Sony Alpha SLT-A99 Body

Advantages: - Electronic viewfinder
- Phase autofocus in video mode
- Swivel screen system
- Elegant layout of the buttons on the back side.
- Silent Controller presence.
- Highlighting the AF area in the video (Focus Peaking).
- Sound levels and gyroscope, on display and in EVI.
- A fairly flexible system for setting recording in 2 memory slots.
- 3 modes of high-speed photo shooting.
- There is a very interesting optics from Minolta (if you look).
- Easier second Mark.

Disadvantages: - Video-AF does not work on a diaphragm below 3.5.
- Video-AF works only in auto-exposure mode. It is clear that both points are foolproof, but for those who know what they are doing, they could have done so.
- No backlight shooting mode switch. In the club namayalsya with this.
- Because EVI is unfit for wildlife. The battery will sit down while you are waiting for the moose :)
- Optics are few, and even less affordable.

Comment: There were 12 hours of photography with hands and video with shoulder rig in the exhibition hall and in a nightclub, non-stop.
Phase autofocus is a bomb. Neither I nor the speaker need to stand like idols. Prior to this, a speaker’s passage along the embankment with a slight panning was shot at it with a tripod, that is, the announcer goes to the camera, always around the center of the frame, but the camera itself is panned. You hit the face, pick up the Trace Object, and go. You can even check out if your hands and lens allow it. And all this with a hole of 3.5 and an inaccessible video camera depth of field.

Particularly pleased with the layout of the buttons Record Video, Exposure Freeze, AF / MF. Shot from the shoulder riga (2 pens) interviews with two people in the frame in a nightclub. Lighting conditions are still.It was necessary to adjust the focus under one person, turn off the AF, freeze the exposure on one person, and then put together 2 people in the frame and start recording. So all this is done with one thumb on this fotik, because there is autofocus in the video, there is an AF / MF button at the back, and it is fashionable without pressing AEL to reach the Record Movie. And that you do not even imagine what happiness.

For a long time I could not understand what the usual pivoting screen didn’t please like everyone else and why I need this showcase. The very first shooting in the club on top of the heads in the crowd showed me what was happening in this life: with this screen you can hold the camera firmly TWO with your hands, behind the body or behind the lens and shoot from any point, even when you are inadvertently pushed .

I had 2 batteries with me. I changed them by 20%, and by this time the second one was exactly fully charged. Total spent 3 AKB. Like. These are 1100 photos + 85 min.
What is bad - you can not shoot video with AF and exposure priority. That is, when you exit the darkness into the light, he can easily make 1/250 out of your 1/50. And in the dark to do 1/20. And that's bad.

Now, if you remove the limitations of video-AF, add the priority of exposure in the video and the matrix like the Sony A7S, then it will be a fotik of my dream.

Advantages: -Color, of course. One of the most adequate cameras for this parameter.
-Dynamic range. Saves on sunny days.
- Light sensitivity. At Mark 2, half a stop loses to Mark 3.
-Stabilizer inside (losing half-stop of photosensitivity 5D to Mark 3, plays 2-3 feet when shooting more or less static objects / people). For me, as a portrait painter, this is very important. I rented where my friend and her former Mark 2 (the other day also switched to a99)) could not.
-Working liveview. It's very convenient to shoot through the screen.)
- Swivel screen. I rented where the owners canon and Nikonov can not. :)
-Electronic viewfinder. It shows how to get a frame, light / dark, with what colors. You can not even imagine how time is saved when shooting.
-Good video.
- It so happened that it does not suck at all the dust. Use a pear to clean only the lenses and the RFP itself.

Disadvantages: -AF module loses to competitors, especially in frame coverage, which is a little depressing after a77 (although I did not use the additional 102 points on the matrix).
-No support for AF-D autofocus mode (additional 102 AF points on the array) for third-party lenses. Sony, well, seriously, it's not so difficult to do this (on the Canon 70D, the dots on the matrix work with all lenses), and there would be a lot of benefit for us.
-When you reset to the card, when you turn it off, and then turn it on, it does not start shooting until it drops all the photos. The solution is to not turn off in vain, but this must be learned.)
- In the first batch, after some time, the control wheels begin to creak. I passed under warranty, done for one and a half working days.
-It would be nice to have a smooth focus in the video (as in the movies) immediately from the open aperture (and not fast with f / 3.5).

Comment: Despite some shortcomings, I think a99 is the best choice for a portrait painter. Unfortunately, there are no combinations of such useful features among competitors.
Improve, of course, is where. This mainly concerns a rather narrow zone of autofocus sensors and, probably, video compression.
As for doubts about the quality of the pivoting screen - if you have straight arms and you don’t have the habit of dropping equipment for 100 thousand rubles, everything will be fine with it. I have never heard anyone break it.
From pleasant - Sony a99 became the best advanced camera of 2013-2014 according to the EISA version (association of European magazines on audio, photo and video equipment). :)

Examples of pictures on a99 can be seen on my site thefretties.com

Advantages: Color, sensitivity, stabilizer, viewfinder, video, swivel screen, recording on two cards synchronously.

