Sony a9
Announced April 19, 2017
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Sony a9 is a sophisticated mirrorless camera that leverages a stacked sensor to deliver blackout-free, 20fps continuous shooting with exceptionally fast autofocus. Although it excels in sports and action photography, the body design and interface limitations—such as the lack of S-Log profiles and uneven card slot speeds—may frustrate some professional users.
Weighted from 31 reviewer scores
Pros
- Accurate, wide-coverage autofocus and subject tracking
- Blackout-free electronic viewfinder with fast refresh rates
- Improved battery life and ergonomic refinements including a joystick
- Silent electronic shutter with minimal rolling shutter or banding
- High-speed performance with 20fps burst shooting and a deep buffer
Cons
- Missing professional video features like S-Log profiles and 4K/60p
- Inconsistent dual card slots with only one supporting UHS-II speed
- Underutilized touchscreen and complex menu system
- Compact grip can be uncomfortable or poorly balanced with long lenses
- Slow buffer clearing times and limited anti-flicker capabilities
- Launch price $4,500 (USD)
- Sensor 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS
- Video 4K 29.97p
- Stabilization In-body IS
- Burst 20 fps electronic 5 fps mechanical
What the Reviewers Say
All 31 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- DPReview 90/100
The Sony a9 is more than just a refinement of the company's a7-series of full-frame mirrorless cameras; it's an evolution.
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The Sony A9’s JPEG engine does a great job, producing crisp, detailed images here at base ISO without introducing sharpening artifacts, however discerning users will likely still want to shoot in RAW mode to make the most out of the A9’s excellent sensor.
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Sony’s A9 is a supremely confident full-frame camera that successfully takes on established high-end DSLRs for pro sports and event photography.
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[S]ony has come a long way with the focusing system of the A9, and I was blown away by my experience with the camera in this regard. For the most part, it just works and does what it’s supposed to. Lock-On AF was a revelation.
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Some of these features, individually or combined, are record-setting. [P]erhaps also record-setting for a camera is the footnote density found in those bulleted features – 9 references in 6 bullets.
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[S]ony has added as many additional features and improvements via firmware as many camera makers do with a new camera release.
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At the very least the A9 challenges the long-standing status quo of performance cameras, but at most it’s far more than that; it’s the division bell between the standard and the ab-so-lutely remarkable. Consider the bench, marked.
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I think the Sony a9 would be like the best wedding choice possible.
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The Sony A9 is a brilliant camera, fast, responsive and delivering superb results.
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[I]f I was told that all I could use is this Sony to go do a photo shoot, I don't think I would have a problem coming back with fantastic pictures.
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The Alpha 9 is a great camera for sports and action photography, but it’s not perfect. [I]f you’re a stills shooter who needs a camera that can keep up with fast-moving subjects, the Alpha 9 is a great choice.
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The Sony Alpha A9 is a phenomenal camera. It's not without its faults – we'll be interested to see how the weather-sealing holds up when it's properly exposed to the elements for starters, while the absence of XQD card slots and very limited touchscreen control is disappointing.
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The bottom line is that the a9 is not just for sports shooters or wildlife photographers who need that burst of speed.
- Digital Trends 9/10
[T]he Sony Alpha A9 is very special. We’re happy to say it is.
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The A9's overall did really, really well. I have to be honest, if how they performed exceeded what I could reasonably have expected, this is their first top-of-the-line sports camera in this mirrorless range, and it's just performing fantastically well.
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The only thing that I was missing is that 4K 60 FPS for sports video shooters, which would have been awesome in this situation.
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Buy it used if you shoot action, wildlife or events and want stacked-sensor speed for under [...]
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I really enjoyed my time with the a9. If you have ever doubted if mirrorless cameras can compete with DSLRs, this one should change your mind.
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The A9 is a unique camera in the mirrorless space. While it’s certainly a full featured, well constructed camera that can be very useful for a wide variety of shooting, there are more affordable options that do most everything the A9 does.
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If you want a new camera or camera system, and want the most tech advanced camera you can buy today, the Sony A9 is it. For imaging, it doesn’t get much better.
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So it'll have a specific market. That specific market is sports, and action, and movement.
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This is a really really good camera. This is the time that I think we can start looking at a transition away from the other brands which is crazy to me.
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I have to say this is the best autofocusing camera I've ever used.
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I really wanted to like the Sony A9. And to a very large degree I do. But frankly, I was expecting a little bit more than Sony actually delivered.
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Stick with lenses sold by Sony, be they branded Sony or Zeiss, for the best results as you expect. Sony's GM lenses are especially excellent in every way on the A9.
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The autofocus tracking of fast-moving subjects is amazingly accurate, and offers different artistic choices, thanks to the different levels of sensitivity and the broad array of focus area options.
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In all, this remains the best camera I've ever laid my hands on. The a9's bombastic burst speed is a thrilling diversion that never fails to impress, but let's not let bells and whistles distract us from how well this thing does the basics.
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This is going to allow you to work in any fast-moving subject matter, whether you're doing ultra-high definition video or stills, the A9 from Sony, it's definitely the mirrorless that is in the top of the heap now.
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So if you want or need a camera that takes incredible photos and pretty good videos, the A9 is at the top of Sony's lineup right now.
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The fact that it can do 60 calculations uninterrupted, 60 calculations per second in order to create the most effective continuous tracking focus while shooting 20 frames per second burst in raw.
- Wes Perry 51/60
[I]t's a phenomenal camera.
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