Customer reviews from sony.com
Sony - Alpha a99 DSLR Camera (Body Only) - Black
Average customer rating
4.6
(41 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 41 reviews
5 Stars
33
4 Stars
4
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
1
1 Star
1
91%of customers recommend this product.
(
31 out of
34)
Customer Reviews for Sony - Alpha a99 DSLR Camera (Body Only) - Black
Customer Rating
4
just keeps getting better.
on March 16, 2014
Posted by: Anonymous
My first SLT the a55. Loved the camera but, it was to small for my hands and no battery grip in sight. Moving on to the a77 kit. What a sweet 16-50 mm lens. I was disappointed that it was FF and could not shoot the same number of frames per sec. Now my a99. I was a skeptic on making the jump but, I'm happy I did. Is it perfect? No camera will ever be but, what the SLT camera can do leaves my Canon and Nikon users looking at the a99 with respect. If you do not have this camera and are waiting, wait no more. I love making adjustments without taking my eye off my subject. Adjusting color in the viewfinder is great. So many advanced features that make the a99 the best ever todate. Now Sony it is time for the A1S that medium format camera that I've been reading about. Make like the SLT.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Great purchase
on May 7, 2014
Posted by: lenhart100
A broad range of features make it the ideal camera, my tripod and monopod has given me the ability to explore the a99.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: njmiuccio
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
100% love everything about this camera. I purchased mine from the stony store almost 4 years ago now. I've taken this camera on every trip and captured stunning shots and high quality video. I only have had the 50mm sigma for the whole time I've had it but will soon purchase a 70-200 once I graduate college :) 10/10 recommend.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Amazing Dynamic Range
on December 6, 2012
Posted by: Anonymous
First off 70% of my photography is landscape and the rest outdoor portraits. I have owned the Olympus E3, E5, Sony a850 and a900. I also currently own a D800.
For what I do the a99 is my go to camera and I prefer it to the D800 and here's why. I shoot a lot of landscapes and most of the time set up and start shooting before sunrise or after sunset. The flip out screen and focus peaking are the two best features on the a99 I enjoy. I can shoot low to the ground or over my head with the flip out LCD and also the focus peaking makes critical focus very easy. I mainly manual focus when I am shooting landscapes I find my eye more reliable than any auto focus system. The D800 has neither flip screen or focus peaking.
Also with the translucent mirror there is no flipping mirror to cause camera movement during the exposure. With the D800 I have to use mirror up mode to do this and the LCD will go blank just before exposure.
For me the a99 is by far the most advanced camera I have ever owned and also the best landscape camera I have ever used. I am so glad I bought this camera and now also have a back up a99 for when I do portrait work.
In the past when I shot landscapes I had to use ND grad filters to help keep the highlights under control and with that still had to use software to bring up the shadows, well no more. I still use an ND grad when lighting is at it's worse but I can get out of camera exposures that are perfect most time. The dynamic range of the a99 is amazing to say the least.
I hear a lot of grumbling from the Nikon and Canon shooters on the forums but again the a99 is the most advanced camera on the market with the latest cutting edge technology. I am not a fanboy as they are called for any one system. I have shot a broad variety of cameras and have had good and bad. This one is certainly the best. The D800 might handle noise better at higher ISOs but the a99 isn't to far behind as there is also a huge improvement there. If you are thinking about this camera please go ahead "add it to the cart." The a99 and Carl Zeiss 24-70mm might be the best camera lens combo ever. I have made prints as large as 19x42 and the prints are loaded with detail and NO jpeg compression artifacts. Thanks Sony, thanks for thinking outside the box.
For what I do the a99 is my go to camera and I prefer it to the D800 and here's why. I shoot a lot of landscapes and most of the time set up and start shooting before sunrise or after sunset. The flip out screen and focus peaking are the two best features on the a99 I enjoy. I can shoot low to the ground or over my head with the flip out LCD and also the focus peaking makes critical focus very easy. I mainly manual focus when I am shooting landscapes I find my eye more reliable than any auto focus system. The D800 has neither flip screen or focus peaking.
