Camera
Sony announces a9 III: World’s first full-frame global shutter camera
| Sony a9 III |
Sony has announced the Alpha 9 Mark III, the world’s first full-frame camera with a global shutter. It can shoot at 120 fps with no blackout and a maximum shutter speed of 1/80,000 sec.
It’s a 24.6MP camera that Sony says doesn’t compromise on ISO performance or dynamic range. The global shutter means photos with zero distortion of movement. It promises 8EV of in-body stabilization.
The a9 II is built around the latest Bionz XR processors, giving eight times as much power as the a9 II.
The a9 III can shoot 120 fps with full AF conducting calculations between each shot. It can continue this for 1.6secs of 14-bit Raw files: 192 frames and 6Gb/s. It can pre-buffer for up to 1 sec, giving a preemptive 120 frames of pre-capture. The camera includes a ‘Speed Boost’ custom button to prompt the camera to jump from a slower rate up to 120 fps.
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CMOS sensors with a global shutter have been available for several years but haven’t been able to offer as much dynamic range as conventional, progressive-scan designs. The emergence of Stacked CMOS technology provides enough space for the added circuitry that global shutter designs need on one layer, while also allowing enough space for electron storage, helping relieve this DR restriction.
The global shutter means the a9 III can sync at up to 1/80,000 sec and eliminates the need for High Speed Sync, and allows this feature with third-party flashes. It also means there’s no risk of banding from artificial lights, but the camera has an ‘Anti-Flicker’ mode that syncs the shutter with the bright point in the light’s cycle, to avoid inconsistent exposure.
It’s rated to focus down to -5EV with an F1.8 aperture lens. It adds smaller AF points, alongside Sony’s subject recognition modes.
On the video side, it can shoot 4K/60p taken from 6K capture and 4K/120p without any crop. It includes options such as 10-bit 4:2:2 capture, the S-Cinetone profile and ’16-bit’ Raw video output over HDMI.
The a9 III has a 2K-dot 3.2″ rear screen with full articulation and a tilt-out cradle. It’s the same setup as the a7R V and includes an LCD panel which covers the DCI P3 color gamut. It features a 9.44M dot OLED viewfinder with 0.9x magnification. It can run at full resolution at 120fps or with a reduced resolution at 240fps.
Sony says it’s moved the shutter button to improve ergonomics, as well as adding a fifth function button to the front of the camera. The optional battery grip’s ergonomics have also been reworked and the battery performance boosted by 15% by treating the two included batteries as a single entity, rather than discharging one and then the other.
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The a9 III will be available from Spring 2024 at a recommended price of $5999.
What is a global shutter?Global shutter is a method of ending an exposure where all the image data is captured simultaneously. This is distinct from most existing shutter systems (electronic and mechanical) that start and end progressively: working their way across the sensor. There are multiple benefits to such a system, with the most obvious being the elimination of the rolling shutter distortion effect often seen on video and with slow electronic (progressive) shutters. But another major benefit is that a global shutter can sync with flash at almost any shutter speed. With global shutter it’s the duration of the flash burst that becomes the limitation, rather than the length of time it takes to close the shutter (which in turn dictates the shortest period where the whole sensor is exposed). Sony says the a9 III can sync at all shutter speed (all the way up to 1/80,000 sec). A global shutter also eliminates the banding that can occur with progressive shutters under flickering lights. Because the image is all captured at exactly the same moment, you don’t capture different parts of a light’s flicker cycle in different parts of the image. You might capture an image of an LED sign board refreshing, if you use a very high shutter speed, but that’s an issue with the LEDs, not the camera, which is accurately capturing a single moment in time. |
It also says it will be introducing firmware updates to the a7S III and the a1, adding features such as breathing compensation. The a7S III will also gain DCI 4K capture. Sony says it will also add the ability to continuously shoot with shutter speeds at up to 1/80,000 sec in a firmware update.
All three cameras will also add C2PA authentication metadata.
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As part of the launch, Sony has announced the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS. It weighs 1470g (51.9oz), making it the lightest in its class, the company says. This is the same weight as the original 70-200mm F2.8 GM. The company also says it’s designed to be balanced with the camera attached.
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| FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS |
The 300mm F2.8 GM OSS has two XD linear motors to allow it to focus fast enough to work with the a9 III.
The 300mm F2.8 will also cost $5999 and will also be available in Spring 2024.
Sony event video:
The theme for our April’s Editor’s challenge is ‘RGB,’ or red, green and blue.
We’re looking for photos featuring a red, green, and blue color palette. Think an apple orchard under a blue sky, a color-coordinated bookshelf, a parrot – anything with a tri-chromatic color palette utilizing the three colors that form the basis of all our digital images. Our favorites will be featured on the DPReview homepage at the end of the month.
