Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
p.1 #1Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
Any downsides to the original A9 if you aren’t overly concerned with resolution? Seems like a good value for a high performing camera these days.
Aug 16, 2026 at 01:39 PM
p.1 #3Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
If I recall the fix back in the day was to shoot at a reciprocal of 120hz power frequency (so 1/60, 1/120, 1/250) does that still work with the A9 readout?
BigBabyMoses06 wrote:
No anti-flicker I believe.
BigBabyMoses06 wrote:
No anti-flicker I believe.
Aug 16, 2026 at 02:03 PM
p.1 #4Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
It’s a great camera for action even in 2026.
Some downsides mostly relevant to shooting action, which is what the camera was designed for:
1. Only one fast card slot
2. Very slow to clear the buffer. So you need to manage its (large) buffer else you may miss shots you may have wanted to shoot.
Others:
1. Ergonomically behind the times.
2. Old menu system is a bit of a mess.
3. Slow to start up. Overall feels slow. But not where it really counts: when shooting.
Anecdotally, I found A9 raw files to be better than the A9MKIII. No one jump down my throat. I don’t do scientific testing.
Some downsides mostly relevant to shooting action, which is what the camera was designed for:
1. Only one fast card slot
2. Very slow to clear the buffer. So you need to manage its (large) buffer else you may miss shots you may have wanted to shoot.
Others:
1. Ergonomically behind the times.
2. Old menu system is a bit of a mess.
3. Slow to start up. Overall feels slow. But not where it really counts: when shooting.
Anecdotally, I found A9 raw files to be better than the A9MKIII. No one jump down my throat. I don’t do scientific testing.
Aug 16, 2026 at 02:57 PM
p.1 #5Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
If I recall, the dynamic range of the A9 is worse than the other Sony lines. That, and the lower resolution are the biggest downsides to me. Otherwise it seems like an incredible camera for the price these days. The fast e-shutter readout is a feature than I find hard to imagine going without now. I picked up a used A1 (also an incredible value IMO) which has the resolution and dynamic range the A9 lacks.
Aug 16, 2026 at 03:16 PM
p.1 #6Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
Only downside I recall was many complained about the small buttons. Gen 2 largely fixed that and then gen 3 went crazy with specs.
Aug 16, 2026 at 03:49 PM
p.1 #7Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
DR is down 1.25 stops from Sony's 2013 a7r. That might matter. Controlled lighting only?
Aug 16, 2026 at 04:04 PM
p.1 #8Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
I’m not in the G3 budget category… I like compact so suspect I’ll be okay there. An A7C would be tempting but I’ve come to realize I hate flip to side LCDs. I could deal with the multi axis screens, but it’s got to fold straight out from the body for low angle shots for me.
timgangloff wrote:
Only downside I recall was many complained about the small buttons. Gen 2 largely fixed that and then gen 3 went crazy with specs.
timgangloff wrote:
Only downside I recall was many complained about the small buttons. Gen 2 largely fixed that and then gen 3 went crazy with specs.
Aug 16, 2026 at 04:05 PM
p.1 #9Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
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The above was from the early A9 days when I was adapting lenses. In this case the Canon 85mm f/1.2 v1. I eventually moved into Sony lenses and shot hundreds of youth soccer games, weddings, models and my dog. This is a great camera and for many, myself included, I mostly used the electronic shutter. Compared to the latest top cameras, the primary dated feature would be the EVF, but it is completely useable. A strong buy..for sure..
Edited on Aug 16, 2026 at 05:19 PM · View previous versions
Aug 16, 2026 at 04:11 PM
p.1 #10Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
Good:
I have been happily using my OG A9 for years basically w/o complaint. I still have it. It is a fantastic camera. It has held up perfectly as my primary AF camera. Never an issue. AF is excellent! Love the sensor! I have been happy with my pictures for years.
At times, I'd prefer more MP. But I also never actually needed more in any meaningful way. Other than lust…
Meh:
It will never “keep up” with focus systems that advertise the use of Artificial Intelligence. It just doesn't perform those calculations.
Menu is kinda lame. I don't need to spend time with the menu. Lots of programmable buttons make it not a bigger deal.
Bad:
I need a a RRS Bottom Bracket for my pinkie to feel secure. Also it is a bit of a small grip. Too tight in a perfect world.
