BFvs A9
Sigma
BF (2025)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Photographers who want to strip back every distraction
View BF
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Photographers Who Want To Strip Back Every Distraction — BF (2025): The most radical camera in years — no dials, no buttons, just a flat aluminium body and total creative minimalism.
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
BF (2025)
- Photographers who find camera menus and dials a distraction from the creative process
- L-mount system users who want the lightest, most minimal full-frame body available
- Design enthusiasts who value the object quality and philosophy as much as the output
- Sigma fp/fp L users ready for a more radical step toward minimal photography
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 a9 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the bf is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | BF (2025) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,799 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p, 1080p/60p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF — face and eye detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 7 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 9fps electronic | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 427g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 127.0 × 75.0 × 45.0mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.75× 3.68M-dot | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen — primary interface | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | BF | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with BF
Camera family history