Nikon Z9vs A1
VS
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
Nikon Z9 (2021)
- Professional sports, wildlife and photojournalism photographers
- Nikon D6 or D850 users making the final switch to mirrorless
- Those who need the fastest, most reliable AF Nikon has ever made
- Professionals who need a flagship body with no mechanical shutter
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the nikon z9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with Nikon Z9
Camera family history