Compare Sony A9 Mark III and Nikon Z9

Compare Sony A9 Mark III vs Nikon Z9 to see which is better. Check what is the strength and weakness (pros and cons) of Sony A9 Mark III and Nikon Z9.


Compare Sony A9 Mark III VS Nikon Z9 to see which is better
Sony A9 Mark III

Sony Alpha 9 III (α9 III) features the world's first full-frame image sensor with a global shutter. It also has some remarkable features like 120fps Continuous Shooting, 1/80,000s shutter speed, a 24.6 MP Stacked CMOS Sensor, an Improved BIONZ XR Image Processing Engine, etc...

Sony Alpha 9 III (α9 III) Key features:

  • Global shutter system: The α9 III, powered by the new Exmor RS, boasts the world's first full-frame image sensor with a global shutter system. 
  • Blackout-Free, 120fps Continuous Shooting: The camera's speed and accuracy allow it to shoot continuous bursts at up to 120 frames per second (fps)
  • It features a maximum shutter speed of 1/80,000 seconds, which allows compatible flash to be synchronized at the same rate.
  • 24.6 MP Stacked CMOS Sensor
  • Evolved BIONZ XR Image Processing Engine with AI recognition and advanced AF capabilities.
  • 759-point phase-detect autofocus system for reliable tracking, making it ideal for sports, wildlife
  • 4K 120p Video
  • In-Body Image Stabilization: 8-stop 5-axis in-body image stabilization
  • 9.44-million-dot electronic viewfinder with a refresh rate of 240 fps.

Nikon Z9 is the first flagship full-frame camera without a mechanical shutter, and it is also the first Nikon Z series camera to support 8K video. It comes with a 45.7 MP stacked CMSO sensor, Dynamic-area AF that simultaneously detects up to 9 different subject types, ergonomic 4-axis tilting touchscreen, etc...

Nikon Z9 Key Features:

  • 45.7-megapixel Stacked CMOS sensor.
  • Dynamic-area AF can detect up to 9 different subject types simultaneously when shooting stills and videos.
  • Ergonomic 4-axis vertical/horizontal tilting touchscreen monitor.
  • High-speed shutter captures 45.7MP stills at 30fps, 19MP stills at 60fps, and 11MP stills at 120fps.
  • 10-bit 8K UHD video at 24, 25 or 30 fps.

Reasons To Buy Sony A9 Mark III Mirrorless Camera

Is Sony A9 Mark III is better than Nikon Z9? Here are some the features of Sony A9 Mark III more promising and recommended compared to Nikon Z9.


Released On
Sony A9 Mark III
2024-02-24 vs 2021-12-24
Nikon Z9
Has Global Shutter
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Nikon Z9
Electronic Shutter Speed Max
Sony A9 Mark III
1/80000s vs 1/32000s
Nikon Z9
Viewfinder Resolution
Sony A9 Mark III
9440K dots vs 3690K dots
Nikon Z9
Viewfinder Magnification
Sony A9 Mark III
Approx. 0.90x vs Approx. 0.8x
Nikon Z9
Viewfinder Refresh Rate
Sony A9 Mark III
240fps vs 120 fps
Nikon Z9
Focus Points (Image)
Sony A9 Mark III
759 Points vs 493 points
Nikon Z9
Weight
Sony A9 Mark III
617g Body Only vs Approx. 1340 g
Nikon Z9
Built-In Bluetooth
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Micro USB Port
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Nikon Z9
Optical Low-Pass (Anti-Alias) Filter
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Nikon Z9
Image Stabilisation Compensation
Sony A9 Mark III
8.0 stops vs 6.0 stops
Nikon Z9
Flash Sync Speed
Sony A9 Mark III
1/80000s vs 1/200s
Nikon Z9
Insect Autofocus
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs No
Nikon Z9
Video Recording Limit
Sony A9 Mark III
13 hours vs 2 hours 5 minutes
Nikon Z9


Reasons To Buy Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera

Is Nikon Z9 is better than Sony A9 Mark III? Here are some the features of Nikon Z9 more promising and recommended compared to Sony A9 Mark III.


Indicative Price

The price displayed below is only for the reference. It may vary among different retailers and shops.

