philip_pj wrote:
I'd never heard of a 'Z9', so looked it up so as to provide some facts, because factual material works so well, leaving readers to decide what they are looking for. Our cameras cover such a broad spectrum.
A Z9 weighs in at 1340 grams according to my sources. The a7rV is 723 grams, with both cameras holding cards and batteries. The Z9 is also down all of one stop of dynamic range from ISO 100 to ISO 400, and that is large. It's behind my 2014 a7II (the lowest DR Sony I have).
You might have more productively stated you need a fast and accurate AF and a huge body as primary criteria. Very few travel / landscape / street / found portraits photographers are going to want a Z9 at any price. Sony has more direct competitors to a Z9, no? You might have said so, to present a more balanced assessment.
Sony's overarching camera philosophy is to make small, reliable and very effective 'Leica-like' mirrorless cameras, from back when they introduced full frame mirrorless to the market. Not being afraid of competition, they opened the mount and encouraged all and sundry to make lenses for E.
I can do all travel with two bodies for the weight and bulk of one Z9, and carry fabulous MF lenses for use on them. And imagine, if you will, having that giant Z9 thing pointed at you on the street - not very people-friendly. It's just not a goer for so many important photographic genres.
Not a possibility, just so unsuitable for the things that matter to image quality. Yours is a sliver-thin genre, it seems. You might have missed it, but the entire imaging world is moving towards small cameras and lenses right now, cine video and stills - all.
Looked up the Z8 too: same DR shortfall from Sony, and a DSLR weight class of 910 grams - almost 200g heavier. It seem large cameras are in Nikon's DNA, as a genetic miscode in the modern world.
Millions of people use Sony cameras daily, and have no trouble with the issues you raise. See their market share for evidence.
You might have a hand problem, some do struggle with camera operation if their hands are inflexible or strange in an extreme way. I take XL gloves and find the Sonys very nice to use - all of them I've picked up. cheers, I hope you get to like the (free) Sony. You probably think it is worth what you paid for it.
Is your response meant to be satire or some other kind of humor? Never heard of the Z9? Hands that are "strange in an extreme way?"
Bottom line is each of us has the freedom to prefer whatever camera(s) we find help us to create the images we want to make. Camera size, market share, preferred genres, other photographers' opinions, nor the condition of one's hands should be a source of judgement against someone else's choices that differ from our own.
Jan 29, 2026 at 10:00 PM
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