p.1 #1 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
For anyone interested in camera technology it would be hard not to investigate/compare the newly announced Nikon Z9 with the January 27, 2021 announced Sony A1 IMO. For those of you like me interested in a quick compare, I believe this may be one of the best articles I've encountered so far:
p.1 #2 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
And the A1 wins by nearly every metric to my eyes. Those graphics really highlight how amazing the A1 feature set is for such a “small” camera. BSI, more flexible storage, better EVF, more flexible shutter modes, smaller size, and on and on. If you’re used to using a gripped Sony, only then does the Z9 start to look appealing, but the Z9 isn’t close to being a clear enough winner to entertain swapping brands for (unless you are Geoff).
p.1 #3 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
Some important notes in the articles conclusion to consider when reading the article:
"Conclusion
Sony was the first brand to believe in a high-end mirrorless full frame system, and lost no time releasing one innovation after another. First it was the possibility to use DSLR lenses with good AF (A7R II), then it was the ground-breaking performance (A9). The brand also releases the best sensors on the market and listens to photographers’ feedback to fix various flaws.
Nikon took its time, but it is important to remember that they were the first to bring super speed to the mirrorless market, with the unsuccessful 1 system.
Today, the A1 represents the best Sony and the high-end mirrorless market has to offer, but it is no longer alone. The Canon R3, and now the Z9 are becoming some of the most advanced digital cameras we’ve seen.
I’m also pleased to see that Nikon showed ‘balls’ by doing a few things Sony hasn’t done yet, like getting rid of the mechanical shutter, incorporating 8K 60P RAW, and even just adding the flexible Apple Prores codec. All these changes show they’ve been thinking a lot about how to give users the best quality possibility, but also flexibility.
The major difference is the size. Sony likes to keep its cameras as small and as compact as possible, whereas Nikon has a large group of pro users that rely on a body like the Z9. True, all you need to do with the A1 is add the optional battery grip, so in a way you have the choice of having something smaller or more comfortable depending on your needs. Also, the larger Nikon body helps with heat dissipation, among other things.
I can’t talk about image quality or performance without a serious side by side test, so for now, all I can say is that the Z9 looks like an impressive camera, and I’m sure it can give the A1 a run for its money. And video wise, it actually has more to offer, at least on paper."
p.1 #4 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
Let me put it this way, I have small hands and am starting to show some wear and tear as I have aged. In no way would I ever consider the size and weight of the Nikon Z9. No question for me, the only option would be the A1.
p.1 #5 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
To say that Nikon showed “balls” by getting rid of the mechanical shutter is very weird and shows a lot of brand bias. There is no advantage to having fewer options (same with the size argument). Also the A1 doesn’t have heat issues, so that was a very goofy statement on their part calling the Z9 size an advantage.
p.1 #6 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
RoamingScott wrote:
And the A1 wins by nearly every metric to my eyes. Those graphics really highlight how amazing the A1 feature set is for such a “small” camera. BSI, more flexible storage, better EVF, more flexible shutter modes, smaller size, and on and on. If you’re used to using a gripped Sony, only then does the Z9 start to look appealing, but the Z9 isn’t close to being a clear enough winner to entertain swapping brands for (unless you are Geoff).
Personally it's not about swapping brands, rather what the industry is offering the technical photographer. As each of these big three rolls out their top tiers there will always be a few or more one-ups that if proved to be successful in the real-world gives us a peek at what's to come for all of us regardless of brand.
p.1 #7 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
RoamingScott wrote:
To say that Nikon showed “balls” by getting rid of the mechanical shutter is very weird and shows a lot of brand bias. There is no advantage to having fewer options (same with the size argument). Also the A1 doesn’t have heat issues, so that was a very goofy statement on their part calling the Z9 size an advantage.
I think the Sony A9 lead the way. But now we will see if 100% mechanical shutterless is superior in 2021 to the benefits of electronic + mechanical shutter as an option. There are some pluses and minuses to both.
p.1 #8 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
naturephoto1 wrote:
Let me put it this way, I have small hands and am starting to show some wear and tear as I have aged. In no way would I ever consider the size and weight of the Nikon Z9. No question for me, the only option would be the A1.
Rich
Personally, I think the convertibility of the Sony A1 form factor is a big win for the consumer. "Have it your way," so-to-speak is an invaluable benefit.
Literally: small, medium (w/L-Plate Grip) and large (w/ the Sony Grip) pretty much covers all scenarios/needs.
p.1 #9 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
Nice article, though I think a couple of points are still unclear:
1) I'm not sure if Nikon confimred 1/250s flash sync? Nikon site states
Up to: X=1/200 sec. to 1/250 sec.; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 sec. or slower
2) IBIS + lens stabilization seems to be better on Z9 with the new lenses (combined)
3) we still don't know how exactly Z9 fares in DR department.
Rather than saying, “You can’t go wrong either way,” I’ll say this instead: “You will go right either way.”
