I've been Canon photographer for over 20 years. in December 2018, I had the opportunity to go on a photograpy tour of Antartica. We were advised of the limited weight we can carry on the Zodiac boats. I was concerned of the heavy weight of my canon kit. So I sold my entire Canon kit and bought 2x a7R III bodies, Sony 100-400 F4 GM , Sony 24-105 F4 and Sony 16-35 F4 lenses. Almost cut my kit weight by half !!! As you can imagine the environment and the lighting conditions at Antartica are very chellenging. Its very bright and 90% of the background is white which is very tough for auto focus! Half of the time we were shooting from moving and rocking zodiac boats ! with 8 other, shoulder-to-sholder photographers, and shooting subjects that are either flying or popping in and out of the water! meanwhile we were stuffed with heavy layers of water and waether proof cloths and gloves. However, the camera and the lenses performed extremely well; given the extreme condition. surprisingly the Sony batteries also did vey well two. We spent 4 to 5 hours each day photographing at freezing temperatures. I shot around 1000 on each camera. I used two batteries for each camera.The very bright and snowy back ground worked well most of the time with the F4 lenses.

This video had special meaning for me...at time stamp 8:54, there's an F-15 with tail ID "LN" - I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath before retiring from the USAF - thanks for the memories.

I shot Canon and Nikon for over 27 years and I decided to go with the Sony A7III and I don't regret at all and I just love it. For me, the only thing that my A7III bugs me is the AF Point (the little square box), they really need to change the color of it, usually I don't have a problem, but the other day on a really sunny day I was having trouble to see it. Other then that, I really love this camera. Thanks for the review, I really enjoy it.

Thanks Dave, this is the first test of the A7III I've seen that gave me a clue about the focusing in a situation similar to birds in flight, one of my interests. I'm currently using a Nikon D500 and don't really need to change just yet, but am thinking of rationalising my kit and going mirrorless, so the A7III is very interesting!

I am interested on the mach loop so much. Are the jets & planes will be there all the time? Is it difficult to get there?

Well put together and interesting photos. Thank you.

Great video, helped me to make the final decision. I intitally had the same problem with the viewfinder delay but found it can be eliminated by disengaging electronic front curtain which isnt supposed to use at fast shutter speeds from what I understand. The camera might seem a bit slower but it might be that EFC allows the camera to shoot faster than 10fps. Certainly sounds quicker than my old 7d mkii but about the same with EFC disengaged. I went ahead and bought the Sony A7III and MC-11 adaptor. After using it for three weeks with a Sigma 150-600c, I've been blown away by how well it works with the A7III. Its like the lens has had all of its full potential unlocked when you pair it with this camera. Its much more responsive and smoother than on my old 7dmkii which is making me think that Canon was limiting the 150-600 in some way. Perhaps to keep lock and key over their dual pixel tech perhaps? It means that even at split second moments the camera is really good at locking on. Its therefore improved my yield of photos already. Thats exactly what I want from a camera of that price range. I mean for big subjects like planes I cant say there is any difference between the AF response in the Sigma and the 100-400gm. The real test for zooms with the A7III is bird photography which has to be the most impressive aspect of the Sigma even at silly distances. Its not always 100% accurate in these situations as you can expect when a lenses its at its softest range but the camera could lock on at times where most cameras would tap out. Most impressive has to be tracking subjects in flight coming towards the camera. Probably lost 2-3 frames that were fractionally out of focus towards the end of of a series of 25 burst shots handheld at 500mm. Actually more impressive is tracking diving Red Kites in the pissing rain up the Brecon Beacons in low light. Not that you you would have much use for these photos in such miserable conditions but A7III can lock on. Not 100% accuracy through an entire burst but still seriously impressive for poor light conditions. Shots taken with Sony A7III with MC-11 and Sigma 150-600c are available on my instagram @drewdaviesphotography

brilliant review - very honest and comprehensive

Very nice report Dave! I am a Canon shooter who is on the move... I have rented and tested the a7R3 and loved it. I want the a73 and a7R3 in my bag! The new 100-400 G looks like an awesome lens!

