Aimed squarely at professional photographers who demand ultimate speed, the Sony a9 interchangeable lens mirrorless camera is Sony’s most technologically-advanced camera to date. Sony calls the a9 a “new concept camera” that sits nicely between the a7R II “Resolution Master” and a7S II “Sensitivity Master.”
It features everything professionals love in a flagship a-series full-frame camera, with a whole new level of imaging performance.
The a9 is undeniably a technical marvel. It’s the ultimate speed demon, delivering high-speed, blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 20fps; 60 AF/AE tracking calculations per second; and a maximum shutter speed of up to 1/32,000 second.
Fast and furious
All these ground-breaking features are attributed to the amazing 35mm full-frame stacked 24.2MP Exmor RS CMOS sensor. The sensor is the world’s first, enabling data speed processing at up to 20x faster than previous Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras.
The sensor offers a wide ISO range of 100 – 51200, expandable to 50 – 204800.
The super advanced sensor is paired to the upgraded BIONZ X processing engine and front-end LSI that maximizes performance, and reduces EVF display latency.
This combination lets you blaze through 20fps, with continuous AF/AE tracking for up to 362 JPEG or 241 RAW images.
Something the a-series cameras have gained a reputation for is in the focusing system. The a9 boasts 693 phase detection AF points, covering approximately 93% of the frame. This ensures you reliably capture even the fastest moving subjects. It calculates AF/AE at up to 60x per second.
The Fast Hybrid AF is claimed to be 25% faster than the a7R II.
Furthermore, the EVF functions with absolutely no blackout.
What you’ll also be impressed with is the silent shutter. This is especially crucial if you should wild life where the tiniest audible could mean a panicked subject that runs away.
The quiet operation is possible with the vibration-free, fully electronic, silent, anti-distortion shutter.
Other notable features include the all-new, Quad-VGA OLED True-Finder with approximately 3,686k dots for extremely accurate, true-to-life detail reproduction. It’s the highest resolution viewfinder Sony has ever integrated into an a-series camera.
Built into the camera is 5-axis image stabilisation, that provides a shutter speed advantage of 5.0 steps.
Next, the a9 also offers an Ethernet port (wired LAN), allowing you to conveniently transfer images via FTP at high speed. There’s also a sync terminal for attaching external flash units and cables.
With the a9, Sony is also introducing an all-new Sony battery (NP-FZ100) with 2.2x the capacity of previous generation Sony full-frame camera batteries.
In terms of storage, the a9 comes with two separate media card slots, including one for superfast UHS-II media.
While made for speed still shooting, the a9 is a capable video camera. It offers 4K video recording at 30fps, or Full HD @ 120fps (up to 100Mbps).
Pricing and availability
The Sony a9 is available now with the body only retailing at MYR21,799.
New lenses
- Super-telephoto Zoom Lens (SEL10040) – MYR12,699
- Premium Wide Angle Zoom Lens (SEL1635GM) – MYR10,899
- Compact Wide Angle Lens (SEL1224GM) – MYR7,899
New accessories
- NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Battery
- VG-C3EM Vertical Grip
- NPA-MQZ1K Multi-Battery Adapter Kit
- GP-XE1M Grip Extension
- FDA-EP18 Eyepiece Cup
- BC-QZ1 Battery Charger
- PCK-LG1 Screen Protect Glass Sheet
For more information, visit the official Sony a9 product page.
Sample photos (click thumbnail for bigger image)
Check out more official sample pictures.
