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Sony Alpha 9 · Photo source
Sony · Alpha
Alpha 9
A 24.2 MP full-frame mirrorless camera with a stacked sensor, silent 20 fps electronic bursts and five-axis stabilisation.
- Type
- Mirrorless
- Sensor
- Full frame
- Megapixels
- 24.2
- Lens
- Sony E-mount
- Video
- 3840 × 2160 at 30 fps
- Body weight
- 588 g
What reviewers say
Reviewers praised rapid, accurate action tracking, silent bursts and the uninterrupted viewfinder. Both considered it a serious sports-camera alternative. CameraLabs welcomed the improved controls and battery but criticised slow card interfaces and limited touchscreen operation. PhotographyBlog highlighted excellent image quality. Both launch-era reviews questioned Sony's then-limited long-lens range and professional support.
From photographyblog.com, cameralabs.com and cameralabs.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specImage and sensor
- Camera type
- Mirrorless
- Sensor format
- Full frame
- Sensor type
- Back-illuminated stacked Exmor RS CMOS
- Sensor dimensions
- 35.6 × 23.8 mm
- Effective resolution
- 24.2 MP
- Largest image
- 6000 × 4000
- RAW recording
- Yes
- Standard ISO range
- 100–51200
- Sensor detail
- Approximately 28.3 million total pixels; stacked sensor with integral memory and backside illumination.
- Image formats
- JPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG; Sony ARW 2.3 compressed or uncompressed RAW.
- ISO detail
- Mechanical-shutter stills use standard ISO 100–51200, expandable to 50–204800. Electronic-shutter stills use ISO 100–25600 with expanded ISO 50. Movie ISO 100–51200, expandable to 102400.
- Image processor
- BIONZ X with front-end LSI.
Lens and shooting
- Lens mount
- Sony E-mount
- Stabilisation
- Sensor shift
- Maximum continuous burst
- 20 fps
- Autofocus
- Current Sony specification lists 693 full-frame phase-detection points and 425 contrast-detection points; contrast points increased from 25 through firmware. Phase coverage approximately 93%; sensitivity EV −3 to 20 with an F2 lens at ISO 100. Current features include Real-time Tracking and Eye AF; launch reviews describe earlier firmware.
- Burst detail
- Up to 20 fps electronic Hi with AF/AE tracking under Sony's supported-lens and exposure conditions; up to 12 fps with uncompressed RAW, or 5 fps mechanical. Maker buffer claim is 241 compressed RAW or 362 JPEG frames using a UHS-II card under its stated test conditions.
- Stabilisation detail
- Five-axis sensor shift; Sony claims 5.0 stops under CIPA pitch/yaw conditions with Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and long-exposure noise reduction off.
Video
- Highest video resolution
- 3840 × 2160 at 30 fps
- Video detail
- XAVC S 3840 × 2160 at 30p/24p in NTSC mode or 25p PAL, up to 100 Mbps; Full HD 120p NTSC or 100p PAL is lower resolution. HDMI supports 8-bit 4:2:2 output. No video picture profiles or S-Log.
- Audio
- Built-in stereo microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone and headphone sockets; compatible Multi Interface Shoe audio accessories.
Screen and viewfinder
- Viewfinder
- Electronic
- Screen size
- 3″
- Screen dots
- 1,440,000
- Touchscreen
- Yes
- Tilting screen
- Yes
- Display detail
- Rear TFT LCD tilts approximately 107° upwards and 41° downwards.
- Viewfinder detail
- 0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, 3686400 dots, 100% coverage and approximately 0.78× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; selectable 60/120 fps display.
Connections and design
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Battery life (maker's claim)
- 650 photographs
- Body weight
- 588 g
- Release detail
- Sony Japan lists 26 May 2017 for ILCE-9; this is the Japanese first-sale date, not a UK release claim.
- Recording media
- Slot 1 accepts UHS-I/UHS-II SD; slot 2 accepts UHS-I SD or Memory Stick Duo. Simultaneous and separate-format recording supported.
- Ports
- Multi/Micro USB, Micro HDMI Type D, wired LAN, sync terminal, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and Multi Interface Shoe.
- Wireless connections
- Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n at 2.4 GHz; Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC; smartphone location linkage supported.
- Battery life detail
- NP-FZ100; CIPA approximately 650 photographs with LCD or 480 with viewfinder; USB charging and power supported.
- Dimensions
- Approximately 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 63.0 mm.
- Weight detail
- Sony Japan specifies approximately 588 g body only or 673 g with battery and memory card, excluding lens. The UK page labels 588 g as including battery/card, conflicting with the explicit Japanese split.
- In the box
- NP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, AC-UUE12 AC adaptor, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap, eyepiece cup and Micro USB cable, according to Sony UK.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Up to 20 fps electronic bursts with AF/AE tracking
- Blackout-free electronic shooting
- Dual card slots and wired LAN
Cons
- Only one card slot supports UHS-II
- No video picture profiles
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Sensor | Megapixels | Lens | Video | Body weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirrorless | Full frame | 42.4 | Sony E-mount | 3840 × 2160 at 30 fps | 572 g | Nov 2017 | |
| Mirrorless | Full frame | 26.2 | Canon RF | 3840 × 2160 at 25 fps | 440 g | Mar 2019 | |
| Mirrorless | Full frame | 24.2 | L-Mount | 3840 × 2160 at 60 fps | 899 g | Mar 2019 |
Sources
- sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-9/specifications
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-9/spec.html
- sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/201704/17-0421
Photo: sony.jp
- Sony Alpha 9 with mounted Sony G lens, official launch photograph: sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/201704/17-0421/images/img_001.jpg