One of the reasons you wasn't tracking threw view finder at the BTCC is that you're in Hi+ mode where you gain fps but you lose the ability for live tracking/viewing in view finder or screen! I know it's over a year old and everyone already knows that. But hopefully someone, like me, who might be watching this who is STILL deciding and saving for A7iii knows why and isn't put off :)

Dave, what shutter speed did you use? In particular, for the Mach loop aircraft? Also, what mode did you use? When I do location work (mostly portraits ) I'm in Manual mode with Auto ISO (would have been TAv mode on my Pentax K-1). I choose shutter and aperture and let the camera choose ISO...

Great Video Dave! I shoot with an A9 and like you I have found the battery life is amazing. A few months ago I shot a theater show. I had two FZ100 Sony batteries in my grip. I had shot nearly 2300 shots when I finished. And I had only used 38% of one battery. Now do keep in mind the A9 has a electronic shutter that doesn't show rolling shutter when using it. With no mirror or shutter curtains flapping around, the A9 uses very little power. The A73 might be my next camera to compliment my A9. Thanks again for the video!

Excellent review. Thank you

Excellent video. Very informative and some incredible images as a good review should always be :)

Thanks for this video, I’m contemplating buying this camera and this lens, this video really helped...

Great review, very informative. It's a shame you couldn't test the AF with the 1.4x TC attached to the 100-400. I always take a 150-600 for FF or a 200-500 for crop to airshows. Do you think the A7R3 would be comparable for this sort of thing?

Dave what focus settings did you use at mach loop? My first trip using the A7iii & 200-600 & it performed abysmally. It seems as though it’s the focus area & tracking settings I didn’t get right.

Great review Dave :)

Thank you dave for this very interesting video. I had with the 100-400 at an air show various problems with the sharpness. did you use mode 1 or 2? which focus settings did you use? thanks for an answer. Reno

Great video Dave, this video helped my decision in moving from my trusty Canon 5d mark iii to a Sony A7RIII . For the time being I’m going to be using my canon for sigma 150-600 sport with the MC-11

Thank you for this review. I’ve been considering moving across from (my rather heavy) Nikon and as I mostly photograph fast jets, the accuracy of the autofocus under these conditions is exactly what I wanted to know about. Prior to Nikon, I used Panasonic and the autofocus was a constant frustration and I wanted to be sure I wasn’t going to find myself in the same position again. I think you’ve convinced me to make the change. Just gonna have to get a converter for my Sigma 150-600.

great convincing review, hopefully I'm gonna buy soon

What a great review!

Hi .. just got the same combination ...can u share a video how and what focussing modes etc u used and image stabilisation modes .. i was at beach covering the surfers.. it was fun . I have back button focus on af mf and eye af on the side button .. dun remember what it is .. thanks for sharing the video . Would request you to post exifs as well for the shots going forward .. thanks

Total Awesomeness! I was anti Sony, but this camera is finally winning me over

I stumbled upon the Mach Loop by accident a couple of years ago. Was driving home from the Welsh Coast and just pulled in there to look over the valley as it was so pretty. Less than five minutes later a jet fighter came screeching though, I wasn't expecting it at all. Doubt I'll ever get that lucky again.

I used the A7iii + 100-400 GM at the F1 Montreal GP recently, and I noticed an issue with shutter-priority mode in that Hi and HI+ would stutter. Switching to full-manual or aperture-priority worked fine. Any ideas? Have you tried shutter-priority with that lens+body combo yet (and tracking a fast moving object)?

The Shelf in the Background makes me so nervous... I Would love to Photograph at the MachLoop! How do you know if there are many Jets flying by... Is it an annual Event?

I love this video and you've convinced me to buy this amazing lens after Christmas to go with my own a7iii. Liked and subscribed to your channel. I just need to find someone to road trip to the mach loop now!

I have the Sony A7 3 with 28-70, 70-200 and the 200-600. I‘ll be going to the RedBull Ring next weekend and hope to get some great shots of all the racing. The 100-400 looks like a really nice in between lens to have. I interested to know in which Mode you photographed your various subjects?

truly excellent review

Excellent lens. More unique and capable of rarer shots than the 70-200/2.8 GM.

