Lumix
S9 2024
Best for Travel photographers, content creators & L-mount entry buyers
£999
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
S9 vs A7 III
Quick take: The S9 is the most affordable; only the A7 III is weather sealed.
16 specs side by side·16 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
S9 — Travel Photographers, Content Creators & L-Mount Entry Buyers: The most compact full-frame camera available — a perfect travel and content creation companion with brilliant colour science.
A7 III — All-Round Photography & Video: Still one of the best all-round cameras money can buy — particularly strong used. The A7 III proved that full-frame doesn't have to mean compromises, and nothing at this price point has meaningfully beaten it.
Who should buy what
S9 (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- Travel photographers who want full-frame quality in the most compact package
- Content creators attracted to Real-time LUT and 10-bit video
- Photographers already in the L-mount ecosystem wanting a lightweight second body
- Lumix S5 II users who want something smaller for travel and casual shooting
A7 III (2018)
is the right camera for you if…
- Enthusiast photographers upgrading from APS-C for the first time
- Working photographers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Anyone who shoots in low light regularly
- Hybrid shooters needing both stills and video performance
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | S9Lumix · 2024 | A7 IIISony · 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £999Best | £1,099 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/60p (10-bit), C4K/60p, 1080p/240p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Phase-hybrid AF with subject recognition | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronicBest | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~310 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 403g (body only)Best | 565g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 124.6 × 73.9 × 52.8mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | YesBest |
| Viewfinder | None — rear screen only | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen (touch drag AF) | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Leica L mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
S9
A7 III
Portrait
7.3/10
7.6/10
Street
6.9/10
6.2/10
Travel
6.4/10
6.3/10
Wedding & Events
6.0/10
7.5/10
Vlogging & Video
7.3/10
—
Filmmaking
7.0/10
6.4/10
Documentary
6.9/10
6.8/10
Sports & Action
6.4/10
7.3/10
Landscape
6.5/10
6.2/10
Wildlife
6.7/10
7.5/10
Casual
6.3/10
5.4/10
Food
7.6/10
6.6/10
Macro
8.1/10
5.8/10
Architecture
7.1/10
6.1/10
Astrophotography
7.6/10
7.4/10
Fun & simple
4.2/10
—
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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