Shooting With Sony's Killer A9 Almost Feels Like Cheating. If you’ve ever wondered how a photographer managed to capture the exact moment of an incredible end zone reception or the instant a bird takes flight, the answer, in part, is that the photographer’s camera also captured the garbage moments directly before and after that golden frame, with a very expensive camera rattling off photos at tommy gun speeds. For these professional sports and nature photographers there are two widely accepted options: The tippy top cameras from Canon and Nikon, with their big bulky bodies, incredible power, and the most advanced image sensors. Well, Sony finally has an answer to the incumbents in its A9. Not only is this full- frame, mirrorless camera smaller, lighter, and cheaper than the Nikon and Canon competition, it absolutely blows their doors off when it comes to speed. What is it? The fastest mirrorless camera Sony's made yet. Like. So fast you'll forget about Nikon and Canon. No Like. That price means this is a pro camera. For those not entirely up on the high- end camera scene these days, here’s a quick catch- up. In an arena that has been dominated by Canon and Nikon since pretty much forever, Sony’s star has been on the rise. It had been making solid mirrorless cameras for a while, but when its A7 series came out a few years ago, that’s when professionals really started to take notice. These were compact mirrorless cameras with sharp electronic viewfinders good enough to rival the optical eyepieces in DSLRs. They also had very sensitive full- frame image sensors that could capture beautiful photos. When we say full- frame, what we meanis a 3. Basically, the bigger the sensor, the more light it can gather. But while the A7 models and their successors could get professional results, they didn’t quite have the power the most demanding photographers require. The A9 changes that. It’s like the A7’s track- star big brother—an undeniably pro- level shooter with a $4,5. The first thing to know is that the A9 is real small. At roughly 4 inches by 5 inches by 2. A Christian review of the Lucy film with Scarlett Johansson which promotes the transhuamism and the Illuminati satanic message of godhood. Michigan and Florida open their seasons against each other on Saturday. As of today, nobody knows who will be starting at quarterback for either team, and nobody is. A9 is only slightly bulkier than Sony’s very svelte A7 series cameras. Canon’s high- end sports shooter, the 1. D X Mark II is 6. Hell, even Canon’s mid- range professional DSLR, the 5. D Mark IV is substantially bigger and heavier than the A9, and the same can be said of Nikon’s entries. It’s amazing how much Sony has crammed into that little frame. And of course, this thing is absurdly fast. It’s capable of firing off full- resolution 2. JPEGs at a blistering 2. It sounds like a Gatling gun, unless you turn the sound off, in which case it is literally silent thanks to the electronic shutter (more on that in a second). Even when shooting in RAW + JPEG mode, I was able to fire off an 8 second burst at 1. The A9 is equipped with a wide autofocus system that covers more than 9. It is lightning fast and extremely accurate, even when shooting at its blistering top speeds. I tested it with running dogs and with people on a zip- line flying right at me. Even at a shallow depth- of- field (f/2. Nothing else on the market comes close to this kind of performance. It’s bananas. But let me try to explain what it’s like to shoot with this camera. Not to get hyperbolic here, but it almost feels like you can’t miss. An example: I was walking by a creek with the camera dangling off my neck, powered off. I saw a golden retriever emerge from the water and start to shake itself off. It has already started shaking before I’d hit the power button to turn the camera back on, and yet I was still able to fire off a burst of 1. My A7. S (which is by no means slow) wouldn’t have even gotten a single shot off in that time. Using the A9 almost feels like cheating. I loved shooting long- exposures with it, too. Unfortunately, there was always too much moon and too much haze for me to try a nice, clear shot of the Milky Way, but I’m confident it would excel there. I did get a handful of shots while driving down Highway 5. Nevada (the so- called “Loneliest Road In America”) that I was really happy with. The above shot was a single exposure taken with the electronic shutter around midnight. I was side- lit by the moon and backlit by an oncoming truck (relax, it was very far away). It was a 2. 0 second exposure at ISO 8. Obviously, I did plenty of tweaking in Lightroom, but I use this to show you just how much dynamic range is captured in the RAW photos. In terms of low- light I find myself shocked to say it’s nearly as good as the Sony A7. S (which has been my main camera for the last two years). The low- light focused A7. S is a hair brighter, but noise levels are nearly identical, and the A9 has twice as many megapixels to play with (2. MP vs 1. 2MP). Sony’s image sensor does a great job of sucking up any available light even when you turn up the sensitivity that would ordinarily turn light into garbage. At ISO 6,4. 00 there is almost no noise at all. Even ISO 2. 5,6. 00 is extremely usable, though you’ll probably want to use some noise reduction in Lightroom. ISO 5. 1,2. 00 could maybe do in a pinch, but at that point things are starting to get fairly chunky. ISO 1. 02,4. 