a99 review is up at DPR

stiuskr wrote: The camera was in Demo mode, they all ship like that I suppose as the a77 arrived like that. Go into the menu, pg 3 of the wrench icon and turn off Mode Dial Guide.

Mine didn't come in demo mode. Ask James if you don't believe me...He was right there when I opened the box, turned it on, and clucked like a chicken who laid a golden egg. I think someone intentionally turned it on the camera Photosopher tried.

Serdar A wrote: stiuskr wrote: The camera was in Demo mode, they all ship like that I suppose as the a77 arrived like that. Go into the menu, pg 3 of the wrench icon and turn off Mode Dial Guide. Mine didn't come in demo mode. Ask James if you don't believe me...He was right there when I opened the box, turned it on, and clucked like a chicken who laid a golden egg. I think someone intentionally turned it on the camera Photosopher tried.

Yeah, mine was also not in demo mode by default. Interesting that some may have been.

Photosopher, I think another member nailed it in the head when they said that trying out an a99 in a store is not a great way to get a feel for the camera. Maybe if you were an a77 shooter previously you might, but coming from the a900, you need more time to acclimate to all the features on the body.

In all honesty, and I don't mean to insult you in any way because I love your photography and respect you as a member here, I think you have grown to love your a900 so much that it has allowed you to have a steady workflow, and the thought of changing that workflow, even though I believe it may improve it, makes you skeptical of it. Change is scary some times, and in your case, more so because you run a business around these tools. So with that in mind, why don't you wait until the a99 becomes available for rent and give one a try in a studio setting at your workplace? Everyone can tell you about all the advanced features and this and that but all of that doesn't matter until you have that body in your hands and you shoot with it. I mean, that is really what it comes down to. You have to ask yourself after that shoot if the a99 brings anything to the table that your a900 does not. If the answer is no, then you must remain with your a900, which I believe has done you well, or move on to another camp. No one will think less of you here because your business depends on it. That is a much tougher choice for you than most of us since a lot of us do photography as a hobby and not a business.

What ever you decide my friend, I wish you well with your choice. All I know, is that no matter what body they put in front of you, you will make some great captures with it. The tools are only part of the equation, the person behind those tools is what matters in the end.

Mr Baz wrote: I tried an A77 in store why is it not a way to get a "feel for it"? You can go outside for a bit and try it out too they don't chase you or anything. Agree it's not enough to really do a review or ultra in depth thoughts on it, but you get a hands on which is better than just buying on-line.

Having driven automatic transmission cars all your life, can you go to a dealer and get a good impression on a manual transmission car right away even if the dealer lets you take it outside? The EVF needs calibrating and getting used to. It wasn't a love at first sight for me.

Baz, I believe Photosopher does a lot of studio work.   There's no real way to try this out in any camera store I know, particularly when studio strobes and triggers come into play.

Anyone who is familiar with the a77 won't have much trouble adjusting to the SLT way of thinking but from an OVF to evf is quite a big jump in ups/downs (flogged to death in other threads) and a quick whirl in a camera shop won't be enough for many people to make a properly informed decision about dropping thousand of pounds on a camera, particularly if the are pro and their livelihood depends on it.

Photosopher wrote: Thanks all to be patient with my first a99 experience. You've answered a lot of questions. I'm warming up to it. Probably take another look this weekend.

No worries. You don't HAVE to like it. Still like having you around.

Photosopher wrote: Thanks all to be patient with my first a99 experience. You've answered a lot of questions. I'm warming up to it. Probably take another look this weekend.

Thank you for letting us travel with you on this journey. I think many of us find ourselves more or less in your position; I certainly am. Sony has made going from the A900 to the A99 a huge step. If the A99 had been a modernized A900 it would have been a no brainer. But now I'm racking my brain if that A99 is for me. And the tale of your 'experience' is helping me in this process.