Nikon Z9vs A9
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 — 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 & 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
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
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 nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the a9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Nikon Z9 | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 →
More comparisons with Nikon Z9
Camera family history