Great Review on Sony A9, The Best Camera for Birds in Flight
I’m still doing my homework in finding the best camera being made for Birds in Flight. Last month I did a fairly substantial test of puffins flying straight at the camera with the Lumix G9, Olympus EM-1X, and the Sony A9. Sony won this comparison hands down, and I’m tempted to think about getting this camera with one lens just for action photography.
In my ongoing efforts to learn more about the Sony system, I found this extremely well done review by a young man named Timothy Mayo. Above is his version of the Speeding Pooch Test, though his dog does not look to be running as fast as the labs I typically use. Even so, the tests he ran are very convincing. Thought those of you who love action photography might enjoy seeing this young
Stewart DawberOn Oct. 27th, 2020
Thinking of getting the A9 and the 200-600mm for my wildlife photography & film work, I am coming from Nikon DX on the D500 and the AFS 300mm 2.8 Non VR, I have been 23 years with Nikon but feel the Sony A9 will deliver better results for fast moving animals and video AF too, I am weeks from starting Eagle work and its time to make the choice, would you say the A9 beats the A7RIV , the choice of cropping the image with more MP on the A7RIV is tempting but not sure if it beats or on level with the A9?
Daniel J. CoxOn Oct. 27th, 2020
Hi Stewart, thanks for stopping by. I can’t comment on comparing the A7R1V to the A9 since I’ve never used the A7. But from many reviews I’ve read and others I’ve talked to, the A9 is still far superior for fast moving action. The one other thing I’ve noticed is that the A9 does better with the 100-400mm compared to the 200-600mm. Not substantially better but it is noticeable. Either way/lens, the A9 is an absolute rocket when it comes to AF and you won’t be disappointed.
Terence K.On Jul. 29th, 2020
As my ambitions grow and my modest ability improves, I too am encountering the limits of the g9 DFD AF system as well. Not wanting to give up the reach advantage of a crop sensor, I have been playing with the idea of a used D500 and Nikon 200-500 or possibly a Sigma 60-600. Any feedback?
Daniel J. CoxOn Aug. 10th, 2020
I’ve pretty much decided for now on the Sony A9 with their 200-600mm zoom for my wildlife and nature shoots. For me there are just too many benefits to mirrorless to go back to the old DSLR bodies. I’m also waiting to see the price of the coming Olympus 150-400mm which I might move to even though Olympus is being sold. For my travel photography I’m sticking with my LUMIX camera system.
ValeriuOn Jul. 25th, 2020
Thank you very much for your post, dear Dan.
Dean SwartzOn Nov. 22nd, 2019
Slight correction to my earlier comment: the battery is NOT larger in the a9 II, however, the battery life is about 10% greater than in the original a9! Sorry, I just got carried away with my raving!
Daniel J. CoxOn Nov. 22nd, 2019
Thanks, Dean. I appreciate the update. Have you picked up the new A9 Mark ll and what about the 200-600mm?
Dean SwartzOn Nov. 22nd, 2019
I don’t mean to make your life difficult, but I have one thing to write: Sony a9 II! The improved ergonomics and slightly better AF and IQ (there really wasn’t much room to grow there), plus bigger battery (i.e., longer battery life), and dual UHS II SD card slots make this close to a no-brainer! While I haven’t been able to get my hands on a 400mm f2.8 GM lens (mine has been on order for months), the 100-400mm GM (with and without the 1.4x teleconverter) is spectacular! I appreciate and respect your brand loyalty to Lumix, I encourage you to give serious consideration to a Sony Alpha kit! ;0)
Daniel J. CoxOn Nov. 25th, 2019
Hey Dean, I agree with you on the pluses of the new A9 Mark11. That said, I have no interest in a 400mm F/2.8 with or without teleconverters or anything else that comes close to the weight these lenses inspire. Yes, the new Sony 400mm F/2.8 is probably the lightest in the industry but it’s still too big, bulky and heavy to make me even want to think about it. All that and we’ve not even talked about price. NO THANK YOU! However, the 200-600mm is on my radar and I’m currently doing some tests with that lens. I’m in the process of comparing it to the Olympus 300mm F/4 with 1.4x and 2X teleconverters as well as the Leica 100-400mm. The results might surprise you. Stay tuned. Thanks for joining the conversation.
