EOS R1vs A9
Canon
EOS R1 (2024)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism
View EOS R1
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — EOS R1 (2024): Canon's ultimate professional camera — 40fps, a class-leading EVF, and AI AF that simply doesn't miss.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
Who should buy what
EOS R1 (2024)
- Professional sports and news photographers who cannot miss a shot
- Wildlife photographers needing the fastest AF and burst available
- Photojournalists requiring reliable pro-grade build and connectivity
- Canon R3 owners or 1D X Mark III users upgrading to mirrorless flagship
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The a9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R1 (2024) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 40fps electronic, 12fps mechanical | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1470g (with battery) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R1 | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS R1
Camera family history