Hyacin (He/Him)

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Joined 11 months ago
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Cake day: December 29th, 2023

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  • That’s pretty cool, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind previously. $350 seems a bit steep, but now I’m not going to be able to unsee this.

    I’m a Canadian, so $350 USD stings even worse, and the shipping hurts a little more too - still 100% worth it to me though! I liked the camera before, now I love it. And I’m barely even talking about the results - just the fact that it is my A9 now, and it’s different from other A9s, and imo better, LOL. I don’t know, it’s weird! Maybe a bit like customizing a car? I’m not sure, I’ve never done that, lol. The results do, at times, look sharper to me - but basically as soon as I got it back I said “oh crap, I should have taken some really controlled and repeatable ‘before’ shots so I could compare!”

    I briefly shot the A9II and the OM-1 back to back again and sold the OM-1 to MPB :( Probably for the best long term, but it was a tough decision due to my lack of adoration for the A9II. I do greatly appreciate what it can do, I just don’t love it. The results do speak for themselves and the A9II’s tracking AF is just so easy to use.

    Same, honestly, especially prior to the surgery. The fact that I got it used for less than an A7IV was a huge part of how I ended up with it and stuck with it - plus the stacked, blackout free business, especially with wildlife being my main passion! But there is a lot NOT to love about it - and mine is a Mark 1, so it’s got a couple extra things to dislike.

    I’m 38 here, but even if you’re young and very athletic, holding 5-6 pounds in front of your face for an extended period of time still isn’t pleasant - especially if you’re not doing it frequently enough to build those muscles. What about the 200-600 puts you off, especially if you’re using a monopod?

    Very true about the weight. Honestly not much puts me off about the 200-600, I love the thing to death … it just REALLY big and REALLY heavy, but that’s the price of admission with a lens with that kind of range and quality I suppose.

    No reticles or indoor sports here (yet?), but the 70-200GM does look like a very nice lens! So far I’ve been stubbornly sticking with primes for days I’m not doing sports photography, but the idea of a zoom with a touch more reach is kind of appealing. I’ve been circling the 70-200 F2.8 along with the F4 and F4 ii (quasi macro!) and Tamron’s 28-200. For whatever reason, a normal zoom doesn’t really appeal to me - I’m totally happy using my feet and know to bring a 35 with me if I’m going to be in a tighter space.

    I believe I looked at the GM and it doesn’t work with a TC so it was out for me (I believe, it has been a while since I did the research) … or maybe it was the weight … either way, as I was doing the research and planning the buy, the F4 ii came out and I pulled the trigger day 1 … probably my favourite lens … probably by a large margin 😀 … 100% agree too about the ‘standard zooms’, I had the Sigma Art 24-70 and did NOT love it. As you say, in that range super easy to just use your feet, and I think it weighed 2-3x what my primes do. I sold it to KEF and don’t think I’ve missed it even once since. Not to mention at that range, honestly, the 1" sensor in my Xiaomi 13 Ultra does a pretty bang up job! It’s 23mm native but has a very nice 46mm crop mode, so if I’ve got an inopportune prime on, really need a different length and can’t move, I just whip that out with no complaints.

    I guess I’m lucky in that my kids are younger and we are fortunate enough to be able to afford to be members at a couple of local attractions. Between visiting those places and going to parks, I’m out with the camera most weekends.

    Yeah, that’s a good time. It’s not long before they don’t want their picture taken, and shortly there-after they don’t want to do things with you lol! That’s when a camera club becomes worth it’s weight in gold 😀



  • Yeah, I sent my A9 off for surgery - https://www.lifepixel.com/photography-gear/anti-aliasing-low-pass-filter-removal 😄

    I think my initial “yuck” with the OM-1 was the 12-24 just taking bright landscape shots … everything looked, muddy. Of course, a kit lens on a Sony wouldn’t really shine either.

    To be fair I did only give it a few days and then gave the whole lot of it to my dad who was shooting with my old FZ-1000.

    And yes, with my 200-600G, monopod is a minimum, tripod if I know I’ll be stationary. Handheld is practically never, but I have in a pinch and with sufficient bracing, and for just one subject (before it flies or runs away typically), I can manage. And I’m only 44 😄 … hoping I can keep using it for another 10 years or so at least!

    I only use that for wildlife though … for the odd recital or what have you the boy has, I bring the 70-200G with the 2x TC.

    100% agreed about “the one you’re carrying”, which is why I haven’t actually put much money into anything lately - I do about 90% on my Xiaomi 13 Ultra, with a 1" sensor like was in my FZ-1000. I find I only use my big expensive gear when I actually go out to “do photography”, which is pretty rare these days. My son is 14 now too, so there’s way less recitals and games and events and such for me to shoot.

    Groggy day today here for me, so a slightly rambley and discombobulated response, but, as I’ve typed it, I’d might as well post it now :-)



  • I was toying with similar recently - have piles of FE gear and an A9m1, mostly do wildlife, so like children, fast focus, good tracking, and good burst, sans blackout if possible, are critical.

    Got all the OM gear, including the OM-1, 100-400, 1.4x TC, kit 12-24 … played with it for a day or two, copied the images over to my laptop… and was floored by how bad the shots are compared to FF! I’ve been using FF for 12 years or so, so I think I’m just spoiled … every time I try something else (including an LX100m2 I picked up to try out as a travel camera), the IQ just kills me. Even running it through Topaz, it just doesn’t come out as sharp or crisp, with practically no room for cropping with the low MP count on the sensor (not that the A9 is much better in that regard).

    I’ll have to go MFT one day, like so many people in my camera club … you get to an age where FF and that big heavy glass is just too much… but until I have to, my goto will always be the FF.