Juli Keller, Being Dead – Austin, Texas

In early March, Precision Camera had an unofficial SXSW showcase (a week before SXSW started) with a band performing in-store. The event coincided with the end of Sony Week, five days of activities showcasing Sony cameras. It was a Saturday, and I figured it would be fun.

I borrowed a Sony camera too. An A7S III, low-light video-centric full frame camera — not my preferred choice. However, since I reviewed the A7S II back in 2016, I was curious to see how the new model compared. I also attached a top-of-the-line Sony 85mm f1.4 GM for additional low-light prowess.

Using a low-light camera encouraged me to ramp up the shutter without fear, coupled with an f1.4 aperture. I shot this at 1/1250 at ISO 2000. Juli Keller from Being Dead was rocking fast when I captured this. You can tell from how her hair was moving.

The camera felt great in hand and sported an updated menu system, replacing Sony’s previous horrendous one. It was fast and confident, though I wasn’t proficient with the controls and probably didn’t have the optimal settings — missing tack-sharp focus on Juli’s face. However, the camera was a pleasure between the physical, ergonomic changes and the fast focusing system. While the 12MP resolution wouldn’t work for my needs, it should be adequate for video shooters.

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