David, you only live once. Time to treat yourself some nicer stuff.😁

Do it, you won't regret - yes a little overkill but it does pretty much everything - I love it

If I pulled the trigger on that my missus would pull a trigger of a different kind on me....😳🤣🤣

Yep, me too! Sold an A9 M1, an A7R4, and some less frequently used lenses to make it happen. LOVE , LOVE, LOVE the A1. I'm also the same age as you, and have (frankly) worked my tail off for years for the privilege! :-) I feel blessed! The A1 Definitely acts like a cross between an a9 and an A7R4, BUT it's focus is even better (quite a bit actually) and it's less noisy than the A7R4 at high ISO (I'd say by about one stop).

I am in the same boat at 61. A1 here I come.

Thanks and nice to hear from you!

I get it, shoot with what either makes you happy or helps you get the images you need. I'd personally never buy a Sony, nothing against Sony, they make wonderful products and lenses, sensors, etc. I'm just not a fan of the bodies as I am a flagship Canon/Nikon shooter since the F4s/F5 and D1-D6 now. So yes I'm old young (35) and I am set in my ways lol. I'll never leave Nikon because I am NOT an influencer or whatever you call this stuff. No, I am a full time photojournalist.

So far, it has exceeded my expectations.

We'll have to see what happens, but a stacked sensor offers the most obvious path toward high-speed or global shutters. The layers in the stack allow parallel processing of many pixels at a time. Now that we are reaching fundamental limits in Moore's Law, parallelism is the most obvious way to go. However, the fact that Sony used stacked sensor technology only on the A9 and didn't really change the sensor much on the A9II made me concerned that even Sony was struggling with the high cost of the technology. The release of the A1 with a seriously upgraded stacked sensor was a real relief. It looks like Sony still thinks it can control costs on stacked sensors, at least for its high end cameras.

The a9 was my first camera after Nikon as well. It was transformational. I traded it in for an a7r iv and sort of regretted it. The a9 was so forgiving (cuz of lower mp), better high ISO performance, better af, no blackout etc. I ended up ordering a used a9 ii recently and I’m really stoked! Once you use a good e shutter, it’s really hard to use anything else after.

@Siddharth Sriram , your remarks are interesting but I am not certain how to translate them into decisions between cameras. All I can say is that many of us use A9s in nature photography where the scenes can involve high contrast lighting. I am not aware of any difficulties reported by frequent or professional users. If the dynamic range were "highly disappointing" then I guess I would expect some more complaints from actual users. In fact, many users rave about the A9's low-light high-ISO performance. Since the primary limitation in digital sensors is noise, I would expect less satisfaction if the dynamic range were "highly disappointing". I am also intrigued by your comment that the A9II has improved dynamic range. I keep looking for real indications that the A9 and the A9II sensors are different, but I can't find much. As for the AA filter, you are talking mostly about a small detail compared to the fact that the A9 has only a 24 megabyte sensor. If you.find an AA filter a "big no,no" then I would suggest that you want an A1 or other over/40 megapixel camera anyway. I took a gamble on the low pixel count and was so pleased that my backup camera is now a 12 megapixel A7sII. But, that's me. User needs vary.

@Siddharth Sriram , by all means stick with what you like. I will say that Mark Smith is an extremely careful and skilled birder. I'm just happy to learn from him and others. Again, thanks for your thoughtful input.

Likely that the Z9 could be very close addressing short comings Mark mentioned in this video to Sony's Pro cameras of A9 MK 1-3 and A1 but disagree with some what he says and do we really need to see another I switched from Brand X to Brand Y - it's a changing target in terms of Body FF & APS improvements on each generation; the lenses and eco systems are more important - Nikon has superb F and Z lenses, plus you can adapt rival lenses on the Z like the EF glass and Sony FE Glass (adaptor needs improvement though)

Thanks

For out in the wild I, personally, wouldn't rely on a A1. For a trip to the swamps or a desert there would be no other choice for me than a tank like D6, Z9, 1DX or stuff like that. The A1 is way overpriced for what it actually is. It is in a price range of the real tanks but it actually is a (fantasticly) improved D850. No vertical grip, small battery, tilt screen and flimsy SD like storage (the D850 at least had a propper XQD card), high Pixel count. So if you need a improved, mirroreless D850 and money isn't a problem, go for it. You'll love it. If you need a improved D5/6... hell no! Wait for the Z9. If you have already invested in Sony heavily... sad times are ahead for you. You paid a bunch of money to the early adopter tax. Better cameras are in the pipe of Nikon an Canon. And they are 20 years ahead in experience how to make shooting smooth, easy and ergonomically good and what makes a camera longterm reliability.