Also with the translucent mirror there is no flipping mirror to cause camera movement during the exposure. With the D800 I have to use mirror up mode to do this and the LCD will go blank just before exposure.
For me the a99 is by far the most advanced camera I have ever owned and also the best landscape camera I have ever used. I am so glad I bought this camera and now also have a back up a99 for when I do portrait work.
In the past when I shot landscapes I had to use ND grad filters to help keep the highlights under control and with that still had to use software to bring up the shadows, well no more. I still use an ND grad when lighting is at it's worse but I can get out of camera exposures that are perfect most time. The dynamic range of the a99 is amazing to say the least.
I hear a lot of grumbling from the Nikon and Canon shooters on the forums but again the a99 is the most advanced camera on the market with the latest cutting edge technology. I am not a fanboy as they are called for any one system. I have shot a broad variety of cameras and have had good and bad. This one is certainly the best. The D800 might handle noise better at higher ISOs but the a99 isn't to far behind as there is also a huge improvement there. If you are thinking about this camera please go ahead "add it to the cart." The a99 and Carl Zeiss 24-70mm might be the best camera lens combo ever. I have made prints as large as 19x42 and the prints are loaded with detail and NO jpeg compression artifacts. Thanks Sony, thanks for thinking outside the box.
What's great about it: Good dynamic range, light weight, focus peaking, flip screen and electronic view finder
What's not so great: small buffer
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
A99 is superb!
on January 8, 2015
Posted by: Randy6414
I've had my Sony A99 for eleven months now, and have shot more than 13,000 frames with it. At the time of my purchase, I was at a major decision point with my gear.
I researched all the systems, and shopped the A99, Canon 6D & 5DmkIII, and Nikon D600/D800. Ultimately, it was the A99's EVF that won me over (I love it#, along with the Carl Zeiss 24-70/2.8. The rest of the A99's features are superb, too. Combined with the CZ 24-70, I couldn't be happier with the A99. Still being able to use my old Minolta lenses is a bonus.
Here is a more detailed explanation of the A99's features #both good & bad):
Things I love:
Full frame: the large sensor gives improves low light capability, and shallow depth of field--great for separating a sharp subject from a blurry background. Yes, you can get great shots with an APS-C (crop# sensor, but the full frame sensor is wonderful to work with.
24MP: this seems like a sweet spot--it's plenty for high resolution files that are 4000x6000, yet without getting massive file sizes. 16x20 prints are incredibly detailed, even if cropped.
Electronic Viewfinder #EVF): it's bright, clear, and shows accurate exposure. Make an exposure compensation adjustment (I have the rear control wheel programmed for this# and you'll see it instantly in the EVF, all without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. Too dark? Too light? Dial in the desired compensation till you like what you see in the EVF--then click the shutter. Yes, you see your "picture" before you even take it. If you want, you can program the A99 to give you an image review on the EVF, and double check your image without moving your eye away from the viewfinder. I have this turned off, as the EVF already shows me what I'm going to get as I press the shutter. I prefer to just keep shooting and then look at them later.
AF: it's fast and accurate, especially using the Carl Zeiss 24-70/2.8 with its SSM focus motor. I've programmed the AF/MF button on the back of the body for "back-button focus". I have the focus mode set to AF-C #continuous#. Thus, when I back-button focus I have instant, continuous focus #great for sports/action/kids#. Let off the button and the focus stops, allowing you to recompose #great for landscapes, portraits#. I can also use Direct Manual Focus to fine tune the focus if need be #but I rarely need to.#
Even with my 25 year old Minolta 75-300 zoom and it's screw drive focus, I've been able to turn out some very sharp sports photos with Sony's AF system.
Articulating LCD screen: this is great for shooting at ground level without laying on your belly, or shooting with the camera over your head. It's also very helpful when the camera is on a tripod pointing upward #such as shooting moon shots at night#. Articulate the screen to your liking and the camera can look upward while you look down #comfortably# at the screen.
