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Sony Alpha 9 II vs Sony Alpha 9 III

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

SonyAlpha 9 IISonyAlpha 9 III
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2019January 2024
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typeStacked Exmor RS CMOS with integral memoryStacked Exmor RS CMOS with global shutter
Sensor dimensions35.6 × 23.8 mm35.6 × 23.8 mm
Effective resolution24.2 MP24.6 MP
Largest image6000 × 40006000 × 4000
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range100–51200250–25600
Sensor detailApproximately 28.3 million total pixels; 3:2 sensor.Approximately 25.2 million total pixels; integral memory and global exposure rather than sequential line exposure.
Image formatsJPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG; Sony ARW 2.3 compressed or uncompressed RAW.JPEG, HEIF and Sony ARW 5.0 RAW.
ISO detailMechanical-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.Standard ISO 250–25600 for stills and movies; stills expand to ISO 125–51200.
Image processorBIONZ X.BIONZ XR with dedicated AI processing unit.
Lens and shooting
Lens mountSony E-mountSony E-mount
StabilisationSensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst20 fps120 fps
AutofocusFast Hybrid AF with 693 full-frame phase-detection points covering approximately 93% of the image area and 425 contrast points; Real-time Tracking and Eye AF. AF/AE calculations up to 60 times per second under maker conditions.Up to 759 still-image or 627 movie phase-detection points; sensitivity EV −5 to 20 with an F2 lens at ISO 100 equivalent. Current UK specification includes automatic subject selection and people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains and aircraft; launch reviews precede later firmware enhancements.
Burst detailUp to 20 fps electronic Hi with AF/AE tracking at shutter speeds of 1/125 second or faster, depending on compatible lens and shooting settings; up to 10 fps mechanical. Sony claims 239 compressed RAW or 361 JPEG frames with UHS-II media under its test conditions.Up to 120 fps full-resolution electronic bursts with AF/AE tracking under Sony test conditions; speed depends on lens compatibility and shooting settings. Pre-Capture retains up to one second before full shutter press. No mechanical shutter.
Stabilisation detailFive-axis sensor shift; Sony claims 5.5 stops under CIPA pitch/yaw conditions with Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and long-exposure noise reduction off.Five-axis sensor shift; 8.0-stop CIPA pitch/yaw claim with FE 50mm F1.2 GM and long-exposure noise reduction off. Active and Dynamic Active movie modes supported.
Video
Highest video resolution3840 × 2160 at 30 fps3840 × 2160 at 120 fps
Video detailJapanese specification lists XAVC S 3840 × 2160 at 30p/24p, up to 100 Mbps. Full HD 120p is lower resolution. No picture profiles or S-Log. Full-frame 24p oversampling uses approximately 2.4 times 4K information; 30p uses approximately 1.6 times.Up to uncropped 3840 × 2160 120p NTSC or 100p PAL; 4K 60p uses 6K oversampling. Supports 10-bit 4:2:2, S-Log3 and S-Cinetone; All-Intra 4K tops out at 60p. External HDMI RAW output is separate from internal recording.
AudioBuilt-in stereo microphone; microphone and headphone sockets; Multi Interface Shoe with digital audio interface. Voice memos can accompany still photographs.–
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronicElectronic
Screen size3″3.2″
Screen dots1,440,0002,095,104
TouchscreenYesYes
Tilting screenYesYes
Display detailRear TFT LCD tilts approximately 107° upwards and 41° downwards.Four-axis LCD tilts and opens sideways; approximately 98° up, 40° down, 180° sideways and 270° rotation.
Viewfinder detail0.5-inch electronic viewfinder with 3686400 dots, 100% coverage and approximately 0.78× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; selectable 60/120 fps display.0.64-inch Quad-XGA OLED with 9437184 dots and approximately 0.90× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; selectable up to 240 fps NTSC or 200 fps PAL.
Connections and design
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
Battery life (maker's claim)690 photographs530 photographs
Body weight593 g617 g
Release detailSony Japan specifies 1 November 2019 for ILCE-9M2; this is the Japanese on-sale date, not a UK release claim. The UK legacy specification URL now redirects to a family page, so exact Japanese specifications are used.Sony UK announced availability in January 2024; Japan's announcement specifies 26 January. The main date retains UK month precision.
Recording mediaTwo UHS-II SD card slots.Both slots accept CFexpress Type A or UHS-I/UHS-II SD.
PortsUSB Type-C, Multi/Micro USB, Micro HDMI Type D, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, sync terminal, 3.5 mm microphone socket, headphone socket and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe.USB Type-C at 10 Gbps, Multi/Micro USB, full-size HDMI, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, sync terminal, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe.
Wireless connectionsWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz; NFC and Bluetooth remote support.Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0.
Battery life detailNP-FZ100; CIPA approximately 690 photographs with LCD or 500 with viewfinder; charging and power through USB Type-C or Multi/Micro USB.NP-FZ100; Sony UK CIPA approximately 530 photographs with LCD or 400 with viewfinder. Japan lists 520/410 respectively. USB Type-C Power Delivery charging and power supported.
DimensionsApproximately 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 67.3 mm.Approximately 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 72.8 mm.
Weight detailApproximately 593 g body only or 678 g with battery and memory card, excluding lens.Sony UK specifies approximately 617 g body only or 702 g with battery and memory card; Japan specifies 618/703 g respectively. Main figures use the UK specification.
In the boxNP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap, eyepiece cup and USB Type-C cable, according to Sony Japan.NP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap and eyepiece cup, according to Sony UK.

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