of everything being 100% available and well positioned. I learned on film in the late 90's and saw the digital takeover in the early 2000's and looking back more closely this begins to ring true.
Photography is all about being in the moment. Any time spent consciously fiddling with dials and menus takes you out of that moment. When ergonomics take precedent, everything is done subconsciously so you can remain focused on said moment. Not only to capture it, but to also be immersed in what you are capturing.
As the DSLR became more mainstream, it did what mainstream things do - pushed for mediocrity in many things and made it for the "mass consumer". So those of us who saw the camera as a tool were slowly left behind. As you say, it truly is a shame and while I've wanted to get back into photography after a 5 year break, I'm quite hesitant as I can't seem to find anything that would if the idea of a "tool" as a camera with the ergonomics and the like. Granted, the better low-light capabilities are quite wonderful, the new cameras still just feel clunky and....like a blunt instrument?
I used my Minolta A77 and A77iis to the point the 2nd one got to "first black frame status" so my expectations are very much based on that. The A77ii had ergonomics still closely mirroring the Maxxum 7 so it still felt quite proper to use. Although my greatest surprise was when (as Konica/Minolta) the Maxxum 7D released as a practical clone of the Maxxum 7 35mm camera. If they hadn't pulled that off, I'm not sure I would have switched to Digital in the first place. It still felt like "home".
Apologies for the TL;DR but thank you for sharing and for the video :) Have you happened upon the Dyxum camera forums? They still have quite a healthy community dedicated to the Minolta through Sony lines (but most members originated as Minolta users). A lot of good information in there and they still do photo contests and the like!
@@phyrr2 I'm not really into the forums as such but I am aware there are some good resources out there/information.
I had 2 film 7 bodies and used the 7D (I still have the 5D two of them video in progress!)
The a99 is still worth a look as prices are reasonable right now. Yet I was never really into the direction Sony was taking. I saw quite a few problems, not so much with the cameras, but removing the OVF choice people had was IMO a mistake. Still I gave SLT a shot and found it alright, but the EVF pales IMO to a good pentraprism OVF. The film 7 has a wonderful viewfinder, as does the 9. The A900 was interesting, but sadly wasn't updated.
I suppose the biggest complaint I had was the lack of movement on lenses, so many which never did get made, no new 70-210mm F4, no 85mm 1.8, they discontinued the 24-105mm and it was never replaced, no 28mm prime (I've done videos on many of these). No F4 zooms either 24-70mm or 16-35mm. Yes Sony did some stuff like the 70-400mm G, and some Zeiss. But there were obvious big gaps in the system. For APS-C users even Tokina dived in there with their 2.8 11-16mm, I bought that lens too as Sony didn't bother to update the ancient 11-18mm slower Tamron re-badged one.
A mount deserved a lot better IMO and they lost interest rapidly after E mount came along. Shame they put the A99II out giving users false hope of the system carrying on.
I tried to put that to once side and used a few E mount cameras full frame and crop, and I can't stand the body design, it's so far removed from Minolta. The adapter was very limited in performance and the new one that came out only works on a few more expensive models. I could have stuck around, using the adapter - but it was time for a change. I have a few items left on A Mount, most of it is gone.
I will say though for someone looking for a superior OVF experience, with a full frame body at a reasonable price, D800 hits the spot. It's a superior camera to the A99 all round (bar fps) and insanely cheap (about 600 odd). Just avoid the early ones which had the misaligned AF issue, otherwise the AF is a nice step up from the A99
Any of the DSLR systems are quite good value now, a nice selection of bodies/lenses at not too scary prices. The new mirrorless stuff is quite pricey, lenses in particular are costly. I will say that Tokina 70-200mm has the character of the old Beercan, without the CA issues, it's a wonderful lens, and whilst it's not small/light is very well made and optically excellent. Using that lens a lot and it has become my new beercan, it's a reasonable buy used too. Sony might be more popular these days, but I just can't find any excitement for their cameras, they just repeat the same boxy designs over and over with 0 variation. I think for Minolta users they will find it so far away from the ergonomics, it's quite sad really.
Can you recommend a full frame zoom for this camera. All my lenses are aps-c. Thanks! I am really enjoying the intuitive controls. I feel it is a very easy camera to use.
The Minolta 24-105mm or 28-105mm are both decent. Also consider the 28-75mm F2.8 that's in either Sony/Tamron/KM badges (optics same). For tele the 100-200mm F4.5 is hard to beat. Yes, the layout is mostly good, back when Sony did decent ergonomics!
Sigma ART 24-105 f/4
28-135/4-4.5. Yes, it is almost 40 years old if you don't care too much about the AF speed.
@@MrBazReviews Can't comment on the SAL 28-75, but the KM version has a better coating and more aperture blades than the Tamron. I still own it after almost 20 years, even though I have the ZA24-70.
Just a thought: if the SLT technology makes you lose about a half f-stop of light, and the EVF meter is off by 0,5 - maybe the meter was not tuned for the SLT technology? Maybe it was tunes to regular a regular DSLR?
