A7R IIvs A9
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
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 a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7R II (2015) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 42.4MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~290 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 625g (with battery and card) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame 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 | A7R II | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | ||
| 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 A7R II
Camera family history