Take a long look at the specifications above, and don’t forget the form factors of the two cameras. Then, once you’ve filled your wall with charts and strings like in a detective movie, feel free to flip a coin
p.1 #11 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
If I was shooting 600mm f4 or the 400mm f2.8 a lot, I would prefer bigger body than A1 and I say this as a small handicapped person for whom weight/size matters quite a bit. Personally I don't like no mechanical shutter option. A1 has 1/400 which is very good if one is shooting with strobes. You gain more flash power compared to 1/250 when shooting with ambient. It Z9 does 1/200, then we talking 1 stop. For my use case, I ended up going with GFX100s but A1 is one superb camera.
p.1 #12 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
I have no interest in the Z9 whatsoever. Yet, I think it is a great camera for Nikon shooters. As we all know, competition is good to us end users. If Sony doesn’t feel the heat from Nikon, although less so from Canon in the R3, which has a lower resolving power than both the A1 and Z9, they would be resting on their laurels. Keep on innovating, Sony!
p.1 #13 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
AGeoJO wrote:
I have no interest in the Z9 whatsoever. Yet, I think it is a great camera for Nikon shooters. As we all know, competition is good to us end users. If Sony doesn’t feel the heat from Nikon, although less so from Canon in the R3, which has a lower resolving power than both the A1 and Z9, they would be resting on their laurels. Keep on innovating, Sony!
Hi Joshua,
We will have to also wait and see what Sony may offer or be able to offer in future firmware updates for the A1.
p.1 #14 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
LBJ2 wrote:
Thanks, so he basically says it's the same as A1, will have to watch it fully later today .
On a sidenote, I've tried the grip on A1 for first time on the day Z9 was announced (what a coincidence ) and I've been using it since. I have to say that the more I use it the more I like it, as initially it seemed a bit off to have a camera that much bigger and heavier.
However, I *do* still like to have the option to fallback to a more compact setup, which also means +1 lens in my bag .
p.1 #15 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
Watching the response to this launch it seems the biggest innovation comes from Nikon marketing. I can´t really see any real innovation that this camera brings to stills shooting unless you live in a Nikon world.
I watched the start of Nikon´s presentation when it got launched and it was like watching a replay of Sony´s presentation for the A9 with blackout free shooting from 2017.
And now it is suddenly better to have "no shutter" (which actually means it still has a shutter that is useless for photography) than having a shutter which provides faster flash synch. It has practically no buffer either, just lossy compressed raws and fast write speed on CFB cards.
With all the hype it sounds like Nikon has succesfully wiped the releases of R3, R5, R6, A9 and A1 out of history.
p.1 #16 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
AGeoJO wrote:
I have no interest in the Z9 whatsoever. Yet, I think it is a great camera for Nikon shooters. As we all know, competition is good to us end users. If Sony doesn’t feel the heat from Nikon, although less so from Canon in the R3, which has a lower resolving power than both the A1 and Z9, they would be resting on their laurels. Keep on innovating, Sony!
May sound odd, but for me investigating the Z9 specs, has actually pushed me to learn more about the Sony A1 technology I already own that I would never have bothered to take the time to investigate learn otherwise. Ha! Comparing specs/technology has forced me to learn much more about the technology in the A1 that I already own.
For instance, because of the Z9's inclusion of intoPix's HighEfficiency+ RAW and HighEfficiency RAW formats for retaining maximum RAW IQ but via Large/Medium/Small RAW files ( https://www.intopix.com) I am now digging deep into Sony A1's Image quality offerings and formats:
Sony RAW
Uncompressed Raw
Lossless Compressed
Compressed
Sony HEIF
4:2:2
4:2:0
Nerd stuff for sure, but I think there are practical implications here too.
p.1 #17 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
I don't think we've seen the best of the A1 yet and expect Sony's engineers to be dissecting what Canon/Nikon have done with R3/Z9 and bringing us a firmware update or two in the coming months, although I'd be nitpicking somewhat to find fault with the A1 'as is', any improvements that can be made are always welcome.
The thing I'm probably more interested in is someone bringing a 600F4 with built-in 1.4x to market as if one does it the others should hopefully follow suit.
p.1 #18 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
j4nu wrote:
Thanks, so he basically says it's the same as A1, will have to watch it fully later today .
On a sidenote, I've tried the grip on A1 for first time on the day Z9 was announced (what a coincidence ) and I've been using it since. I have to say that the more I use it the more I like it, as initially it seemed a bit off to have a camera that much bigger and heavier.
However, I *do* still like to have the option to fallback to a more compact setup, which also means +1 lens in my bag ....Show more →
That video is amazing! A lot of technical information with demos condensed into a quick overview where you walk away with a LOT of important information that I think many of us take for granted.
*Yes. I found similar, the Sony Grip fits my tall hand very well! I also found this grip gives me much better control/precision when using with manual focus only lenses adapted to the Sony.
** The illustration above of the Sony A1 Gripped compared to the Z9 is very telling. Nothing like a picture to put this endless "Pro" size advantage into perspective IMO.
p.1 #19 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
twodees wrote:
I don't think we've seen the best of the A1 yet and expect Sony's engineers to be dissecting what Canon/Nikon have done with R3/Z9 and bringing us a firmware update or two in the coming months, although I'd be nitpicking somewhat to find fault with the A1 'as is', any improvements that can be made are always welcome.
The thing I'm probably more interested in is someone bringing a 600F4 with built-in 1.4x to market as if one does it the others should hopefully follow suit.
I believe the new processor technology Canon, Sony and now Nikon are all now implementing in their top end camera models means there is a potential for much more significant firmware updates to come.
Also, I have a hunch CF Express Type A card technology will evolve to not only larger capacity cards but also faster. I think ( but don't know for certain) this may also result more images per buffer memory and faster buffer transfer performance ? ( Maybe someone here knows better)
p.1 #20 · "Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 – The 10 main differences"
Don't forget that the form factor of the grip can be used with only one battery, keeping it lighter while the Z9 is stuck with that huge weighty battery.
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