6fps, with full AF & exposure capability: serious sports shooters may claim you need higher FPS, but I don't think so. Fire off 6fps during an athletic event and you'll come away with tons of shots. I have learned to rely less on fast FPS and more on my eye so I can capture decisive moments instead of instead of the spray & pray method. The A99 can go higher than 6fps, but you give up continuous focus & exposure adjustment capability between shots.
Things that take a little getting used to:
The "slideshow" effect in the EVF: generally speaking I think this concern is overstated. Shooting portraits or landscapes one at a time, the slideshow effect is a non-factor. Go to 6fp during sports, especially while tracking or panning with a subject, and it takes some getting used to. But you do get used to it, and once you learn what it is, it's far less of a factor than I originally thought it would be. Remember, even a traditional DSLR loses its optical viewfinder momentarily as the mirror flips up and down.
Battery life: with an EVF being a constant drain, the battery will deplete faster than one in a traditional DSLR with OVF. But again, I think this concern is generally overstated. For example, at my son's soccer game last weekend I took 362 shots without depleting it #or even coming close#. Yes, I have the battery grip with the second battery #one in the camera and one in the grip# for long days of shooting. But for casual shooting you won't need more than a single battery. For a long day, the extra battery in the grip has you covered. For really long shoots without recharging you can put an additional battery in the grip #for a total of three#. Want to save power? You can turn off the LCD screen by flipping it inward toward the body. Also, if you aren't going to be shooting for a while, simply turn the camera off, then turn it back on when you want to shoot. It'll "wake up" between the time I turn it on and the time I lift it to my eye.
Things that could be improved:
AF points: the AF points are clustered near the center of the frame. Put simply, it would be nicer if they were spread out a little further, to cover more of the frame.
The joystick: I actually love the joystick control on the back of the body. But I'm a left-eye shooter, and my nose often bumps the joystick, shifting my selected focus zone. I have adjusted to this now, and it rarely happens any more. If you're a right-eye shooter, this is a non-issue.
The Carl Zeiss 24-70mm/f2.8: put simply, it is amazing. It's built like a tank, zooms smoothly and focuses quickly and accurately. It's very sharp, and I have no complaints. Yes, it's heavy! But if you're buying a top of the line, constant f/2.8 zoom such as this one, you have no business complaining about the weight. Good glass is heavy.
The Sony HVL-F60M flash: I have found this to be easier to use than my F58. I use both--the F60 on camera as the controller, and the F58 wireless, off camera. Both the F58 and the F60 have Sony's "quick shift" bounce head. It took a little getting used to at first, but the quick shift head is great for shooting portraits while switching from landscape to portrait orientation. Simply "flop" the flash head sideways. Even when bouncing the flash off the ceiling, the quick shift is great. Compared to traditional swivel flash heads, I'll take the quick shift any day.
I have read complaints about the F60 overheating, but I have not experienced it at all. However, while I use flash frequently, I am not a heavy flash user #such as a wedding photographer might be#.
There is also a small delay when using Sony flashes wirelessly, such as I do. It is a small delay, but a bit unsettling when you're first getting used to it. Once you are used to it, it is much less of a concern #although it would be nice if they could make this go away altogether.#
Lastly, Sony has switched from the Minolta-style flash hot shoe to Sony's new Multi-Interface shoe. While we all gripe about stuff like that, I suppose it was a necessary move to consolidate all their systems #A mount, E mount, video# to one type of shoe. I have no particular issue with the new shoe, although I happened to like the usability of the old Minolta-shoe #it was faster to slide it on and off, and it clicked #locked# into position. The new shoe takes a fraction longer to slide into positions, and although it locks, it's not as "positive" as the old style shoe.
By the way, I have the Minolta-style shoe on my F58 and Maxxum 7D, and the Sony-style shoe on my F60 and A99. I have adapters to go both ways #I can use either flash on my Minolta Maxxum 7D, and either flash on my A99#. The adapters work well and are a non-issue for me.