Sony had the A7S series for video at the time. My A9 is a picture focused machine, not video.
Lacks pre-capture - This feature is something I find useful for my changing requirements that my A9 simply can't perform.
I have been happily using my OG A9 for years basically w/o complaint. I still have it. It is a fantastic camera. It has held up perfectly as my primary AF camera. Never an issue. AF is excellent! Love the sensor! I have been happy with my pictures for years.
At times, I'd prefer more MP. But I also never actually needed more in any meaningful way. Other than lust…
Meh:
It will never “keep up” with focus systems that advertise the use of Artificial Intelligence. It just doesn't perform those calculations.
Menu is kinda lame. I don't need to spend time with the menu. Lots of programmable buttons make it not a bigger deal.
Bad:
I need a a RRS Bottom Bracket for my pinkie to feel secure. Also it is a bit of a small grip. Too tight in a perfect world.
Sony had the A7S series for video at the time. My A9 is a picture focused machine, not video.
Lacks pre-capture - This feature is something I find useful for my changing requirements that my A9 simply can't perform.
Aug 16, 2026 at 04:26 PM
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p.1 #11Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
As ISO increases, dynamic range disadvantage goes.
For me, biggest disadvantage is buffer clearing. You can take more photos but can't ake any use of menu until cleared.
For me, biggest disadvantage is buffer clearing. You can take more photos but can't ake any use of menu until cleared.
Aug 16, 2026 at 04:36 PM
p.1 #12Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
When released, it was a real ground breaking camera, with 20fps. The biggest downside, IMHO, was dynamic range. Back then, I often shot with two cameras. When shot along side with an A7RIV, the files from the A9 were noticeably noisier -particularly when lifting shadows, where the A9 rendered a lot of ugly color noise. As a note, the A9II was measurably better, and with other improvements, would be a better choice, if you can swing it.
Aug 16, 2026 at 05:18 PM
p.1 #13Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
How far do you push it before it becomes an issue? Like a stop or any shadow lift is problematic?
InFocus2014 wrote:
When released, it was a real ground breaking camera, with 20fps. The biggest downside, IMHO, was dynamic range. Back then, I often shot with two cameras. When shot along side with an A7RIV, the files from the A9 were noticeably noisier -particularly when lifting shadows, where the A9 rendered a lot of ugly color noise. As a note, the A9II was measurably better, and with other improvements, would be a better choice, if you can swing it.
InFocus2014 wrote:
When released, it was a real ground breaking camera, with 20fps. The biggest downside, IMHO, was dynamic range. Back then, I often shot with two cameras. When shot along side with an A7RIV, the files from the A9 were noticeably noisier -particularly when lifting shadows, where the A9 rendered a lot of ugly color noise. As a note, the A9II was measurably better, and with other improvements, would be a better choice, if you can swing it.
Aug 16, 2026 at 05:32 PM
p.1 #14Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
AdaptedLenses wrote:
Any downsides to the original A9 if you aren’t overly concerned with resolution? Seems like a good value for a high performing camera these days.
I have an A1II and A7CR as well as my original A9. I still love the A9. It is small, has outstanding Real Time Eye-AF focusing that revolutionized autofocus and how to compose and shoot, and it handles beautifully. It has a fast stacked sensor, so I have never had problems with either flickering lighting and banding or with rolling shutter. You can probably get some examples of edge cases from someone where there is some problem, but I never had any difficulty with either over many years and thousands of images.
It is a great camera and a great buy. It has taken many of my favorite photographs and I still use it today as a compromise between small size (notably smaller than the A1 or A1II) and a fast stacked sensor (way faster than the sensor readout on the A7Cxx and A7RV and even the A7V cameras).
Any downsides to the original A9 if you aren’t overly concerned with resolution? Seems like a good value for a high performing camera these days.
I have an A1II and A7CR as well as my original A9. I still love the A9. It is small, has outstanding Real Time Eye-AF focusing that revolutionized autofocus and how to compose and shoot, and it handles beautifully. It has a fast stacked sensor, so I have never had problems with either flickering lighting and banding or with rolling shutter. You can probably get some examples of edge cases from someone where there is some problem, but I never had any difficulty with either over many years and thousands of images.