Hello Dave McKeegan, thank you very much for sharing this real world experience. The A7III continues to impress. I'm curious about time to clear the buffer after a long rapid burst. I like to know how the buffer clearing performed especially when shooting the car race and the Mach Loop. Thank you in advance.

Dave you don't get the view finder blackout if you use the hi mode which is 8 frames a second. I've been shooting a lot of bikes lately at Cadwell park and am slowly getting the hang of the focusing. I've got the same set up as you, you couldn't enlighten me on what focus mode your using and your other settings please. As I've not been getting anywhere near 100 % hit rate. Cheers

I shoot the A7iii generally equipped with the Tamron 28-75mm lens. I use that in tandem with the A6500/A6400 with a 12mm f/2 Rokinon or the 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lenses (depending if I want a wider or closer view). I used to shoot with Canon and had a 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS ii lens on a 7D Mark-2 body. This combination did not get as much use as I had expected. The darn combo was just too heavy and I would frequently leave it at home. In view of my use of an APSC camera in tandem with the A7iii - I plan on adding the new 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS lens to my kit. I will have 50mm less reach but, will gain 30mm on the short end. I will also lose 1/2 stop of light at the longest focal length. However, the A6400/6500 combination weighs 2.4 pounds (about 1,089 grams) while the 7D2 combination weighs 5.6 pounds (about 2,540 grams)... That is, IMO, a very decent trade off. Sure, the Sony lens is APSC only but, I always used the Canon lens on a crop sensor body, so no loss there. I would always have my 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens for the full frame camera BUT! If the new Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 lens is as small as I hope and if it has IQ rivaling the Sony 70-200mm lens, I will sell the 70-200mm f/4 G OSS and switch to the Tamron lens...

So helpful AND entertaining. Great and thanks alot Dave! Btw. I like your accent-humor combination :-).

Awesome outlook

Just saw your video, loved it! Got a question though.. What focus settings do you use for that sharpness. I once used mine for a roller skating shoot but it was blurry around the edges. Would appreciate a response :)

It may be very expensive, but also very worth after i watched your video. Thanks

Thank you for the review, I feel like those who use these just for portraits are missing out on reviewing the most important upgrades and features; if I were shooting still subjects I’d nearly never need to update. This looks perfect for motorsport which is what I’m doing more of, so now have to convince swmbo that I need it 🤔

Hey Dave, wondering how you shot these photos. Did you shoot high quality RAW to just one card or RAW to one card and jpeg to another or so on? Wondering if the different saving methods and using multiple cards play a big role on the A7iii's speed and battery life. Great video as always!

Dave I'm with you Just as Carlos shot the big two for 27 years, I did Nikon for 17 years Canon 30. The review was great. I became tired of the incremental, oh hum changes Canon did to boost sales and not really stretch the limits. I eased into Sony lightly with an RX10 lll and then lV. The MK lV is impressive! It did not leave me wanting having come from full frame country. I also became tired of dragging two bodies and 7+ lenses around. Unfortunately, I wanted a 600mm lens however, a nice motorcycle could be purchased for the cost of a pro lens. Enter the A7lll; my decision was to keep the lens kit light however, high quality. I put the savings difference between the A7lll and AR7lll toward one of the lenses. Point being: my RX 10 4 is used for travel and moving subjects as 24 FPS is hard to beat. I believe your review tipped the scales toward the 100-400 as I primarily do landscape. The game changer here is Topaz's new A.I. Gigapixel which obviates the need for 36+ MP. Enlarge what you like and save space on your drive. For those not familiar With the RX10 lV it will give you decent coverage to 600mm (equivalent) for the cost of a nice Sony lens and makes a great travel / walk around.

Nice vid. Thanks for sharing, so you can shoot 10fps with full focus tracking in Af-C with this camera?

I've hired this lens for a weekend shoot at Leicester Comedy festival. Really looking forward to seeing how it and my A7III work in this environment.

I love my A7 III for portraits and snapshots, but I think if I were going to use a Sony to shoot action I would either want the A9 for it's faster frame rate or the A7RIII for its extra megapixels (and ability to crop). Currently, I shoot a Canon 100-400 with my 1DX for sports and 5D Mark IV for wildlife.

