Sony has introduced a new advanced reportage camera – the Sony A9 III. The new product has a full-frame matrix with a global shutter with a resolution of 24.6 megapixels, two BIONZ X processors, which provide 8 times more performance than in the previous generation model (Sony A9 II), with support for a shutter speed of 1/80,000 seconds with synchronization. The camera does not have a mechanical shutter.
During the announcement, Sony placed special emphasis on the innovation of the new sensor – the matrix exposes and reads all pixels at the same time. This allows the Sony A9 III to take burst photos at up to 120 fps without darkening or distortion.
At the same time, the matrix works with the most advanced autofocus system from Sony to date. Autofocus works, among other things, based on AI – and thanks to these capabilities it allows for such a high speed of continuous shooting. The 24.6 megapixel CMOS matrix also has built-in memory, the developer reports.
The AI processing unit in the Sony A9 III camera supports both video and photography with accurate recognition of object shape and movement. Real-time detection AF and real-time tracking provide significant improvements in human eye recognition performance.
Also, the new Sony A9 III received a highly effective matrix image stabilization system (IBIS) , which operates on five axes. The system’s efficiency is estimated at 8 exposure stops, which is a record among Sony cameras. The test was carried out with a Sony 50mm F/1.2 G-Master lens.
The company specifically notes the increased capabilities for working with ultra-short shutter speeds (up to 1/80,000 seconds). With Sony HVL-F60RM2 or HVL-F46RM flashes, the camera is capable of working even with this extremely short value. The high-speed flash sync feature will allow you to capture a range of moments that were previously unavailable, Sony says.
Sony A9 III received support for the Pre-Capture function. It allows you to record one second before the shutter is released – in case the risk of missing the moment is very high. The system allows you to capture up to approximately 390 Fine JPEG images in one continuous burst of 30 frames per second.
Shooting video with Sony A9 III
A sensor with a global shutter will allow you to shoot video on the Sony A9 III without the rolling shutter effect . Combined with the 4K 120fps recording function from full frame (without crop factor), the new product will, without a doubt, be perfect for camera operators. The maximum recording bitrate (when shooting without an external recorder) is 600Mbps.
The camera records 4K video from 6K (when shooting at up to 60 fps), which allows you to obtain even higher image quality.
The Sony A9 III has support for the S-Cinetone profile, which, according to Sony, allows for cinematic quality without additional processing in post-production. Support for S-Log3 has been implemented.
The following codecs are available: XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, XAVC HS: MPEG-H, HEVC/H.265. At the same time, it is possible to output 16-bit RAW video through the full-size HDMI port to a compatible external recorder (most likely from Atomos).
The camera received an LCD display, whose position can be adjusted along 4 axes. The display diagonal is 3.2 inches and the resolution is 2.1 million dots. There is a high-quality electronic viewfinder (Quad XGA OLED) with a resolution of 9.44 million dots and a magnification of 0.90x.
The Sony A9 III camera also receives a number of new menu functions. For example, there is a special filter for displaying and selecting the necessary images, which will allow you to transfer only the necessary frames via FTP (even if there are a lot of original frames). In this case, the transfer itself will be carried out up to two times faster than through the Sony A9 II.
The new product has two slots for memory cards: CFexpress Type A and SD (UHS-I) and UHS-II.
In the spring of 2024, the camera will receive support for working with a new version of the Camera Remote SDK, a software development kit that allows you to remotely control the camera and change shooting settings.
Main technical characteristics of Sony A9 III:
- 24.6 MP full-frame global shutter sensor
- Up to 120fps continuous photo shooting with AF/AE
- Pre-capture function
- Flash sync at up to 1/80,000 second.
- Video 4K 120p, 10 bit
- S-Log3 and S-Cinetone
- 759-point phase-detection autofocus with tracking
- 8-stop 5-axis image stabilization (IBIS)
- Electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 9.44 million dots and a refresh rate of 240 fps
- 3.2″ 4-axis LCD touchscreen with 2.1 million pixel resolution
- Two CFexpress A/SD card slots
In terms of body design, the camera also received a number of updates:
- Added a dedicated C5 button to the front of the camera body.
- The continuous shooting mode dial can now be turned off, and the shooting speed can be adjusted in the menu.
- The redesigned grip and shutter release have been slightly repositioned for greater ergonomics.
- The USB-C port now offers faster USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
The cost of the new Sony A9 III will be $5,999. Pre-order of the new camera has started. The Sony A9 III camera weighs 617 grams (body only). With battery and flash drive – 702 grams. On one battery charge (NP-FZ100), the new product is capable of taking about 400 frames.
Also, along with the new camera, Sony offers to purchase the proprietary vertical grip VG-C5. Its cost is 399 dollars.
The company also published several sample images taken using the Sony A9 III (including to demonstrate the ability to work with ultra-fast shutter speeds):