p.1 #1 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
So, I went to the first practice round for the Memorial Tournament today, and I'll also be shooting tomorrow and Wednesday. The A9 seems perfectly suited to golf, with the high fps and the silent shutter. Golf clubs and balls generally are too fast for electronic shutter, so I was really curious to see how the faster readout worked.
First impressions:
- Silent shooting is fantastic...I never need to worry about when I'm taking a picture...just shoot away. While point of impact shots are possible, even at 20fps, it's rare to get at or just after impact....the club moves SO fast through that part of the swing. Also, aesthetically, after contact shots are better....but this also enables top of the swing shots like the first one, that other cameras really can't get with their louder shutters.
- Rolling shutter is FAR better than on any other electronic shutter I've used, though it's not perfect. At the bottom of the swing you can still see a little bit of warping, but it's pretty minor, and really not much different than the warping from the slit traveling across the frame with a mechanical shutter.
- However, because the electronic shutter is read in groups of lines, or appears to, with extremely fast moving objects and electronic shutter, there is banding at the edges of the super fast moving objects (read: the ball after contact with a driver). With clubs like wedges, it's not visible, but the driver will cause enough speed to make it visible at 100%. Thankfully, it's really not too hard to just lower sharpening locally around it and the banding goes away (and it's a blurred ball anyway due to the speed). Still, worth noting.
- I shot 875 shots today over the course of 5 hours and was at 68% on the battery when I left. I'll probably shoot in the neighborhood of 1200-1500 tomorrow and Wednesday (each), but it looks like battery life will be no problem at all for this sort of thing.
I'll post more shots and thoughts tomorrow and Wednesday as well.
All of these are A9 + 70-200mm f/2.8 GM. Some have the 1.4x TC on as well.
p.1 #2 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
Looks like the camera (and you) did a great job. It's fun to see the expressions of determination on their faces. My face likely looks like regret after almost every swing.
p.1 #3 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
These are great! The A9 seems wonderfully suited for golf. Having owned Sony cameras for a while now, I find myself more and more annoyed with shutter noise at sporting events...and especially at weddings.
p.1 #4 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
Bravo! Excellent view. Great subject isolation. Maybe we should start calling the A9 the Golf camera .... BTW, I found the GM 24-70 is a great match for the A9. From your images and as I suspected, the GM 70-200 + 1.4 x should be my next lens purchase.
p.1 #6 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
Wow Jordan, great job. The a9 will do wonderful at events when silent shutter is needed. I couldn't imagine shooting gold with a traditional mirrored camera with clacking going off.
p.1 #7 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
TMaG82 wrote:
Wow Jordan, great job. The a9 will do wonderful at events when silent shutter is needed. I couldn't imagine shooting gold with a traditional mirrored camera with clacking going off.
With DSLRs you have to shoot after contact with the ball, which, by the time the shutter actually goes off limits you basically to the post swing pose.
I've got some very unique shots planned for tomorrow that pretty much no one else can get without an A9...I just hope they work out.
p.1 #9 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
Perfect camera for golf and really is a game changer for guys shooting this as you never have to stop or wait till the swing is finished. Now we will see shots at impact on magazine covers. This is really cool stuff. Great shots BTW
p.1 #10 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
I have been shooting golf for 8 years at least 4-5 rounds a year. But not professional games. You managed to catch the fish few times there - especially bunker shots are funky to shoot. Usually the best stuff happens when outside the fairways
It is possible to time impact shots with just one exposure, lack of shutter lag helps there. Sometimes you manage to go with the flow and score lots of them in a row. Sure, hard to pull off in competitions with a DSLR without getting angry looks.
p.1 #11 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
MJKoski wrote:
I have been shooting golf for 8 years at least 4-5 rounds a year. But not professional games. You managed to catch the fish few times there - especially bunker shots are funky to shoot. Usually the best stuff happens when outside the fairways
It is possible to time impact shots with just one exposure, lack of shutter lag helps there. Sometimes you manage to go with the flow and score lots of them in a row.
p.1 #13 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
One screw up by firing the shutter at the wrong time at the professional level and you'll be watching from the back bleachers. When a couple million bucks are on the line, there is zero tollerence. A totally silent shutter is the way to go. Be interesting in watching the changing of the guard from CaNikon to Sony at the major golf events.
p.1 #14 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
chez wrote:
One screw up by firing the shutter at the wrong time at the professional level and you'll be watching from the back bleachers. When a couple million bucks are on the line, there is zero tollerence. A totally silent shutter is the way to go. Be interesting in watching the changing of the guard from CaNikon to Sony at the major golf events.
I expect to see a few Sony sponsored golf events over the next couple of years.
It seems there is already the Sony open in Jan in Hawaii. Wonder if they will be sure to have a few A9's shooting there?
p.1 #16 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
Great job with what appears to be the ideal tool. I'm curious as to whether you received any comments from other photographers who (enviously?) observed you shooting during the swings.
p.1 #17 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
MJKoski wrote:
Yes true. Well, amateurs also get pissed off sometimes. On the other hand, moments like these are the best stuff what happens on the course...
p.1 #18 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
Oh noes, just 5D2 BW conversion. Including the heresy - Canon banding I have some plans to use paper negatives and 4x5 this summer. Maybe with flash units to try capture some "splash" action.
BTW, it is not just the shutter sound which is no-no in big games, also sudden movement with the camera causes issues.
p.1 #19 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
Great shots. This camera should dramatically change the type of shots presented. I do wonder were golf photographers ever shooting the backswing/downswing with 600mm lenses from further away before at PGA event? Basically far enough away to not disturb the golfer? I do play and watch a lot of golf and mostly see 200-400 Canon lenses on the course. I will be watching for 200-400s with A9s behind them in the future
Could you upload a few of the shots showing the amount of warping at impact with the drivers. We also have to remember that there is some flex in the club so I was curious to see if it was the true flex or warping we are seeing. Also would like to see an example of banding around the ball.
p.1 #20 · Shooting Golf with the A9 (Memorial Tournament)
arbitrage wrote:
Great shots. This camera should dramatically change the type of shots presented. I do wonder were golf photographers ever shooting the backswing/downswing with 600mm lenses from further away before at PGA event? Basically far enough away to not disturb the golfer? I do play and watch a lot of golf and mostly see 200-400 Canon lenses on the course. I will be watching for 200-400s with A9s behind them in the future
Could you upload a few of the shots showing the amount of warping at impact with the drivers. We also have to remember that there is some flex in the club so I was curious to see if it was the true flex or warping we are seeing. Also would like to see an example of banding around the ball.
. BTW, I found the GM 24-70 is a great match for the A9. From your images and as I suspected, the GM 70-200 + 1.4 x should be my next lens purchase. 
I have some plans to use paper negatives and 4x5 this summer. Maybe with flash units to try capture some "splash" action.