Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Specifically for the discussion of the A-mount DSLR range
Forum rules
No more than three images or three external links allowed in any post or reply. Please trim quotations and do not include images in quotes unless essential.
User avatar
Atgets_Apprentice
Grand Caliph
Posts: 356
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:02 pm
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by Atgets_Apprentice »

Dr. Harout wrote:
bfitzgerald wrote: Anyway I had a vision and I see a "post it note" on Greg's fridge it says "must go down to the beach to take shots of cute Aussie babes to post on photoclubalpha"
We await the outcome of your difficult mission!
I vote for that. :D
As long as he snaps Robyn Lawley!
XG-1, XD-5, XD-7, X-500, XG1n, X300, 7000i, 700si, 800si, 500si Super, 600si, Dynax 5, KM 7D, a100, a200, a300, a580. And another 600si.....
User avatar
Greg Beetham
Tower of Babel
Posts: 6117
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 3:25 pm
Location: Townsville, Qld. Australia
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by Greg Beetham »

Ha! I looked on the fridge to see if there was a forgotten note but I couldn’t find one, I should add one though I need to get out more, I also searched to find out who Robyn Lawley was, http://primped.ninemsn.com.au/blogs/blu ... byn-lawley and yes she’s quite pretty, probably more in the glamorous upmarket scene than a strictly ‘hot’ sense. I’ve got a feeling if I was to wander along the beach taking photos of semi nude chicks I’d get arrested for being a perve or something such, Henry would probably get away with it though.
I remember one day I was out in my boat (no camera) and stopped at a beach over on Maggie Is. to get a sixpack from a hotel not far from the beachfront, I wasn’t particularly watching where I was going and had to suddenly skirt around a very pretty pair of breastments (b o o b s aren't allowed to be uttered here apparently?) in plain view, it was then I noticed that there were a few more semi nude bodies scattered around, that would have been a photo to remember.
Greg
Ps Barry I was going to photograph the ‘shed’ but haven’t got around to it yet, unfortunately it’s just the old chook-shed that now has various bits and pieces in it, crabpots and old archery targets and stuff, but it does serve as a useful place to store the cement mixer, definitely not much use for anything else.
redsim74
Oligarch
Posts: 207
Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:50 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by redsim74 »

Atgets_Apprentice wrote: As long as he snaps Robyn Lawley!
I was always partial to Megan Gale. Is she kicking around up your way, Greg?
User avatar
Greg Beetham
Tower of Babel
Posts: 6117
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 3:25 pm
Location: Townsville, Qld. Australia
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by Greg Beetham »

Megan Gale is pretty too, has the exotic touch (slight Maori influence), but no I don’t know if she comes and goes here, I think there would be quite a few visit overtly or covertly but probably more in the winter months when it’s cold down south, I don’t keep up with celebs to the extent I probably should I guess, it’s a scene I can’t quite get impressed with, it’s sort of self sell image based and they all would be mainly businessy and focussed on that promotional aspect if you know what I mean.
Greg
User avatar
bfitzgerald
Subsuming Vortex of Brilliance
Posts: 3996
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:48 pm

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Townsville looks good to me wandering around on the net some nice beach areas and a decent harbour. I'd be on the beach every day if I lived there..maybe we should send Greg a discreet pocket superzoom for Christmas :mrgreen:

I could wander around Kerry for you but I don't think old men walking their dogs will have quite the same appeal.
I have a good friend of mine working in the Emerald Lakes Golf Club which is in Greg's area (ish), nice chap from NZ, loves it over there.
User avatar
Greg Beetham
Tower of Babel
Posts: 6117
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 3:25 pm
Location: Townsville, Qld. Australia
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by Greg Beetham »

Good one Baz, I looked it up on the web, where Emerald Lakes Golf Course was and yes it’s in Queensland ha ha! a good little Sunday afternoon drive he he, in reality it’s probably a similar distance from me as say driving from the top of Scotland down all the way to the channel, might even be more than that, http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscien ... pared.html but never mind it does look lovely there that’s for sure, our local golf courses aren’t as well kept as that.
Greg
redsim74
Oligarch
Posts: 207
Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:50 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by redsim74 »

Greg Beetham wrote:Megan Gale is pretty too, has the exotic touch (slight Maori influence)
It's a very favourable mix, European (or Pakeha to use the Maori term) father and Maori mother. I've worked with one particular Maori lady for the last six years, who had five daughters (all grown) with her European husband. Stunning, every one.
NevHi
Heirophant
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 10:45 am
Location: NZ

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by NevHi »

Seriously why waste a moment... If you want pictures of Australian swim suits on Aussie beaches it's pretty hard to beat the Byron Bay (Aussie) company wickedweasel.com founded in 1994 by Peter Gifford, formerly the bass player for the famous Australian band Midnight Oil, and named after his girlfriend's nickname.... that's according to wikipedia. I've yet to see the famous WWW moniker while on an Australian beach but if I ever do I'm determined to go up and ask for a photo shoot. That would be an appropriate test of the A99 (to bring things back "on topic") ;-) Any one wearing WWW is likely to say O.K. rather than P.O.
5D, 8000i, XD7
User avatar
Greg Beetham
Tower of Babel
Posts: 6117
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 3:25 pm
Location: Townsville, Qld. Australia
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by Greg Beetham »