​@@TheRealLerad Z9 for sure will be a great product, but there is still a huge BUT. Nikon product-planning managment's decision to shift from F-mount to Z mount, which is the widest among all brands in full frame format and nearly as wide as medium format is, maybe at first glance seems clever, but IMHO is suicidal. It seems strategically clever, since it can accept lenses from all other systems through adaptors, so that customers from all other brands may easily move to Nikon's z-mount, but without letting at the same time their own customers "leak" towards other brands (how clever indeed!). Because customers who today invest to z-mount lenses cannot move anymore from Nikon to other brands, since this is physically imposible. F mount lenses can still be utilised in other brand's systems through adaptors, but Z mount lenses no, and never will be. They are useless in other systems. You cannot make an adaptor from such a wide mount as the z-mount and its wide footprint lenses to the far narrower mounts of other brands, and please corect me if I am wrong. Nikon users who today invest to z-mount lenses may be prooved trapped in a dead end, in the worst case scenario where Nikon supposedly closes for good, which I do not wish at all, since their lenses are of supreme quality and many thousands of people are making a living by working to Nikon to produce them. Unfortunatelly for Nikon's short-sighted management, common sense dictates that customers of such expensive products want to be free to move to other brands if something goes wrong, so I strongly believe that a so much wide z-mount, finally was not a strategically clever move, but a (another one) strategally suicidal decision of Nikon's product planning managment that may be proved fatal. Again, I wish to be proved wrong. Competition is good and we all need Nikon to be an alive part of it. But it is exactly competition that does not forgive to anyone such strategical mistakes.

@@TheRealLerad Have you even tried the A1? I've had my A9's/A1 in pooring rain with no problems. Mark has explained the advantages over DSLR that have to be experienced to understand. I've had a D4 among other high-end Nikons, they now seem like obsolete bloated noisy toys. I use the vertical grip for sports, events and portraits with more battery life. I have the option to remove the bulky grip to have a more portable light weight kit for hiking and/or travel. The z9 is a good option but still not at the performance of the A1 and way heavier and bulkier than A1.

@Scott Barnhill I've tried a A1 and a Z9. The A1 is a really good camera! But I'm going with the Z9 all day long. The weight doesn't bother me. The camera is glued to 800mm or 600mm glas anyway. So a light camera body is a bad thing for balance. And in every other point the Z9 is superior to the A1 (at least for my habits and usecase)

If you have nothing but endless cash!! Like insane money!! go be a Sony guy...If you wanna save some money still get amazing photos without the new technology your D500 will still hold its ground

@@facedown9754 Funny - that's what my wife said!

@@dinsdalephotography lol my wife said a hell of a lot more than that when I told her I wanted to change systems!

I purchased the Sony A 6400 just to get started in the Sony line with a 55-210 kit lens. Wanted the A 6600 which has IBIS, but the cost difference made me just want to get a used A7RV for slightly more.

@@keoni37 I wouldn't dare to suggest upgrading from my D500..... (which I do like).

started with a minolta srt-101 in the army in the 70's. stayed the road. probably would have left minolta/konica like you except work and family was more a priority than photography. retired now. seems like i'd been waiting for the A1 all my life. for wildlife, it's like you died and went to heaven. shoot it everyday.

People asked for this so I gave it to them

@@MarkSmithphotography ,, have to agree with Victor ! I told you that you’re the Anthony Bordaine of photography ! Love the monologue as much as I love the pics and helpful info ! Have a great day fellow Floridian !

@@plumshoejeff that is a huge compliment to me. Thank you so much.

Good point! A9-D5, A7R3-D850. A7R3 better than D850 for action/bird.

@@traianmol I've used both, and the D850 does much, much better than the a7r III (and IV for that matter) for action shooting.

@@youknowwho9247 I own both camera, so...

@@traianmol Easy to use for the ones that don't want to struggle with the DSLR focus system. Not better.

really good point. DSLR vs mirrorless??? not Nikon vs Sony video.

