The Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison promises to be a really interesting one. Why? Well, because here we are pitting a DSLR camera against a mirrorless one.
These are two rival camera types that are actually pretty different, and those differences will surely be evident in this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison today.
So, if you are looking to find out which camera is the better one for you, you are in the right place. For a really quick decision, the next three sections will do. However, for a more informed decision, make sure to stick with us all the way to the end of this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850.
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| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Comparison Overview
These cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – are 2 really good, and well-functioning, cameras, which are obviously made by different companies – Sony and Nikon, respectively.
Each of these companies has loads of experience in the world of photography, and has been able to win the hearts of many photographers all over the globe.
It might be really difficult to tell which the bigger brand is. It is, anyway, easy to tell that these are two of the biggest names in the camera industry.
Having said that, we are surely expecting to see 2 awesome cameras in this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison, as Sony and Nikon are known to always deliver great quality cameras.
Anyways, these cameras in comparison today – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – though pretty different, are also pretty similar, too. They were both announced in the same year – 2017.
The Sony a9 is a Pro camera, and so, one would expect that it comes with better features than the Nikon D850. Well, that is true in some aspects. For example, the Sony a9 has a far better burst mode speed than the Nikon D850. Also, it is the lighter camera, and it is, thus, easier to carry around.
However, it is not entirely true, because when it comes to battery capacity, the Nikon D850 is by far the better camera. In addition to that, with time-lapse recording and focus bracketing available in this camera, creativity is better enabled with the Nikon D850.
Furthermore, the Nikon D850 is about a thousand dollars more affordable than the Sony a9. Yes, they both come with really amazing features, but because of this (price difference), we think that the Nikon camera has the better price-value ratio.
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Comparison Table
Sony a9 |
Nikon D850 | |
| Camera weight | 1.48 pounds (673 grams) | 2.24 pounds (1015 grams) |
| Camera dimensions | 5.0 by 2.5 by 3.78 inches | 5.75 by 3.11 by 4.88 inches |
| Maximum sensor resolution | 24 mega pixels | 46 mega pixels |
| Screen size | 3 inches | 3.2 inches |
| ISO range | 100 to 51200 (expandable to 50 to 204800) | 64 to 25600 (expandable to 32 to 102400) |
| Viewfinder | Electronic viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
| Burst mode speed | 20 frames per second | 7 frames per second |
| Focus points | 693 | 153 |
| Time-lapse | No | Yes |
| Focus bracketing | No | Yes |
| Battery capacity | 650 shots per full charge | 1840 shots per full charge |
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| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
If you want more details on the Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 battle, the video below does a comprehensive comparison. Check it out!
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Which Is Better Under What Circumstance?
Sony a9 |
Nikon D850 |
| If you are a sports photographer, then this is just the camera you need. As a sports photographer, the speed of your camera’s burst mode is one of the most important things to you, because you would be taking a lot of photos of people in motion. Therefore, you need a camera with a fast burst mode, and that is what the Sony a9 is. With 20 frames per second, the burst mode of this camera is nearly 3 times that of its counterpart. Amazing! | Will you be using your camera for very long hours? Yes? Then the Nikon D850 is just the camera for you. With this, you get 1840 shots per full charge – and that is really impressive battery life. This is the type of long lasting battery you need if you would be using your camera for long periods of time. |
| For better focusing, this is just the right camera. The Sony a9 offers you 693 focus points, which means that you will be able to focus on a lot with your camera. As a matter of fact, you get a lot more focus points with this camera than with the Nikon D850. | If you are one who would love to express their creativity a lot via photography, this is the camera that will help you do that really well. Unlike the Sony a9, you are able to do time-lapse recording with this camera. And that is one big way to express your creativity. |
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| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
Now, before we take any further step towards comparing the Sony a9 vs Nikon D850, it is pertinent that we properly understand the fundamentals of both of them. While the earlier is a Pro mirrorless camera, the latter is a Semi-Pro DSLR camera.
DSLR vs Mirrorless Cameras
So, a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras (also known as mirrored camera) is a camera that has a reflex design, and so, comes with an optical viewfinder.
In a DSLR camera, light is sent from the camera’s lens to the mirror, which then sends the image to the optical viewfinder.
