Sony
A9 2017
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
£1999
list price · used from £1012 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
A9 vs Sony FX5
Quick take: The A9 has the highest resolution at 24MP; the A9 is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
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Verdictwhich should you buy?
A9 — Professional Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography: 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
A9 (2017)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A9Sony · 2017 | Sony FX5Sony · 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,999Best | £4,699 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 16.6MP full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MPBest | 16.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p | 5K/60p open-gate, 4K/120p, internal RAW/X-OCN, 10-bit Log, triple base ISO |
| Autofocus | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking | AI-powered hybrid phase-detect AF (759 points) with subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops | IBIS with Dynamic Active Mode |
| Burst Rate | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE)Best | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~650 shots (CIPA)Best | ~105 min actual recording, ~170 min continuous (LCD) |
| Weight | 673g (with battery and card)Best | 734g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm | — |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) | Optional detachable EVF (DVF-EL1), OLED |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen | Fully articulating touchscreen (4-axis arm) |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | CFexpress Type A + SDXC (dual) |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB-C, full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
A9
Sony FX5
Portrait
7.5/10
6.9/10
Street
6.0/10
5.3/10
Travel
6.1/10
6.2/10
Wedding & Events
7.5/10
7.0/10
Filmmaking
6.7/10
8.7/10
Documentary
6.8/10
8.3/10
Sports & Action
8.2/10
6.8/10
Landscape
6.1/10
5.1/10
Wildlife
8.2/10
6.8/10
Casual
4.6/10
5.1/10
Food
6.5/10
7.4/10
Macro
5.8/10
5.2/10
Architecture
6.0/10
6.1/10
Astrophotography
7.3/10
6.7/10
Vlogging & Video
—
6.1/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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