Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

Dave Bachrach
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

My A7lll has served me well, but I'm looking to upgrade from the A7lll to a Sony camera with more advanced autofocus and I also need more reach for some of my wildlife projects.

I already have the Sony GM 100-400mm, but really need to reach out to 600mm. So here's what I was thinking:

Option 1: Buy an A9ll and a 200-600mm and sell my 100-400. I'll be keeping my A7lll as a backup body.

Option 2: Buy an A1 and use the 100-400 in crop mode to reach out to 600mm when I need to. Allowing me to get an approximately a 25mp crop mode image. Also this combination is smaller and lighter, than the A9ll with a 200-600mm.

I would prefer to get the A1 over the A9ll only because it is has Sony's latest technology. However, having a hard time justifying the extra expense, since the 24mp sensor in the A7lll has been adequate for most of my work.

Thoughts and recommendations appreciated.

May 14, 2022 at 06:03 PM

Daran
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

Personally I'd vote for option 2. But what is the effectively better choice may depend on what exactly you wana shoot with it (elephants? birds? BIF?) and how much you value the experience (the A1 has the much improved latest gen UI). If you go the A9 route, get a TC1.4 to further improve your reach (as you can't crop as much).

PS: A1 crop mode has only 21MP.

May 14, 2022 at 06:15 PM

wordfool
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

I debated similar and went with option 2, selling my A9 for an A1 and keeping my 100-400 rather than buying a 200-600.

My reasoning was that a 200-600mm lens would be very niche for me, only getting used a handful of times a year, whereas the 100-400 is a lens I'd potentially use a lot more and even take traveling. It's also nice to have the lightest setup possible in general.

Yes, there have been a few times where I'd love to have the additional reach a 200-600 in A1 crop mode would give me (900mm), but I'm still happy with my initial decision.

May 14, 2022 at 06:28 PM

ruthenium
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

I own A7III, A1, and the two telephoto zooms (the 200-600 added last March). My 200-600 is simply sharper than the 100-400 at the long end. The best image quality you are going to get from the A1 + 200-600. In my experience, the difference is quite substantial overall in terms of IQ and the AF performance. If you can afford A1 and 200-600, you would not regret this now and in the long term. Note, however, that one must be reasonably comfortable with the longer and heavier 200-600 lens, as well as the longer MFD. This may be difficult to know beforehand, and in my case was a major concern which turned out to be mostly a non-issue. I am happy with the A1 + 200-600.

May 14, 2022 at 07:34 PM

Dave Bachrach
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

ruthenium wrote:
I own A7III, A1, and the two telephoto zooms (the 200-600 added last March). My 200-600 is simply sharper than the 100-400 at the long end. The best image quality you are going to get from the A1 + 200-600. In my experience, the difference is quite substantial overall in terms of IQ and the AF performance. If you can afford A1 and 200-600, you would not regret this now and in the long term. Note, however, that one must be reasonably comfortable with the longer and heavier 200-600 lens, as well as the longer MFD. This may be difficult...Show more →

Thanks for the information on the image quality difference with the 200-600, I had not thought about that. I've hand-held a 300 f2.8 many times, so I'm not concern about that much about with weight.

May 14, 2022 at 08:05 PM

ruthenium
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

Dave Bachrach wrote:
Thanks for the information on the image quality difference with the 200-600, I had not thought about that. I've hand-held a 300 f2.8 many times, so I'm not concern about that much about with weight.

The following is an informative and useful comparison of the two lenses:
https://www.alphashooters.com/compare/sony-fe-200-600-vs-fe-100-400-gm/#:~:text=Besides%20the%20obvious%20focal%20length,not%20change%20as%20you%20zoom.

May 14, 2022 at 08:21 PM

arbitrage
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

I'd go for #2. The A1 is just such a nice camera to use for so many reasons but the big one over previous bodies like A9II is the new processor eliminating so much operational lag. That doesn't get talked about much and is overshadowed by talk of MPs and AF etc. But it is so nice to use.

I also wouldn't draw any conclusions from different reports of IQ of 100-400 v 200-600. I've had 2 copies of the 100-400 and a single 200-600. My first 100-400 was only equal to 200-600 at 400 and the 200-600 was better at 560/600 than the 100-400/1.4TC. My 2nd 100-400 was sharper at 400 and about equal at 560/600.

In ruthenium's case he either has a much better copy of the 200-600 than I do or a much worse copy of the 100-400. There is more variation out there than one may think. Roger Cicala at LensRentals has shown this with multiple copies of other zoom lenses. Therefore making a decision based on the IQ is like flipping a coin with all the variation out there.

May 15, 2022 at 07:37 AM

Dave Bachrach
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Sony A9ll and 200-600 or an A1 and a 100-400 using crop mode

arbitrage wrote:
I'd go for #2. The A1 is just such a nice camera to use for so many reasons but the big one over previous bodies like A9II is the new processor eliminating so much operational lag. That doesn't get talked about much and is overshadowed by talk of MPs and AF etc. But it is so nice to use.

I also wouldn't draw any conclusions from different reports of IQ of 100-400 v 200-600. I've had 2 copies of the 100-400 and a single 200-600. My first 100-400 was only equal to 200-600 at 400 and the 200-600 was better at...Show more →

Thanks Arbitrage and to everyone else who replied to my post. I've made a decision try option 2 and to purchase the A1 and try it with my 100-400 first, because I know it is a good copy and look at the results. Then if needed I can look at getting a 200-600 later.

Thanks again for taking the time to provide me with some great information.

May 15, 2022 at 12:21 PM


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