The Sony Vertical Control Grip: I initially bought the grip for the A99 because of the extra battery capacity. On long shoots I'd add the grip #with second battery#, and on short shoots I'd go without the grip. I soon found that in the vast majority of cases I didn't need the capacity of a second battery--but I really liked the ergonomics of the grip. When using a heavy lens, such as the CZ 24-70/2.8, or the Sony 70-400/4-5.6, the extra surface area of the grip is helpful for hand-holding the set up. It gives my hand some extra leverage against the torque of the heavy lenses. I now leave the grip on all the time.
When using the grip for vertical shooting, I have found that the AF/MF button #which I have programmed for back button focus, and use a lot# is in an ever-so-slightly different position on the grip compared to the body. This took a little getting used to #I used to pull the camera away from my face to have a look and find the button!# but I am used to it now. Actual shooting with the grip in the vertical position is delightful. The shutter on the grip is at the same height #relative to the lens# as the regular shutter on the body, so vertical shooting is identical to horizontal shooting #except for the aforementioned issue about the AF/MF button placement.
One more word on the grip: if you hope to quietly shoot pictures without being noticed, the grip will blow your chances. The A99 is large. The CZ 24-70 is large. Add the grip and the combo becomes huge.
One more word about the weight--yes, again, it's heavy. The A99 + 24-70 + grip are close to five pounds. The F60 is another pound. That's serious weight--but if you are serious about image quality, it's worth putting up with it.
Over eleven months and 13,000 frames, the A99 & CZ 24-70 have proven to be an excellent combination. They offer top image quality, good ergonomics/usability, they're well built, and I've had no quality problems or glitches at all. There will always be things to improve in a product as complex as a DSLR/DSLT, and I'm sure Sony will offer an upgraded model at some point. But if you're considering the A99 you shouldn't hesitate. It offers excellent image quality combined with a user friendly interface, making it an excellent choice.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Gained Ground
on May 13, 2013
Posted by: Muzics
I got the SLT A-99 as a 1 time use promo camera and its the only reason that I decided to purchase it was for the discounted price. After taking the camera and pushing it through its paces with my arsenal of CZ lenses, it so far has become a welcome addition to my photography tools.
The weight of the camera is so much better than the A900 and A700 and has also made my work flow a lot easier with various shooting styles with still life. My A900 was specifically used for still life shots until I got the A-99 which proved to be a more nimble character and easier to use with the leveling on screen feature (love this). The EVF was the main selling point as it was clear and easy to view allowing me to place the camera almost anywhere and not have to worry about looking through the view finder to complete my shot in focus as with the a900. Since I had the A-99 it taken the spot as my main photography tool coupled with the CZ lens line up, its a no brainer but my favorites with the A-99 are the CZ-2470 and the SAL135F18Z. The battery pack addition is also great as it doesn't add much more camera weight, so with 3 batteries you can shoot until the cows come home. Another great feature is the low light ISO improvements over the A900, shooting in low light at higher ISO settings is a lot less noisier.
Over all I think the advancements Sony has made in camera technology is fantastic and the camera shows the results in my work flow. I was trying to hold out to purchase a Sony medium format camera that I hoped would materialize soon since hearing about the connections with Hasselblad. I'm looking forward with hopes Sony will at least present a product release close to a medium format solution. For now its the A-99 and so far its a good product for me.
The weight of the camera is so much better than the A900 and A700 and has also made my work flow a lot easier with various shooting styles with still life. My A900 was specifically used for still life shots until I got the A-99 which proved to be a more nimble character and easier to use with the leveling on screen feature (love this). The EVF was the main selling point as it was clear and easy to view allowing me to place the camera almost anywhere and not have to worry about looking through the view finder to complete my shot in focus as with the a900. Since I had the A-99 it taken the spot as my main photography tool coupled with the CZ lens line up, its a no brainer but my favorites with the A-99 are the CZ-2470 and the SAL135F18Z. The battery pack addition is also great as it doesn't add much more camera weight, so with 3 batteries you can shoot until the cows come home. Another great feature is the low light ISO improvements over the A900, shooting in low light at higher ISO settings is a lot less noisier.