00 isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen, but you’re better off avoiding it unless you’ve got a rare shot at Sasquatch or something. The A9 has mechanical and electric shutter options. You can manually select either, but I’d recommend leaving it in auto. When shooting a single shot or a low- speed burst (5 fps maximum) it will default to mechanical shutter, which gives you a bit more depth in your RAW images (1. You’ll also want to use the mechanical shutter if you’re using an external flash (the A9 doesn’t have one built in). If you’re shooting medium or high speed bursts, the camera switches over to electronic shutter, which is also better for fast moving objects. When using the electronic shutter you can also shoot completely silently, which is almost eerie, but awesome. The A9 does a solid job with video. It can shoot 4. K at speeds of up to 3. I will say, my least favorite thing about the camera’s design is that Sony put the video start/stop record button right next to the viewfinder. I mean, it’s practically touching it. If you use your left eye in the viewfinder (as I was taught to do) your nose will absolutely, 1. It’s just about the worst imaginable place for that very important button to be. There are some other annoyances, too. The A9 has two SD card slots, which is great, except for some reason only one of those slots supports UHS- II SD cards (i. The other one is stuck at UHS- I. Other grievances? Sony’s menu system is still extremely intimidating, to say the least. The menu is a whopping thirty- six (3. Also, after shooting about 1. K 2. 4fps video spread out over 4. I noticed that I was getting an overheating warning on the screen. That’s not good. It still allowed me to snap photos, but I’m not sure what would have happened if I kept pushing it. Other users have been complaining about this issue, and it’s definitely something Sony needs to address. Update: Sony claims this issue has been fixed in a firmware update, though we have already returned our review unit, and were not able to test it for ourselves.)So, all that being said, should you buy it? Well, do you have the need? The need for speed? If so, then you’re not going to find a faster camera out there. The A9 costs $4,5. While that’s cheaper than the Canon 1. DX or the Nikon D5, unless you really, really need to be able to shoot fast- moving objects, then you’re probably better off with one of Sony’s A7 series cameras (get the mark II versions). These are also full- frame, mirrorless cameras that take excellent pics, they just aren’t as fast. But if you’re a budding sports photographer and you aren’t already heavily invested in glass from another manufacturer, the Sony A9 is incredible in so many ways. I had so much fun walking around with this little camera (and the G- lenses… oh, the G- lenses) that represented about ten grand worth of the most advanced photographic equipment that I totally cannot afford. My old A7. S is feeling so slow now. Siiiigh…README: Unbelievable speed both in shooting and in focus. No blackouts between shots for continuous subject tracking. Pretty ‘spensive and probably overkill for non- professionals. Great for low- light and fast- moving subjects. Some design annoyances. Correction: The original version of this review stated that the A9 does not ship with an external battery charger. It does. We regret the error. The Swedish Unicorn: A Playboy Conversation with Ines Helene. Call her the Swedish Unicorn. It’s the only fitting nickname—her curves are just as unreal as that mythical creature. Her real name is Ines Helene, and the 2. Swede has fast become one of the most famous Instagram models in the whole damn world. She’s amassed an army of more than one million followers with no signs of slowing down. But Helene is much more than a super- hot woman who’s famous online. She’s a tireless advocate for human rights who devotes much of her time to 2. Jun, a global humanitarian organization. They say all politics are personal. As a digital influencer, Helene is political because she’s personal. On her Twitter she informs her fans about world events and educates them on social issues. Little by little, the Instagram model changes hearts and minds. In an exclusive, wide- ranging interview with Playboy, Helene opened up about what it’s like being sexy for a living and being underestimated because of it, Twitter fandom, watching video game streams into the small hours of the morning, daily online abuse and why the refugee crisis in Europe is so heartbreaking. Helene emerged as a kind- hearted, Nutella- loving, wicked smart young woman. In the last year and a half, you’ve become Instafamous. Obviously, no one can prepare for that. How have you adjusted? I was much more naive in the beginning. I avoided interviews and anything that could bring me more notoriety and attention online because I was afraid of the scrutinization that comes with it. My father said a very wise thing: ‘People are always going to disagree with you or have something bad to say, whatever it is you do. Do what makes you happy.’ And since then, I’ve learned to manage it pretty well. I disregard negativity and completely ignore rumors. Speaking of the rumors… there is whispered talk that you’ve gently corroborated in the past that celebrities such as Drake or the Weeknd have slid into your DMs. Sadly, rumors like those caused some haters to gossip that you’re bound to become a conquest, just another hip- hop groupie. How do you deal with such intense sexist scrutiny of your flirtations? How do you deal with people who misinterpret every little thing you do and track every show you may or may not attend? Does it make it tough to be 2. I have over a million followers on Instagram. I wouldn’t call them fans. I’m just a girl from Sweden who posts on Instagram. It’s quite bizarre. I’ve heard anything ranging from artists, actors, athletes and even to my female friends. I can’t follow, or comment on something, even tweet someone, without rumors circulating. Because I don’t put my whole life online, people speculate and would rather improperly infer things or flatly fabricate things to fit their misperception of me. You studied business at university and planned to be a financial analyst in the investment banking sector. But I’ve read that once your Instafame began to leave the earth, you left school to concentrate on building your empire. Jay- Z once rhymed 'I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.’ Now you’re a business, woman. You’ve certainly followed a similar path of self- made wealth. Would you say you have that same hustler spirit? There seems to be a misconception that I left university because of Instagram. My new business was a factor, but I left it mostly because I was going through a tough time. I had health problems. After having studied and worked my whole life, I needed a break. I plan on resuming my studies next year. But yes, I would say I have a hustler spirit. I’ve been independent all my life. I started working and helping my father out when I was 1. I was taught to earn my own money. And I haven’t stopped working since. I definitely plan on building my own empire. What do you want to build? What would you like to create with your newfound fame? I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way as a result of Instagram. It would be foolish for me or anyone not to take advantage of any opportunity to create a career for themselves through the viability of social media. Thinking beyond the moment, I hope to use the platform as a springboard to matters that are close to my interest and heart. I think with a huge presence on social media, I have a responsibility to raise awareness and share important issues. I want to help people and do a small difference in this world. I am already trying to make an impact by working with different charities and organizations, such as World Aid Active. It’s an organization that actively works with human rights to help refugees. My most current project is helping stranded Syrian refugees with the organization, 2. Jun. You’re famous for being sexy. In a sense, you’ve turned sexiness into power. It’s almost like a currency. Is that how you see it? I don’t have power. My Instagram has given me a degree of influence. With that degree of influence, I want to change something that has always been perceived as an either/or. A comment I get sometimes is: “I only follow you for your selfies, not opinions.” My social media is both a job and a hobby. I get paid for some posts, but my humanitarian posts are my own thoughts. Those comments] don’t not bother me. You can follow me for my selfies, political messages or funny remarks. I care about you seeing my message. Whether it’s a product or an opinion. You might not be interested in it, but maybe, just maybe, someone is. And that someone is enough for me. On your Twitter feed, I’ve noticed that you engage with your fans in a very real way. You joke with them. You ask them about what they like and enjoy. You give them life advice. You also correct them, or will shut them down when they act ignorant or foul. Ignoring the haters, what do you like most about your fans? I want to engage with them. They don’t have to follow or like me, but they do. It’s a very grounding thought. They have become a part of my daily life. I like their humor and how respectful they are. They confide in me and ask me for advice or share their thoughts whether they’re sad or happy. It can range from depression and heartbreak to career choices. I know how it feels, having no one to talk to when you’re young and confused. I love to help if I can. Do you have a favorite artist, writer, poet, philosopher, spiritual practice or school of thought/philosophy that guides your worldview? I live by one quote by Mother Teresa, and it is: 'If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.’ OK, let me just say it plain: you are easily one of the sexiest women in the world. It’s indisputable. Yet, men and women seem genuinely shocked to learn how smart you are. Is that frustrating? It is one of the curses of being a woman in general. I’m not the only woman who was to deal with this prejudice. Women are objectified and looked at like mannequins. It’s deeply embedded in society. It’s frustrating, but these are attitudes and prejudices we encounter in everyday life. I find it ironical when I get the comment: 'You chose to be a model and show your body, you should expect this.’ When I was studying finance and working, I experienced much worse sexism on a daily basis. This applies to all women. How do you handle the constant dismissal? Do you use the underestimations of you to your advantage? Or does your pride flare up, and you want them to know, so you make sure to let people see what sort of sharply intelligent mind they’re dealing with? Sometimes I won’t bother, and sometimes I like to shock depending on the platform I’m on. Most of my Twitter followers know by now that I’m politically aware. It’s a different story with Instagram. There is not as much space to voice your thoughts. I think it scares some. How can you be sexy and know four languages? How can you have studied finance or social science? How can you go against all the stereotypes we’ve created? Do you feel that people underestimate your intelligence twice, like, once for being a woman, and again for being a beautiful woman? I get it bad. A lot of women get it bad. Some people assume that if you are a woman with a face people find attractive you automatically rely on a man to support you. People have attempted to shame me by insinuating that I’m anything from an escort to a groupie. What about women? Are they as sexist as men? I think most women are just repeating what society has taught them since they were born. In that way they are validating the sexism, with competing, comparing and undermining one another.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2017
Categories |