Luis MesaOn Nov. 19th, 2019
Panasonic has several new updates for the G and S cameras. Effective today you can download firmware update version 2.0 for the G9. It can now select the eye in animals like birds, dogs, cats, among several other updates. It appears that they have listened. I downloaded it and now i have to try it, and find out if it has improved the bif performance.
You can find it in Panasonic.com
Daniel J. CoxOn Nov. 19th, 2019
Thanks, Luis, hoping improvements are better than what we’ve seen in prior updates as far as Predictive AF is concerned.
Timothy MayoOn Oct. 11th, 2019
I just discovered this article (and your fantastic site) and wanted to say thank you very much for sharing my video Daniel. I’ll have to find some tastier treats to get Frank running a little faster next time!
I’ve since done a similar video photographing Red Kites but only had time to use one camera this time so decided to go with the a7III since it’s a more affordable pairing with the 200-600 or 100-400 than the a9. I hope to do some similar tests soon with the new a7R IV as well, but right now the weather here in the UK is not playing nicely.
I think the puffins in flight are most definitely one of the most challenging subjects for a cameras AF system due to their speed and small size, I’ll almost always grab the a9 when I have the opportunity to shoot them.
Well now that I’ve discovered your site and excellent work I’m looking forward to following your journey.
All the best, Tim
Daniel J. CoxOn Oct. 11th, 2019
My pleasure Timothy. You did an excellent review with lots of great examples. I was very impressed. They’re not easy to do. Thanks for your hard work and I look forward to continuing to follow your work.
Cecil ThornhillOn Oct. 7th, 2019
Dan, I have been following this thread along with Mark Smith’s experiences with the Sony ( https://msmithphotos.com/). However the size and weight of the glass is just a problem for me.
Even if Panasonic never delivers on “the pony of hope” (https://youtu.be/a6QihiKNhyI) (Camera Conspiracies, yes he is silly, but he has a point), how far back is Olympus?
At least they do have phase detect hardware…so the software could work…I hope…?
I just was hoping to be able to stay light via M43, but I do need the pictures to be in focus. Clearly the Sony solution fixes focus, but how bad is Olympus? Could the be an option if Panasonic never comes through?
I hate the thought of giving up hand holding for tripods and backaches. Not to mention bankruptcy for replacing everything yet again ?.
Daniel J. CoxOn Oct. 8th, 2019
I feel your pain Cecil. I’m an absolutely huge fan of the LUMIX system other than the AF flaws I’ve written about. I continue to believe Panasonic has the best camera being made today as far as ergonomics, durability and ease of use are concerned. AF is their only downfall but for many it’s a deal breaker. I continue to use the G9 for the vast majority of my wildlife and travel work but when the action starts I’m now using an Olympus EM-1X. That said, I’m not yet certain the Olympus is going to do the job as well as the Sony A9 I tested. I’ll be continuing to write about my findings and I’m hopeful that at some point LUMIX will make the grade. Until then I’ll be shooting whatever necessary to get the images I need for my professional work. Thanks for your input. I always enjoy hearing from our readers.
Robert SuttonOn Sep. 30th, 2019
Thanks Dan, great post and link and fascinating to see how effective all of those Sony models are at tracking albeit a reasonably steady moving dog. The birds in flight follow up will be more interesting. I am sorely tempted to hit the button on an A9. The hits rates are so appealing. Let us know how you are getting on with your own further tests.
Joel KleinerOn Sep. 27th, 2019
Thanks for posting this very interesting video blog Dan. It was really “eye” opening and informative. I sure learned a great deal. I’m looking forward to Timothy’s test of the one camera with birds in flight. That should be really special. I am amazed at the keeper rate on these cameras especially the A9, WOW!