It varies a lot on Sony cameras. I don't think the SLT makes a difference in metering (multi segment)
Many of them tend to be a bit under with exposure, been that way even with the DSLRs A200/350/900 etc etc. The A77 was a good bit under indoors over a stop, the A99 is better, still it's a bit less than say a Canon or Nikon DSLR (they tend to expose brighter). The SLT hits the low light a bit, high ISO is worse as the light is lost, v the SLR mirror which is out of the way taking the photo. I never saw a problem with image resolution either or degrading it. Just seemed to me to be an odd way to go having a permanent mirror there. It's quite fragile too, you have to be careful with it, I know a good few people who damaged it and had to get a replacement.
I still like the A99, it can deliver the goods to this day. I honestly think if it had been an optical finder SLR I would have found that more interesting. It was way too early to go EVF. But I prefer optical finders even now having used other systems and EVF finders.
EVF was a big archievment these days. You loose a half stop, but at this time, Sony sensors are already class leading and the only way to get cleaner images on high ISO was Nikon.
Every idea need a starting point and A99 was quite interessting, but because of the reputation not a system where professionals investing in.
Today, its hard to get around Sony mirroless cameras.
@@polarized8708 In terms of dynamic range the A99 is still very good, low light a Nikon DSLR was about a stop better (in this era), I think they got a bit more out of the sensor. The SLT concept has plus and minus points to it, Sony were brave but also a bit premature. I found the A99 usable for action photography, but it was much easier to use an Optical finder for fast movement.
I still like it, despite it's flaws. Shame the A99II was so expensive and still is even used crazy price
I never updated my firmware.
What am I missing and where can I find the simplest instruction?
Google A99 firmware update and the Sony site in your region will come up, it has detailed instructions on the download site. I could link but it's best to search as your country will come up first.
good morning, I have an audio recording problem on my Sony A 99. the internal microphone is only activated with headphones inserted. what can I do? Thank you.
I have not heard of this problem, sounds like an electronic/connection issue. I'm not even sure Sony are fixing these now, and even if they do it might not be economical.
@@MrBazReviews Thank you.
This was the last camera that has ATG features & now missed on all other cameras
1. ATG AF assist beam on body is very helpful
2. ATG Pan shot
It would be nice if this camera can do tethered live-view to a computer. That was a major drawback for us.
All Sony SLT cameras have live-view displaying on EVF or LCD. And Sony forgot to do that once connected to p.c.
I think there was a plug in for tethering (for Lightroom), I've never tried it so can't comment on that.
Later models, I did try the A77II via Wi-Fi and it was useless. Even setting the camera to manual it just put it into Full Auto (sigh), and it was impossible to GPS tag images, except a small 2mp image on a phone. Software refused to let you get full size images.
The Minolta style AF assist beam, easily the best AF assist ever made. Not annoying like the bright LED assist on some other makers, much more subtle and very effective with a grid pattern, it worked even on 0 contrast subjects. Sadly, that got dropped too on the A99II and A77II.
It's still a pretty good camera, yet the release price was unrealistic in my view, and Sony badly needed a more affordable full frame body (D610 price range at that time). The EVF was not IMO up to the job for faster action, I much prefer using an OVF
@@MrBazReviews There are three software for wireless or tethered shooting. But can't get live-view.
1. ATG Hasselblad Phocus
2. Sony Capture (Imaging Edge)
3. Adobe Lightroom
You are correct regarding to ATG AF assist beam. Also the ATG's Minolta Hotshoe was the best until they made the junk MIS.
Do you use much of the ATG's Pan modes?
@@angelisone I don't tether never have so can't really give any information. I'm a straight shoot edit later person, always have been.
The multi-interface shoe is a disaster, it's not fully compatible with some shoes as the sync port is off centre, it doesn't auto lock unlike others (I had multiple flashes fall off the camera as there is no locking pin to prevent that)
It also can lock up if you get water on the contacts. If you notice with Canon they added the extra contacts at the front, they kept the flash contacts the same.
Never had any time for Sony's MIS was poorly thought out. They only recently got around to metal shoe flashes, the plastic MIS shoes break easily.
@@MrBazReviews Many flashes parked onto body's MIS will break off.
Minolta's hotshoe was the best. But now Sony has the world's worst hotshoe!
@@angelisone I think Godox are now using a metal foot (mostly metal), the plastic feet on all the flashes even from Sony break. I have a plastic foot Metz flash for Nikon, and it doesn't break because it is square. The MIS has the 2 tabs at the front; hence they get more pressure and break.
I only have a few A mount things left anyway; I lost interest in Sony after they ghosted their A Mount users. Canon have also messed up with their shoe, as the new flashes out just have the front awful contacts. Some makers like Canon just copy Sony even if it's a dumb idea
I just ordered one to replace my a77
I think you'll find it a nice step up, particularly in low light/high ISO. I had the A77 quite liked it, but it did struggle a bit in lower light. It's easy to move between bodies as the layout is basically the same
I still use my A99 professionally. I do have an A99II, but I've never really liked it. The A99II has specs but its ergonomics and handling are inferior...
I've never used the A99II, I wasn't convinced Sony were sticking with A Mount so didn't want to invest in one.
Body wise looks similar to the A77/77II, which I have used perhaps the body shape is easier on the A99 (taller grip)
Looks like a canon lol
Top plate buttons are IMO a copy of Canon almost