In the optical viewfinder, you are able to view the image your camera’s lens is capturing, exactly as it is. This feature is the most prominent difference between a mirrorless camera and a DSLR.
Mirrorless cameras, on the other hand, do not come with optical viewfinders. However, what you get with these cameras are electronic viewfinders – or nothing at all.
An electronic viewfinder gives you a digital image of what your camera’s lens is capturing. And since mirrorless cameras do not have reflex designs, the image from the lens goes straight to the electronic viewfinder – or LCD screen when there is none.
Optical viewfinders are exclusive to DSLRs, while electronic viewfinders are exclusive to mirrorless cameras.
Anyway, it is important to note that not every mirrorless camera comes with an electronic viewfinder. While some give you the option of attaching an external viewfinder, others have nothing at all – just the LCD screen.
Well, to better understand the differences between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera, check out this video below! It tells you all you need to know about these 2 types of cameras – and all their many differences.
Pro vs Semi-Pro Cameras
Another major disparity between these two cameras is that the Sony a9 is a Pro camera, while the Nikon D850 is a Semi-Pro camera.
Now, it should be easy to figure out that a Pro camera is a camera for professionals. Therefore, it is made more durable and capable to withstand more intensity than any other level of cameras.
Semi-Pro cameras are the level that are just in between Pro and Entry-Level cameras. So, while they are not as durable as Pro cameras, they are more durable than Entry-Level cameras.
Now that all that has been said, let us now go on to identify those features that can be found in both these cameras in comparison today.
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Common Features
Viewfinder
This is a feature that allows you view the image your camera’s lens is capturing, either exactly as it is, or a digital image of it, depending on which type it is.
There are optical viewfinders (which only come with DSLR cameras) and electronic viewfinders (which only come with mirrorless cameras).
Therefore, you get an optical viewfinder with the Nikon D850 and an electronic viewfinder with the Sony a9.
These 2 different types of viewfinders do really similar jobs, but in pretty different ways. And if you want to find out what differences exist between an optical viewfinder and an electronic viewfinder, check this video out!
Articulating Screen
Now, you already know that your camera comes with an LCD screen, yeah? Well, if it is an articulating screen, it means that you are able to rotate it to certain angles.
This is for you to be able to get photos from angles that would have seemed difficult, or in fact, impossible.
For example, with an articulating screen, you are able to get awesome overhead and chest-level shots.
Basically, if you need to take shots from angles where it would be too difficult to get your eyes to the viewfinder, then using the articulating becomes your best option.
Touch Screen
So, not only are these cameras’ screens able to rotate, they are also touch sensitive. And this means that they are both touch screen cameras.
A touch screen makes your camera more convenient to use, obviously. With this, you won’t have to waste your time looking for all the right buttons – just touch and go.
Face Detection Focus
This is the one feature that allows you take awesome portrait photographs. And this is simply because it – face detection focus – enables your camera to detect and focus on the human faces in its frame.
So, if you will be doing a lot of portrait photography, any one of these cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – will surely be doing a great job for you.
Microphone Jack
Your camera coming with a microphone jack means that you can connect an external microphone to it and advance the audio quality you get from it.
This is great for when you have to make recordings in environments that are pretty noisy.
Yes, your camera comes with an internal microphone, but with an external mic, you are able to get audio quality that is far better than what your internal microphone would usually offer.
So, well, if you are a journalist, for example, and you would be needing to do a lot of video recordings in public places, then you would love that this feature is present in both these cameras.
Headphone Jack
This is what lets you connect headphones to your camera. With headphones, you have the ability to better control the audio you get from your camera while you record with it.
Being able to do that sort of gives you that DJ feel. You can easily regulate the audio you are getting with ease – gives you better results.
Weather Sealing
If you need to use your camera in harsh weather conditions, this is the feature that would make sure that you won’t be causing danger to it.
If you are a wildlife or sports photographer, you would be really grateful for this sealing. This is because you might need to take photos outdoors in spite of the weather.
But well, with either of these cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – you won’t be needing to bother much, because the sealing on them ensure that the weather won’t be damaging your camera.
Auto Exposure Bracketing
This is a feature that allows you capture one image with your camera and get that one image in a couple different exposure settings.
Why is this important? Well, if you want to take photos in really difficult lighting conditions, the auto exposure bracketing feature would make your shooting convenient.
