Sunday Boredom: Ask Us Anything About the Sony A99

by Chris Gampat on 11/25/2012

Hey readers, we just got the Sony A99, 135mm f1.8, 85mm f1.4 (yes the Zeiss ones) 50mm f1.4 and HVL-F60M all in for review and we’ve been playing with them quite a bit so far. We understand that there is a ton of interest about the camera and the system overall. To help you guys out, we’d love to answer any questions you have about the camera, lenses, flash, and system.

But before you fire away, take a look at our studio tests with the A99, high ISO test sample, our landscape tests, and our first impressions. Plus, be sure to check out exactly which lenses will take full advantage of Sony’s new AF-D mode. If you’re in the market for a Sony DSLR, also be sure to take a look at which lenses we recommend for the system at the budget level.

Leave us a comment down below in the post. I’ve got nothing to do until tonight and will be happy to answer your questions.

Tagged as: 50mm f1.4, 85mm f1.4, a99, high iso, HVL-F60M, landscapes, questions, sony, studio, zeiss

Peter Walkowiak

Do you find it slow to turn on? By this I mean the time time from switching it on to the first shot compared to your 5D.
- ChrisGampat
  
  It is actually. My 5D Mk II will quickly clean the sensor and be ready to shoot in around one second.
  
  The A99 will start up, go into Live View mode for some odd reason, initialize the card and then get to it. It seems like around 3.5 seconds.
  *Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief
  - Joe Stealthmode
    
    This is consistent with the first firmware revisions of the A77. After 1.04, it fired up much faster. I expect the A99 start up time will be faster in a future revision
    - http://www.facebook.com/ZebraBriefs Quyen Ba
      
      my A900 takes about 1 second to turn on or off, but the A99 takes about 4 seconds to fully display on the lcd and another 4 seconds until you can press the shutter release. that is 1 second versus 8 seconds.
      - Peter Walkowiak
        
        This is the time I have seen on a friends model as well. Sure overtime it will get faster but it should come out the gates like that.
Murali

While tethering, would the clean HDMI produce a continuous live view on a monitor or it is the old fashioned way ( no live view but picture transfer only).. Thx for your help..
- ChrisGampat
  
  All depends on how you set it up and what monitor you’re using.
  
  *Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief
  - Murali
    
    So in case I was using my Mac for tethering in a studio setup and assuming I have the required setup correctly configured, would I be able to sit with my client (away from the camera) in front of the Mac and keep shooting using Liveview? If Mac does not work, any specific monitor? ..thx
    - ChrisGampat
      
      With you using Live View on the camera? Yes. Your client sitting down at the computer will see the images as they come up but not a live sync preview from the camera. Most people tether shoot studio style through Lightroom or Capture One. It’s dependent on that.
      
      *Chris Gampat*
      Editor in Chief
      The Phoblographer
      Check us out on Twitter and Facebook
      - Murali
        
        Thx…
        
        ChrisGampat
        
        Let me know if you have any questions. I hope I was able to help.
    - ChrisGampat
      
      Also, most people tether through USB unless you’re medium format, then it’s firewire.
      
      *Chris Gampat*
      Editor in Chief
steve

What Kind Of Dynamic Range Are You GettinG From Raw Images in Lightroom?
- ChrisGampat
  
  Some of the best I’ve seen to be honest with you. Take a look at the landscape post.
  
  It’s better than the X Pro 1′s and also better than the 5D Mk IIIs in my opinion. The only thing I’m not liking is that at 100%, there is a very evident tight grain structure that isn’t always pleasing at high ISOs but at low ISOs can be nice.
  
  *Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief
Simon

Hi there, after many years of kind of just fooling around with photography I’ve recently decided to get a little more serious and move up to a full frame dslr. I’ve been doing a lot of research and of course I came up with Canon, Nikon but hadn’t really considered a Sony. I do have an old Canon dslr with one decent macro lens. I’m not committed to any brand though and was just after your opinion on whether the Sony is worth the risk. I’m really more into stills/street and have read consistently good reviews but was wondering about image quality compared to the D800, D600, 5D, 5D Mk III. I know they’re all great cameras, so I’m just after an unbiased opinion. I’m rambling now, so I’ll shut up. Thanks.
- ChrisGampat
  
