Sony a9 III Camera & FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens Announced

Sony has officially announced the new Sony a9 III, Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens. The US price for Sony a9 III body is $5,999, FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens price is $5,999, release date in February 2024.

Sony Alpha 9 Mark III is the world’s first full-frame camera with a global shutter. The 24.6MP camera can shoot at 120 fps with no blackout and a maximum shutter speed of 1/80,000 sec. The a9 II is built around the latest Bionz XR processors, giving eight times as much power as the a9 II.

The a9 III has a 2K-dot 3.2″ rear screen with full articulation and a tilt-out cradle. It’s the same setup as the a7R V and includes an LCD panel which covers the DCI P3 color gamut. It features a 9.44M dot OLED viewfinder with 0.9x magnification. It can run at full resolution at 120fps or with a reduced resolution at 240fps.

Sony FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS lens weighs 1470g (51.9oz), making it the lightest in its class, the company says. This is the same weight as the original 70-200mm F2.8 GM. The company also says it’s designed to be balanced with the camera attached. The 300mm F2.8 GM OSS has two XD linear motors to allow it to focus fast enough to work with the a9 III.

Pre-order Sony a9 III at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Adorama
Pre-order Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Adorama

Sony a9 III key features (additional information)

24.6MP Full-Frame Global Shutter CMOS Sensor
Up to 120 fps Raw Continuous Shooting with AF/AE
Pre-Capture Function; Speed Boost Button
Flash Sync at Any Shutter Speed; Up to 1/80,000 Sec.
Up to 4K 120p 10-bit Video; S-Log3 & S-Cinetone
759-Point Phase-Detect AF with Real-time Tracking
8-Stop 5-Axis In-Body Image Stabilization
9.44m-dot 0.9x OLED EVF with up to 240 Hz Refresh Rate
3.2” 2.1m-dot 4-Axis Multi-Angle Touchscreen LCD
Dual CFexpress Type A/SD Card Slots

Sony event video:

Press release:

Sony Electronics Releases the Alpha 9 III; the World’s First Full-Frame Camera with a Global Shutter Systemi

The next-generation Alpha 9 III captures all decisive moments with up to 120 frames per second high-speed shooting, distortion-free and blackout-free images, and flash sync at all shooting speeds

SAN DIEGO- Nov. 7, 2023 – Sony Electronics today introduced the Alpha 9 III camera equipped with the world’s firsti full-frame global shutter image sensor.

The newly developed global shutter image sensor exposes and reads all pixels simultaneously, unlike a rolling shutter sensor that records images sequentially from the top row of pixels to the bottom. The impressive global shutter full-frame image sensor enables the camera to shoot at burst speeds up to 120 frames per second with no rolling shutter distortion or camera blackout. This innovative sensor is combined with Sony’s most advanced AF (autofocus) system to date – boasting AI autofocus with up to 120 times AF/AE focus calculations per second. With the added ability to sync flash at all shooting speeds, the Alpha 9 III opens up a new world of possibilities for professional photographers to capture every decisive moment.

“The Alpha 9 III full-frame camera is a landmark achievement for the industry,” says Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics. “Designed with the needs and demands of professional photographers in mind, every single update to this camera – from the sensor to even the size to the button layouts and menu functions – has been made to address specific input and feedback from our community. We have listened and are thrilled to bring the new capabilities of the Alpha 9 III to market—capabilities which allow photographers to capture things they’ve never been able to capture before.” Cheng continued, “For professionals everywhere, they can achieve even more dynamic expressions when the Alpha 9 III is combined with our rich lineup of lenses, in particular with the new 300mm F2.8 G Master OSS – the world’s lightest² large-aperture telephoto lens.”

