Sony A9 Setup and Custom Settings for Sports and Action

Sony A9 Setup and Custom Settings for Sports and Action
Mark Galer is a Sony Alpha Ambassador for Australia.
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[town]

I love the flexibility of the AF and the ability to pinpoint the AF thats needed for different situations on the A9.  Great video Mark keep up the great work.

[passyworldofict]

Thanks so much for this Mark. Your settings and suggestions atre spot on for Footy Photos.

[paulbailey]

Mark, I would just add an observation to my question. I notice that when I move the focusing square (flexible spot) and position it to what I want the focus to hit, when I press the back button to focus it locks focus on the flashing red rectangle, as it it is permanently locked on to the flashing red rectangle. If I move the camera around, the focus will remain locked on but it is obviously locked onto where the red flashing rectangle was positioned - which never moves. Hope this helps.

[paulkouin]

When you go full manual, for wildlife, you don't really want the ISO to shoot up to 25000 ISO, do you? For terns for example, I need to limit the ISO dramatically (400) because they're so bright and it's so easy to overexpose. Is there an easy way to access the ISO limiter using the custom button? Or do we need to use the exposure compensation dial only?

[justinwaite]

With the new Sony a9 5.0 Firmware update, I would love to know what new settings you recommend. The new update is like a new camera.

[Ballistichydrant]

OMG thanks. I totally buggered this up. Thanks

[themarksmanABP]

Hi Mark, i'd greatly appreciate your insight to an issue i have...

I want to get into gilming action with the a9 and my 135 g master.

If you wanted to film a dog sprinting at you, how would you set the camera up to nail it with the face in focus?

I desperately want to nail the dogs jumping over logs at me etc then ill slow it down. I've no doubt the a9 & 135 is capable of filming fast action with good consistent focus. Google and youtube searches are not much help at all. Everyone knows you are the sony guru 😁

[johndoddato]

Mark,
You always do a wonderful job with your videos. I just recently upgraded to the new A7R111, I was able to use your A9 video to help get started with my A7 series camera. Will you be doing a setup video of the new A7R111 in the future?

[gordonnorman]

Mark: I'm a long-time Sony a-mount shooter who recently converted to FF mirrorless with Sony A9/A7R3 and have found your YT tutorials very helpful - thanks for sharing so much of your expertise! I have had a very frustrating problem with unreliable functioning of the A9 buttons (both custom and non-assignable ones) when using the VG-C3RM vertical grip turned on, and am interested in whether you have encountered this problem yourself? This does not occur when shooting without the VG, or when VG is mounted but turned off. Sony Pro Support in the US claims to be unaware of this issue, yet it is consistently present with my 2 A9 bodies and 2 VGs, and several others on DPReview have noted the same issue. I had Sony check out both A9 bodies and they determined all was normal. I am curious whether you have encountered this yet, and if so, whether you have found a solution other than keeping the VG turned off until needing it for portrait compositions. Many thanks!

[mischugo]

Every time very good information about the settings of the A9. Again and again.
But, i have a special question: a group of about 10 runners approaches me as well. I want to "freeze" 1 - 3 runners in the field of the group. How can I do that without the focus catching the people at the front?

[milesgthomas]

Hi Mark, You were recommended to me by a fellow wildlife photographer, however, unfortunately I am unable to access it without subtitles/closed captions because I am deaf and cannot hear what you are saying. Please could you enable subtitles/closed captions in your settings, it would be much appreciated? Thank you, Miles

[matthewmockovic]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm a little confused as to why you use aperture priority and not shutter for sports. It sounds counter-intuitive to me but you must have a good reason to do it especially when you set a minimum shutter speed. Would you mind explaining it? Kind regards :-)

[dmarque]

Mark: Surprised you would choose to set your monitor brightness to +2. If you ever use the screen to begin your preliminary setup before moving into the EVF for final composition then you are apt to be misled. Your image would end up being underexposed.

[scdawes]

Great video but can you tell me which buttons you use for apeture / shutter speed when shooting in manual mode ?

[paulbailey]

Mark, what does it mean when a 'red rectangle (that is the four corners that make up a rectangle)' just flashes on and off irrespective of which focusing mode (or lens attached to the camera)? It is no even sitting in the centre of the screen. I use a 3x3 overlay and the flashing sits closer to the top of the middle square of the overlay and never moves. It flashes on and off, as if it is pulsating - and if, for example, I select center focusing flexible spot, the spot is where it should be and can be moved around but the pulsating red rectangle remains in the same position I described above. The camera seems to take pictures alright but when I focus (back focus) the focus locks on as expected and the red pulsating rectangle disappears until I release the focus button. The focus seems to lock onto where the red rectangle is positioned. Once I focus and move the camera, the green focus will stay locked on even when I move the camera. So the focus and tracking seem to work but once I release the locked focus, the red rectangle returns and is pulsating, on and off slowly no rapidly. Do you have any suggestions since you know these cameras better than almost anyone?

[keeblerhunts]

Hi Mark, what metering mode is best for bif? I'm photographing snowy owls and I've tried various options like spot metering to keeping it at multi. I'm not sure which way is best? I'm also going to change the kelvin to 6500 after reading an article about white balance for snow. Beautiful birds so I'm trying to capture them as best possible :)

[joennick]

Does the Sony A9 give you options to save settings? For example a custom mode for AFC 1000ss and ISO 200, then change the settings to AFS, aperture priority auto ISO by the switch of a dial?
Coming from Olympus they have 3 custom modes on the top dial so very easy to swap about with one click. Thanks.

[tedmanasa]

@Mark Galer, great video as always. I love my a9, and recently took it to Hawaii and shot spinner dolphins jumping out of the water with a 70-200/2.8. Do you have any tips for finding an unpredictable subject like jumping dolphins in the frame quickly? I found that it was extremely difficult to whip the camera around get them in the frame before they splashed back into the water.

[aquarioamico]

Mark, I shoot motocross and have had success with the "1(Locked on)" AF Tracking Sensitivity setting. What is the difference between 1(Locked on) and 5(Responsive) and when would it makes sense to use 5(Responsive)? Seems to me, that if 1 is good enough for fast, erratic motocross bikes it would be good for all action photography.

[eddyultra]

hey Mark. I have no lock on settings in Focus area menu on my a9 ..I set AF Tracking sens to LOCK ON like you show can you say why?