Astonishing!

Sony Alpha 9 ₹ 3,29,990

- Sujith Gopinath

When mirrorless cameras first appeared in 2007, most manufacturers treated them as alternatives to compact cameras and therefore posing no threat to D-SLRs. The last few years, however, has seen considerable progress in the area of mirrorless cameras with the result that the best mirrorless cameras from Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus stand comparison with the best D-SLRs in the market. There were some doubters, however, who felt that the D-SLRs could not be substituted for professional, action, sports and wedding photography. Sony has now delivered an answer for those doubters promising not only lightning fast autofocus but also minimal viewfinder lag and no blackouts during continuous shooting. Sony’s answer comes by way of the new Sony Alpha 9 which comes with stunning specifications enough to cause fear in the D-SLR ranks. SP has the Alpha 9 on the test table to find out whether it lived up to its hype.

Design and Build Quality

The Sony Alpha 9 is built similar to other Alpha full frame cameras, though it feels a little thicker, thanks to the larger and higher capacity battery. The camera is built with a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body. The main difference in design, compared to the Alpha 7, is the new dial for drive mode and AF selection. The dials feature push button locks. The metal mount and tripod receptacle provide a secure feel. The Alpha 9’s memory card slots have a slider latch. Overall, a sturdily built camera.

Key Features