Consider getting an A9 or A9II used if you can't afford the A1. We're kind of between models on the A9 series right now. I really had to laugh about the "tiny" 100-400mm f/4-5.6 lens. That's a much more capable lens than you might think.

@@stuartschaffner9744 The tiny !00-400 is one of thew best lens from sony , sometimes I use it for Macrophotography . I used to use Nikon . I switchewd to sony .I am very happy with that. Still I have Nikon D750, D850. Nikon Z6 which was a bad decision I made.

Thanks! I’m looking forward to Kando too!

Canon's already caught up in everything but FPS and native lens selection. Nikon still has a long way to go. While I'm fully invested in Canon cameras, I've tried Sony, Nikon, Panasonic, and Olympus. Out of those, the Sony and the Olympus both gave me some menu system frustration (which is NOT a big deal, especially with Sony updating it's menus). The Panasonic I tried was so old it didn't even shoot video. Nikon was the most frustrating for me, as the focusing was not as great as advertised in my use case, and I just didn't like the feel. So I'm still very deep in Canon, but Sony has peaked my interest recently.

@@truckerzachbell “peaked” my interest

@@pattiesalon sorry I used the wrong word...

@@truckerzachbell "Canon's already caught up in everything but FPS" You need to look closer at Sony if your think that comment is correct. The Sony A1 moved the AF performance ahead again, Sony has better EVF over 9m dots, faster sync speed on EVF, better customization, zero shutter black out all the time on electronic shutter, 15 times faster data readout on A1 sensor compared to R5 (so almost zero rolling shutter), better DR on electronic shutter (Canon performs reasonably well on mechanical shutter but can lose 2 stops when switched to electronic shutter), faster flash sync speeds, flash sync on electronic shutter, better DR performance, R5 has one fast card slot and one slow, that means slower speeds when saving to both cards, the R5 can only record to one slot in 8K and it overheats quickly in 8K - neither are issues for the A1. And I could go on and on (I did not even mention 4K and 8K video superiority). Nikon now has access to the Sony A1 sensor, watch out Canon when the Z9 arrives.

@@michaelhains2291 you can bring up spec sheets all you want. But Sony still doesn't have Dual Pixel AF (though they DO have a decent hybrid AF system), the A1 just got 8K video (Canon R5 has had it for several months already, though overheating is still a problem with said R5), Canon and Nikon both use a bigger lens mount (The Canon R and Nikon Z mounts are 54mm wide as opposed to Sony E-mount's 47) which lets more light onto the sensor making some of the DR issues negligible, a flip out LCD screen (Sony A1 only tilts, doesn't rotate), Sony uses a proprietary memory card (Type A CF Express, similar to the old Sony Memory Sticks) and the Canon R5 is HALF the price of the A1, so if it fails or gets damaged, it's cheaper for me to replace. In addition, Sony didn't include a battery grip on a $6,500 body, whereas Canon and Nikon both do on their DSLRs and Olympus does on it's E-M1X (which costs half the price of the A1 due to it having half the sensor size and it's own issues caused by that and it's tiny Micro 4/3 mount). Another issue I have with the Sony a1 steak sauce camera: I haven't seen any Sony or any Nikon body (of course the lens would be destroyed in this situation), even at the $6,500 price point, be able to survive a direct impact from the horn of a Texas Longhorn 🐂 bull, whereas the Canon 1D X III DSLR easily does... And actual long term durability from materials such as Canon grade Unobtanium trumps sensor spec sheets and frames per second all the live long day the way I see it in my situation. I don't know if Sony can catch up to that spec, but we'll see what they have up their sleeves next year or perhaps on April Fool's Day. The a1 is an amazing body that's well worth it's price point for the right user. That user is not me. Sony is quite far ahead of Canon and Nikon on tech specs and in areas like DR and FPS. But they still need to catch up to Canon on certain other things that matter, like battery life (which they will soon), ergonomics (things like a flip out screen, button placement, and touch enabled menus), and durability (weather sealing, use of Unobtanium Alloy, etc...). Canon's EOS-1R will be here soon... and will not only solve the R5's issues, it'll be a beast all it's own that'll make the Sony a1 look like the $6,500 toy it is...

I hope they nail it!

@@MarkSmithphotography I do too and I am afraid I will have to wait as well, because I have so much invested in Nikon. But this is THE VERY LAST CHANCE Nikon is getting.

Except that you’ll be basically starting all over anyway since your lenses won’t work on the Z9 natively. But the menus will still make sense - so there’s that

@@ziggy149 Ummmm, you do know about adapters, right?

