A9 IIvs ZV-E1
Sony
A9 II (2019)
Starting from £3299 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism
View A9 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — A9 II (2019): The A9 II polished the A9's groundbreaking formula — 20fps blackout-free, improved subject tracking, and a LAN port made it the professional sports standard.
Video Creators, Vloggers & Filmmakers — ZV-E1 (2023): Full-frame video quality in a vlogging body — exceptional low-light performance and a genuinely compact form factor.
Who should buy what
A9 II (2019)
- Sports photographers who need 20fps with reliable eye and body tracking
- Photojournalists who need LAN transfer and instant wireless file delivery
- Wildlife photographers who want the fastest Sony AF in a proven body
- A9 owners who need the improved ergonomics, weather sealing, and Ethernet
ZV-E1 (2023)
- Video creators who want full-frame low-light quality in a compact body
- Vloggers stepping up from APS-C who prioritise image quality over resolution
- Filmmakers who want S-Log3 and cinematic colour in a run-and-gun package
- A7S III users who want the same sensor in a smaller, lighter body
Quick take: The a9 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the zv-e1 is the most affordable; only the a9 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A9 II (2019) | ZV-E1 (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,299 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/60p (S-Cinetone, S-Log3), 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | 693 phase-detect + 425 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking | Real-time Tracking AF with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5.5 stops | IBIS — Active Mode for video |
| Burst Rate | 20fps (blackout-free with full AF/AE) | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~500 shots (CIPA) | ~570 shots (CIPA) / ~105 min video |
| Weight | 678g (with battery and card) | 483g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5mm | 121.4 × 71.6 × 54.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification | None — screen only |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Single CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet (LAN), HDMI | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm mic, Multi-Interface Shoe |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A9 II | ZV-E1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Low Light | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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