Sony A9 III Review - Cutting-Edge Technology for Capturing Ice Track Drifting
Porsche photographer Daniel Laaksonen had a unique opportunity to test Sony’s latest A9 Mark III system camera in a special environment: the Porsche Ice Experience. The event in Levi provided the perfect setting to test the camera’s capabilities in extreme conditions, where fast cars and demanding lighting created a challenging environment for the camera. In addition, Sony’s 300mm GM and 16–35mm GM2 lenses were used to complete the package.
Features and user experience
The Sony A9 III's promise of super-fast burst shooting, silent operation, and flawless image quality raised high expectations, which were met with mixed results. The camera's ability to capture 120 frames per second with autofocus and full-size RAW files was astonishing.
The Speed Boost feature made me suspicious beforehand about how it would affect the quality or if it was off somewhere. However, when using the feature, I didn't notice any impact on the quality or autofocus success. The location of the Boost button on the body was also really easy to use when wearing gloves. In general, the Boost feature combined with the camera's autofocus proved to be very successful in capturing drifting Porsches that approached with a sideways motion and kicked up a lot of snow and slush.
Although not every shot was a hit, most of the images were very sharp, which is a remarkable achievement considering the large number of images. I am used to shooting with the Sony A1, whose autofocus is also very good and which I can rely on in challenging and difficult to reproduce situations. This time I used the 70–200 GM2 lens on the A1 and when using the cameras side by side, I noticed how a larger percentage of images were successful in terms of focus with the A9 III. Thanks to the huge resolution of the A1 images, as the images taken give a significant opportunity to crop the images during the editing phase, while in Lightroom I noticed that with the A9 III you should not count on the same cropping possibility when shooting.
The combination of speed and accuracy of the A9 III allowed for incredibly precise capturing of moments, although the 120 frames per second rate produces a huge number of images, which ends up choosing the images to submit between small differences. The camera is capable of 120 focus calculations per second, which also corresponds to the maximum number of images per second. When a car passed on the ice track and kicked up snow behind it, it was naturally challenging to find the right focus point through the snow, but the focus returned to the car relatively quickly after the largest snow patches were removed from the image. From the images taken with the A1, it was noticeable how much the A9 III's focus has improved in the past couple of years.
Compared to the A1, the ergonomics with the camera have been updated, especially using the shutter button is much more comfortable, as the shutter button area is more pleasantly shaped and easier to use. The VG-C5 vertical grip designed for the camera also had a similar ergonomic approach and when turning the hand to the vertical grip, the buttons were easy to find. I was even a little surprised that the Boost button had also been added to the vertical grip. This implementation made it easier, especially when taking vertical pictures for social media. It is often more difficult to follow the movement steadily when the camera is turned 90 degrees and using the buttons easily causes movement in the vertical direction, which can ruin the shot. In addition, situations are often unique in track photography, in practice this time too, when photographing the 911 Dakar on the track, the car only passed me four times and for this reason it is really important that the pictures are successful as often as possible.
Technology and innovation
I knew in advance that I expected a lot from the technologies in the A9 III. The camera takes sensor technology to a new level thanks to the Global Shutter sensor, which eliminates rolling shutter interference. This has caused a lot of shape stretching, especially when shooting on the track, if you haven't used a mechanical shutter.
The highly effective internal image stabilization, fast and accurate autofocus and AI processor promise to create an excellent base for nature, sports and video photographers. In my opinion, the camera delivered on its promise unequivocally in this regard. The camera's ability to record pre-capture images before pressing the shutter button is a significant advantage in situations where every second counts. For example, this function allows you to notice something happening and start filming before you even have time to press the shutter button. I personally feel that this feature is very useful in fast-paced motorsports photography.
Video recording
For videographers, the A9 III promises to offer a wide range of features, such as 4K 120P video recording without cropping, 10bit 4:2:2 recording and S-Cinetone color space. At the same time, Global Shutter technology ensures that video recording is free from rolling shutter effects, which is a great advantage in dynamic shooting situations. I use Sony's FX3 camera for video shooting and what I especially appreciate about other cameras is that their video image is similar and I can use them seamlessly cross-platform when needed.
I won't comment on the quality of the video itself, as it is very similar to the A1 and FX3 in general. What particularly caught my attention was the video stabilization. I went with the camera to join a Porsche driving instructor who was going around a slalom course in a 911 Turbo S. I tried to take a video over the driver's shoulder, focusing the image on the cockpit while the driver switched sides to go around the course. In retrospect, I was amazed at how stable the video was and especially how, after slowing down the 4K120p image, the movement looked very smooth, even though in reality there were significant changes in direction in the g-forces.
Summary
The Sony A9 III not only met my expectations but exceeded them in many areas, even though I initially didn’t expect the camera to have much of an advantage over the A1. Its ability to capture fast action, combined with excellent image quality and user-friendly features, makes it an ideal tool for demanding professional use on the racetrack. The camera’s versatility and performance at the Porsche Ice Experience convinced me that Sony has once again done something that is perfectly suited to their own needs in motorsport.
I will probably get this camera for the Porsche Sprint Challenge North European Zone series because of its excellent suitability for track photography. However, for static images, I will continue to use the A1, as I find the editing possibilities offered by the higher resolution to be a very established part of my own work style.
Daniel Laaksonen
Porsche Finland photographer
Instagram: @dalaakso
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