Team USA photographed with Sony a77 II

While testing the new Sony A7S fullframe mirrorless camera in Brazil, I also had a chance to try out the Sony a77 II (Order from Amazon | B&H Photo) with the Sony SAL 70-400mm F4-5.6 G II Lens (Order from Amazon | B&H Photo) using the camera’s Lock-on Expanded Flexible Spot Auto Focus at the USA-vs-Ghana World Cup match.

I shot this photo the moment when USA Forward Jozy Altidore pulled his hamstring – and Team USA lost their main offensive weapon.

Jozy Altidore pulls a hamstring in USA-Ghana Match in Natal, Brazil shot on Sony a77 II

Jozy Altidore pulls a hamstring in USA-vs-Ghana World Cup Match in Natal, Brazil.
Sony A77II | Sony SAL 70-400mm F4-5.6 G II Lens | 1/640 | F/5.6 | ISO 3200

Camera: Sony A77II (Amazon | B&H Photo)
Lens: Sony SAL 70-400mm F4-5.6 G II Lens (Amazon | B&H Photo)
Memory Cards: Sony 32GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 Cards (Amazon | B&H Photo)
Software: Adobe Lightroom 5 (Amazon | B&H Photo)

Even though I was shooting RAW, the Sony A77II never hit the buffer or slowed down as I captured this sequence showing Jozy Altidore grabbing his hamstring and falling to the field in pain after tearing his hamstring in Team USA’s opening round World Cup match against Ghana.


USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
USA-Ghana World Cup Soccer Match in Natal, Brazil
Jozy Altidore pulls a hamstring in USA-vs-Ghana World Cup Match in Natal, Brazil.
Sony A77II | Sony SAL 70-400mm F4-5.6 G II Lens | 1/640 | F/5.6 | ISO 3200


Read: Sports Photography: My Favorite Olympic Moments
Read: Field Test: Sony A7S for Still Photographers
Read: Portraits of Athletes | Brian Smith Pictures


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9 thoughts on “Team USA photographed with Sony a77 II”

  1. Thanks Brian Nice series! Brian can you ask Sony when they are going to have the A77m2 use the same apps that are now available for the A7s and A6000 I would love to finally be able to shoot multiple exposures and intervalometer shots too for my A77m2!

    1. Fortunately there are several ways to do intervalometer using a wireless app (like Triggertrap, which is available for iOS and Android platforms0 and the Smart Remote WiFi program on the A77ii… or plain using wireless radio triggers like Phottix Atlas attached by cable to an intervalometer. The multiexposure part, unfortunately, not so much. That will have to wait for either a firmware update or, more realistically, your time in post production.

      1. Unfortunately Marc this solution is a case of Sony not supporting there product that they advertise will work with apps thur the use of WiFi the only app they support is the remote shutter release and all it does is fire the shutter only, no auto focus, no control over the exposure nothing but the apps for even the little Cybershot wx350 can do the previous and more what gives! I was told by a Sony tech person on there website http://community.sony.com/t5/Customer-Relations/The-new-A77ii-camera-will-it-accept-Play-Memories-Camera-Apps/m-p/355048 that the camera will and support will follow when the camera was released well the A7s and RX100m3 are brand new and Sony gave these cameras apps already but the A77m2 release date was two months ago and still no answer!

        1. Hello Darryl, when apps are released they’re written for specific cameras – they’re not universal apps that will work on every camera that may come along. Marc could certainly explain this better than I can, but I know the code must be re-written to work on a new camera and in some cases, apps designed for cyber-shot may not be compatible for Alpha bodies. Sony has been on the cutting edge of technology these days – so they have a lot feature requests to keep up with.

  2. Pingback: A77II does Football World Cup. And also does kill the Nikon D7100 and Canon EOS 7D in terms of speed :) | sonyalpharumors

  3. I guess I will go back to my Minolta Maxxum 7 and 9 film bodies and shoot my multiple exposure shots with said cameras since Sony has no intentions of supporting apps for A-Mount. I sell photo equipment for a living (27 years) so know something about how firmware updates work. Thanks for the reply Brian! Still like your Work!

      1. I can control the results in camera better than and faster than Photoshop! I will pass on the second A77m2 body I was planning on buying and purchase a Pentax K-3 since it has all the HDR, Multiple Exposure and Intervalometer features built in that Sony won’t provide!

  4. Pingback: Field Test: Sony A7S for Still Photographers - Part 4

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