If I recall the fix back in the day was to shoot at a reciprocal of 120hz power frequency (so 1/60, 1/120, 1/250) does that still work with the A9 readout?
Some downsides mostly relevant to shooting action, which is what the camera was designed for:
1. Only one fast card slot
2. Very slow to clear the buffer. So you need to manage its (large) buffer else you may miss shots you may have wanted to shoot.
Others:
1. Ergonomically behind the times.
2. Old menu system is a bit of a mess.
3. Slow to start up. Overall feels slow. But not where it really counts: when shooting.
Anecdotally, I found A9 raw files to be better than the A9MKIII. No one jump down my throat. I don’t do scientific testing.
If I recall, the dynamic range of the A9 is worse than the other Sony lines. That, and the lower resolution are the biggest downsides to me. Otherwise it seems like an incredible camera for the price these days. The fast e-shutter readout is a feature than I find hard to imagine going without now. I picked up a used A1 (also an incredible value IMO) which has the resolution and dynamic range the A9 lacks.
I’m not in the G3 budget category… I like compact so suspect I’ll be okay there. An A7C would be tempting but I’ve come to realize I hate flip to side LCDs. I could deal with the multi axis screens, but it’s got to fold straight out from the body for low angle shots for me.
timgangloff wrote:
Only downside I recall was many complained about the small buttons. Gen 2 largely fixed that and then gen 3 went crazy with specs.
The above was from the early A9 days when I was adapting lenses. In this case the Canon 85mm f/1.2 v1. I eventually moved into Sony lenses and shot hundreds of youth soccer games, weddings, models and my dog. This is a great camera and for many, myself included, I mostly used the electronic shutter. Compared to the latest top cameras, the primary dated feature would be the EVF, but it is completely useable. A strong buy..for sure..
Good:
I have been happily using my OG A9 for years basically w/o complaint. I still have it. It is a fantastic camera. It has held up perfectly as my primary AF camera. Never an issue. AF is excellent! Love the sensor! I have been happy with my pictures for years.
At times, I'd prefer more MP. But I also never actually needed more in any meaningful way. Other than lust…
Meh:
It will never “keep up” with focus systems that advertise the use of Artificial Intelligence. It just doesn't perform those calculations.
Menu is kinda lame. I don't need to spend time with the menu. Lots of programmable buttons make it not a bigger deal.
Bad:
I need a a RRS Bottom Bracket for my pinkie to feel secure. Also it is a bit of a small grip. Too tight in a perfect world.
Sony had the A7S series for video at the time. My A9 is a picture focused machine, not video.
Lacks pre-capture - This feature is something I find useful for my changing requirements that my A9 simply can't perform.
As ISO increases, dynamic range disadvantage goes.
For me, biggest disadvantage is buffer clearing. You can take more photos but can't ake any use of menu until cleared.
When released, it was a real ground breaking camera, with 20fps. The biggest downside, IMHO, was dynamic range. Back then, I often shot with two cameras. When shot along side with an A7RIV, the files from the A9 were noticeably noisier -particularly when lifting shadows, where the A9 rendered a lot of ugly color noise. As a note, the A9II was measurably better, and with other improvements, would be a better choice, if you can swing it.
How far do you push it before it becomes an issue? Like a stop or any shadow lift is problematic?
InFocus2014 wrote:
When released, it was a real ground breaking camera, with 20fps. The biggest downside, IMHO, was dynamic range. Back then, I often shot with two cameras. When shot along side with an A7RIV, the files from the A9 were noticeably noisier -particularly when lifting shadows, where the A9 rendered a lot of ugly color noise. As a note, the A9II was measurably better, and with other improvements, would be a better choice, if you can swing it.
AdaptedLenses wrote:
Any downsides to the original A9 if you aren’t overly concerned with resolution? Seems like a good value for a high performing camera these days.
I have an A1II and A7CR as well as my original A9. I still love the A9. It is small, has outstanding Real Time Eye-AF focusing that revolutionized autofocus and how to compose and shoot, and it handles beautifully. It has a fast stacked sensor, so I have never had problems with either flickering lighting and banding or with rolling shutter. You can probably get some examples of edge cases from someone where there is some problem, but I never had any difficulty with either over many years and thousands of images.
It is a great camera and a great buy. It has taken many of my favorite photographs and I still use it today as a compromise between small size (notably smaller than the A1 or A1II) and a fast stacked sensor (way faster than the sensor readout on the A7Cxx and A7RV and even the A7V cameras).
