A7CRvs A9
Sony
A7CR (2023)
Starting from £3099 new
Best for Travel, landscape & portrait photography with minimal kit
View A7CR
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel, Landscape & Portrait Photography With Minimal Kit — A7CR (2023): The world's smallest 61MP full-frame camera — A7R V quality in a pocketable A7C 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
A7CR (2023)
- Landscape photographers who want 61MP resolution without carrying a large body
- Travel photographers who need professional image quality in the smallest possible package
- Portrait shooters who want A7R V sensor quality with the ease of the A7C form factor
- A7C owners ready for a major resolution upgrade without changing bodies
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 a7cr has the highest resolution at 61mp; the a9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7CR (2023) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,099 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 61.0MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 61.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/60p 10-bit, 1080p/120p — S-Log3, S-Cinetone | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — phase-detect with human, animal, bird detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 7-stop IBIS | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 8fps mechanical, 15fps electronic | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 514g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 124.0 × 71.1 × 63.4mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.70× 2.36M-dot | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.03M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7CR | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| 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 A7CR
Camera family history