Sony a9 (in late 2019) Review: Part 1 | 4K

Sony a9 (in late 2019) Review: Part 1 | Photographer Dustin Abbott takes a look at the Sony a9 three years after its release and its new position in the market after firmware updates and reduces prices. Should it be an option for you? He covers updated features, build, and autofocus performance in this episode, including: Tracking, buffer depth, Eye AF, and more. Read the text review: bit.ly/a9review | Visit the image gallery: bit.ly/SonyA9Ga... | Purchase the Sony a9 Camera @ B&H Photo bhpho.to/2HyWIyt | Amazon amzn.to/2B4NAjh | Amazon Canada amzn.to/2peQkbn | Amazon UK amzn.to/2M7XPcY | Amazon Germany amzn.to/2VHbDOP | Ebay bit.ly/Sonyalpha9
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My filming setup: Sony a7R III: B&H Photo: bhpho.to/2D6ibNO or Amazon: amzn.to/2CNxOvH | or | Sony a9 @ B&H Photo: bhpho.to/2HyWIyt or Amazon: amzn.to/2s1vYE0
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Lights: Rotolight AEOS @B&H Photo bhpho.to/2IK7mqV | Genaray Contender @B&H Photo: bhpho.to/33HbGNM | and Aputure AL-MW: bhpho.to/2N3MtZV
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Keywords: Sony a9, ILCE-9, Sony Alpha 9, Sony A9, Review, Sony, Dustin Abbott, Review, Autofocus, Sony a7RIII, Sony A7RIV, Sony a7R IV, a9, Tracking, Sports, Hands On, Video Test, Portrait, Video, Image Quality, ISO Performance, Real World, Comparison, VS, Sensor Test, Sample Photos, Sports

[@TexasPelican]

I made the same decision you did and for the same reasons. The camera is a workhorse and makes it possible to consistently catch difficult images. And the price drop was a Godsend.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I suspect there will be a renewed interest in the a9 and there will probably also be more used copies on the market with the a9II's release.

[@rayrae56]

So glad you're doing this review, just bought an a9 and I love it! Thank you always for your great videos!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome. It's a great camera.

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

I'm glad Sony kept this camera alive through the 6 firmware updates (#5 being the revolutionary one) instead of keeping the updates for the A9ii.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I completely agree, and I think that was an important shift for Sony as a company. A lot of people mistrusted them to do anything but innovate new products, and that perception seems to be changing.

[@Ava-wu4qp]

@@DustinAbbottTWI fingers crossed that they keep it up for their 'past generation' products as well. Getting updates while the product is the newest version is one thing. Updating the a9i up until or past the a9iii comes out is quite another, even if just fine tuning minor things like the 30 minute record limit (the EU law justifying such a limit recently expired).

[@plymouth359]

@@Ava-wu4qp I hope they let use change the focus box from grey on the A7iii soon like you can now on the A9

[@ElReySupr3me]

Just bought one with a 11k shutter. Looks new and only for it for 1.1k. It’s an amazing camera that has aged well. Even by today’s standards!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's true. It has held up well.

[@melissamonge4461]

I do mostly wildlife photography. With the release of the Sony 200-600mm lens, I've become increasingly more interested in the A9, being a Canon 5D mark IV user, and them not have a suitable telephoto alternative (the closest is the 100-400mm with the TC which I own, or lugging around a huge, heavy and expensive 500mm or 600mm. Not a fan of third party lenses either). Although I haven't made a decision whether I want to make the switch, this review comes at a perfect time! You've discussed some of the strengths and concerns (being an older model) that I've been reading and thinking about. Looking forward to seeing part 2.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Next week! I'm very interested in testing the 200-600, but I haven't been able to get a loaner yet.

[@pawelmod3292]

I've made decision to switch from A73 to A91 in 2021, once A74 has been released. A74 was disappointment for me and A1 was/is to expensive. In 2023, A9 paired with 70-200 GM2 and 200-600 G makes a perfect combo for action/sport/wildlife. Now I'm waiting for A93 to see, what it will bring to the market. Dustin, thanks for the video, even if it is 4 years old! 🙂

[@pawelmod3292]

Forgot to mentioned that in in 2021 it costs me 1999 Euro (used) and now, in 2023 you can get in for 1499 (used) in EU - number of clicks doesn't matter as it is meant to be used with ES anyway ...

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome.

[@kevinchan4496]

Dustin, a big thank you! Your reviews are extremely helpful! You are answering all my questions....A7R3 or R4....A9 or A9ii....A7R3 or A9. Now, the remaining questions for me are how fast and how much will the A9 price drop? Maybe I am a bit too greedy here, the price of a brand new A9 has already gone down to US$3000 in Hong Kong. How can I not recommend you to all my photography buddies!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I suspect it will be a few months before we see further drops in price to avoid cannibalizing a9II sales.

[@rickymcc9072]

Hi Dustin, thanks for your helpful perspectives. I too found myself seriously considering then deciding to buy an a9. Market price shifts and firmware upgrades were key drivers. Like you it will complement my a7r4. Having seen rave reviews for Sony post a9 and then a7R series from late '17, I bought a compact a6500 to complement my Nikons. Never seriously expected to switch system. Then a73 hit Q1'18 just after I bought my a6500. I watched mirrorless emerge and waited to see how good, or otherwise, Nikon's Z7 was. N's initial underwhelming Z7 launch (gen 1) and 'crippled' native lens road map convinced me to buy an a7r3 (like you). Now sold 3 Nikon bodies and 12+ lenses, gone all in on Sony. I upgraded to a7r4 (much to like but wasn't initially sold on 61Mp need). Having just sold my a6500 and a7R3 bodies, I was looking for a good second Sony. A73 was a contender but I thought an a74, if launched, might suit me better. Your vids on a9 made me re-appraise. So taking account of price drop, firmware v6 and better tracking performance for sports use, coupled with a more sensible file size (for majority of my needs) made it seem like a good move vs waiting for a74. So you helped me jump in the a9 direction too.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Sounds like your thought process was much like mine...except for coming from the Canon side of things.

[@Dan.gibson.photographer]

A workhorse of a camera 📷 👌🔥

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It is that

[@corrbox2]

Thank you for your interesting and informative review. I'll have to view it again. Lots of information to digest. GREAT JOB!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's probably wise. It's a big decision, and best to make it well informed.

[@shang-hsienyang1284]

I love my a9 firmware 6. Although I share the same opinion with Tony Northrup regarding several quirks of the a9, the advantages overwhelmed its shortcomings. Too bad the improvements of the a9II are too incremental, I have decided to skip a generation.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The firmware updates have allowed the a9 to stay very relevant despite a few quirks.

[@jimmyqballs]

I absolutely love my A9's. I came from a Canon 1D MK IV setup. Initially I didn't know what to think of the Sony platform. I was using the Metabones adapter so the results were really poor. Then I got the 70-200 GM and realized what the fuss was about! I still prefer the feel and ergonomics of the DSLR's, but the performance and autofocus is second to none. I hope you do some real world testing of the A9 II! I'm really curious to what the high iso performance will be, I've heard of 20,000 being usable. For now I don't like going past 6400 for most things...

[@jimmyqballs]

I do notice sometimes, I am not getting 20 fps even when it's set to high speed. It will not do 20 FPS if your shutter speed is below 200 I think, but even at higher speeds it won't always do 20 fps while autofocusing even on native sony lenses

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You'll note that specifications are always "up to XXFPS". That's because there are variables that can influence focus/burst. You might tweak the setting that gives priority to the shutter rather than focus if this is a real concern for you. I suspect you'll get closer to 20FPS on a regular basis. I do plan to do a thorough review of the a9II when I can get my hands on it.

[@Celestialrob]

Yup, great camera. I’ll be getting the a92 as a second body after my a7R2. Thanks Dustin!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Enjoy!

[@jonathanconsiglio166]

Good review as always! I shoot with an a9 and a7r4. My only complaint is the mechanical shutter being less responsive that the rest of the current Sony lineup. 5fps isn’t an issue for me, but it’s sluggish when shooting with the e front curtain off, even more so in single shot. Follow up shots are slow. And I use strobes quite often so it’s one thing I wasn’t aware of when I ordered it. One small thing about the a9ii is that it shares the same finder as the A9. It didn’t get the upgrade to 5.7 million dots like the r4 unfortunately.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Really? I looked and you're right...and that makes zero sense (re the viewfinder). Sony has been a little puzzling in some areas on this upgrade cycle.

[@jonathanconsiglio166]

Dustin Abbott yeah some of their decisions are puzzling. My understanding is that it has something to do with the AF framing not being able to keep up at higher res. There’s so many little things that Sony does that are just strange. Like dropping to 12 bit from 14 when using continuous shooting and how using e front curtain ON can affect the DoF rendering (and show banding using HSS). But I am still very please with my switch to Sony. Getting this R iv though threw me off a little as I typically under exposed with the a9 but now I try to expose evenly with the R iv.

[@naturealbums]

Nice choice I use mine for wildlife. Here in the UK second hand seems to demand high prices where they are equal or sometimes more than grey market import from Hong Kong and you still get the warranty on the grey. I haven't tried the metabones seemed expensive but the mc11 seems fine enough for Canon lenses.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

MC-11 does seem to work quite well on the a9 with a lot of Canon lenses.

[@kevinchan4496]

One more question, how often/common do you get banding issues with the electronic shutter in in-door shooting? Lack of anti-flicker a big issue?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I haven't seen any issues yet, but I haven't been in some of the buildings that I know to be the worst offenders (sodium lights are brutal).

[@klaymoon1]

Another great detailed review!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thank you!

[@Ava-wu4qp]

I suspect that tethering isn't normally how you work but is there any chance that you could review the upcoming tether tools "air direct" tethering module? It's set for release around Christmas and if it delivers, this will be a game changer for tethered shooting for many. Even now in 2019, most commercial photographers only thether by wire because the few wireless solutions out there are unreliable and inconvenient but given the band's (tether tools) established reputation, this might finally be a usable option that grants a lot of freedom.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

No I don't work typically work tethered, but I don't know enough about either the module or how much access I would have to it to answer that question.

[@Ava-wu4qp]

@@DustinAbbottTWI that's fair. Well It's definitely a tool I'll be buying if it's not terrible and I imagine that most of the studio/commercial photographers I know will be doing the same. It would be neat if you had the chance to review it but I won't be holding my breath. Thanks for your content though and I look forward to your future reviews regardless.

[@CaseyQasem1]

Great and very informative video! Thanks for sharing! Here is my question to you, If Sony A7R IV & Sony A9 price tag is $2500 which one would you go for, both Photos and Videos? Thanks again!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

For all-round shooting, probably the a7RIV. For sports-specific work, the a9.

[@KetansaCreatesArt]

I am seeing the details of the a9 II here and there. 24.2 megapixel? seriously?? Most of the enhancements are like coverable through firmware updates, except the enhanced wireless connectivity and redesigned buttons. Lets see what else people find new.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I obviously haven't done my own review yet, but I found this article to be the most compelling I've seen on the a9II so far: pmrphoto.blogspot.com/2019/10/sony-a9ii-review-by-actual-sports.html

[@Goldies24]

a9 with G-Master lenses, adapters, tele converters, travel to exotic locations, post processing studio....the only hobby more expensive than photography is Yacht collecting.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

LOL - isn't that the truth!

[@masterprintmaker]

any pointers as to why the A9II EVF would show so many artifacts ( purple blue moire ) and has so little resolution especially while half pressing the shutter during focusing?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's an ongoing annoyance with Sony viewfinders. My Alpha 1 and a7RV are the same.

[@masterprintmaker]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you so much Dustin ! Even my A7rIII has a better EVF and my Panasonic S series cameras are stellar in comparison ... quite frankly I am not sure how this could be deemed unacceptable !?!

[@Trigger-xw9gq]

@ 11:29 Nope, the a9II has same EVF as the a9 (lamentably).

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I looked it up, and you're right. That's really counter intuitive to me.

[@Trigger-xw9gq]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Yes, it was one of the major disappointments of the a9II specs. Same sensor and resolution; same poor EVF; still no CF Express (or XQD) cards; still no front control buttons; same old rear screen. There's really not much incentive to upgrade from the a9.

[@Stefan1968ful]

In my opinion, how good and genius the Sony A9 really is, is becoming clear now after Sony closed some gaps in their lens lineup. This means in particular by adding the Sony 400mm 2.8 GM, Sony 600mm 4.0 GM and Sony 200-600mm 5.6-6.3 lenses as this camera is primarily for Wildlife - Sport - Action. Personally, I am completely blown away what the Sony A9 can deliver with a Sony 600mm 4.0 GM in Wildlife. Yes, all these lenses (and especially the 600mm 4.0 GM) are very expensive lenses but not more expensive than what CANIKON is delivering. And with the recent decrease in price for the Sony A9 you can get a top performing Wildlife Combo of Sony 600mm 4.0 GM and Sony A9 for 16500 USD (3500 USD + 13000 USD = 16500 USD) what is cheaper than the corresponding Canon setup (Canon 1DX Mark II, Canon 600mm 4.0 III) which cost you 18500 USD (5500 USD + 13000 USD = 18500 USD) - 2000 USD more. Nikon (Nikon D5, Nikon 600mm 4.0 FL) similar: 17800 USD (5500 USD + 12300 USD = 17800 USD) - 1300 USD more. So I think that Sony really became mature here the last 2 years. I just want to perceive the Sony A9 Mark II as an accident :)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You make a valid point when it comes to the mature telephoto offerings that have allowed the a9 to sing. The a9II is actually more of a Canon type upgrade. It's a maturity upgrade rather than revolutionary upgrade. That may be harder for Sony fans to accept.

