One of the biggest camera questions many pros are considering these days is which camera to buy: the Sony A1 or the Nikon Z9? The reason why is these two full-frame models are Sony and Nikon’s latest flagship mirrorless cameras and they both have some amazing picture-taking firepower.
Of course, if you already own Sony or Nikon lenses, the choice might be simple. Just go with the camera brand that matches those lenses. But if you’re upgrading your mirrorless camera kit after many years using older DSLRs and don’t mind starting from scratch, the 50MP Sony A1 ($6498) and 45.7MP Nikon Z9 ($5496) would be about as good a place to start as any. (There’s a reason why we named them two of the top seven new cameras of 2021.)
So which camera as better? Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens seeks to answer that question in the below video where he does an in-depth comparison of the Sony A1 vs the Nikon Z9.
“Let’s look at image quality. Let’s take a look at the dynamic range. Let’s play with the autofocus which is really important to me. Let’s just see how these two cameras stack up,” Morgan says. “I am not sponsored by either of these camera companies or any camera company. I rented this one (Sony). I borrowed this from Nikon. So, we’re going to just take an objective look at these two cameras and see what we’ve got.”
In the camera shootout video, Morgan photographs model Brittany McVicker while testing a range of categories including ergonomics, autofocus speed, low-light shooting, image quality, video performance, and overall image quality.
“Sony has always been about small form factor from the very beginning,” Morgan explains.
“That’s why mirrorless cameras were started by Sony basically. But that small form factor has really been an advantage for them. Nikon is more about durable hard-hitting cameras you can take into the field and really use and work hard with. So, there’s a very different approach in these two cameras here. But they have some very similar features. They both have 8k. They both shoot about 20 frames a second if you are in uncompressed raw. Which I shoot uncompressed raw most of the time because I want to be able to crop in and change the color and do anything I want with them. Also, it’s really interesting to me that these two cameras have one difference and that is this one (Nikon) does not have a mechanical shutter.
So which camera came out on top in Morgan’s testing? As usual, we’re not going to play spoiler. You’ll have to check out the video below or read the corresponding blog post on The Slanted Lens.
If you want more perspective, read the Nikon Z9 review from our sister site, Imaging Resource, along with their review of the Sony A1.
