Sony Aims To Lure Pro Photographers With Its Full-Frame A9; Is This The End Of DSLRs?

A new flagship full-frame camera is recently unveiled by Sony at a New York City event. And as it looks, the Sony A9 is living up to its moniker as a DSLR killer with its groundbreaking mirrorless shooter.

According to The Verge, the new Sony A9 is the most advanced full-frame camera for professional photographers and is reported to pose a challenge to Canon and Nikon. The Sony A9 sports a full-frame stacked CMOS sensor which is 24.2 megapixel. Reports claim the Sony A9 also has incredible shooting capabilities and 693 autofocus points. In addition to that, the Sony A9 also features an ethernet port and dual SD card slots. It also has a 5-axis in-body stabilization which is something DSLRs lack.

Sony reportedly aims to appeal more to sports photographers and other pros with its continuous shooting. The Sony A9 offers a blackout-free continuous shooting up to 20 frames per second for up to 241 consecutive RAWs (362 JPEGs). An impressive feature that allows users to never lose sight of fast-moving subjects. Other reports also indicate that the Sony A9 has a maximum shutter speed of 1/32,000sec. It is also capable of calculating AF/AE at up to 60 times per second. A focus joystick is also included on the back to help pinpoint subjects better. Another feature is the 693 phase-detect AF points which covers near 93 percent of the frame.

As far as video recording is concerned, the Sony A9 can shoot 4K (3,840 x 2,160) with a full-frame capture and 1080p at up to 120fps in case of shooting slow-motion footages, Engadget reported. The body of the Sony A9 resembles that of Sony's latest Aplha models such as the Sony A7S II, Sony A7R II and Sony A7 II. Meanwhile, there are claims from Sony that its new Z battery can last for over 500 shots.

The new flagship full-frame from Sony is reported to be half the size and weight compared to DSLRs like Canon;s 5D Mark IV or Nikon's D5, suggesting the Sony A9 can dethrone them with its impressive offers and ergonomic design. Reports reveal that the Sony A9 will hit the US stores by May 25th at a price point of $4,500 (body only).