@@russellwright9961 Yes dear, I know about adapters. You’re adding bulk and even though the FTZ adaptor gets high marks - some are complaining about a loss in auto focus performance.

how's the video quality of the P1000 at it's max 3000mm focal length? or what is the focal length that is really useful?. I am thinking of buying it to augment my sigma 150-600mm for static subjects

@@njrtech I sold my A7r4 already might keep the A9 as a backup camera, that's if my A1 ever arrives still waiting on my preorder lol Being a Sony pro support member didn't help me much this time, this is the first time I didn't get a camera or lens on release day lol

You don’t 😀

Thank you!

Mirrorless still has an edge in my opinion and I can only compare from my own experience

Yes and so far it has Performed miraculously!

There is no need to change system. Just be patient. Nikon is behind, that's true. But there will be a DSLM for wildlife soon. And you can use your old F Mount Glas. In my opinion it economically is the best to wait, save money and buy a Nikon Z9 ;-) this is a expansive camera. But don't cost you more than changing system.

@@TheRealLerad I am not going to change systems. I was just making a statement. I have a Z6_2 that is an amazing camera for what I do. I was thinking more along the lines of professional photographers who can afford to purchase and sway systems at will. That is certainly not me.

@@adammacsween3230 ya, sorry. I got carried away. This is a pretty emotional topic to me 😅😇 This wasn't against you or Sony and certainly not against Mark and his change to Sony.

@@adammacsween3230 Trust me, professional photographers are very slow to switch. Photography is not a high income profession in general (with some notable exceptions) and pro's invest in gear hoping to use it for a long time. It is frequently not easy for them to upgrade within the same system, let alone switch systems. I am still using the D5 / D500 combination from year ago, and while I am keen to upgrade and enjoy new technology, I am not in a hurry.

Thanks!

Exactly why I'm switching Freeman..................Nikon seems on track to always be about 2-3 years behind Sony. I know they'll eventually come up with gear that competes with Sony but it's always such a wait for them. I just got tired of it too as I'm not getting any younger.

Yes

IQ is what I miss with Sony. Whatever I tried (A9, A7RIV, whatever Sony zoom or prime) I was not able to get the same IQ as on D850 or even Z7. Colors, contrast, saturation on Nikon is still better in my opinion. Can you get the same IQ with tweaking Sony images in post ? Yes. But you have it out of camera on Nikons. Just my 2 cents.

My photography is Railway and Landscape based and as far as image quality goes I will be staying with Nikon.

How’s the experience now? I also have a D750 and I’d like to go into a nikon mirrorless but I know the Sonys perform better.

You are absolutely right about that. It all comes down to personal preference and budget. By the end of this year the three major brands will all have a stunning wildlife camera at the market (at least two of them with a stacked sensor [sony, nikon]) and great glas. So it is up to everybody themselves to decide what brand can give them what they need. The performance differences will be minor in real world use.

Yes Sony has some amazing gear but for wildlife shooters that need a 600 f4 or 400 f2.8 Sony only has new lenses, there is no used market for those lenses yet and there won't be for many years to come. Canon and Nikon have a huge used market, especially Canon. So how will an average person be able to afford big Sony glass. They will be forced to use long slower lenses. The 100-400 and 200-600 are good lenses, so is the sigma 150-600 but they are not exotic glass or f4 and that makes all the difference.

@@wayneevans9364 true. That's where my point of budget comes in place. I don't care. I can afford the expensive glas. Still will stay with nikon and spend my money on the new Z mount 600mm f4 when it will be available. But budget and used market absolutely is a big point for Nikon and Canon.

@@wayneevans9364 ...Sony bodies work very well with Canon or Nikon glass on an AF adapter...probably at least as well as the Nikon or Canon dslr glass on their mirrorless bodies...if not better... so, if you already have an investment in dslr glass, you can probably continue to use it until you can find a used Sony lens to replace it.

@@crinosil I thought there were too many limitations with the AF adapters. But good point about adapting the lens to Nikon mirrorless bodies, that also has limitations. My point about Sony 600mm f4 lenses, they won't be on the used market in any number for at least 10 years I would think.

Hi. Is A7Riv+200-600 bug still there? There is a word going around that reinitializing the camera would fix the problem. Did you try it and it didn't work? Thanks.