Features of the Alpha 9 III Full-Frame Camera

A NEW DIMENSION OF STILL IMAGE PERFORMANCE CREATED BY THE WORLD’S FIRST^I GLOBAL SHUTTER IMAGE SENSOR

The Alpha 9 III is equipped with the newly developed, world’s first¹ global shutter full frame stacked CMOS image sensor with approximately 24.6 effective megapixels³ and built-in memory. Combined with the latest image processing engine BIONZ XR®, the Alpha 9 III achieves blackout-free Continuous Shooting Speed with AF/AE tracking⁴ of up to approximately 120 fps⁴. The Alpha 9 III is supplied with high-density focal plane phase detection AF. A designated AI processing unit uses Real-time Recognition AF to recognize a wide variety of subjects with high precision. By combining high-speed performance of up to 120 fps with highly accurate subject recognition performance, it is possible to easily photograph scenes and moments that cannot be seen with the naked eye⁴. The AI processing unit in the Alpha 9 III supports movies as well as still photography with accurate subject form and movement recognition. The Real-time Recognition AF and Real-time Tracking provide a significant improvement in human eye recognition performance, allowing the camera to automatically recognize, track, and focus on the eyes of a specified subject⁵. The Alpha 9 III is equipped with 8.0 stops⁶ of optical 5-axis in-body image stabilization, allowing for high-quality image rendering.

Shutter speed is freed from the limitations of conventional mechanical shutter image sensors and achieves a maximum shutter speed of 1/80,000 second (1/16,000 second during continuous shooting)⁷, making it possible to capture at high speed without any distortion. When a compatible Sony flash⁸ is attached, such as the HVL-F60RM2 and HVL-F46RM (sold separately), it is possible to synchronize the flash and take pictures at all shutter speeds up to 1/80,000 second⁷. Previously, if the user released the shutter at a speed faster than the flash’s synchronization speed, the amount of light would drop sharply, but with the full-speed flash synchronization function, it’s now possible to photograph scenes that could not be easily captured with conventional technology. Also, when shooting stills or movies under LED lighting, the Hi Frequency Flicker function can significantly reduce high-frequency flicker problems by allowing the shutter speed to be finely adjusted to match the flicker frequency while viewing the monitor.

The Alpha 9 III features selectable release lag modes which allows the user to prioritize release lag or viewfinder/monitor display⁹. The newly developed Pre-Capture function allows the camera to continuously record up to one second before the shutter is released, making it easy to capture moments that would otherwise be missed. When selected, the Continuous Shooting Speed Boost¹⁰ function allows for the user to change to a faster, preset speed set by the user at any time during shooting, and enhanced burst stamina ensures that important moments are reliably captured due to a large buffer memory and increased overall system speed allow up to approximately 390 Fine JPEG images¹¹ to be captured in one continuous 30 fps¹² burst.

Customizable focus areas have been expanded to include from XS to XL in addition to the previous S, M, and L sizes. The Preset Focus/Zoom function allows preset focus and zoom settings to be memorized in the camera for quick recall when neededxiii. In addition to the existing custom white balance frame size, the user can now select other sizes as needed which allows for fine white balance adjustment after an image has been composed. The Alpha 9 III has upgraded features such as the latest AF algorithms to achieve high AF precision down to light levels as low as EV-5 in AF-S mode (ISO 100 equivalent, F2.0 lens), AF tracking for continuous shooting at F22¹⁴ and a composite RAW shooting function that gives the ability to combine multiple consecutive images into a high-quality composite.

ADVANCED VIDEO PERFORMANCE WITHOUT DISTORTION

The global shutter image sensor provides distortion-free image expression for videos as well as still images. For example, the user can shoot images of nearby scenery from a fast-moving vehicle such as a car or fast-moving subjects with ease. This camera is the first in the Alpha™ series to be able to record 4K 120p high-frame-rate video without cropping, allowing the user to shoot at the angle of view intended. It is also possible to shoot high-resolution 4K 60p videos with 6K oversampling.

The Alpha 9 III has S-Cinetone™, a unique Sony feature which can create a cinematic look straight out of the camera without post-processing. S-Cinetone was created through the development of the VENICE high-end cinema camera and makes human skin tones and subjects stand out beautifully, creating natural highlights. The Alpha 9 III has the latest video performance including rich gradation performance and S-Log3, and when in Log shooting mode, it can reflect and display the user’s favorite imported LUT (lookup table). The Alpha 9 III is compatible with the mobile app “Monitor & Control” for video creators.

