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Sony Alpha 9 III vs Sony Alpha 99 II

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

SonyAlpha 9 IIISonyAlpha 99 II
Overview
ReleasedJanuary 2024November 2016
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessTranslucent mirror
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typeStacked Exmor RS CMOS with global shutterBack-illuminated Exmor R CMOS
Sensor dimensions35.6 × 23.8 mm35.9 × 24 mm
Effective resolution24.6 MP42.4 MP
Largest image6000 × 40007952 × 5304
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range250–25600100–25600
Sensor detailApproximately 25.2 million total pixels; integral memory and global exposure rather than sequential line exposure.43.6 million total photosites; back-illuminated full-frame sensor without an optical low-pass filter; translucent mirror directs light to the dedicated AF sensor
Image formatsJPEG, HEIF and Sony ARW 5.0 RAW.JPEG Extra Fine/Fine/Standard, compressed or uncompressed 14-bit RAW (Sony ARW 2.3) and RAW+JPEG; 3:2 or 16:9 stills; APS-C capture up to 5168 × 3448; Sweep Panorama
ISO detailStandard ISO 250–25600 for stills and movies; stills expand to ISO 125–51200.Standard still and movie ISO 100–25600; expanded still ISO 50–102400; Auto ISO 100–6400 with adjustable bounds
Image processorBIONZ XR with dedicated AI processing unit.BIONZ X with front-end LSI
Lens and shooting
Lens mountSony E-mountSony A-mount
StabilisationSensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst120 fps12 fps
Lens detail–Sony, Minolta and Konica Minolta A-mount AF lenses; hybrid AF availability depends on lens compatibility
AutofocusUp 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.79 dedicated phase-detection points including 15 cross sensors and a central F2.8 sensor, combined with 399 on-sensor phase-detection points (323 selectable) for 79 hybrid cross points. Central dedicated point sensitivity EV −4–18 at ISO 100 with F2.8 lens. AF-S/AF-A/AF-C, direct manual focus, Eye AF, Lock-on AF and AF micro-adjustment; on-sensor system unavailable for movies
Shutter–1/8000–30 seconds and Bulb; flash sync 1/250 second; selectable electronic first curtain; maker shutter durability claim more than 300,000 operations with electronic first curtain active
Burst detailUp 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.Up to 12 fps Hi+ at full resolution with AF/AE tracking; up to 8 fps Hi with continuous live view, 6 fps Mid or 4 fps Lo. In Hi+, focus locks on the first frame at F9 or smaller apertures with hybrid AF, or at F4 or smaller without hybrid AF. Maker Hi+ buffer: 60 Extra Fine/63 Fine/64 Standard JPEG, 54 compressed RAW or RAW+JPEG, 25 uncompressed RAW or 24 uncompressed RAW+JPEG. Anti-flicker shooting can reduce speed; rates depend on lens, card and conditions
Stabilisation detailFive-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.Five-axis sensor-shift SteadyShot INSIDE for stills and movies; maker CIPA claim 4.5 stops for pitch/yaw with SAL135F18Z and long-exposure noise reduction off
Flash–No built-in flash; ADI or pre-flash TTL with compatible external flash; Multi Interface Shoe and flash sync terminal
Exposure controls–PASM, automatic, panorama and three memory-recall settings; 1200-zone metering including highlight-weighted and whole-screen average modes; ±5 EV compensation; D-Range Optimizer, Auto HDR and anti-flicker shooting
Video
Highest video resolution3840 × 2160 at 120 fps3840 × 2160 at 30 fps
Video detailUp 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.XAVC S 4K 3840 × 2160 at 30p/25p or 24p depending on region, at 100 or 60 Mbps. Super 35mm mode provides full pixel readout without binning. Full HD XAVC S up to 120p/100p at 100 or 60 Mbps. S&Q capture 1–120 fps with no sound. S-Log2/S-Log3, time code, gamma display assist, zebra and clean HDMI output. Maker continuous recording limit approximately 29 minutes; 100 Mbps requires UHS-I U3 SDHC/SDXC
Audio–Built-in stereo microphone, adjustable recording level, 3.5 mm microphone input and headphone output; mono playback speaker
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronicElectronic
Screen size3.2″3″
Screen dots2,095,1041,228,800
TouchscreenYesNo
Tilting screenYesYes
Display detailFour-axis LCD tilts and opens sideways; approximately 98° up, 40° down, 180° sideways and 270° rotation.Three-way WhiteMagic LCD: approximately 134° upward/180° downward tilt and 180° clockwise/90° anticlockwise rotation; top status display; no touch input
Viewfinder detail0.64-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.0.5-type XGA OLED Tru-Finder with 2,359,296 dots, 100% coverage and approximately 0.78× magnification; ZEISS T* and outer fluorine coatings
Connections and design
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
Battery life (maker's claim)530 photographs390 photographs
Body weight617 g770 g
Release detailSony UK announced availability in January 2024; Japan's announcement specifies 26 January. The main date retains UK month precision.Sony Canada specifies North American shipment in November 2016
Recording mediaBoth slots accept CFexpress Type A or UHS-I/UHS-II SD.Two SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I slots, one also accepting Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo; simultaneous recording, RAW/JPEG separation and copying available
PortsUSB 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.Multi/Micro USB terminal, micro HDMI Type D, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets, flash sync terminal, DC input, wired remote connection and Multi Interface Shoe
Wireless connectionsWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0.IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz, NFC and Bluetooth 4.1; location data can be acquired from a compatible paired phone; no built-in GPS
Battery life detailNP-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.NP-FM500H; maker CIPA claim approximately 390 photographs with viewfinder or 490 with LCD
Charging–Supplied BC-VM10A external battery charger
DimensionsApproximately 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 72.8 mm.Approximately 142.6 × 104.2 × 76.1 mm (width × height × depth), excluding protrusions
Weight detailSony 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.Approximately 770 g body only or 849 g including battery and Memory Stick PRO Duo
Materials–Magnesium-alloy body with dust- and moisture-resistant measures; complete resistance is not guaranteed
Colours–Black
In the boxNP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap and eyepiece cup, according to Sony UK.NP-FM500H battery, BC-VM10A charger, shoulder strap, Micro USB cable, body cap, eyepiece cup and shoe cap; lens depends on kit

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