Over all I think the advancements Sony has made in camera technology is fantastic and the camera shows the results in my work flow. I was trying to hold out to purchase a Sony medium format camera that I hoped would materialize soon since hearing about the connections with Hasselblad. I'm looking forward with hopes Sony will at least present a product release close to a medium format solution. For now its the A-99 and so far its a good product for me.
What's great about it: EVF, Lightweight, features
What's not so great: None yet
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Not a repackaged a77
on November 1, 2012
Posted by: 70hemibee
First of all, if you think this is just an a77 remake with a full frame sensor, you are sadly mistaken (I have both.) The noise reduction built into the camera one-ups the a77 in that department alone. There is no pop up flash which everyone considering this camera already know. Good or bad, I'm ok with it. If I was the one calling the shots then I would have opted to include the pop-up. I have found that in most circumstances the flash really isn't an issue. If you're going to be shooting in low light, get you flash out!!! The camera can more than make up for many low light conditions you may encounter. If you're looking for dramatic flash effect, well....you know. I've read a few reviews that state there is no lens correction available. That's wrong also. A-mount lenses can be corrected for shading, chromatic aberration, and distortion. Corrections are not available for other lenses with adapters. The lock button on the mode dial is a very welcome addition, as well as a much improved interface on the lcd screen. Once you get used to the position of the contols, you'll hardly have to take your eye away from the camera during shooting. You can make all adjustments easily with your eye up to the camera. While there is much, much, much more, I don't want to write a novel for a review. This is a fantastic camera....if you don't mind that it's a tad bit over priced and is pop up flash delete. Other than that, I absolutely love this camera. I get a smile on my face just taking out of the bag. One last thing. You can use your DT (APS-C) lenses on the a99. The camera automatically steps down to the cropped sensor's size and avoids any distortion, shading, or vignetting.
What's great about it: Intuitive user interface, great feel/build, noise reduction
What's not so great: Price is a few hundred dollars on the high side,
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
The BEST Sony camera to date!
on November 22, 2012
Posted by: Deputy50
The Sony A99 is truly a photographer's camera with the added bonus of great video features. The camera is priced below the Nikon D800 and Canon 5D MKIII with which it competes. Thus, making them both overpriced. There are a lot of interpretations of the Electronic viewfinder, both positive and negative. My advice is to physically use the camera at a local camera retailer and see for yourself. The plethora of information and seeing what you'll get should be enough to appreciate the differences.Try and use both an OVF and the A99's EVF back to back and the differences are more prevalent. Focusing speed and accuracy are excellent as expected for this class of camera body. We have had the opportunity to use the A99 for a full and real (not staged) wedding and it performed flawlessly. Much better image quality than the Canon 5D MKII and probably better than the MKIII as well. One concern was how would the A99 meter with flash since theEVF shows you the scene before the shot is taken. Well with an OVF you also see the scene before the shot is taken. The camera meters fine and the pictures come out as they would with an OVF. One plus is that your starting point is easier to see and achieve with the EVF in comparison to an OVF. Now what about high ISO and image noise. Well there is no need to fear because the A99 excels in this area. You can shoot at 6400 ISO in raw and expect images of fully useable quality. Don't compare it to the older A900 and A850 full frames as there is no comparison. This camera simply leaves them behind and finally moves Sony in the low noise high ISO ranks of Nikon and Canon. Please give it a try before knocking the EVF and listening to brand snobs.
The attached images give a glimpse of the image quality from raw files. Both were taken with the Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. The figurine was shot at 6400 ISO and only given sharpening in Lightroom. No noise reduction or color corrections were performed. The sky image was only sharpened in Lightroom. Another thing that one would not do is take an image with the sun in the frame with an OVF. The EVF will compensate for that situation so your are not blinded by the sun's light.
Just go and play around with one. You won't be disappointed.
Just go and play around with one. You won't be disappointed.
What's great about it: High ISO image quality. Incredible dynamic range. Very smooth operationally. Very fast and accurate autofocus. Price.
What's not so great: None!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com