Nikon Z9vs Sony A9 III
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the nikon z9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 703g 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 | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony FE (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 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| 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