Sony A99II and 70-400mm Lens: A Vintage Powerhouse

This was my first experience using such a long focal length telephoto lens paired with a full-frame camera body, an opportunity made possible by a generous friend who allowed me to experiment with their equipment. The combination I used was the Sony A99 Mark II camera body and the Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 SSM II lens. This specific lens and camera pairing, while not the newest technology on the market, is still highly capable of producing excellent images.

The Sony A99 II, while released several years ago, boasts high-speed autofocus and a fast continuous shooting rate, making it ideal for capturing action and wildlife. The Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 SSM II lens, despite its age, provides a versatile zoom range suitable for a variety of telephoto applications, including wildlife, sports, and landscape photography.

Despite the age of this camera and lens combination, I was eager to see what kind of results I could achieve. Below, I have included a selection of the photos that I captured with this setup. I hope that these images demonstrate the capabilities of this "ancient" combination and inspire others to explore using older gear.

Gears & Settings	Figures
Camera	Sony A99M2
Lens	Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 SSM II
Creative Style	STD
Date	Mar 2025
Location	Xiaojiao, Huizhou, Guangdong

Photos (20)

#: 1 | SS: 1/125s | ISO: 6400 | F: 9.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 400mm

#: 2 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 6400 | F: 9.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 300mm

#: 3 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 1600 | F: 9.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 300mm

#: 4 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 2500 | F: 9.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 400mm

#: 5 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 2500 | F: 8.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 400mm

#: 6 | SS: 1/750s | ISO: 1600 | F: 8.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 300mm

#: 7 | SS: 1/3000s | ISO: 1600 | F: 4.0 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 70mm

#: 8 | SS: 1/200s | ISO: 1600 | F: 4.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 200mm

#: 9 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 1600 | F: 4.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 200mm

#: 10 | SS: 1/200s | ISO: 2000 | F: 4.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 200mm

#: 11 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 1600 | F: 4.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 200mm

#: 12 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 1600 | F: 4.5 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 200mm

#: 13 | SS: 1/1500s | ISO: 1600 | F: 4.5 | +/-: -1.0 | FL: 200mm

#: 14 | SS: 1/250s | ISO: 1600 | F: 4.5 | +/-: 0.5 | FL: 200mm

#: 15 | SS: 1/350s | ISO: 1600 | F: 5.6 | +/-: -0.5 | FL: 400mm

#: 16 | SS: 1/3000s | ISO: 1600 | F: 5.6 | +/-: -0.5 | FL: 300mm

#: 17 | SS: 1/1500s | ISO: 1600 | F: 5.6 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 400mm

#: 18 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 1600 | F: 5.6 | +/-: 0.0 | FL: 200mm

#: 19 | SS: 1/1500s | ISO: 1600 | F: 5.6 | +/-: 1.5 | FL: 400mm

#: 20 | SS: 1/750s | ISO: 1600 | F: 5.6 | +/-: -0.5 | FL: 200mm

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