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Thanks for the dose of reality. I was intrigued by the novelty and tempted by the prospect of doing some new things. But it's not as though I have an immediate need to do things only the A9 III can do. Maybe I'll cool my jets and wait to see what the A1 II will do.

Hi Artie, Here are a couple of screenshots from Capture One. This shows how deep I had to crop to get that image. And this is the export screen that shows that the crop is 243% Does that help? I mentioned this crop percentage in my earlier post, to explain why I am concerned about getting an A9 III (24 mp) since I'm used to the A1 (50 mp).

What aspect was crazy fast? Thanks for your reply, Tony. I'm considering the A9 III (mainly for the pre-capture and burst mode). I took these with the A1 and FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (240% and 194% crops). I wonder if these would have been better/worse/about the same with the A9 III and FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS with 2X teleconverter. ILCE 600 mm f/6.3 1/500 sec ISO 125 240% crop ILCE 600 mm f/6.3 1/4000 sec ISO 2000 194% crop What do you think?

Have you used and compared the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS with the 2X teleconverter to the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS for birds and other wildlife? I'm considering the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS (I already have the 2x teleconverter) to replace the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS. I've scoured the web but can't find many helpful direct comparisons. Application, Environment and Background Info I walk 10-20 kilometres every morning on the southwest coast of British Columbia. It's winter, and in my area that means it's dark and dreary with lots or rain. There are all kinds of birds, from Bald Eagles to Swallows, Hummingbirds and plenty of shorebirds, with many passing through on their migratory paths. I carry an A1 and FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS and an A7 IV with a FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS or FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II for closer opportunities and landscapes. I'm happy with the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS when the light is good, but I'm in the middle of six months of this rainy season, so I'm usually shooting at 600 mm, f/6.3, 1/500 sec for stationary subjects, and 1/2000-1/4000 for things on the move. My ISO is often above 6400. I don't use a tripod or monopod. I'm always on the move. I frequently crop to 200%. I rarely do videos. I don't shoot sports. The FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS serves me well for large birds like Bald Eagles when the light is good. Although I'm almost always at the long end (600 mm) of the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS, I use the zoom when a large bird approaches or for distant landscapes. I don't mind the weight of carrying two cameras with these lenses. Things I hope to change or improve Greater agility with a lighter, shorter lens I struggle to move the lens fast enough to catch swallows and other small birds in flight. I do much better with the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II, but I can't fill the frame with that lens. I can sometimes keep up with those smaller, faster birds, even with the 2x teleconverter, but I still want more reach. Exploring with the 300 mm, fast prime lens I like the idea of expanding my photography as I look for subjects I can capture at 300mm at f/2.8 (people and pet portraits outside, musical acts on stage). Although I have tended to use zoom lenses (FE PZ 16-35 MM F4 G, FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS, FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II), I got the FE 50mm F1.2 GM and have enjoyed having to work with the fixed focal length and how that leads me in different directions. I wonder if I would find the same thing with the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS. Depth of Field and Bokeh I'm unsure if the shallow depth of field and bokeh will make a big difference for me. But I may find that these attributes present new opportunities like the FE 50mm F1.2 GM. Here's what I think will happen. I'll use the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS without the teleconverter on dreary days. I have used the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II (sometimes with the 2X teleconverter) for those days. I'll use the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS with the 2X teleconverter when there's better light. Expectations of the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS with 2X teleconverter The focus accuracy and speed with the 2X teleconverter will match or better the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS The image quality will be at least as good as the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS I'm happy with the image quality using the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II and 2X teleconverter and can tolerate the slightly slower focus speed. I imagine the results will be similar with the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS but at least as good or better than the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS It will be easier to track small birds in flight with the FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS with 2X teleconverter (1675 grams) vs FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (2115 grams). The difference is 340 grams (12 oz) and 5.1 cm in length. That should make a difference, right? Questions Have you tried both? What are your experiences? Will you keep the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS? Are my expectations realistic? Thanks for reading and thinking about this with me.

A few shots from an overcast morning, December 29, 2023 ILCE-1 600 mm f/6.3 1/4000 sec ILCE-1 600 mm f/6.3 1/500 sec ILCE-1 241 mm f/5.6 1/500 sec

Congratulations @Katrina Thompson!