Disadvantages: HDR, panorama and the like - only in jpeg, not very intelligible pyletryas (although much better than nothing)

Comment: The camera is amazing, with great color, the noise by 16,000 corresponds approximately to 1,600 on the a37 crope (the previous camera). There may be complaints about autofocus but, in my opinion, these are trifles - it is quite fast and clear (although there are some better ones). By the sum of advantages, the camera simply doesn’t have any alternatives - for example, a rotating screen allows you to receive such frames that you can’t get anymore. The stabilizer in the carcass allows you to use lenses that are significantly cheaper than with the built-in stabilizer. Old Minolta behaves surprisingly well - of course, hares are sharper and more stable, but Minolta has a more beautiful picture, even if in pixel-by-pixel sharpness.

Advantages: Color, high ISO, optics Zajs, optics Minolty, EVI, stub in the carcass, video 1080p @ 60, high-speed shooting, ergonomics.

Disadvantages: FAF system, slow start, slow exit from sleep.

Comment: At one time, when choosing a system, I saw a photo with the a850 + 135z and there were few chances left for NK. For a close acquaintance with the system, I took one of the younger carcasses with PPZ. The functional was satisfied, the shortcomings of the system recognized as irrelevant. Acquired a99. She in conjunction with 135z ah ... beautiful!
Sensors on the matrix almost completely solve the problem with standard Faf sensors. In any case, with the 70200g and 135z glasses, focusing becomes faster and more accurate when the focus mode is activated by sensors on the matrix.
As a portrait painter / landscape painter / lover, a carcass satisfies me 100%.
The presence of autofocus optics from Zais is considered the main advantage of the system, which more than covers all its shortcomings.

Advantages: Excellent color rendering, dynamic range.
Electronic viewfinder good quality.
Beautiful optics Carl Zeiss.
Ergonomics and security krpusa.
Swivel monitor.

Disadvantages: Translucent mirror.
High energy consumption.
Insufficient for working with video monitor resolution.
Weak latch compartment flash drives.

Comment: Gorgeous, just great camera, especially for shooting video. At the moment I'm finishing shooting a 12-episode movie. The main camera - A99. Passed the hardest weather conditions - without any problems. Quality and photos and videos at the highest level.
If you are looking for a "combine" with the possibility of quality work in photos and videos - perhaps A99 is the best choice.

Advantages: Matrix 35 mm. Electronic viewfinder. white balance, comfortable grip. Dustproof, waterproof, impact-resistant magnesium alloy casing, which is also quite light. 2 memory cards with simultaneous recording. Reinforced bayonet (mount the lens to the camera). Video Capabilities. Select the autofocus range. Maximum speed 10 frames per second. Folding swivel screen.

Disadvantages: Semi transparent mirror. Electronic viewfinder, increased power consumption. New shoe. Autofocus does not reach the "pro", especially with a lack of lighting.

Comment: It seems that the marketers of the Sony company at the final stage of refinement started gas in the department where the photo engineers worked, and they had to be urgently replaced by others, from the floor where I was developing video equipment.
EVI is certainly good, but mostly for amateurs, twisted - saw - sfotal. After a day of looking at the EVI, the eye is clearly tired. In addition, very eats the battery.
To prevent the old "shoe"? The next step is to release the carcass with a new bayonet with an adapter included?
About autofocus so much has been said in the announcements, in the end, it is still not completed. Even with room lighting, it may not focus at all on the object.
The matrix is ​​clearly gorgeous, but with a loss of 30% (!!!!) of the light due to a semi-mirror, all its advantages are reduced to -1.
The device is very good, like a combine all in one, only the price will scare the amateurs, and the opportunities will disappoint the professionals.
I, as a hostage of the system, will use and enjoy!

Advantages: 35mm matrix
translucent mirror
high iso values ​​without noise
1600 quietly takes out
good grip in hand

Disadvantages: the shoe to the flash, even though it comes bundled and comes with an adapter for standard Sonic, but still, if it were not there, it would have to be searched on the Internet.

Comment: I really liked the machine, it is very comfortable to sit in the hand, the price is really high, but it's worth it.
Additionally, my work can be found here:
zshabalin.ru

there really is mixed up with 700 alpha, but fresh already with 99 :)

Advantages: It is the best in this price category, viewfinder - no need to take an extra frame to surprise how the photo will look like to adjust the exposure, as you see on the screen or viewfinder it will. in the reportage is very useful. Swivel screen. is really working iso 6400 if in RAW, although even in a jeepag with an average noise level. With a vertical handle very comfortable car. With speed card photos merges very quickly, no brakes. The color is very high quality, with the right settings very smooth transitions in the shadows, very good dynamic range.