OPERABILITY AND RELIABILITY FOR PROFESSIONALS

Sony has listened to the voices of professional photographers and created operability and reliability that supports professional users. The shape of the grip is improved and ergonomically designed so that it can be easily held in the palm of the hand to avoid straining the user even when wearing a telephoto lens or using it for long periods of time.

The VG-C5 vertical grip (sold separately), provides the same operability and versatility as when shooting horizontally; the user can comfortably support long shooting sessions. The grip and shutter button area share the same design as the main body, allowing image capture without feeling uncomfortable, with the same operability as the camera. The Alpha 9 III is equipped with a 4-axis multi-angle LCD monitor that can be operated by touch, allowing for intuitive operation using the latest touch menu. The electronic viewfinder uses a 9.44 million-dot Quad XGA OLED and achieves high visibility with the same brightness as the Alpha 7R V and a magnification of approximately 0.90¹⁰. Also, a custom button is placed on the front of the camera, and the continuous shooting speed can be changed by operating the custom button assigned with Continuous Shooting Speed Boost with the finger holding the grip, allowing for highly immediate operations. It supports professional photographers when shooting in all environments.

HIGH-SPEED WORKFLOW AND SCALABILITY TO SUPPORT IMMEDIATE DELIVERY

New features for the Alpha 9 III include a playback image filter that allows the user to efficiently select a large number of images using high-speed continuous shooting, and a function menu that can be used even during image playback, strongly supporting professional workflows from shooting to delivery.

The “Playback Function Menu” can be assigned in advance, so the user can perform protection, smartphone transfer, File transfer protocol, etc. during image playback. The user can select images narrowed down with a playback filter and play them from the function menu, allowing for quick delivery of specific images. The camera has a dedicated microphone for voice memos on the back, and by positioning the built-in microphone near the user’s mouth allows clear recording of audio even in noisy environments. The recorded audio data can be transferred via FTP along with the images. The camera allows the user to set up to 20 presets from the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC), an international consultative body in which news organizations from various countries participate.

The Alpha 9 III can transfer data up to twice as fast as the Alpha 9 II. 5 GHz communication offers maximum speed and stability for news and sports shooters who need to deliver immediately via FTP, as well as for studio environments. The Alpha 9 III allows stills and movies to be recorded to memory media in numerous ways including the two media slots that support CFexpress Type A cards as well as UHS-I and UHS-II SD cards.

It is compatible with the professional mobile application “Transfer & Tagging” which speeds up the image delivery workflow, and the application “Remote Camera Tool” which allows remote shooting of PCs using wired LAN. Also, Sony plans to support a new version of Camera Remote SDK, a software development kit that allows remote camera operation and changing shooting settings, in Spring 2024.

In addition, the Alpha 9 III is scheduled to support functional enhancements such as FTP operability, relay playback, and C2PA¹⁵ format support¹⁶ through a camera software update¹⁷.

FIRMWARE UPDATES FOR THE ALPHA 1 AND ALPHA 7S III MODELS

In addition to the release of Alpha 9 III, Sony has announced new firmware updates for the Alpha 1 and Alpha 7S III full-frame mirrorless cameras xvii. The new software will provide both models with some of Sony’s latest imaging technologies including the highly requested Focus Breathing Compensation feature, IPTC and FTP workflow enhancement, and C2PA format support. The firmware will also update the Alpha 1 with Relay Playback, and the Alpha 7S III with DCI 4K 24.00P shooting format. The camera software update will be available in Spring 2024.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The Alpha 9 III camera is available for pre-order Nov. 8, 2023, at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers, for a suggested retail price of $5,999.99 USD and $8,299.99 CAN.

The VG-C5 vertical grip is available for pre-order Nov. 8, 2023, at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers, for a suggested retail price of $399.99 USD and $549.99 CAN.

San Diego, CA – November 7, 2023 – Sony Electronics is pleased to announce the release of the world’s lightest¹ 300mm telephoto prime lens G Master™ (SEL300F28GM), a full-frame α™ (Alpha™) E-mount lens with a maximum aperture of F2.8.