Instead of having to take many shots, trying to get the best one, this feature, when used, can get you 3 or more different shots. So, you would just have to pick the best one – really convenient.
External Flash Hot Shoe
This is yet another way by which you can take good enough photos in areas where lighting conditions are really impossible.
You can easily mount an external flash on the external flash hot shoe and get great bright images.
This is great for you if you are an events photographer, or if you would be doing a lot of flash photography.
An external flash is really easy to use, so, you will really be grateful for this feature which means you can use one on either of these cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850.
PC Sync Port For Flash
Now, if you want to further enhance the lighting you get from your camera – and consequently, the brightness of your images – then this is good news for you.
If your camera comes with a PC sync port, it means that it supports another type of external flash, which is even more advanced that your regular external flash.
This advanced flash that connects to the PC sync port is not one you can find in every camera.
Therefore, it is surely good news that each of these cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – comes with this feature.
If you do not know how this feature – and the flash that connects to it – works, the video below would be really helpful!
It tells you all you need to know about this feature, how to use it, and the advantages this “advanced flash” offers you over your regular external flash.
It shows you all these, practically, using cameras in the Sony alpha series. Check it out here!
RAW Support
RAW support in your camera ensures that you are able to save your images in their highest quality.
That is, you can either choose to have your photos and videos in their compressed JPEG format, or you could preserve their highest, uncompressed, format – RAW.
Like we have said, RAW gives you the highest quality of your images, and that is sure good news for you as a photographer.
High quality images that carry a lot of details are sure to be really useful for you – especially if you would want to use them on really large scales.
So, if you would, for example, want to use your photos and videos for a documentary, or for a billboard, or for magazines, and other stuff like that, you would need to have high quality images.
And, you know, when you think of high quality images, think of the RAW format.
HDMI Output
With this feature, you are able to connect your camera to a television screen, with the use of an HDMI cord.
This means that you can now view your photos and videos on much larger scales than your camera’s screen.
Wi-Fi & Near Field Communication
These are features that offer you great wireless connectivity, meaning that you can easily connect your camera to nearby devices without having to use cables.
All you would have to do is connect your camera to a Wi-Fi compatible device close by, and you can do an easy and quick transfer of files.
Connecting your camera via Wi-Fi is pretty easy. However, with the near field communication (NFC) technology, it is made even easier.
With that, you can connect your camera to your smart device just by tapping a button on your camera. That is just so awesome.
So, with these cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – no need for cables, and no need for long connection processes; it is all really easy and convenient.
And apart from being able to transfer files more quickly and more easily, these features make it possible for you to use your smart device to do a remote shooting.
That is, you can conduct a photo shoot without even holding your camera, or touching the screen or any button at all.
Just by connecting your smart device to your camera, your smart device can act as your camera screen.
And even if your camera is meters away, you can do everything you would have wanted to do with your camera with the connected device in your hand.
So, if you, for example, are a wildlife photographer, and you want to take photos or record videos of animals in their natural habitat, you might want to do a smartphone remote controlled shoot.
You know, if the animals notice your presence in their habitat, it could lead to many different possibilities, all of which would most likely adversely affect the results you were looking to get.
So, just by setting your camera on, say, a tripod, and stepping a few meters away, you can get all the great photos and videos you desire with your camera and smart device.
Bluetooth
This is yet another option of wireless connectivity that each of these cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – offers you, in addition to Wi-Fi.
You can send files just as quickly with Bluetooth as you can with Wi-Fi. But well, when your battery is low, Bluetooth will surely be your better option.
Bluetooth does not drain your battery as much as Wi-Fi, and so, it can run on very low battery.
And we know there are many devices out there that are Bluetooth enabled, but do not have Wi-Fi.
So, perhaps we can say that, with Bluetooth, you are able to wirelessly connect your camera to even more devices than with just Wi-Fi.
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| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Unique Features
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Features Unique To The Sony a9
Image Stabilization
When you hold your camera in your hand while you take photos, as a human, it is nearly inevitable that the camera will shake a couple of times.
Now, usually, these shakes, though not exactly your fault, would make your photos look weird and generally unprofessional.
These are surely the not the type of effects you would want in your photos, as a photographer.
This is, therefore, why you would be happy with the image stabilization feature. This feature, basically, helps you minimizes the effects of those shakes.
