Sony & Sports Photography

Stephen Devine

Stephen Devine

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It’s a couple of years now since I shot Sports professionally (I had a Canon setup). Over the past little while I’ve been thinking that even when attending sports now it still appears to be 100% Canon & Nikon gear you see. Has Sony cracked the market at all? I’ve been shooting Sony a7Riii’s since finshing up with sport (for the time being) and have used the a9 too. I could see where they may have some drawbacks for sport but also lots of advantages.

I wonder are any of our pro members shooting a sony set up? Or if agency’s even want files shot on Sony (can’t see why not). The Olympics would have been great to see what kind of dent Sony had made in the market.
 
I know a number of guys - on national papers, big agencies etc - who have switched from Canon to Sony A9 bodies. Some have gone the whole hog with Sony lenses but a few are still using their Canon lenses with adaptors. They see very happy with the image quality and auto focus performance.
 
Speaking from my own experience - I am one of those who decided to make the switch from Canon to Sony earlier this year.
Sony were kind enough to lend me A9mkII and couple of lenses for a while, and while testing them - they did impress me enough to (after few weeks of careful considering) decide that it was time to switch mirrorless.
Slowly, via various stores - I made the swap of my gear from Canon to Sony... one body there in exchange for this. Couple of lenses there for this.. and so on.

Owning four bodies - and working for myself - the final costs of the swap wasn't too bad.
In the end, I ended up using couple of thousand of new money to replace the gear I had.

I did also change my video gear from Canon to Sony - due to the lenses. So that was a bit of an extra cost, as I made a significant upgrade on that side.

Due to COVID - I only had few weeks of real world work with the Sony cameras.
But from what I have done so far, I am happy with the switch - for my use, I really haven't seen any drawbacks. Or found anything from Canon that I miss...

There are fair few photographers I've seen in the last events/games that have made the switch to Sony and all seem content with their decision.
Even some agency guys said they would personally prefer a Sony, but as their gear comes from the agency... they are 'stuck' with Canon/Nikon for now.

Only lens I kept after my switch, was the Canon 200mm f1.8. Which I just couldn't let go ... it works OK with an adapter. Not great.. but it is usable (not as good as it was on 1DXmkII).

The next big test will come in the autumn with the Team Photoshoot season ... luckily COVID has given me time to test the Canon+Studio lights set-up at home.
Might still have few butterflies in the tummy before the first real shoot (even if I know they work and stuff..)

So - one happy Canon to Sony switcher here :)
 
Theres a lot of ..happy wiht the change and what your not missing... but what exactly is anyone gaining form the swtitch and is the gain equal to the cost.. where you not happy wiht your canon shots?

I am more than happy wiht the results I get using my current canon gear and can't think of nay reason to change... So whats the advantage ?
 
I doubt a Sony will be as strong as Nikon or Canon. I dropped my Nikon of the side of a boxing ring and picked it up and it worked without fault. It had a slight mark on the bottom corner. D3s.

Would a Sony really stand the knocks these pro cameras take. I don't see any advantage only a risky difference.
 
KIPAX said:
Theres a lot of ..happy wiht the change and what your not missing... but what exactly is anyone gaining form the swtitch and is the gain equal to the cost.. where you not happy wiht your canon shots?

I am more than happy wiht the results I get using my current canon gear and can't think of nay reason to change... So whats the advantage ?
Click to expand...

Once again, only from my experience :)

Having tested mirrorless and stuff, it really became clear to me that this was the right way for ME to go when I wanted to upgrade gear.
And Canon's pricing of the MKIII made it easier as well..

Weight - as I travel a lot to assignment abroad and airlines are getting VERY picky about the weight of hand luggage.
Carrying 3x 1DXmkii vs 2xA9mkII ..the size and weight is a big factor.
And add the 3-4 lenses, batteries, etc to this.
I can squeeze all my needed Sony gear to hand luggage and be almost with-in the limits.
Where as with Canon gear.. my hand luggage often weighed about 23kg.

I know - this is very particular to my situation, but something that was important to me.
As there have been more times in the last year or so, when the hand luggage is weighed and if the limit is 5kg.. they don't look at 23kg too kindly :)

My shoulders do also like the lighter weight after long tournaments :)

FPS - yes, the 1DXmkIII does sort of match the A9mkII
But I do like the 20fps .. even if it does give more to shift through at editing.

EVF - again, personal preference, but I do actually like that (now) more than what I had on Canon.

Image quality/percentage of keepers - Is this just that I have better adjusted to using Sony and setting it 'correctly'. But I do like to colours and files that I get from Sony, compared to Canon.
Percentage of keepers .. maybe not a huge change, but there is a shift upwards in the amount of keepers I get.

Firmware updates : These seem to bring more functions to the camera, compared to what can be done for a DSLR. Looking back through the A9 firmware updates from since the launch. The camera really did improve a lot during the couple of years.

Video : Find this easier and quicker to use than on my Canon DSLR.

Price/Size of batteries : OK - they don't last as long as a DSLR battery.. but cost less and it is easy enough to have plenty of spares in the bag (without adding tons of weight)

There are few things that for me have made it worth the change/swap.
And the cost really wasn't that much in the end, as maybe I had accumulated Canon gear that was not needed .. so there was a bit of a cull of gear as well.


BUT!!

Do I miss some things from Canon.. of course I do. After all I used that gear for well over a decade.. and it had been the only gear I used (apart from some Olympus back in the 80's and 90's).

- Sony does not have a 300mm f2.8 lens - that I do would buy the instant it comes out.
The 400mm f2.8 just isn't a lens I need - as I do not cover enough football to justify it.

- Familiarity of Canon - still at the moment I look at some Sony Menu bits and expect things to be where they were with Canon.

Was I happy with my images from Canon??
Yes
Could I have gone on using 1DX mkII and been satisfied?
Yes
Would I have paid what the new 1DX mkIII costs??
No
I am happy to have switched to mirrorless?
Yes

Who knows, maybe in a year or two - all you photographers using DSLR cameras will be laughing at me and telling me how stupid of a choice I have made.
But for now - the Sony is working great for me, I am happy with the images, clients and happy with them...
 
shapeshifter said:
I doubt a Sony will be as strong as Nikon or Canon. I dropped my Nikon of the side of a boxing ring and picked it up and it worked without fault. It had a slight mark on the bottom corner. D3s.

Would a Sony really stand the knocks these pro cameras take. I don't see any advantage only a risky difference.
Click to expand...

I know the Canon/Nikon pro-bodies are built like tanks :)
It was the one thing that took most getting used to when holding a A9 ..

I had my Canon's fall from various heights when I used them ... sometimes a fall from 80cm and it was all good.
Sometimes a knock from 10cm .. and everything was misaligned and off to Canon for repairs :)

The A9 has had few knocks so far - and (knock on wood) it is working normally.

But - I would agree that DSLR cameras are maybe built a bit more robust..
 
Cmon, less moving parts, DSLRs need to be built like tanks. Its like saying a platter hard drive is better engineered than an ssd because its made from metal and is heavy in comparison to the lightweight tiny plastic ssd.
 
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Just got the 400mm F2.8 GM and will shoot with it on Saturday for the first time. Probably some Rugby but maybe a fitba game too It will be paired with an A9, any tips for what focus mode to use and whether eye focus should be kept on. Also do I use OSS. My thoughts are mode 3 OSS, small point expanded and eye AF on with the tracking set to a muddling speed maybe even lower.
 
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