Greetings everyone

[Mitch56]

I am looking forward to learning and appreciating the posts on this forum. I have been steadily getting back into photography over the last 15 years as a hobby. Now I am in the position of needing to buy a new camera for my retirement. I love trying to capture birds in flight. So, I am considering which camera to purchase to go with a 200-600mm. It's seem obvious that the a1 would be first choice - but I was wondering if I could get very good results with either of a7iv, a7riv, a9 or a9ii? I'm really impressed with the reviews of the a7iv but wondered whether that would be the best choice? Any opinions would be welcome.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Welcome! I'm in the APSC camp, but I'm sure one of our many full-frame users will chime in shortly.

 

[DavidN]

Welcome Colin. You sound in a similar place to me I.e. coming back to photography in retirement especially bif. I guess it depends on your commitment and budget. As you say, the A1 would be number 1 but is expensive. I started last July with an A7m3 + 200-600 and got hooked. I’ve recently upgraded to the A7m4 which is great - a few extra mp and better af tracking. this combo works well for me and the expenditure was approved by my financial director (well the bits I told her!). Maybe worth considering starting cheaper than the A1 to see how much you use it and trade up later?
I’m sure the A7r4 guys will chip in shortly to tell you how great it is to have the extra mp and crop potential.
Good luck with your selection and hope you enjoy it.

 

[Jeff A]

Welcome to the Forum. I came to this forum after purchasing an A7 III, but when the A7 IV was introduced, I found it too compelling to ignore. I'm loving the A7 IV. If you can spring for the A1 comfortably, go for it, but it is a lot of cash, no doubt. I believe you are sacrificing very little if you went with the A7 IV. But of course, what would you expect me to say.

 

[Brownie]

This link will take you to the Mirrorless Comparison website and an article about the best BIF cameras, all manufacturers. It's a good read that includes details about each camera and best settings. Sony holds the top three spots, the A1, A9, and A7IV respectively.

The Best Mirrorless Cameras for Birds in Flight Ranked - Mirrorless Comparison

A few years ago, our reader Alfredo suggested an idea for an article. Since we test the autofocus performance of many cameras at the same red kite feeding stations, why not publish a list of all the cameras we use with their keeper rate for birds in flight? I liked ... Read more

mirrorlesscomparison.com

Toward the bottom of the article there's a summary table, this is a snip of the top portion. The green column shows the percentage of shots that were 100% in focus, the blue column shows the percentage of shots that were usable. Maybe a touch soft, but for average viewing no problem.

In looking at the table, the question one must ask oneself is whether the added 4% and 1% of perfect and acceptable shots, respectively, is worth $4,000. Obviously, a question each of us must ask ourselves. Of course you're also getting more MP, a faster sensor readout, and other features. Still, to me not worth the $4k considering my budget.

Interestingly, the A6400 and 6500 rated better than the A7R III and A7R IV.