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Sony Alpha 9 III vs Sony Alpha SLT-A55

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

SonyAlpha 9 IIISonyAlpha SLT-A55
Overview
ReleasedJanuary 2024September 2010
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessTranslucent mirror
Sensor formatFull frameAPS-C
Sensor typeStacked Exmor RS CMOS with global shutterExmor APS HD CMOS
Sensor dimensions35.6 × 23.8 mm23.5 × 15.6 mm
Effective resolution24.6 MP16.2 MP
Largest image6000 × 40004912 × 3264
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range250–25600100–12800
Sensor detailApproximately 25.2 million total pixels; integral memory and global exposure rather than sequential line exposure.16.7 million total photosites; fixed translucent mirror feeds a dedicated phase-detection AF sensor while the main sensor supplies live view
Image formatsJPEG, HEIF and Sony ARW 5.0 RAW.JPEG, RAW (Sony ARW 2.2) and RAW+JPEG; 3:2 or 16:9 stills; Sweep Panorama and 3D MPO panorama recording
ISO detailStandard ISO 250–25600 for stills and movies; stills expand to ISO 125–51200.Auto ISO 100–1600; multi-frame noise reduction extends sensitivity to ISO 25600; movie Auto ISO 100–3200
Image processorBIONZ XR with dedicated AI processing unit.BIONZ
Lens and shooting
Lens mountSony E-mountSony A-mount
StabilisationSensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst120 fps10 fps
Lens detail–Compatible Sony, Minolta and Konica Minolta A-mount AF lenses; kit lenses are separate from body specifications
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.15-point phase-detection AF with three cross sensors; EV −1–18 at ISO 100; single-shot, automatic and continuous AF, manual focus and Eye-Start AF
Shutter–1/4000–30 seconds and Bulb; flash sync 1/160 second
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 10 fps in Continuous Advance Priority AE with AF-C focus and exposure adjustment according to the maker manual; AF-S fixes focus to the first frame. Ordinary continuous drive reaches 6 fps; its maker buffer figures are 35 Fine JPEG, 39 Standard JPEG, 20 RAW or 20 RAW+JPEG frames. PhotographyBlog’s exposure-lock description conflicts with the manual; PhotoReview tested a late pre-production unit.
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.SteadyShot INSIDE sensor-shift system; maker claim approximately 2.5–4 stops depending on lens and conditions
Flash–Automatic pop-up flash, guide number 10 in metres at ISO 100; ADI and pre-flash TTL control; compatible external flash required for wireless flash and high-speed sync
Exposure controls–PASM, Auto, Auto+, scene, panorama and Continuous Advance Priority AE modes; 1200-zone main-sensor metering; ±2 EV compensation in 1/3 steps; D-Range Optimizer and three-frame Auto HDR
Video
Highest video resolution3840 × 2160 at 120 fps1920 × 1080 at 29.97 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.Japan/NTSC specification is 1920 × 1080 AVCHD at 59.94 interlaced fields/s from 29.97 sensor frames/s, approximately 17 Mbps; PAL bodies use 50i from 25 frames/s. MP4 supports 1440 × 1080 and VGA. At 20°C Sony claims approximately nine minutes of continuous recording with SteadyShot enabled or 29 minutes disabled; higher temperatures shorten this further.
Audio–Built-in stereo microphone, mono playback speaker and external microphone input
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronicElectronic
Screen size3.2″3″
Screen dots2,095,104921,600
TouchscreenYes–
Tilting screenYesYes
Display detailFour-axis LCD tilts and opens sideways; approximately 98° up, 40° down, 180° sideways and 270° rotation.Xtra Fine TruBlack LCD; 180° tilt and 270° rotation on a bottom hinge; dots count colour subpixels
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.Electronic finder with approximately 100% coverage, 1.10× magnification with a 50 mm lens, and 1,152,000 effective equivalent dots out of 1,440,000 total; electronic level and grid display
Connections and design
Wi-FiYes–
BluetoothYes–
Battery life (maker's claim)530 photographs330 photographs
Body weight617 g441 g
Release detailSony UK announced availability in January 2024; Japan's announcement specifies 26 January. The main date retains UK month precision.Sony Japan specifies 10 September 2010 for SLT-A55V; the US announcement specifies October 2010. September is the earliest maker-stated retail month found.
Recording mediaBoth slots accept CFexpress Type A or UHS-I/UHS-II SD.Single slot accepting SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo
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.USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, mini HDMI Type C, external microphone input and wired remote terminal; optional infrared remote and AC adaptor
Wireless connectionsWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0.SLT-A55V includes GPS geotagging; SLT-A55 sold in some markets omits GPS. The Japanese specification and photo represent SLT-A55V.
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-FW50; CIPA maker claim approximately 330 photographs using the viewfinder or 380 using the LCD
Charging–Supplied BC-VW1 external battery charger
DimensionsApproximately 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 72.8 mm.Approximately 124.4 × 92 × 84.7 mm (width × height × depth)
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 441 g body only; 500 g including battery and Memory Stick PRO Duo
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-FW50 battery, BC-VW1 charger, USB cable, shoulder strap, caps and software CD; kit lenses depend on configuration

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