This challenge is open to photos taken at any time.
You can submit photos to the competition starting Sunday, April 6th. The last day for entry will be Saturday, April 12th (GMT).
IMPORTANT: Images MUST include a title and a caption of at least 25 words to be eligible. Viewers want to know the story behind your photo. We will consider both photos and captions when selecting our winners, so make sure to tell us that story!
Visit the challenge page to read the full rules and to submit your photos for consideration as soon as the challenge opens.
Visit the challenge page to see all the rules
| Photos: SmallRig, CineStill, Tamron |
We’re back with another accessory roundup. This week, we’re taking a look at memory cards, memory cards, and more cards! Oh, and some other stuff, too, but we’ll get to that right after we discuss the deals.
On sale this week
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| Photo: Brendan Nystedt |
If you’re looking for an entry-level full-frame camera, Canon’s EOS R8 is one of the cheapest ever released. That’s especially true now that it’s on sale for $200 off, putting it at only $1300. It doesn’t have all the whizz-bang features of more expensive models – IBIS is a particularly notable omission – but for the price, it’s hard to complain.
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If you’ve got $2000 to spend on a mirrorless camera, there are a lot of great options. But if you’re feeling nostalgic, you’re in luck – the Nikon D850 is currently on sale for $400 off. It may be a camera destined for the history books, but that doesn’t mean there’s no reason to use one today.
A deck of cards
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| Image: Pergear |
It’s a big week for CFexpress cards – we’ve seen several new options hit the market. The first two are from Pergear and Novachips, and are aimed at budget-conscious shooters. The former company is offering CFexpress Type A cards starting at just $129 for a 256GB model. Type A cards have always been more expensive than Type B or SD models, likely partly because they’re far less common – Sony is the only major manufacturer whose cameras use the standard.
Novachips, meanwhile, is selling both Type A and Type B cards. You can get a 330GB Type A card for $238, and a 256GB Type B card for just $125.
Meanwhile, Delkin has updated its lineup of CFexpress Type B cards, making them even faster and adding more storage options. Unlike the other cards we’ve covered today, these ones aren’t particularly cheap. But if you need the utmost performance, they may be the way to go.
A do-it-all reader
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| Image: SmallRig |
If you end up buying one of those CFexpress cards, you’ll probably want a way to offload data from it to your computer. SmallRig has you covered. Its new 9-in-1 docking stations offer either a CFexpress Type A or Type B reader, along with myriad other I/O options.
Despite costing less than some dedicated CFexpress card readers, the docks also include SD and Micro SD readers, two 5Gbps USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, one of which can accept 100W of power to pass along to your computer, HDMI and gigabit Ethernet ports. It also includes a cable that lets you connect it to your computer and transfer data at up to 10Gbps, though its CFexpress read speeds are limited to a (still quite fast) 6Gbps. The one downside is that you’ll have to decide whether you want a dock with a Type A reader or a Type B reader; there isn’t one that does both.
A bright idea
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| Image: SmallRig |
SmallRig is also becoming a major player in the budget lighting space, to the point where it’s releasing add-on products for its COB lights. This week, the company introduced the SP-mini, a spotlight attachment for its lights with the RCmini mount, including the RC60B/C and RC100B/C.
It does pretty much what it says on the tin, allowing you to focus your light on a narrow area, highlighting your subject. It also comes with 10 gobos to help you shape the light, creating interesting patterns in shadow.
The SP-mini is available now for $149.
The ProPack
If you’re a medium-format shooter and a fan of CineStill’s 400D film, we’ve got great news: you can now buy a “ProPack” with five rolls of the 120 film. You won’t save much by doing so – it’s only around $3 cheaper than buying five individual roles – but at least you’ll know you’ve got enough on hand for whatever you want to photograph.
Save on a lens
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The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 DI III VXD G2 is currently available for $200 off.
Image: Tamron |
Tamron hasn’t announced any new lenses, but it is having a spring sales event from now until April 20th. That means you can pick up some of its best glass for up to $200 off. The sales are available on Tamron’s site and through retailers like B&H and Amazon. You can see which lenses are on sale and how much off you can expect on the company’s website.
SkyPixel, the aerial photography and videography community, has announced the winners of its 10th annual contest. The contest this year drew thousands of participants, who submitted over 140,000 entries from around the world. While the contest has traditionally been exclusively open to aerial photos and videos, a handheld video category was added this year, opening submissions to more than just aerial shots.