It is a great camera and a great buy. It has taken many of my favorite photographs and I still use it today as a compromise between small size (notably smaller than the A1 or A1II) and a fast stacked sensor (way faster than the sensor readout on the A7Cxx and A7RV and even the A7V cameras).
Aug 16, 2026 at 05:42 PM
p.1 #15Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
What's the price difference between A9 and A1M2?
Whatever it is, here's the dynamic range difference:
https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Sony%20ILCE-1M2(ES),Sony%20ILCE-9(ES)
I don't know why link only shows A1M2.
Copy complete link to see the A1M2 vs A9 comparison
https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Nikon%20Z%209,Sony%20ILCE-1M2(ES),Sony%20ILCE-9(ES)
Whatever it is, here's the dynamic range difference:
https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Sony%20ILCE-1M2(ES),Sony%20ILCE-9(ES)
I don't know why link only shows A1M2.
Copy complete link to see the A1M2 vs A9 comparison
https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Nikon%20Z%209,Sony%20ILCE-1M2(ES),Sony%20ILCE-9(ES)
Aug 16, 2026 at 07:28 PM
p.1 #16Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
AdaptedLenses wrote:
If I recall the fix back in the day was to shoot at a reciprocal of 120hz power frequency (so 1/60, 1/120, 1/250) does that still work with the A9 readout?
One fix for florescent lighting is indeed to shoot at the reciprocal of the flicker frequency, if the fluorescent bulb is flickering at 120hz then you can use 1/120s, 1/60s, 1/30s
I am not sure where you are getting 1/250s from though
The reason why this works is that one entire cycle from dark to bright is captured when shooting exactly at the flicker frequency. At half the flicker frequency its 2 cycles.
Edited on Aug 17, 2026 at 05:12 AM · View previous versions
If I recall the fix back in the day was to shoot at a reciprocal of 120hz power frequency (so 1/60, 1/120, 1/250) does that still work with the A9 readout?
BigBabyMoses06 wrote
No anti-flicker I believe.One fix for florescent lighting is indeed to shoot at the reciprocal of the flicker frequency, if the fluorescent bulb is flickering at 120hz then you can use 1/120s, 1/60s, 1/30s
I am not sure where you are getting 1/250s from though
The reason why this works is that one entire cycle from dark to bright is captured when shooting exactly at the flicker frequency. At half the flicker frequency its 2 cycles.
Edited on Aug 17, 2026 at 05:12 AM · View previous versions
Aug 16, 2026 at 08:20 PM
p.1 #17Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
Related to the lower dynamic range others have mentioned - the high iso performance lags behind BSI sensors of the same vintage. I rarely push it beyond 6400 because of the noise and drop off in shadow/highlight recovery. But if you don’t normally shoot in very low light situations then it’s nothing to worry about.
Other nitpicks are ergonomic, which have been addressed since mkII. Switching drive modes is a bit finicky because of the lock button design. Skin tones have also gotten better in later models.
Is not equipped for any serious video work, but also likely a non-issue if you’re looking at a9’s.
Still a highly recommended camera for professional work! It’s an AF beast and is reliable as a rock. To get the best out of it, stick to OEM & higher tier 3rd party brands for AF lenses. For example, mine fights a bit with the TT Artisans 40mm, but still not a dealbreaker for me given the small overall package and nice looking images.
Other nitpicks are ergonomic, which have been addressed since mkII. Switching drive modes is a bit finicky because of the lock button design. Skin tones have also gotten better in later models.
Is not equipped for any serious video work, but also likely a non-issue if you’re looking at a9’s.
Still a highly recommended camera for professional work! It’s an AF beast and is reliable as a rock. To get the best out of it, stick to OEM & higher tier 3rd party brands for AF lenses. For example, mine fights a bit with the TT Artisans 40mm, but still not a dealbreaker for me given the small overall package and nice looking images.
Aug 16, 2026 at 08:35 PM
p.1 #18Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
A9 has slightly more PDR at 6400 compared to A1M2.(and at 8000, 128000)
Compared to A7RIV, A9 has more PDR from ISO 1000 to ISO 12800.
At ISO640 it's 9.3 vs 9.36 for the A7RIV.
cary.z wrote:
Related to the lower dynamic range others have mentioned - the high iso performance lags behind BSI sensors of the same vintage. I rarely push it beyond 6400 because of the noise and drop off in shadow/highlight recovery. But if you don’t normally shoot in very low light situations then it’s nothing to worry about.