Nikon Z9
$5499 vs $5999
Sony A9 Mark III
Sensor Resolution (Effective Pixels)
Nikon Z9
45.7 Megapixels vs 24.6 Megapixels
Sony A9 Mark III
Sensor Dimension
Nikon Z9
35.9 x 23.9 mm vs 35.6 x 23.8 mm
Sony A9 Mark III
Image Resolution Max
Nikon Z9
8256 x 4644 vs 6000 x 4000
Sony A9 Mark III
Video Resolution Max
Nikon Z9
7680 x 4320 vs 3840 x 2160
Sony A9 Mark III
Has Rolling Electronic Shutter
Nikon Z9
Yes vs No
Sony A9 Mark III
Screen Resolution
Nikon Z9
2100k dots vs 2095K dots
Sony A9 Mark III
Standard ISO Min
Nikon Z9
64 vs 250
Sony A9 Mark III
Expandable ISO Min
Nikon Z9
32 vs 125
Sony A9 Mark III
Expandable ISO Max
Nikon Z9
102400 vs 51200
Sony A9 Mark III
Battery Life (Image)
Nikon Z9
~770 shots (LCD monitor) vs ~530 shots (LCD monitor)
Sony A9 Mark III
Battery Life (Video)
Nikon Z9
~170min (LCD monitor and Viewfinder) vs ~95min (LCD monitor)
Sony A9 Mark III
Video Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
Nikon Z9
12 bit vs 10 Bit
Sony A9 Mark III


Common Strength And Weakness Of Sony A9 Mark III and Nikon Z9


Sensor Size
Sony A9 Mark III
Full Frame vs Full Frame
Nikon Z9
Sensor Cleaning
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Video Frame Rate
Sony A9 Mark III
4K @ 120p vs 8K @ 30p
Nikon Z9
Has Mechanical Shutter
Sony A9 Mark III
No vs No
Nikon Z9
Shutter Speed Min
Sony A9 Mark III
30s vs 30s
Nikon Z9
Mechanical Shutter Speed Max
Sony A9 Mark III
NA vs NA
Nikon Z9
Continuous Shooting Max (Mechanical Shutter)
Sony A9 Mark III
NA vs NA
Nikon Z9
Continuous Shooting Max (Electronic Shutter)
Sony A9 Mark III
120 fps vs 120 fps
Nikon Z9
Display Type
Sony A9 Mark III
Fully Articulated vs Multi-Axis Tilting
Nikon Z9
Display Size
Sony A9 Mark III
3.20 inches vs 3.20 inches
Nikon Z9
Has Touch Screen
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Standard ISO Max
Sony A9 Mark III
25600 vs 25600
Nikon Z9
Built-In Wi-Fi
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
HDMI Port
Sony A9 Mark III
Type-A HDMI vs Type-A HDMI Connector
Nikon Z9
Type C USB Port
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
External Microphone
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Headphone socket
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
LAN Terminal
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
PC (Flash) Sync Port
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Memory Card Slots
Sony A9 Mark III
2 vs 2
Nikon Z9
AF Joystick
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Slow Motion Video
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Time Lapse Video
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Autofocus Tracking
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
AF Assist Illuminator
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS)
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
NFC
Sony A9 Mark III
No vs No
Nikon Z9
Anti-dust Shutter Curtain
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Built-in Flash
Sony A9 Mark III
No vs No
Nikon Z9
External Flash
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Face (Human) Detection Autofocus
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Animal/Bird Autofocus
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Vehicle Tracking Autofocus
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Stacked Sensor
Sony A9 Mark III
Yes vs Yes
Nikon Z9
Pixel Shift Multi Shoot
Sony A9 Mark III
No vs No
Nikon Z9
Image Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
Sony A9 Mark III
14-bit RAW vs 14 bit NEF (RAW)
Nikon Z9


