The Sony Alpha 9 (a9) is a new digital 35mm full-frame camera from Sony, boasting a 24.2MP CMOS sensor. The mirrorless camera offers 4K (3840 x 2160p) video recording across its full sensor.
Approximately 25% faster performance when compared with the α7R II.
The camera uses full pixel readout without any pixel binning to snag 6K of information. This means that Sony is oversampling to produce its 4K footage to provide more detail and depth to the image. You can also record in the popular Super 35mm size, and, as you might expect, the a9 can record full HD at 120 fps at up to 100 Mbps.
The 24.2 MP full-frame CMOS sensor is back-illuminated, allowing it to capture maximum light. Its ISO range is 100 – 51200, expandable to 50 – 204800, while its enhanced BIONZ X processor plays a large part in image quality to minimize noise in the higher sensitivity range. What's more impressive, the a9 now supports uncompressed 14-bit RAW, so we can now get the most out of its wide dynamic range.
The a9 also boasts 693 AF points, covering 93% of the frame to maximize focusing capabilities. According to Sony, the Fast Hybrid AF system achieves approximately 25% faster performance when compared with the α7R II.
Sony has doubled its battery life.
On the stills side, the a9 offers blackout-free continuous shooting up to 20 fps for 362 JPEG or 241 RAW images. It has a 1/32,000 maximum shutter speed and it's capable of 60 AF/AE tracking calculations per second.
A new Quad-VGA OLED Tru-Finder adds 3,686k dots for accurate true-to-life detail reproduction and features a double-sided aspherical element, allowing it to achieve 0.78x magnification and superb sharpness. The EVF is also coated with ZEISS T coating to reduce reflections and a fluorine coating helps repel dirt. The frame rate of the Tru-Finder can be customized with options for 60 fps or 120 fps.
With all this added power, the a9 has a 5-axis in-body image stabilization and dual UHS-II SD card slots where data can be recorded simultaneously. Sony has even doubled its battery life with the Z battery, which has 2.2x more capacity than the A7R II.
The a9 will be available next month for $4,500.
Tech Specs
- Full-frame stacked CMOS sensor, 24.2 MP resolution
- Blackout-Free Continuous Shooting at up to 20fps for up to 241 RAW / 362 JPEG images
- Silent, Vibration-free shooting at speeds up to 1/32,000 sec
- 693 point focal plane phase detection AF points with 60 AF/AE tracking calculations per second
- Extensive professional features including Ethernet port for file transfer, Dual SD card slots and extended battery life
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization with a 5.0 step shutter speed advantage
FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM lens
Sony's furthest reaching E-mount lens is now the FE 100-400 F4.5-5.6 OSS G Master super telephoto zoom. The full-frame lens shares all the characteristics of Sony's flagship G Master series, offering fast and precise AF capabilities in a lightweight, portable design. Featuring built-in optical image stabilization, it offers a minimum focusing range of just 3.22 feet (0.98 meters) with a maximum aperture range of f/4.5-5.6.
It touts 22 lens elements configured in 16 different groups, including one Super ED and two ED glass elements to ward off chromatic aberration and reduce color fringing. Sony’s Nano AR coating reduces unwanted reflections while a nine-bladed circular aperture design produces a soft, beautiful bokeh.
Compatible with APS-C models, the lens provides a 150-600mm equivalent focal length range and has physical controls for focus hold buttons and an AF/MF switch, while Optical SteadyShot image stabilization helps minimize shake. A new optimized AF algorithm ensures quick find and focus and a double linear motor and a Direct Drive SSM actuator ensure precise, quiet operation.
Weighing 49.3oz (1,395g) it pairs nicely with the Sony a9. The lens is set to ship in July for about $2,500.
Tech Specs
- f/4.5-5.6
- APS-C compatible
- Nano AR coating
- Weighs only 49.3oz
- 3.22' minimum focusing range
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