A6000vs A9
Sony
A6000 (2014)
Starting from £249 new
Best for Entry-level mirrorless & budget E-mount
View A6000
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Entry-Level Mirrorless & Budget E-Mount — A6000 (2014): The Sony that started a generation of E-mount loyalty — 11fps, 24MP, and 179 phase-detect points in a compact body that remained excellent value for nearly a decade.
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
A6000 (2014)
- First-time mirrorless buyers who want a capable, proven body at the lowest price
- Sony E-mount users who want a compact backup or second body
- Parents and travellers who want good image quality without a large camera
- Anyone curious about APS-C mirrorless who wants to try the system affordably
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 a6000 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a6000 is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A6000 (2014) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £249 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 179 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | None | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 11fps | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~360 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 344g (with battery and card) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 119.9 × 66.9 × 45.1mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 1.44M dots, 0.70× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 921k dots (no touch) | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A6000 | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A6000
Camera family history