Sony a9 III: Sensor Testing

Testing the Sony a9 III for dynamic range, noise, and high iso performance, and discussing its pros and cons as a video camera.

Testing the Sony a9 III for dynamic range, noise, and high iso performance, and discussing its pros and cons as a video camera.

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Table of Contents:
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0:00 - Intro & Disclosure
0:51 - Build & Ergonomics
1:32 - Video Features
2:42 - Dynamic Range
4:20 - Dual Native ISO?
5:38 - 4K120
6:01 - ISO Range
7:10 - Noise
10:06 - Overheating & Battery Life

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Gear Used to Make This Video:
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Music:
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#sonyalpha #camerareview #sonya9iii

[luke]

That intro comment was very original and surprisingly funny

[jeffjacksonfilm]

Your tests and reviews are SO good. I can't quantify how much I've learned from you over the last few years.

[ryanarnst]

1 stop DR loss for no LED flicker?! I’ll take it all day. Do you really think your client is going to notice a little noise more than rolling bands of black across the frame? Be fr.

[alex_montoya]

Everytime a video from Gerald drops I leave everything to watch it

[roarkproductions_]

As someone who shoots mostly action design/stunt work which incorporates a lot of dynamic camera movement and fast moving subjects; I would more than happily accept some low light/processor functionality for the elimination of rolling shutter. The a9 iii is one of the most exciting new cameras for those of us in the stunt industry.

[ChadSchrandt]

Thanks for making this quick video. You answered the main question everyone has been wondering: how does global shutter effect dynamic range in the next generation of sony cameras? Luckily, it doesn't seem to take as big of hit as I thought it would, it just takes some extra steps to get there. Given this does seem like a photo first camera, I'm really excited to see how sony will implement Global Shutter in their videocentric products moving forward.

[armbiker]

What I really want to see in a final review is how it stacks up against the Z8. Higher res, internal RAW, a mount with a lot of lenses that perform great for video, and 60% the cost for the body.

[ParsclickTV]

You are the main reason these camera companies are pushing for the best. There’s no way for me to find these test results on my own.

[AdamPalmer]

We all knew the global shutter came at a cost but I am surprised how minimal that cost really was. Looks like a great camera.

[spdcrzy]

Being that this is a first-gen sensor package, that is DAMN impressive.

[thejosebravo]

Love your camera reviews, they're probably the best on YouTube, detailed but concise. Thanks for the time and effort you put in them! And to answer your question, yeah I'd take the global shutter even if it's a bit noisier, either way it can be fixed during color correction.

[sadovski.pavel.photography]

Please make DR and Hi ISO Noise tests in RAW photo mode in comparison with other Sony cameras you have on hands.

[MikeMarrah]

As long as the dynamic range is actually there, I'm totally fine with doing my own noise reduction. Especially with the AI advancements Divinci and Topaz have had in the last year or so. I'll take the sharper more detailed image 9 times out of 10. Reminds me of how the fx6 to prores raw has worse noise performance than the fx3 because the fx6 raw doesnt have the same internal noise reduction algorithm that the fx3/a7siii does. So this is totally useable to me. Make the a9iii my new primary, and have the fx30 as a bcam and zv-e1 as a lowlight broll cam.

[michaelandrew]

These videos GU puts out are mind bending, so easy to watch, so informative and concise. Protect this man at all costs.

[visceralpsyche]

More than anything, I'm excited to FINALLY see 1/48th and 1/96th shutter options! :D This could be them getting the nuts and bolts in place to provide the shutter angle option in a future firmware update? Recently I attended InterBEE (the Japanese NAB equivalent) with my Canon R5C and stopped by the Sony booth. I looked at the FX3, made a point of asking "where's the option for shutter angle" to the rep, and let them dig through the menus to find it (of course I knew it wasn't there). I then pointed out the R5C's simple shutter angle option and asked them to pass it up to management that we filmmakers NEED it! Who knows, maybe they listened?! Thanks for a great review digging into what we all want to know about the a9III and DR :) Happy new year!

[Soundwave]

Something interesting and new i found in the Help guide is "Focus/Zoom preset".
Really looking forward to your future a9III content!

[DiveBC]

Would love the global shutter for flash photography. As an underwater photographer 90% of what I do is with strobes. Currently the a7iii is limited to 1/200th of a second. Being able to bring this up would be helpful for capturing fast moving critters.

[SalsaBailaProductions]

The audio is so good it bipasses the hear drum and is injected in the brain directly😊

[LrDLuCk]

Please Gerald, do a indepht test of the Lumix G9II .. no one in the internet tested the new Sensor like you do!

[SteveNilsen]

A tip, get Padcaster Josh Apter in your studio clearing up things! Wildfire at the kickstarter campain