So, your photos won’t be looking so untidy, and thus, more professional now.
Anyway, of these 2 cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – you will only be getting this feature with the Sony a9.
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Features Unique To The Nikon D850
Top Display
The Nikon D850 comes with a small screen at the top of the camera. And this helps you change the settings of your camera more easily.
Note that this screen does not show you photos and videos, what it shows you is the settings of your camera.
Anyway, this feature is unique to the Nikon D850.
Time-Lapse
This is one feature that helps you express your creativity by playing around with time a little.
You can record a video for hours and time-lapse will cut it down to only a few minutes and it won’t be missing any action at all.
You would love this if you are a nature photographer. Recording videos of the sun rising, or animals giving birth, or a plant blooming, might take a couple of hours – because naturally, these processes take really long hours, and in some cases, days or even weeks.
And if we are being honest, nobody wants to sit down for 24 hours to watch a video that shows the motion of the sun.
In such cases, for example, those videos can be better appreciated and enjoyed in time-lapse.
Those really slow and long processes are cut down, and you can express, in few minutes, what took 24 hours to complete. Isn’t that just amazing?
Illuminated Buttons
The buttons of your Nikon D850 lights up. This means that you can always find your camera’s buttons, even if you are shooting in the dark.
Focus Stacking
This is a really amazing feature that helps you get better focusing on your images. Anyway, you’d need to have a little knowledge of how to use Photoshop or Lightroom to properly use this feature.
Well, to tell you all about this feature and how to use it on your Nikon D850, we have attached a video below.
This video tells you all you need to know about focus stacking, how to use it, and the many advantages you get with it. Check it out!
Anyway, if you haven’t already noticed, of these two cameras – Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – you can only get this feature with the Nikon D850.
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Unique Pros
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Unique Pros Of The Sony a9
Image Stabilization
Unlike the Nikon D850, all the lenses of the Sony a9 are stabilized. Therefore, whether your hands shake or not, you surely will be getting stabilized images with the Sony a9.
Better Focusing
This camera offers you 693 focus points, and that is actually pretty impressive. And simply, with more focus points, your camera is able to focus on a lot more at the same time.
To better put this in perspective, the Sony a9 offers you more than 4 times the number of focus points you will be getting with its counterpart – the Nikon D850. Great!
Fast Burst Mode Speed
If you are a sports or wildlife photographer, this is one thing you would be really interested in.
In any of these fields – and some others, of course – you will be needing to take photos of moving people, animals, or objects.
And to get the best shots of anything in motion, you will have to shoot in burst mode.
Shooting in burst mode is basically taking continuous shots just with the click of a button. And, like you must have already guessed, the faster the burst mode speed, the better for you.
This is because, if your camera is really fast, you will be capturing every step and inch of movement of the person or object in motion.
Therefore, with 20 frames per second, you will be getting pretty good continuous shots with the Sony a9.
To make it clearer, 20 frames per second means that your camera will be capturing 20 shots of that moving object or person in every second. Wow!
If you compare the burst mode speed of the Sony a9 vs Nikon D850, you’d see that the burst mode of the Sony a9 is nearly 3 times faster than that of the Nikon D850. Wow!
Lightweight
For a Pro camera, the Sony a9 can be considered pretty lightweight. This camera weighs 1.48 pounds (673 grams), and so, is not very heavy to carry around.
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Unique Pros Of The Nikon D850
Long Lasting Battery
With the battery of the Nikon D850, you can take up to 1840 shots per full charge, and that is just awesome.
This means that, with this camera, you will be able to do photoshoots for longer hours – perhaps even an entire day – without having to change or charge the battery.
This is really great, because nobody likes to use a camera – or any device, really – whose battery does not last for long.
So, if you’d be needing to use your camera for really long hours, you’d be indeed happy with the Nikon D850.
Time-Lapse
You are able to record time-lapse videos with this camera, which is something you won’t be getting with the Sony a9.
Top Display
You are able to view your camera’s settings on a screen at the top of your camera, which is a very convenient option.
Focus Stacking
In this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison article, we have already shown you how this feature works, and the many advantages that it offers you.
We have also shown you how you can use this feature on your Nikon D850. So, if you want to see all of that, you can go back to the video we attached talking about focus stacking.
