were nearly opaque. The Eye-AF was
quick, reliable and noticeably better
than its predecessors.
I also tested the Sony 16-35 f/2.8
GM on the a9. The build quality is
very impressive and it follows the same
sleek and robust exterior design which
comes with the G Master badge. I’m
a big fan of the Sony 16-35 f/4 and al-
though it’s a fantastic lens, the GM
model is noticeably sharper. The
zoom ring has the perfect amount of
resistance, however the focus ring was
too loose for my liking. Overall, this
lens is a great addition to the E-Mount
lens line up and is a pleasure to use
with the a9’s bigger grip.
The Sony a9 is a culmination of years
of innovation, R&D and most impor-
tantly consumer feedback. Whilst some
camera manufactures are releasing
cameras with dated technology, Sony
is once again pushing the boundaries
with their latest release. With the price
tag that comes with this camera, it’s
certainly not going to be for everyone
and will be likely reserved for working
professionals. However, this is a seri-
ous camera which is going to put other
manufactures on notice. ❂
TESTED: SONY A9✔
LEFT Even at 20fps,
the a9’s autofocus
had absolutely no
issues tracking my
dog Hamish, whilst
running as fast as
he could. The hit
rate even at high
burst speeds was
exceptional and I had
plenty of frames to
pick from. Sony a9,
70-200mm, 1/800s
@ f4, ISO 1000.RESULTS
HANDLING: ★ ★ ★ ★
The a9’s newly design body with the AF joystick makes shooting with larger
and heavier lenses such as the 16-35 f/2.8 GM much more comfortable.
However I found the focus mode dial was a bit fiddly to use.FEATURES: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This camera has a remarkable number of features, certainly a lot more than
I could cover in this review. 20 fps, shutter speeds up to 1/32000s, silent
shooting with no distortion and blackout, oversampled 4k with no crop factor
and a touch screen with tilt functionality. The list goes on and on.EXPOSURE: ★ ★ ★ ★
When using the a9’s histogram in conjunction with its metering, I never had
any issues getting the correct exposure in camera. The a9’s dynamic range
is fantastic however the a7R II has a slight advantage in this area.IMAGE QUALITY: ★ ★ ★ ★
The a9 produces excellent images and the image stabilisation is going to ensure
sharp, high quality results even when shooting hand held, in dimly lit situations. It
would have great to have seen a higher megapixel count sensor with the ability to
lower your RAW file size like in the Nikon D850, when you want to shoot at 20fps.VALUE FOR MONEY: ★ ★ ★ ★
Whilst the a9 isn’t going to be affordable for your average prosumer, when you
compare the cost with Canon 1DX MKII and Nikon D5, it’s roughly $1250 - $2200
cheaper. Given the a9 outperforms both of these cameras in a number of aspects,
the price of the camera seems very well justified and great value for money.FINAL WORD
I really enjoyed my time with the a9. If you have ever doubted if mirrorless
cameras can compete with DSLRs, this one should change your mind.9
SCORESPECS
Resolution: 24.20 Megapixels
Sensor size: 35mm (35.6mm
x 23.8mm)
Viewfinder: EVF / LCD
Native ISO: 100 - 51,
200
Extended ISO: 50 - 204,
800
Shutter: 1/32000 -
30 seconds
Dimensions: 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.5 in.
(127 x 96 x 63 mm)
Weight: 23.7 oz (673 g)
includes batteries
Auto Focus Type: Fast Hybrid AF:
693 points phase-
detection AF
Rear Display
Resolution:1,440,000 dots
(360,000 px)
Exposure
Compensation:+/- 5.0EV in
0.3EV steps
SD card slots: 2
Usable Memory
Types:MS PRO Duo /
SD / SDHC /
SDXC