A7 IIvs A9
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel, Portrait — A7 II (2014): The camera that proved full-frame IBIS was possible in a compact 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
A7 II (2014)
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want full-frame on a budget
- Film shooters adapting vintage lenses (IBIS helps enormously)
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 a7 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a7 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7 II (2014) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £549 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | Full-frame BSI CMOS 35mm | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p 60fps | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 117-point phase-detect hybrid AF | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 4.5 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | 350 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 599g (body only) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.7 × 59.7mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.71× 2.36M-dot | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.23M-dot | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | SD / Memory Stick Pro Duo | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, NFC, Micro USB, Micro HDMI | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7 II | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A7 II
Camera family history