Disadvantages: Well, I do not know if only the firmware is V 1.00 but I took with Sony 50mm 1.4 autofocus 19 + 102 focus points work.

Comment: I watched Alpha with tseysy 28-70 and 135mm picture is super, or rather just a razor !!!.
But I decided to compare it with the Nikon D800 with top glasses 24-70 and 70-200. I didn’t like the quality of the picture; when zooming in, the micro-shift is visible, and lifting up the shutter speed you have to turn up the ISO. Noise appears. Nikon turned out to be a camera for a studio, he needs ideal conditions, a lot of light and static objects and, unlike the razor sharpness of alpha, with a good frame, the sharpness and detail is "toporn". So it’s definitely Sony, because with the built-in stub it works wonders, it’s for everything, the tracking focus in my opinion is in no way inferior to the Canon 5dmark3. In my opinion the best camera, only Canon 1DX is better.

Advantages: She is new, new in everything! Everything else is just a dense archaism in terms of techno. Workers 3600 and 6400! The focus is very clever even in dark places with an almost total absence of light (clubs, restaurants, and so on, the speed of pickup for such conditions is simply reactive) Do you like DD, even under certain conditions do not have to. The picture is deep, very detailed and sharp. Absolutely neutral in contrast and color. Advantage for post processing. Insanely ergonomic grip! The grip that the brush remembers and everything else in the hand seems completely awkward and inconvenient. The screen is a separate topic! Finally, you can not crawl with cancer and do not climb trees when framing interesting corners and scenes. On my pilot a77, after a while I began to notice that I was starting to take more and more off the belt, through the screen, like on old film medium format books. Stretched arms, monopod under the sky, a fairy tale. And at the same time the picture is fully exposed! You can play with tone, light and shadows, without losing time for shooting. 100% EVI coverage. The switching time from screen to viewfinder is so minimal that you don’t notice this transition as long as the pupil focuses on the picture. What they write about the low speed switch is not true! Never mind. Autofocus in video modes! Present! like in camcorders. The only problem is limited to a diaphragm of 3.5. Apparently, the engineers tried to achieve fast and accurate aiming, which is not in open holes, the focus will simply crawl over the entire distance field.3.5 is an acceptable value. I found a way out, just locking the diaphragm lever with a piece of gum on the lens. The camera shows 3.5 but shoots at 1.4 :)
Battery life
In general, I am extremely pleased with the change of the system! I have two carcasses for the wedding day a77 with a very strong 16-50 2.8 for the reportage and a99 with the rest of the set for the artist, I especially like the bundle a99 and 135 1.8 ceys. fabulous picture

Disadvantages: 2 weddings bye with this camera. Plainly there is nothing to complain about. Although I do not like the fact that they removed the built-in flash, they are very helpful when they overheat on-camera or to ignite at high speed without a synchronizer.

Comment: I thought it would be volatile, wrong. Batteries last for about 1500-1800 frames. Good figure.
Up to 99 he worked with a77, he got used to it so much that he stopped noticing the crop, 77 was very fast. Like a bunch of her family 16-50 2.8. With full-length ceysy gave just awesome picture. He switched to sony from the canon, there was 5dmk2 on which the pixel in half of the sensor caught fire, quickly sold. There was no hysterics about cropping, I knew that 99 was coming out soon. So a77 in terms of work (not appreciating the picture) at that time was like an alien from outer space in comparison with an archaic 5d brick)) I cite as an example a77, they are with a99 twin sisters, with a difference in the sensor and a couple more things. The camera is extremely pleased. For me, the main work and convenience! I have been waiting for such a camera since I once pampered with toy R1. It had a hook that hooked and forced to shoot and enjoy. A99 for me resumed my relationship with this technique. Fabulous technology, great picture, 3600-6400 working iso, tenacious focus, design, weight, screen, EVI, hold! I want to work! And at the same time I am not a perfectionist in terms of a picture, I need a good composition, an interesting angle, ease of use and mood ...

Advantages: fast serial shooting, the information content of the viewfinder, quiet operation (in the electronic shutter mode), the absence of vibration from the rise of the mirror, many different innovations not available from competitors in the segment. at least the expansion of the dynamic range, active noise reduction, built-in stabilizer, highlighting the sharpness zones in manual mode (right in the viewfinder)

Disadvantages: during photo processing, the viewfinder is not available, although on classical mirrors the same when the shutter is raised, expensive optics, there is little optics for ff, a translucent one of a mirror-like stage lowers the exposure

Comment: Regarding the arguments about energy efficiency given in the link review: Complete nonsense, at the very 77th viewfinder is turned on only when presented to the person, respectively, all the rest of the time it is turned off. IMHO lifting the same mirror is more energy-intensive. The camera works almost a day, during the day in the studio at night in the club, 2 times we charge enough for 1500-2000 frames