Sony A9 Mark III vs Nikon Z9 Specs


Sony A9 Mark III
Nikon Z9
General
Released On
2024-02-24
2021-12-24
Model Number
Alpha A9 III
Z9
Indicative Price
$5999
$5499
Lens Mount
Sony E
Z Mount
Sensor
Sensor Type
Exmor RS CMOS sensor
Full-frame Stacked CMOS sensor
Sensor Size
Full Frame
Full Frame
Sensor Resolution (Effective Pixels)
24.6 Megapixels
45.7 Megapixels
Sensor Dimension
35.6 x 23.8 mm
35 mm full frame
35.9 x 23.9 mm
Sensor Cleaning
Yes
Anti Dust System
Yes
Stacked Sensor
Yes
Has 24.6MP stacked CMOS image sensor
Yes
Has 45.7MP stacked CMOS image sensor
Images
Image Resolution Max
6000 x 4000
8256 x 4644
Image Recording Format
JPEG
HEIF
RAW (Sony arw 5.0 format compliant)
JPEG
RAW (NEF)
Pixel Shift Multi Shoot
No
No
Image Processor
BIONZ XR
EXPEED 7
Image Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
14-bit RAW
14 bit NEF (RAW)
Videos
Video Resolution Max
3840 x 2160
7680 x 4320
Video Frame Rate
4K @ 120p
FullHD @120p
8K @ 30p
4K @ 120p
FullHD @120p
Slow Motion Video
Yes
Yes
Time Lapse Video
Yes
Has Built-In Intervalometer
Yes
Video Recording Limit
13 hours
2 hours 5 minutes
Video Formats
XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
XAVC HS: MPEG-H HEVC/H.265
MOV (Linear PCM)
MP4 (AAC)
Video Color Dept (Bit Dept) Max.
10 Bit
12 bit
Shutter
Shutter Type
Global Electronic Shutter
Electronic shutter
Has Global Shutter
Yes
No
Has Rolling Electronic Shutter
No
Yes
Has Mechanical Shutter
No
No
Shutter Speed Min
30s
30s
Electronic Shutter Speed Max
1/80000s
1/32000s
Mechanical Shutter Speed Max
NA
NA
Continuous Shooting Max (Mechanical Shutter)
NA
NA
Continuous Shooting Max (Electronic Shutter)
120 fps
120 fps
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type
Electronic Viewfinder
Electronic Viewfinder
Viewfinder Resolution
9440K dots
3690K dots
Viewfinder Magnification
Approx. 0.90x
Approx. 0.8x
Viewfinder Refresh Rate
240fps
120 fps
Display
Display Type
Fully Articulated
Multi-Axis Tilting
Display Size
3.20 inches
3.20 inches
Screen Resolution
2095K dots
2100k dots
Has Touch Screen
Yes
Yes
Focus Features
Focus Points (Image)
759 Points
493 points
Focus Points (Video)
627 Points
Autofocus Tracking
Yes
Yes
AF Assist Illuminator
Yes
With Built-in LED
Yes
In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS)
Yes
Sensor-shift mechanism with five-axis compensation
Yes
5-axis in-body Vibration Reduction (VR)
Image Stabilisation Compensation
8.0 stops
6.0 stops
Face (Human) Detection Autofocus
Yes
Yes
Animal/Bird Autofocus
Yes
Yes
Insect Autofocus
Yes
No
Vehicle Tracking Autofocus
Yes
Yes
Exposure
Standard ISO Min
250
64
Standard ISO Max
25600
25600
Expandable ISO Min
125
32
Expandable ISO Max
51200
102400
Design
Weight
617g Body Only
702g With Battery
Approx. 1340 g
Dimensions
Height: 96.9mm
Width: 136.1mm
Depth: 82.9mm
Height: 149.5mm
Width: 149mm
Depth: 90.5mm
Memory Card Slots
2
2
Storage Type
Slot1: SDHC and SXDC (UHS-I/II compliant) / CFexpress (Type A)
Slot2: SDHC and SXDC (UHS-I/II compliant) / CFexpress (Type A)
CFexpress (Type B)
XQD
Optical Low-Pass (Anti-Alias) Filter
Yes
No
AF Joystick
Yes
Yes
Anti-dust Shutter Curtain
Yes
Yes
Power
Battery Type
Rechargeable Battery NP-FZ100
EN-EL18d Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
Battery Life (Image)
~530 shots (LCD monitor)
~400 shots (Viewfinder)
~770 shots (LCD monitor)
~740 shots (Viewfinder)
Battery Life (Video)
~95min (LCD monitor)
~90min (Viewfinder)
~170min (LCD monitor and Viewfinder)
Connectivity
Built-In Wi-Fi
Yes
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz band/5 GHz band)
Yes
Built-In Bluetooth
Yes
Bluetooth V5
Yes
HDMI Port
Type-A HDMI
Type-A HDMI Connector
Type C USB Port
Yes
Yes
Micro USB Port
Yes
No
External Microphone
Yes
3.5 mm Stereo mini jack
Yes
3.5 mm Stereo mini jack
Headphone socket
Yes
3.5 mm Stereo mini jack
Yes
3.5 mm Stereo mini jack
LAN Terminal
Yes
Yes
PC (Flash) Sync Port
Yes
Yes
NFC
No
No
Flash
Built-in Flash
No
No
External Flash
Yes
Yes
Flash Sync Speed
1/80000s
1/200s
DXOMARK Sensor Scores
DXOMARK Overall Sensor Score
NA
98
DXOMARK Color Depth (Portrait)
NA
26.3
DXOMARK Dynamic Range (Landscape)
NA
14.4
DXOMARK Low-Light ISO (Sports)
NA
2451