The contest features both photo and video categories, with two Best Video Prize winners –one for aerial and one for handheld – and one Best Photo Prize winner. Additionally, the SkyPixel contest selects the top 10 video and photo winners. There is also a “Nominated Entries” category (a people’s choice award) with five video and five photo winners.
You can learn more about the contest and see all of the winning images and videos on the SkyPixel Contest website.
2025 Annual Best Video Prize (Aerial): The War – My Transformation Journey by Bashir Abu Shakra
Directed by Bashir Abu Shakra, The War – My Transformation Journey uses stunning aerial shots to tell his story of battling loneliness, leading to self-discovery. The project was filmed over the course of five years across eight countries, including China, Venezuela, Italy and more. Shakra purposefully chose each landscape to fit with the song’s lyrics, aiming to use the contrast between the song and visuals to show how nature helped him overcome his struggles.
Judge comments: “The opening shot is truly captivating, marked by its elongated duration, graceful camera movements, and the serene beauty of the time of day. The composition stands out as particularly noteworthy. It’s one of my favorites, and the overall quality is exceptional,” said Claudio Miranda.
“The War is an admirable film. Landscape photography is never a simple record, and every shot taken by this cinematographer is refined, precise, and captivating. The angles, the light all show his persistence and perseverance. It is a film where technique and the creator’s inner vision are highly aligned. I really liked the ending,” said Chenyu Jin.
2025 Annual Best Video Prize (Handheld): Japan Travel Cinematic by Henry Yue
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| Image: Henry Yue |
The new handheld category of the SkyPixel contest celebrates videography created with handheld or stabilized cameras. The inaugural winner, Henry Yue, showcased popular and iconic destinations across Japan in Travel Cinematic. The video uses cinematic camera angles and transitions with creative compositions. You can view the video on the SkyPixel website.
Judge comments: “The sound design and use of movement in this film were second to none, absolutely capturing the essence of Japan in the most stunning way. This was one of my favorites, and I felt immersed from the moment I hit play. Keep up the incredible work—this was truly something else,” said Sam Newton.
“Japan Travel is a work rich in visual elements, combining both motion and stillness without causing any sense of chaos. Henry expertly controlled the pace of the film, with clean tones and precise, appropriate exposure control that perfectly integrates all elements. It is a highly refined and cohesive piece,” said Chenyu Jin.
2025 Annual Best Photo Prize: Gangerqia
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| Photo: Gangerqia |
Photographer: Gangerqia
Caption (machine translated): A red-crowned crane accidentally fell down when it landed, leaving a phoenix-like shadow on the snow-covered ice. The photographer used the dark spring as a guide point to capture this beautiful moment.
Judge comments: “This aerial photo works beautifully because it almost tricks you at first glance—like you’re looking at a drawing rather than a real landscape. There’s a frozen pond shaped like an eye that immediately grabs your attention, and the neat line of footprints from the bird adds a playful sense of movement. It’s simple, clean, and has a bit of mystery to it. The minimal colors and subtle textures make the whole thing feel calming but intriguing at the same time,” said Luke Stackpoole.
Selection of Annual Top 10 Photo Winners
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Photographer: AB Gusai
Image title: Mud bath bliss
Caption: In the heart of the Indian countryside, a buffalo finds its own unique way to beat the heat. This aerial view captures the animal fully immersed in a vibrant pond, reveling in a luxurious mud bath. The deep, rich mud clings to its skin, providing a natural sunscreen and a soothing relief from the scorching sun. The buffalo seems to sigh contentedly, its eyes half-closed as it luxuriates in the cool, wet embrace of the mud. This image is a reminder of the simple pleasures in life, the joy of a good mud bath, and the resilience of nature’s creatures in adapting to their environment.
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Photographer: Fadah
Image title: Sailing through the ice
Caption: None
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Photographer: hanifi
Image title: bulgurcu
Caption: Wheat harvested in the Gaziantep province of Turkey is turned into bulgur after various processes. The resulting bulgur is laid out in the sun to dry. Bulgur needs to be stirred frequently to ensure it dries quickly. The different geometric shapes that emerge during this process are preserved.
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Photographer: Joanna Steidle
Image title: Another World
Caption: This is a top-down drone capture of a fever of cownose rays mixing their way through a school of menhaden fish. Taken just off the coast of the Hamptons, Southampton, New York , USA . On this day the sky was clear, and the sea was calm, allowing the sunlight to enhance the depth and bursting sand clouds.
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Photographer: qb.pixels
Image title: Alien made symbol
Caption: The crest of Buri in Sicily is likely a rocky ridge with Mediterranean vegetation, offering scenic views and possibly historical ruins from Sicily’s rich past.
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