Sony Alpha 99 Provides Clean HDMI Output

Sony Alpha 99

We've just heard from PhotoKina that the Sony A99, with it's 24 megapixel full-frame sensor, outputs a clean HDMI signal that works with external field recorders. This is looking like an established trend now.

For anyone not familiar with the idea of a field recorder, they're small, battery-powered recorders with either HDMI or HDSDI inputs, that capture video from an attached camera directly into edit-friendly formats like Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD - bypassing the camera's harsh internal compression, and (usually) capturing in 4:2:2 instead of the camera's own 4:2:0.

A word of warning, though: make sure if you're buying any of the DSLRs that output clean HDMI that it really is clean, and that the picture isn't cropped or corrupted in anyway. You may also find that in order to work with certain cameras, your field recorder has to be updated with specific firmware.

So it's a good idea to try before you buy.