Question, already own 100400gm and love it. That said, need more reach for birding. It's the 1.4tc worth it or should I plan to buy the 200600G? Reason I ask the 1.4tc limits you to f8... But 6.3 on upcoming 200600. Ughhh. Decisions

I currently use the 70-300 on my A7RIII, 18mp in apsc mode gives 450mm which isn't bad but would love this lens one day.

Glad to see your enjoying the Sony with the 100-400, it's a good camera and lens. Just like to add though that it's not alone in achieving these results as is evident when searching for mach loop images & videos.

Hi Dave, Very nice shots indeed! As an owner of the a7iii myself I have the same questions about the EVF delay. Do you think this is something that can be “fixed” with a future firmware upgrade?

What was your focus mode? I’m trying to figure out what’s the best option for moving options.

Thanks Dave, most excellent review. Tomorrow I'm receiving an A7R3, 24-70mm f/2.8 GM and this 100-400mm GM. Cannot wait to start using it all. Question: What do you think of the Sony 1.4TC for wildlife photography (amateur)?

100-400gm is an amazing lense... And does not cost $10k like the 2.8 you speak of ( get ready for price, it won't be cheap!) . Just use higher ISO... Sony bodies handle that really well.

Currently using a Canon 70D with the 35mm F/2 IS USM Lens. I would really like to move to an a6300 or a6500 or even an a7ii cause they're way lighter. But I don't have a full-time job so can't afford the leap.

Hi Dave, I've been enjoying your videos recently. I'm in the process of deciding what kind of camera I'm going to be buying. Apart from general photography I'd like to have low light capabilities. I do parkour and urban exploration so I would need that in a relatively small package too. Currently I'm looking at either a new Sony a7II with a store offering 5 years of warranty or a second hand a7RII from eBay (none available on the local used market). I'd like to ask your opinion about the choice of body, do you think it's worth ditching 5 years of warranty for the extra features of the a7RII? Will the budget lenses (see later in my comment) limit the detail that the a7RII can pull? I don't have a ton of budget left for lenses so the 28-70 kit lens and 50 f1.8 will have to do. I have experience shooting with my dad's Sony a77 with its selection of lenses, with the appropriate autofocus adapter I'll be able to use those lenses as well. I don't expect you do make a decision for me but maybe you can point out factors I didn't consider yet, like you do in almost all of your videos xD Thanks for your time and have a good one, Edward

Great real world review.

Sorry if I missed it, what af settings were you using?

@Dave McKeegnan u say when i was owning the a7iii in the beginning of the video did you sold the camera and why

Hi Dave, Great Shots!! :D One question I do have, Do you think that the a7III would have the same performance with a 70-200mm from canon or a 150-600G2 from tamron (for canon) with an adapter... thinking about switching to that camera... but have to many Canon Glass. Thank you! Ps: Love your channel, how you explain things... keep going!

You are good at making me want the A73, But I am awaiting the A7S3. Are the Sony zooms getting close to the better primes (in sharpness) yet?

thx for the video 😊

Great shots. I have a a7rii and also looking into the a7iii. I like shooting motorsports also. 👍

I have the A7R III and the Canon 5D Mark IV, I am in doubt which is the best zoom lens option I should buy, Sony 10-400mm or Sigma 60-600mm, where can I use the MC-11 adapter for sony, Could you Give me an idea of ​​which one I should buy? I'm scared, maybe sigma will not work well on sony, with the mc-11 adapter, and sony is my main point.

What was you AF setting?

Not saying this camera is bad or anything. But as far as "AF Tests" go this is a rather easy setup that any DSLR in the last 10 years can do just fine. Ofcourse the jet against a clear sky (whether it's grey or blue on the day) is going to stand out as high-contrast for your AF sensor. Which is why it kind of failed with the large gunship being green on green. Your lens doesn't need to hunt through it's entire range either it`ll stick to the far-end if not infinity. Unless you mishappen to try to focus on the background. Speed of subject is all about you as a photographer tracking it than AF performance. Tricky AF tests are trying to shoot volleyball players through the net and nailing the focus on their head etc.

Which viewing location were you at at the mach loop ?

great shots. Which focus setting did you use?

What was you AF configuration? Did you use Wide or Zone?