Other nitpicks are ergonomic, which have been addressed since mkII. Switching drive modes is a bit finicky because of the lock button design. Skin tones have also gotten better in later models.
Is not equipped for any serious video work, but also likely a non-issue if you’re...Show more →
Compared to A7RIV, A9 has more PDR from ISO 1000 to ISO 12800.
At ISO640 it's 9.3 vs 9.36 for the A7RIV.
cary.z wrote:
Related to the lower dynamic range others have mentioned - the high iso performance lags behind BSI sensors of the same vintage. I rarely push it beyond 6400 because of the noise and drop off in shadow/highlight recovery. But if you don’t normally shoot in very low light situations then it’s nothing to worry about.
Other nitpicks are ergonomic, which have been addressed since mkII. Switching drive modes is a bit finicky because of the lock button design. Skin tones have also gotten better in later models.
Is not equipped for any serious video work, but also likely a non-issue if you’re...Show more →
Aug 17, 2026 at 03:19 AM
p.1 #19Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
I used the camera for years and although it has quirks it performed very well. If 24 MP is enough, and you use it for action it is very capable. The DR disadvantage is really only at lower ISOs. Once you get to ISO 800 or higher there really is no DR disadvantage and the A9 II is no better. The menus and the ergonomics are not the current generation Sony, so if that bugs you that could be a problem. I never liked either, but the ergonomics bothered me more. You also don't get some of the modern niceties like AI based AF, flicker-free shooting, and precapture. All of these can be nice, but you can shoot almost everything without them too, and the basic AF is really good even if it doesn't have AI to help. There is also the buffer issue that others have mentioned, but I personally never found that to be a problem. It really is a steal for action photography at this point as it still allows really great silent fast shooting with a blackout free EVF for what is a quite low price at this point.
Aug 17, 2026 at 05:43 AM
p.1 #20Downside to A9 (Gen 1)?
I was told this about A9, vs. A9ii:
A9II only has a few small differences to the A9. Most of them don't matter at all to most users. The A9II was aimed at Olympic photographers and connectivity improvements before the 2020 Olympics (RIP).
However here are the few differences:
1) Two fast card slots...A9 has one UHS-II and one UHS-1...if you like to shoot backup/mirrored RAWs then the A9II has the advantage to not cripple the write speed as it has dual UHS-II slots
2) Better ergonomics, a little more room in the grip and a much bigger AF-ON button
3) More modern mechanical shutter up to 10FPS...A9 is the old A7II era 5FPS MS
4) Slightly faster processor. It improves the operational lag and EVF wakeup but the differences are slight.
But for AF I couldn't tell any differences between the two cameras. The A9 FW 5.0 and 6.0 added a lot of features that I thought would be reserved for the A9II. Like Animal Eye-AF, Real-Time Tracking and they updated the focus points to be red or white instead of the impossible to see grey that the A9 originally shipped with.
A used A9 is the best bargain out there for sports/wildlife. Shooting blackout free with a live feed in the EVF is a game changer. It is so hard for me to shoot anything else after using the A9.
A9II only has a few small differences to the A9. Most of them don't matter at all to most users. The A9II was aimed at Olympic photographers and connectivity improvements before the 2020 Olympics (RIP).
However here are the few differences:
1) Two fast card slots...A9 has one UHS-II and one UHS-1...if you like to shoot backup/mirrored RAWs then the A9II has the advantage to not cripple the write speed as it has dual UHS-II slots
2) Better ergonomics, a little more room in the grip and a much bigger AF-ON button
3) More modern mechanical shutter up to 10FPS...A9 is the old A7II era 5FPS MS
4) Slightly faster processor. It improves the operational lag and EVF wakeup but the differences are slight.
But for AF I couldn't tell any differences between the two cameras. The A9 FW 5.0 and 6.0 added a lot of features that I thought would be reserved for the A9II. Like Animal Eye-AF, Real-Time Tracking and they updated the focus points to be red or white instead of the impossible to see grey that the A9 originally shipped with.
A used A9 is the best bargain out there for sports/wildlife. Shooting blackout free with a live feed in the EVF is a game changer. It is so hard for me to shoot anything else after using the A9.
Aug 17, 2026 at 05:54 AM