Last Updated on 02/28/2024 by Mobiloud Phoblographer
My current favorite poet, R.H. Sin, says “Nothing is louder than overthinking…” That’s the thought process I embraced when using the Sony a9 III in auto mode. For several years, other photographers and I have wondered why Sony even bothered to put the mode on all their cameras. I was told that it was more or less for all the people who had money to burn. Sony Artisans have said that it’s so you can hand the camera off to someone who doesn’t know how to shoot — though we can also say that aperture and program auto will do the job just fine. So with the Sony a9 III in hand after an extended preview, I was truly curious how it performed. For an entire weekend, I only shot the camera in Auto Mode.
To understand where I’m coming from on this, know that I’ve never shot in the auto mode on Sony interchangeable lens cameras. Instead, I’d always go for manual mode or automatic mode. More importantly, I’ve owned them since the Sony a7 original and I’ve been using them for over 15 years. Their evolution into what they are now is highly commendable. Perhaps more than any other brand out there, they epitomize the idea that you kill your future by mourning the past. To be fair, they don’t really celebrate their past either because they truly don’t have much of one compared to Leica, Canon, Fujifilm, or Nikon. Sony is an innovator, and sometimes they do absolutely crazy things that make no sense just for funsies.
Because of this, they’re very appealing to new photographers and people who want to cosplay as photographers. Please note that I’m holding back from using another c-word that marketers lump us all into. As a hint, it’s a term used to encompass the idea of a journalist, a photographer, a videographer, a YouTube chef, an OnlyFans girl, and a sculptor.
So this short overview isn’t my full camera review yet — that’s still coming. Instead, it’s an exploration of the chaos that many photographers consider taboo and blasphemous while getting caught up in their own pretension. In truth, I’m 37 and I’ve been shooting since I was 17 with a stocked photo portfolio under my belt. Like a black belt returning to white belt, I can put a camera in any mode I want and still make something someone will like.
It Still Shoots RAW
First off, know that the Sony a9 III shoots RAW in auto mode. Weird, right? Most other camera brands only give you the JPEG file. And often, I only care about the JPEG. On my Fujifilm, Panasonic, and Canon cameras I have profiles set up to look like film of some sort. They’re so that I don’t have to edit in post-production and instead, they force me to get the image to my liking in-camera. Most times, I can do it. But sometimes, I need to edit.
With the Sony a9 III that I’ve got on loan, I don’t want to load profiles onto it. So instead, I’m just shooting and applying presets in Capture One later. During the weekend shooting auto with the Sony a9 III, I got a few hundred photos. I went through them and starred the ones I liked, then imported them, culled down further from the rated images, applied presets, then I was done. It was quick — but more importantly, I wasn’t shooting with anyone particular in mind. Sure, these images go on one of the largest photography publications with accreditation in the world. Maybe they’ll appeal to you; and maybe they won’t. But I’ve got reasons for liking the images that I’m presenting here.
The Automatic Portrait Scene Modes are Incredible
One of the things that I noticed working with the Sony a9 III in auto mode is the fact that it adapts and chooses all these other scene modes based on what it recognizes, the focusing settings, etc. That means that if the lighting on a person is primarily coming from behind them, the camera will balance the two out pretty well. Even more amazingly the images look good and not like an iPhone attempting to do an HDR portrait.
The Colors Have Improved
I’ve tested all the Sony a9 cameras before this one. And for many years, I’ve never liked the color output. Something about it always make skin tones look like everyone has a secret thin layer of BBQ sauce on their epidermus. But that’s not the case with the new Sony a9 III. Years ago, I wrote a tutorial on how to make your images look like film with a Sony camera. And at the moment, I still have yet to try this.
More Misses Than Hits for Candid Shooting
One of the things that I was bound to do with the Sony a9 III is street photography. And I assume that anyone who buys a camera like this and shoots it in auto mode will be really experimental too. What I found is that sometimes the camera’s metering modes are odd. It doesn’t always freeze fast-moving subjects in auto mode — and so someone wanting to photograph sports or their dog running around might find this disappointing. So be sure to select some sort of sports mode if you can.
The Sony a9 III in Auto Mode is Legit
Overall, I thought that the Sony a9 III in auto mode was pretty great if you’re alright with doing some post-production later on. I also think that if you’re getting started these days that older full-frame cameras are a great entry as APS-C cameras are often treated like the weakest chick being forced out of the bird’s nest. Even if you’re reading this article at a time when the camera is old news, it’s still going to be great. Considering how little value Sony gear holds, it’s bound to get really affordable too.
So if you’re an experienced photographer, feel free to let go for a bit and try this.