Review: Sony A9 mark III

Friday 19 April 2024, 15:30 by Nando Harmsen | 4,068 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

The Sony A9 mark III is the first camera with a global shutter. This reads the sensor in a single moment instead of line by line. I received this camera for an extensive review covering more than just the benefits of the global shutter.

The Sony A9 mark III is the third generation of Alpha cameras specifically aimed at action photography. The camera has a better ergonomic design and is easier to use thanks to more physical controls.

The ergonomics of the Sony A9 mark III are excellent. The camera fits perfectly in your hand.
This improved ergonomics is achieved through a well-designed grip and a more steeply angled shutter button. This makes it easier to operate the control dial below it without taking your finger off the shutter button.

The buttons provide good feedback and have a clear pressure point. The joystick works nicely, and an extra fifth custom button offers more personalised control options. Unfortunately, the control dial on the rear, with its four buttons, remains difficult to operate.

There is a double control dial on the left shoulder for setting the shooting and autofocus options. This is a great advantage because you no longer have to dive into the menu. Beneath the PASM dial is the switch for the photo/video/S&Q setting.

An overview of the buttons and control dials. Everything is within reach, so you do not have to dive into the menu.
The A9 mark III has inherited the fantastic tilting and flip-out screen from the A7R V. The electronic viewfinder has a high resolution and can refresh at up to 200 fps. This is perfect for fast action.

Speaking of action photography, the camera can capture up to 120 frames per second. This huge number means you will not miss a moment. Are you worried that you will be too late to take the photo? The pre-recording function can already capture images up to one second before you take the photo.

The autofocus has the familiar subject detection, with recognition for people, animals, birds, insects, cars/trains and aeroplanes. You can also choose a combined animal/bird setting. Unfortunately, the camera cannot automatically choose between these subjects. The AI engine allows the camera to predict movements, making autofocus tracking more accurate and faster.

The autofocus works quickly and accurately. The tracking sometimes fails at unexpected moments. This is an example of that. (A9m3 + FE300mm GM, ISO 320, f/2.8, 1/2,000 sec - AF tracking optimised - unedited photos)
The autofocus does not work flawlessly. There were more moments when the wrong subject was selected. The tracking also regularly failed, both in complex and simple situations.

The camera's control options are virtually endless. This means it is complicated to find the right settings. The autofocus options in particular can lead to disappointing results.

The camera's speed is perfect for action photography. Even in difficult lighting conditions (A9m3 + FE300mm GM, ISO 2,500, f/2.8, 1/1,000 sec - edited to taste)
The camera has several disadvantages that are characteristic of Sony. Although the menu is much better than the old one, it is not always logically structured, and abbreviations are confusing. There are limitations to the control options, such as a limit for the bulb timer and exposure simulation, which only shows up to +/- three stops of correction.

The global shutter is, of course, what makes this camera unique. It reads the sensor in a single moment. This means there is no longer any rolling shutter effect. You no longer have to worry about image distortion when panning.

Despite the panning, the vertical lines in the background are vertical. There is no rolling shutter effect at all, all thanks to the global shutter.
Another advantage is the ability to use flash with any desired shutter speed. In theory, this can even go up to 1/80,000th of a second, which is what the A9 mark III is capable of. In practice, there are hardly any flashes that can reach these fast speeds.

In practice, a shutter speed of 1/1,000th of a second will be the maximum for flash photography without resorting to high-speed sync. The flash duration is simply too long to get a good exposure at faster shutter speeds. Read more about this in my article on the subject.

In the studio with flash. Although all shutter speeds are possible, in practical terms it stops at around 1/500 to 1/1,000 sec ((A9m3 + Zeiss Batis 85mm, ISO 125, f/8, 1/500 sec - Profoto B10, edited to taste)
Because of its design, the base ISO is higher than what you are used to from other sensors. The lowest ISO value is ISO 250. You can force it down to ISO 125.

The ISO performance and dynamic range fall behind those of other Sony cameras. At ISO 6,400, noise is already clearly visible. You can brighten dark areas by up to four stops before the noise becomes distracting.

ISO performance compared with corrected underexposure. All photos are unedited, apart from a crop and exposure correction.
The Sony A9 mark III is a fantastic camera. I think it is the best camera Sony has made to date in terms of ergonomics, apart from a few minor drawbacks. The menu could be less cryptic, and it takes some study to find the optimal settings.

The global shutter is a fantastic technology that will particularly appeal to action photographers. Combine this with the huge frame rate and you have an ideal action camera. There are benefits for flash, but they are limited.

Athletics forest run, with AF tracking (A9m3 + FE300mm GM, ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/1,000 sec, unedited)
Are you not an action photographer, or do you only photograph fast action occasionally? In that case, the global shutter actually has more disadvantages. You give up a lot in terms of ISO performance and dynamic range.

Do you want to read everything about my findings, and the advantages and disadvantages? Then read my review on the Cameraland.nl website. The Sony A9 mark III is covered, along with the excellent Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS.

Thanks to Cameraland.nl for making the camera and the 300mm lens available.

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