The anticipated FE 300mm F2.8 G Master OSS lens has the high depiction performance and high-speed, high-precision AF (autofocus) which are the hallmark of G Master. The lightweight design of approximately 1470g² (excluding tripod mount) and excellent weight balance allow the user to capture sharp, dynamic and decisive moments such as those of fast-moving sports or agile animals with handheld shooting. Paired with the CX89600 that also launched today, high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking up to 120 frames per second is possible³. Even subjects with complex and diversified movements can be tracked with high precision. It is an ideal match for lightweight camera bodies by reducing the load on the user, minimizing fatigue during long handheld shooting sessions. It is also compatible with an optional teleconverter, allowing the user to shoot in the telephoto range of up to 600 mm (equivalent to 900 mm when using with an APS-C camera)⁴.

“Ever since our announcement of the development of this lens in January of this year, we have received an overwhelming number of positive reactions from photographers around the world who are looking forward to its release,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics. “By adding this 300mm lens to the already available E-mount 400mm and 600mm super-telephoto prime lenses⁵,it supports a wide range of needs and shooting environments for professional and advanced amateur photographers.”

Main features of the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS

G MASTER TELEPHOTO LENS THAT CAPTURES DECISIVE MOMENTS WITH HIGH RESOLUTION AND BEAUTIFUL BOKEH

Incorporating Sony’s cutting-edge technology, the G Master’s high-resolution performance and beautiful bokeh makes the subject stand out clearly and capture decisive moments such as sports, news reports, events, and wildlife photography. An innovative optical design that includes three Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and one ED glass element, effectively placed to suppress chromatic aberration and achieve high resolution and contrast across the entire frame. Outstanding resolution and contrast are maintained right out to the image edges, which also allows for more flexible cropping and editing.

The gorgeous, creamy bokeh is a hallmark of the G Master design and ideally complements the lens’s 300 mm focal length and F2.8 maximum aperture, allowing the use of narrow depth of field to make subjects stand out from the background. Each lens is individually calibrated during manufacture to optimize bokeh quality and has an 11-blade circular aperture mechanism that contributes to smooth rounded bokeh.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE AF THAT CAPTURES DYNAMIC MOMENTS AND HIGH-SPEED CONTINUOUS SHOOTING WITH AE/AF TRACKING UP TO 120 FRAMES PER SECOND³

The combination of two latest XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors and control algorithms provide high-speed, high-precision, and low-vibration AF performance. When combined with the simultaneously announced CX89600, high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking of up to 120 frames per second is possible. This allows dynamic subjects to be captured without missing a moment’s opportunity, even when shooting scenes in which the subject moves quickly, such as sports or animals, or scenes in which the subject moves erratically, such as at competitive events. The high AF performance is demonstrated even when the separately sold teleconverter³ is attached.

EXCEPTIONAL MOBILITY AND COMFORTABLE OPERABILITY THAT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD

Extensive weight reduction measures make FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS the lightest in its class¹, at approximately 1470g (excluding tripod mount) and has been designed with consideration to weight balance. The internal lens barrel uses durable magnesium alloy to achieve both high robustness and light weight. The weight is not concentrated at the front of the lens barrel, making it highly stable and allows for agile and accurate panning while shooting. In addition, MODE3⁶, which provides enhanced viewfinder stability and optimizes the image stabilization algorithm, allows you to accurately capture dynamic scenes.

When used with the newly launched CX89600, the user can assign “preset focus” to the function ring that allows for an instant recall of focus to any pre-determined position⁷. Furthermore, the lens features comfortable operability that supports professional shooting, including focus hold buttons placed in four locations that can be assigned to the favorite functions from the camera body making it ideal for any professional.

The FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS has a dust and moisture resistant design⁸ along with fluorine coating to help prevent dirt and fingerprints to keep up with the needs of professional photographers.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

The FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS lens will be available for pre-order starting November 8, 2023 at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers with shipping starting in February 2024, for a suggested retail price of $5999.99 USD and $8199.99 CAN.