Gasp! Back on topic, who would have thought, anyway I think it’s been fairly convincingly established here and elsewhere by now that the A99 sensor is a winner, probably one of the best yet, awesome latitude from what I’ve seen.
Greg
Ps on the other topic, I know someone with a yacht who was sailing back to Sydney recently and advertised for a crew (didn’t see the advert) and cherry picked four chickybabes to go back with him, two to be dropped off at the Whitsunday’s on the way through.
But the thing is they were two Dutch girls and two Swedish girls on holiday here so at a guess if you go down to the beach to photograph hot chicks there is a greater than average chance that a lot of them will be from somewhere else rather than from here, a lot of our ones are over there, probably… A study should be done to establish the migratory pattern… :lol:
Greg
User avatar
bakubo
Tower of Babel
Posts: 5865
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by bakubo »

Dr. Harout wrote:
bfitzgerald wrote: Anyway I had a vision and I see a "post it note" on Greg's fridge it says "must go down to the beach to take shots of cute Aussie babes to post on photoclubalpha"
We await the outcome of your difficult mission!
I vote for that. :D
I'll add a vote. :lol:
User avatar
Greg Beetham
Tower of Babel
Posts: 6117
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 3:25 pm
Location: Townsville, Qld. Australia
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by Greg Beetham »

Hey! welcome back Henry, how was Nepal? As I was saying before I think you’re the guy that could get away with it, me I’d get arrested for being some kind of pervert I reckon. :D
Greg
User avatar
bakubo
Tower of Babel
Posts: 5865
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Japan
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by bakubo »

Greg Beetham wrote:Hey! welcome back Henry, how was Nepal?
Thanks, Greg. I got back from Nepal today and just imported the photos into LR. I'll go through them over the next week or two. The trip was pretty good, but during the middle of the trip I got sick for 10 days and lost about 16 pounds/8 kilograms. After getting on a regime of medicine for 5 days I got healthy again and the last 10 days of the trip I was pretty much healthy, but a bit weak. When I got home today I checked my weight and found that I have regained about 5 pounds/2 kilograms. Although I was sick for 10 days I still did and went where I wanted during that time, just didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I would have.
Greg Beetham wrote:As I was saying before I think you’re the guy that could get away with it, me I’d get arrested for being some kind of pervert I reckon. :D
You just need to embrace your inner pervert. :lol: Act like you are guilty and a pervert and that is what you will be perceived as being. Be a photo documenter of modern beach life.
User avatar
pakodominguez
Minister with Portfolio
Posts: 2306
Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 5:38 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by pakodominguez »

DPR published the review: Gold Award...
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-alpha-slt-a99/22
After all this time, nothing had changed for this people: they never liked Konika Minolta menus, Sony menus since the A100... whatever.
BTW, "84%" makes a "recommended"?
Pako
------------
http://www.pakodominguez.photo/blog" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
bfitzgerald
Subsuming Vortex of Brilliance
Posts: 3996
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:48 pm

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

I thought DPR pulled their punches on this review. Have to say every full frame so far has got a "Gold award", and overall they've given out a lot of awards and failed to provide enough critique or mention issues enough. (across many reviews of many cameras)
I'm sure it's nice enough..noted the AF tracking issues. I do see lower NR on jpegs with NR off (maybe the message is getting through) But every Sony review I read from them is almost trying too hard to convince you to try an SLT/EVF camera, bit like a brochure...sorry but it just feels that way.

Once a review site gets caught up in the politics of camera design/technology love, then it's a slippery slope and a dangerous path to travel on. Their cons list is frankly a joke (battery power no mention for one, video quality is open to debate) And in honesty I could not tell folks the A57 review on DPR is balanced or fair..because it's really not that good a review. Neither is this nor have they done a good critical review for a long long time.

The new reviewers seem content to brown nose products. I'm sure some A99 users will be happy that a review justifies their purchase choice. But when every FF camera gets "Gold" it's rather pointless IMO.
waardij
Acolyte
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:23 pm

Re: Sony Alpha A99 Field Test Report

Unread post by waardij »

bfitzgerald wrote:
The new reviewers seem content to brown nose products. I'm sure some A99 users will be happy that a review justifies their purchase choice. But when every FF camera gets "Gold" it's rather pointless IMO.
Did you ever even handle the camera? I am not going to say DPR reviews are perfect and covering everything, but at least they work with all the gear the write about. not just a few minutes in a store, but for weeks. and they really try to work with it, familiarize themselves with it. I think they have a lot more base for an opinion than most of us. they have used the d600, and still appreciate this camera as well and consider it good value (although not as good value as they consider the d600).
I do own the a99 and I would not even consider the d600. nothing to do with the brand or anything, I have used Nikon for years. It just because the a99 much better fits my needs. and I do not care it is more expensive, to me it is worth that extra amount.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests