Sony Alpha 9

Canon and Nikon look out! This camera could topple the twin titans of professional sports photography

- Rod Lawton

Just when we thought the Sony Alpha 99 II was the ultimate camera for continuous shooting and autofocus performance, it gets the rug pulled out from under it by a rival – and it’s another Sony.

In many respects, Sony’s Alpha SLT and Alpha mirrorless camera lines are in direct competition. We wondered how long Sony’s ageing DSLR-like Alpha SLT system would be allowed to keep its technological lead over Sony’s mirrorless series: the A9 is our answer.

The A99 II still wins for outright resolution – 42MP versus the A9’s 24MP, but the A9 thrashes it with its 20fps continuous shooting speed (with AE and AF tracking), massive buffer capacity (362 JPEGs, 241 raws) and an on-sensor AF system with no fewer than 693 points covering 93% of the image area.

The A9 is an out-and-out action specialist, sacrificing resolution for speed in the same way as the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and the Nikon D5. These two professional DSLR workhorses have had the world of pro sports photography to themselves for some time now. They may not have been particularly rattled by the A99 II, but the A9 is different.

This is not just because of its speed and the sophistication of its autofocus system. It’s different because when it’s running at 20 frames per second it’s completely silent. In theory, the A9 could let you shoot at sporting events, musical performances and speeches where any other camera would be banned.