Nikon Z9vs A1 II
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
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 Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
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 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii 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 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history