In case you missed it this week, Sony launched their a9 and I was front row to the spectacle—see the coverage of their mirrorless milestone here, here, and here. More importantly, seated next to me was Elliott Erwitt whose photographs you’d recognize (his work is that famous).
While I ran 3 streams simultaneously, tweeted, and posted about the cameras, Elliott watched next to me, quiet and engaged. He’s still shooting at 88 and was profiled by the New York Times in 2015.
As these gigs happen, Japanese exec speaks and the Americans come on stage for the big reveal. There’s a dramatic edit of the camera in action and then Sony’s influencers arrive to share the marketing message while mentioning their achievements (award-winning, war zones, Pulitzers, that sort of thing).
10 minutes into hearing about the virtues of the a9—there are many—I poked Elliot and said, “You should be up there.”
He guffawed with a quiet snort.
The a9 is Sony’s most significant launch since the first Alpha series, the a7. With this camera, the full promise of mirrorless has been delivered and for Sony’s competitors, the other shoe has dropped. How they respond and how soon will determine the mirrorless event horizon because DSLR tech has run its course.
I asked Elliott what he thought of the a9. His reply, “It’s ok.”
That says a lot, coming from an icon.
A lot indeed.
Elliott also agreed to a selfie, Purple Elliott I called it.
Wishing to learn more about the legend I sat next to, during a defining moment in Sony’s camera business, I asked around and Elliott is best known for getting the shot in one take, no matter the circumstance.
The most significant feature of the a9 is the silent shutter; meaning, the sensor is able to throughput images at previously unheard of rates while remaining open (no shutter sound and less rolling shutter).
If I see Elliott again, I’ll ask what he got with the a9.
With the silent shutter, in one take.
The a9 is available now for preorder and it ships next month for $4,500.00. After the launch, I spent a day shooting with it and during lunch, stepped out to the greenway for a couple bike pics. While in town visited with Rapha too.
4 years ago, we started posting about Sony mirrorless cameras here and live by this rule
The amount fun had on a bike ride is inversely proportional to the weight of camera gear transported by the rider.
With the a9, Sony’s mirrorless tech has overtaken the DSLR. The next move is from Canon and Nikon.
I know the a9 is what I’ll carry with me on the bike to and from a shoot.
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