I'm fortunate to have come to photography when modern cameras can handle the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and even focusing. I started with the A7 IV last summer and got the A1 in February when I realized how much I enjoyed this new pursuit. With all the technical details handled by the camera, I'm left with finding something to photograph, composition, and, of course, understanding and using light. I walk outdoors every day, and even in the worst weather, there's usually something to photograph if I keep an open mind. I typically carry two bodies, the A7 IV with the FE 50mm F1.2 GM and the A1 with the FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS. If it's dark and ugly, I'll take the A1 with the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II, and I carry the 2.0X teleconverter in case the light improves. The biggest challenge right now: Every week, I photograph amateur musicians in a community hall. There is no stage lighting, and the musicians are constantly in motion. There can be up to fifteen acts (solos and ensembles, up to five or six) in an evening. There are no dimmers, so the organizers turn off the main room lights and rely on some track lighting at the rear of the room and some outdoor security lights coming through the windows to illuminate the space. I recently picked up some small LED lights that the organizers will barely tolerate. They want to maintain the 'ambience'. There are also many obstructions like microphones, microphone stands, and music stands. This makes for all kinds of hotspots and ugly shadows. In this setting, I use the FE 50mm F1.2 GM and FE PZ 16-35 MM F4 G on the A1. I use Capture One to help with separating the people from the frenetic background. Perhaps the biggest challenge is, I'm not comfortable photographing people. I'd be grateful for any comments or suggestions.

Thanks for sharing these images and for the idea. I checked the minimum focus distance of the - FE 24mm F1.4 GM is 0.24 m (your lens) - FE PZ 16-35 MM F4 G is 0.24 m - 0.28 m - FE 50mm F1.2 GM is 0.4 m Every year my family has an amaryllis competition. This year, my unlucky choice of bulb has not changed in four weeks. These were all shot at the minimum focus distance according to the focus indicator in the viewfinder, at f/7.1, handheld, illuminated with a couple of small, LED desk lamps. 16 mm (225% crop) 35 mm (120% crop) 50 mm (160% crop) Thanks, @CarolineJensen, This was fun.

I picked up a Surface Laptop Studio 2 (64GB/2TB), a SanDisk 4TB Extreme Pro portable SSD and a 128GB SDXC UHS-II Card. I'm deeply invested in the Windows ecosystem, and I'll only use computers that support pen and touch. The new Surface Laptop Studio 2 is slightly faster than my Surface Studio 2+ (32GB/1TB) desktop for editing, and much faster for video processing. Since both computers and the SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD support Thunderbolt 4, it's super fast and easy to move files around. I use the SSD for my work in process so it's easy to switch from desktop to portable. I'm all set for bodies and lenses for now. I'll probably wait for the next generation A1 to make any big changes in that kind of gear.

@GoodluckCC When I got into photography last year, I tried the Capture One Express (for Sony) and liked it. I'm more than happy with the new AI masking tool and the other new features they've introduced in the last year. Their support has been prompt and responsive. I've compared the built-in noise reduction and found it close enough to Topaz and ON1 that there was no need to buy those. My original plan was to use Capture One for a year and then try Lightroom. When it came time to renew my annual subscription, I read everything I could comparing the two products and decided to stay with Capture One. As I mentioned, I took a close look at Topaz and ON1 and didn't find anything there that would tempt me to change. I shoot mainly wildlife, landscapes, and live music. I'm out with the camera every day (typically 400-1200 photos). I shoot raw, and I always process each day's photos on the same day. I hope there's something there for you.

Hi, Katrina, I'm still new to all of this, so take it with a grain of salt. When I'm looking for eagles, I have the camera set for birds in flight (loosely based on the video below), and I use recall custom hold assigned to a button to override those settings for birds at rest. That way, it's point and shoot when something interesting flies by. This doesn't guarantee good results, but at least the camera is ready even if I'm not. ILCE-1 Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G) 600.0 mm ƒ/6.3 1/4000 sec ISO 640

Not so scary (taken from across a stream) at 9:07 a.m. on a dreary, overcast day. ILCE-1 FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS 600 mm f/6.3 1/200 sec ISO 3200

Ah, a new term (to me), the blue hour. I like it. I'm out wandering around before dawn often. That was why I got the FE 50mm F1.2 GM. I could have gotten the FE 50mm 1.4 GM, but I wanted every bit of light possible. These are American Widgeons just taking off as I walked by. It was 6:57 a.m. and raining when I took this. Sunrise was to follow at 8:01, but it was obscured by the clouds. ILCE-1 FE 50mm F1.2 GM 50 mm f/1.2 1/500 sec ISO 1600 I took this at 7:17 a.m. the same morning. ILCE-1 FE 50mm F1.2 GM 50 mm f/1.2 1/500 sec ISO 640 This was taken a day or two before at 7:38 a.m., about 20 minutes before sunrise. ILCE-7M4 FE 50mm F1.2 GM 50 mm f/1.2 1/25 sec ISO 400 A few days earlier, at 6:58 a.m. Sunrise, obscured by the clouds, was to follow about an hour later. ILCE-1 FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II 200 mm f/2.8 1/500 sec ISO 3200

Thank you @pm-r After checking closely, I hear it with my FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II. It's not as noticeable. All the best.