Sony Alpha A9

ONY A9: full review

Presented as the flagship of Sony mirrorless, a9 is the synthesis of this company in terms of mirrorless cameras. It contains the best of what had been produced up to mid-2017, when it was launched on the market.

But was Sony a9 (precisely α9) really up to the best reflex cameras of that time? To answer this question, the only thing to do is analyze the camera’s technical and practical aspects.

The camera body of Sony A9

On the top of Sony a9, we can immediately notice something new: one additional ring for drive and one for focus. The latter is a little complicated to unlock, since it needs to be pushed in order to change focus.

There are also the program and the exposure rings, the hot shoe, the customizable buttons, the shutter button with the on/off lever.

Frontally, Sony a9 shows the aperture/exposure time ring, the infrared sensor and the focus sign. Like a7 series, the design of this camera is simple and essential, with slightly rounded corners, according to Sony products tradition, never too rounded.

The back of Sony a9 is a triumph of buttons, many of which are traditionally present in the previous cameras. The true novelty is just under the viewfinder, slightly right: it’s the AF-ON button that activates the autofocus without the usual partial push of the shutter button. There is also the 3” and 1,440,000 anti-reflex dots touch-screen reclinable LCD display. The video recording button has been moved to a more ergonomic position, after several negative feedbacks from the consumers: a praise to Sony that proves to listen to its users.

The Oled viewfinder covers the whole image, with Quad-VGA definition, 60 frames per second up to 120. An extremely high quality viewfinder, improved compared to the already excellent previous models.

On the side of Sony a9 we find plugs, slots and connectors: double slot for memory cards on the right side, WiFi, Ethernet, 3.5 mm jack (earphones and microphone), sync for external options on the left side.

Technical features

The big novelty of Sony a9 is the 24.2 mp CMOS EXMOR RS Full Frame sensor, evolution of the backlit CMOS sensor, with superfast strata. Compared to the previous ones, then, higher speed in reading data and in burst mode, more manageable buffering, no rolling shutter effect – typical of moving scenes.

The BIONZ X processor increases recording speed and data reading, and it reduces the noise. With the sensor, it guarantees a burst mode reaching 20 frames per second, with the help of a very capacious buffering.

Concerning the shutter, Sony a9 has both an electronic one and a mechanical one. The latter, typical of DLSR, has more limits than the first. In fact, the electronic device is silent and without vibrations. It is much faster than the mechanical one, with 1/32000 of a second shots against 1/8000. So, without the mirror, it does not cause blackout between shots. Such lightning speed reduces distortions in the image, especially with moving subjects.

4D Focus of Sony a9 has 693 phase detection points, meaning 93% of the image. Then, there’s a chance for hybrid AF mode (phase and contrast) for a lightning focus speed, also in low light conditions.

Why buy Sony A9?

For many people its silent shot would be enough, but of course there are many reasons to buy such a flagship, not least the high quality 4K videos (3840x2160p) with recorded information oversampling. Let’s see some highlights of Sony a9:

The first quality of a mirrorless like Sony a9 is the reason why reflex cameras have been trembling for years: contained size and weight (126.9mmx95.6mmx63mm, 693 grams).

The integrated 5 axis stabilizer: less vibrations and perfectly focused images.

The 24 mp Full frame sensor, together with ISO sensitivity up to 204,800, give images with very low digital noise, a very wide color range (especially in 14bit RAW format) and a precise and quick AF.

The focus button (AF-ON) – not linked to the shutter button anymore – is a small, great revolution: it really makes the difference for those who take sports or wildlife pictures.

My opinion on Sony A9

There’s no doubt that, with this model, Sony can compete without any awe with the professional cameras by Canon and Nikon, the most renowned names in photography. Indeed, Sony a9 is a mirrorless that stands up to the best professional reflex cameras.

At the beginning of this review we talked about Sony’s flagship, the epithet given by the company to this model. Well, it really is their flagship, not only because of its advertising slogan. It’s said by its qualitative sublime images, its outstanding burst mode, its fast Autofocus, and its next generation sensor and processor.

Finally, it is versatile: it gives its best in fast actions, but is also perfect for street photography, for landscapes, parties, portraits. Sure, it’s not a cheap camera, but technology has its price, especially if it is concentrated in a camera that offers stratospheric performance and weighs less than 7 hg.