[@Stefan1968ful]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Right, on Nikon terms it is more an 's' type of update. The disappointment maybe comes from all the rumors putting so much expectation into the Mark II. Things like global shutter or 36MP and whatever. But it's ok, the Sony A7R4 with 61MP was not expected on the other hand, Sony surprised us with this release.

[@PowerAirSimulations]

Awesome video I Purchased a majority of my stuff watching your reviews thank you , will you be doing a review on the A9 Mark 2?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I do want to review the a9 Mark II. I need to put in a request for it, though I want to finish my review cycle of the Fuji X-T4 first.

[@PowerAirSimulations]

Dustin Abbott sounds good, I look forward to seeing your review thank you.

[@vladepast4936]

Hi, where did you buy your used A9? What company you could recommend? Thank you for the video

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I bought mine off Ebay: ebay.to/31atO0g

[@christinemitchinson3845]

Your reviews are excellent.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thank you!

[@aalosttechie]

Excellent review Dustin, makes me more convinced to look at Sony as I move to FF mirrorless. Please do let us know if the converters that you use for the canon EF lenses where the eyeAF/AF works best and for fast object's.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I primarily use the Sigma MC-11

[@aalosttechie]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you. Just remembered you have a comparison video for the adapters..

[@stevesvanderpool8653]

This is an important review. Why buy an outdated upcoming Nikon D6 when the cheaper A9 exist!

[@stevesvanderpool8653]

I want to also add that Sony's pre-iphone 2005 menu is VERY outdated. Nikon newer Z system menus are way ahead. Can't speak for Canon. Pound for pound the competition Canon & Nikon ain't got sh** on the A9.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I've used four major systems fairly extensive (Canon, Sony, Fuji, and, to a lesser extent, Nikon). Canon still wins for the most logical menus and the ability to easily use touch to navigate them.

[@hawg427]

24mp for the A9 is sort of like the Nikon F5 as far as 24MP yet the Nikon is far slower than the Sony. one your vids Dustin.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's enough resolution for many situations, and, frankly somewhere around 30MP for future a9 builds would be plenty.

[@jeffmiller8950]

I think a lot of folks were hoping for a MP upgrade on the A9ii. If it was at 30MP as you suggest I think there would have been a lot more folks jumping on-board to the A9ii and maybe even bought it in lieu of the A7R4. Nice review!

[@dannyklesh]

Dustin I have a ad200 light what would be a goto accessory for run and gun shooting portraits / weddings ?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

A collapsible softbox would be nice. I know Godox is developing something right now.

[@zakiradi450]

Great video! Thanks! Just one question which am struggling with, on its electronic shutter under studio lights, will it still have banding? Which will mean switching to mechanical shutter in studio?

[@zakiradi450]

Sorry, sort of god the answer at the end of this video. But my flash works fine even on electronic for my APSC camera. It possibly fails like once in 20 frames which ain't that bad.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

My experience is that you probably will need to shoot mechanical, though there may be some workaround I'm unaware of.

[@zakiradi450]

Dustin Abbott its ironic that the fastest camera was released to be slowest with flash 😅

[@johnnyc5922]

Only positives are picture profiles and price? How about base ISO dynamic range? Sure, you mention it at the end for the next video, but it's so well known it's misleading to have a list of pro/cons without it Also, good highlighting of the 1/3200 shutter speed, that's like a 2 stop ND filter. Though it's a bit annoying it needs to be in S or M mode

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Are you suggesting that DR on the a7III is better than the a9? I would have to verify that, as I've never known that to be true. They are both using the same sensor.

[@johnnyc5922]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Indeed, looking forward to your tests

[@KenCheng]

I thought that you didn't get 20fps when adapting EF lenses, did they improve that?

[@Stefan1968ful]

Well, in S Mode you can get 20fps with EF lenses. Just on C Mode it goes down to 10fps. At least with the MC-11 adapter.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

With full tracking (MC-11) you get 10FPS. But it actually tracks the whole time (unlike most of the other Sony bodies), which is still extremely useful. And yes, with a native lens attached you go into crazy territory.

[@lawaynekimbro8179]

I shoot action/sports and landscapes (yes..odd combo & totally different gear ugh) .. switching from Canon to Sony and literally racking my brains as to which to get first A9 or A7R3. If I get an A9 now/first... fear is price will keep dropping. Also, if I get the A9 first... can it work well enough for landscape images until I can get the A7R3... which I have a special trip planned for in 2 weeks...

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Take a look at my image gallery that's linked in the description. You'll see some great looking landscapes in there.

[@6gwilliams]

I have made many great landscape shots with my A9, even though I also had an A7RIII and now have an A7RIV. No worries about making landscapes with a 24mp camera. I dd a trip to the Caribbean island of St. Martin last year and ONLY took my A9 and it performed beautifully. Did another trip to the Western USA last spring and again only the A9 and it made gorgeous landscapes. BTW do not expect the A9 price to drop much below what low point it is at today, so go ahead and get it .

[@Ava-wu4qp]

@@6gwilliams do you plan on cropping very heavily or printing larger than 20"x30"? Buy the a7riii. Otherwise the a9 will be the better fit.

[@AlumarsX]

The A7R3 used prices have calmed down around $1700, and they might settle around $1200 for the next 2 years whereas I assume the A9 will only keep dropping until hitting at least 2K At least based on the depreciation I've seen on older models.

[@Ava-wu4qp]

@@AlumarsX older models weren't so well relieved to be fair though. And of course camera process will drop with time but they won't drop 30% over night

[@plymouth359]

Uk Price for A9ii is £4799, I have a new A9i coming today for £2249. I am switching from Canon, I mainly shoot weddings and non sporting events like conferences. I already have the A7iii which is ok but for me my second camera had to be the A9 for the silent shutter in artificial light. The A7iii and it's mad banding is so frustrating, i know lowering the shutter can help but thats not always ideal. With V6 update to the A9 do you think it will now match the A7iii in very low light when it comes to focusing. Also on the A7 the option for AF assist beam is off and auto. Does the A9 have an option for ON. When shooting the A7iii with a Godox V1 flash the AF assist from the flash works very well but the camera is in control of when to use it. Very frustrating having the camera hunt and still refusing to use the AF assist on the flash. Never had this problem with Canon.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The a9 is definitely very good in low light focus now. I'm not finding any setting to control AF assist beam, though. What is the setting you're referencing on the a7III (where is it found in the menu?)

[@plymouth359]

@@DustinAbbottTWI my A9 has now arrived and it's the same as the A7iii :( it's af Illuminator AF2 6/14

[@wolfe4410]

Have you tried Lifeguard skins?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

No I haven't.

[@peetje28021970]

You’re such a nice guy.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Based on this video? ;)

[@santosovideo]

Three years? It was released in May 2017.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're right - we're in the third year, but it hasn't been three full years.

[@brentdrafts2290]

Thanks.(I just don't understand the "thumbs-down" people) lol

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

As the saying goes, the haters will hate. I'm less put off by it than I used to be. My average review has around a 97% positive feedback rating, so that's hard to complain about.

[@Fleet42]

A9 or A7vi? I hav an A9 and A7iii

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

If you have an a9 and a7III already, then I would personally trade the a7III for the RIV. That gives you both two extremes to work with in focal length, and also gives you an effective APS-C camera in the RIV's crop mode.

[@subirthapa8542]

I guess the Price will go down to 3k USD soon

[@Ava-wu4qp]

I imagine it'll be at least 8 months before it's 3k new if for no other reason than to sell the mark ii. There aren't that many upgrades to the mark ii that too steep a price difference well dramatically hinder sales of the new camera

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I tend to agree with Ava here. We will see further cuts to a9 prices, but not until there is some market saturation of the a9II.

[@subirthapa8542]

Dustin Abbott Yes, I think Starting from 2020 mos probably, The A73 rates just gone down

[@ahmedrashed78]

Now price will go up again after this review 🙄

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

LOL - let's hope not!

[@dgoullet1]

Thanks for the good work. In the second part you might want to look at the colour rendering compared to the 7 series. I think its better. Here you can compare any two cameras m.dpreview.com/articles/4109350402/welcome-to-our-studio-test-scene

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I do plan to include that, and yes, I do think colors are slightly richer on the a9. Sony really gets a lot out of this particular sensor.

[@dgoullet1]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks

[@zyaqoobi4885]

your camera looks super dirty-clean up needed

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's actually very clean...it's just pretty beat up!