  As a hobbyist, you’d be best going for the 6D or the D600. Sony is awesome but the other options may be more attractive for street in some ways while Sony’s autofocus is the fastest.
  - Simon
    
    Thanks for getting back so quickly. I’ll have another serious look at those.
    - ChrisGampat
      
      Let me know if you have any other questions.
Steve

What are your feelings about the Sony’s evf vs. A traditional dslr’s view finder. I’d be interested to here your take on it and specifically how you feel about Sony’s evf which in my opinion is one of the best.
- ChrisGampat
  
  I’m going blind and wear glasses, an EVF is much better for me vs an OVF. I used to be a videographer too so I’m used to them.
  - Steve
    
    I also come from a video background and that is why I’m in seriously looking at this camera. Have you had a chance to look at the video coming from this camera, particularly 1080 60p? Thanks for you insight.
    - ChrisGampat
      
      ISO 2500 is super noisy. But low iOS footage is beautiful with the right glass. I have to do uncompressed and I still haven’t yet.
      
      Honestly though the VG900 seems to produce better footage.
http://www.facebook.com/billy.jackson.1422 Billy Jackson

Chris,

In expanding on Simon’s question regarding the A99, 5dMark III and the D800, which would you pick if you had to select just one camera of the three?
- ChrisGampat
  
  I own Canon gear, so that would be it. But if I were start all over again, Sony because they’re actually innovating.
  - http://www.facebook.com/billy.jackson.1422 Billy Jackson
    
    Thank you for the honest reply. Since I shoot Pentax, I’ve always pulled for the “other guys”, but I own no full frame lenses leaving me zero penalty for moving to any of the above.
    
    The only thing I worry about is the light loss from the translucent mirror. Your pictures are excellent, but wonder what shooting in low light would produce with the less than pleasing noise patterns you mentioned discovering in some of your high ISO shots.
    - ChrisGampat
      
      So far the 5D mk iii might be the best. But I actually have a lot of faith in this camera.
    - Joe Stealthmode
      
      In terms of ISO noise the light loss from the translucent mirror is much less evident in the A99 than it was in the A77, in my opinion. I don’t have a formal lab to measure the specifics, but the A99 produces better results than the A900 by a full stop above 800 from my rudimentary tests, with more retained detail at the same metering values. So less noise and better post-processing. Granted, the sensor is also 4 years newer. The A99 is two full stops better than the A77 in my experience. ISO 1600 on the A99 is as good or better than ISO 400 on the A77. Now, that is my opinion and my experience which is limited to the last 4 weeks or so since the A99 arrived and I am still on the honeymoon as they say. I would have never gone above ISO 1600 on my A77 unless my life depended on it, 3200 on the A900, but I am OK with 6400 and 12800 on the A99 in some situations. I am picky but realistic. Pixel peepers may disagree.
      - ChrisGampat
        
        In our initial tests, it worked perfectly with Sunny 16 metering rules. If that isn’t good enough, I’m not sure what is.
        
        *Chris Gampat*
        Editor in Chief
        The Phoblographer
        Check us out on Twitter and Facebook
        
        Joe Stealthmode
        
        Doesn’t get any more meat and potatoes than that. My first tests had the A900 with a slight edge, but then I realized I had some light creeping in on the A900 tests I didn’t have with the A99 tests so I threw out those results, controlled the environment and found them to meter identically with everything turned off, focus and metering configured identically. I learned more about how not to test on the second test than I did about any differences with metering. I did find the A99 to be sharper and have less noise. My first tests had mirror slap on the A900 and the second tests were shot with the mirror open. I may test one more time with SS on just to ensure a final verdict. My eye test shows indeterminate light loss so far. I’ll be interested in seeing some of the more scientific testing. I am sure there is someone out there who will remove the mirror on the A99. All I know is it won’t be me.
        
        ChrisGampat
        
        We’re not the guys to do scientific testing, we’re much more about performance.
        
        *Chris Gampat*
        Editor in Chief
        
        Joe Stealthmode
        
        Yeah, I am figuring that out the more I read your stuff.
        
