A9vs Sony A9 III
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
Who should buy what
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the a9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A9 (2017) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,999 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~650 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 673g (with battery and card) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A9 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Vlogging & Video |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A9
Camera family history