Great video Dave,and great pics.But you said it yourself if you really want to test the Autofocus of ANY camera,it needs to be tested on Birds in flight.As you will know they come in all shapes and sizes and are very unpredictable,a true test for any Auto focus system.But thanks for the video,i enjoyed it.

I am kind of a stand point right now...I have the sony a7iii, do you think the sony a9 is that much better than the a7iii? I am debating if I should get the a9

Would u recommend this lens for moon shots with the Sony a7 iii?

Do you think a 100-400 or 200-600 a good lens for air show photography?

You mentioned the viewfinder not being "live" when you were shooting bursts. This is because when shooting in the drive mode "Hi+" at 10FPS, there is a slight lag in the display. Switching to "Hi" will fix the lagging! But you do drop down to 8FPS.

Hey Dave. I switched from Canon to the 7iii , i wonder what AF settings you had..

Can you try it for wildlife like birds?

Whats your opinion about Sony's latest 200-600 G lens for sony a7iii

OMMMGGGG I didn't know you did aviation! Wanting to go to the A73 for aviation night photography!

Thanls Dave. I have the Sony 70mm-200mm f2.8 G-Master lens and Sony 2X extender, and have the Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens with 1.4X extender (with MC-11 adapter) and find they fill my present long lens needs for both my Sony A7RIII and A7III. I concur the focus system in the A7III is outstanding and as fast,or faster than my former top-end pro Canon gear. Cheers

I just got back from shooting the Jedi Transition (similar to the Mach Loop, but located in Death Valley National Park California). I shoot an A7iii with the Sony 70-300mm G lens. The big take away from this is that if I ever do this again, I will have to switch the 100-400GM from the "Want Column" to the "Need Column".

This is Great to know because I shoot mostly race cars [ Indycar and Jet aircraft ]. I’m thinking of switching to Sony I’m shooting a Canon 5D MIII and a 7D MII now

what's wrong with ur exposure??

What were you AF settings? Wide? (etc)

Hi Dave, can you please do a low light AF test with the A7III? In my experience, autofocusing in low light is what is the hardest part og AF for most cameras, like kids running around in a dark living room…. Thanks for an excellent review by the way :)

dave did you try the 1.4 extender

Excellent performance Dave, how was the buffer.

Hard to believe this is possible at national park area, on the other way, what a stunning shooting opportunity

What was your AF setting AFC

I neeeeeeeeeed iiiiiit

Great tests for the AF and the lens. I wonder how the AF works with adapted long glass, like a 150-600

Great video Dave. Can you share your settings (focus mode, focus area, etc.) you used during the events? Thanks

That A9 zero blackout could have been helpful though.

Impressive.

WOW 👑 SONY GOD FOREVER ✌️#1 👑

i just got mine and using the genuine battery i got 1200 shots with 60% left

4.55/16:49 sensor spot?

This video confirms what I had initially thought about the A7iii and to be fair most new cameras coming on to the market. They are becoming Jack of All Trades and there are less dedicated specialist cameras. I am a 7D original and a sony NEX5R owner and for me the 7D is used for sports, airshows and wildlife as one of lenses is 70-300L IS USM, so I get the crop factor. I also use my 7D for everything else portrait, landscape, still life, pets, travel etc. If my NEX5R had a EVF then I would never use my 7D except for airshows, sports wildlife. As the IQ and video on the NEX5R is pretty damn good. So canon better release a bloody amazing 7Diii with no AA filter or I buying the A7iii. Of course sony lenses are expensive and I do hzve a mc11 I use on NEX5R with my EF mount lenses. It would been interesting to see how canon 70-200, 100-400 L glass would perform on the A7iii at all 3 events Dave went to. If the results were very good then more canon users will be buying the A7iii, I am saving up for it already regardless if I get the 7Diii or not

Wish you had mentioned the camera/lens settings - or did you and I missed it?

Does it work on the a7riii

2 years later I know, but your viewfinder comment on panning, if you shoot high+ there's lag. If you shoot "high" there's no lag. You still get blackout but it's a liveview when you have the view.

Do you feel the 100-400 had enough reach for you during the air shows? One of my favorite events to photograph and I'm torn between the 100-400 or the 200-600.

Mach Loop, only about 20 mins from my home town :)