        ChrisGampat
        
        Yeah, we’re an alternative that more tests products in real life use. We’re not lab guys at all. No photographer will ever buy a camera to sit there and shoot charts all day, they’d much rather photograph a pretty landscape.
        *Chris Gampat*
        Editor in Chief
        
        Joe Stealthmode
        
        I work from home in my real job, and when the weather is crappy I do a little bit of testing so I can attempt to put interesting content in my blog, but more than anything else it is so I can figure out the little nuances. It surprises me to this day how much I still don’t know about the vast amount of settings my bodies provide and the testing provides a cheap way to do just that without trying to figure that out when I really need to take the shot. Regardless, I am grateful of what I’ve read so far.
Tim

For all you guys interested in the a99 it’s a game changer. Do a search on google + for Frank Doorhof he has an album shot in New York using just the a99, he has a shot there done on Iso 10000, pretty good
Pingback: A99 videos roundup… | sonyalpharumors
Roke Tootoo

Is there a Canon EF to Sony A Mount Adapter you know of?……cant seem to find any. Would love to use my Canon lenses on the A99
- ChrisGampat
  
  Not that I’ve seen before.
  
  *Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief
http://www.facebook.com/ZebraBriefs Quyen Ba

i just bought the A99 and my major complaints are: the hot shoe adapter does NOT work with the f58am flash, it wobbles, and by the end of the night stopped working entirely in the hot shoe. hopefully the f60am has and very sturdy metal shoe base. does anyone know if the f60am can turn on the flash while the LEDs are also on? that way can do a powerful bounce flash and LEDs for fill light.
and then the EVF, tried it with radio triggers to off camera flash, and the EVF just blacks out. i have it on everything manual, and know that the exposure is at perfect settings, but the evf doesnt compensate. there might be a way to increase brightness of the evf, but it would be buried deep in the menu. wish the EVF had a button on the side that has 3 modes. first mode is what it already has. 2nd evf mode would mimic a ovf and let you see as it actually is. and 3rd mode would just optimze the evf to give u the brightest view for use in low light.
also the center autofocus point does some kind of weird tracking even though all the face tracking options are disabled. my A900 seems to focus faster with the center point.
- ChrisGampat
  
  Yes, it can work with no issues.
  
  *Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief
  The Phoblographer
  Check us out on Twitter and Facebook
  - http://www.facebook.com/ZebraBriefs Quyen Ba
    
    Hi ChrisGampat, is this yes as in both LEDs and Flash same time? Thnx!
- http://www.facebook.com/roma.tataru Roma Tataru
  
  >> and the EVF just blacks out
  I suggest you read the manual, go to menu and change “Live View Display – Settings Effect Off”
  - http://www.facebook.com/ZebraBriefs Quyen Ba
    
    no, it is not anything to do with live view. shot is at base iso100, f8-16, 1/250 sync, indoors in poor lighting with radio triggers for studio lighting. the evf is darkened to the point that you cannot see anything and so basically blacksout and is unusable. and it is not a studio that u can leave on constant settings, it was a party so adjusting viewfinder brightness each and every time is not pratical. same problem on the nex7 when trying zone focusing method at dark places. with an ovf i could do it.
  - http://www.facebook.com/ZebraBriefs Quyen Ba
    
    just got home and tried it, evf is now actual. Thanks! but there should be a quick button for it. instead of the evf/lcd button.
Shawn

Why is the IQ of the video so poor with the a99 and the VG900?
- ChrisGampat
  
  Not sure what you’re talking about. Have you viewed raw footage? It’s really quite nice actually.
  
  *Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief
Phil

how does it compare with the Canon Mark II or III when it comes to video?
iphoto27

I do not want hdmi live-view tethered to a monitor.

How do you get live-view tethered to a calibrated Window PC computer?
Without it then the video shooting & still preview are useless over Canon and Nikon’s.
Jenn

Hi, I have a99 but my Sony Zeis135mm 1.8 (which I absolutely loved with my a900) simply does not perform in auto mode – it massively overexposes. The viewfinder shows the perfect photo and then immediately adjusts the exposure. Very annoying! The only way I can use it is by using pasm and stepping down the exposure by between 2 and 3 full stops. Sorry I am not very technical but I was wondering whether you have any ideas. I am having success with the Sony 50mm 1.4 and a tamron 200 – 500 1.5 -6.3 . Any ideas