Illuminated Buttons
The buttons of the Nikon D850 light up, which means that you can see the buttons in the dark. And so, you can conveniently use your camera at any time of the day.
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| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Unique Cons
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Unique Cons Of The Sony a9
Average Battery
The battery of the Sony a9 offers you just 650 shots per full charge, which is average, at best – especially for a camera of this level.
And for a Pro camera, one would have expected the battery to last quite longer. As a matter of fact, with a full charge of the Nikon D850 battery, you can take up to 3 times more shots.
No Time-Lapse
With the Sony a9, you, unfortunately, won’t be able to express your creativity via time-lapse recordings.
No Focus Stacking
With the Sony a9, you won’t be getting any of the many advantages that focus stacking offers you as a photographer.
No Top Display
You also won’t be able to view the settings of the Sony a9 on a screen at the top, because it does not come with any.
No Illuminated Buttons
The buttons of the Sony a9 do not light up, so, it might not be so convenient to use this camera in the dark.
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Unique Cons Of The Nikon D850
No Image Stabilization
If your camera shakes while you are taking photos with it, this camera won’t be able to minimize the effects those shakes might have on your images.
Thus, you have to be extra careful while shooting with your Nikon D850 in hand. But how careful can one really be?
Slow Burst Mode Speed
You get only 7 frames per second with the Nikon D850 on burst mode. This is definitely not what one would expect with a camera of this level.
A lot of people, apparently, were not happy with this – understandably so. If you want to, for example, take a photo of a flying bird, 7 frames per second is not something you would trust to get the most amazing shot.
Few Focus Points
The Nikon D850 has only 153 focus points, which is not so much, especially when compared to the Sony a9.
The latter gives you 540 more focus points, which means you will be getting better focusing with it than with the Nikon D850.
Pretty Heavy
The Nikon D850 might be pretty heavy for people to carry around. This is surely not the camera you want to take with you on vacations and all that.
You know, who really wants to be grappling with a camera that weighs more than a kilograms on a good summer afternoon at the beach?
Comparing the weight of the Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 even better puts this in perspective. The Nikon camera is more than 50% heavier than the Sony a9.
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Common Pros
Sony a9 |
Nikon D850 | |
| Good control of shoot | With a viewfinder, you have better control of your shoot. The Sony a9 is a mirrorless camera, and so, comes with an electronic viewfinder. An electronic viewfinder allows you view a digital image of what your camera’s lens is capturing, and lets you frame your photos, too. You will also be more grateful for this feature when shooting in very sunny areas. This is because, no matter how bright the sun is, since you are shooting with a viewfinder, your shooting won’t be disturbed. | Same as the Sony a9. However, since the Nikon D850 is a DSLR camera, it comes with an optical viewfinder, instead. And unlike the electronic viewfinder, this one shows you the actual image your camera’s lens is capturing. In this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison article, we have already shown you how these two types of viewfinders differ. |
| Good shots from tough angles | Sometimes, you will have to take photos or record videos from really difficult angles. These angles might be so uncomfortable that you won’t be able to get your eyes to the viewfinder. In situations like this, the articulating screen of the Sony a9 becomes really helpful. You can easily just tilt the screen of this camera and shoot more conveniently, even from those tough angles. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Convenience in operation | The Sony a9 is a touch screen camera. This, therefore, means that you will be guaranteed easy access to the camera’s functions. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Good lighting | You can easily mount an external flash on the external flash hot shoe of this camera and get great lighting for your shoot. This is also really good if you are into flash photography. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Advanced lighting | You are able to even further boost the lighting of your camera by attaching another type of external flash using the PC sync port. We have already shown you in this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison article how this flash works, so, you can go back to check the video in the “common features” section, in case you have forgotten. But it really does produce amazing lighting. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Good portrait photographs | This camera comes with face detection focus, therefore, it is sure to give you awesome results when it comes to portrait photos. This camera, because of this feature, can identify the human faces in its frame, and then focus on them. It will also be capturing all the detail in the human faces, and perhaps even blurring the background so that you get all the emphasis on the face. And really, what else makes a portrait photograph great? | Same as the Sony a9. |
| High quality of images | This camera gives you the option of storing your images in RAW – the format which does not compress your images. So, basically, you can choose to shoot and store your images in their highest quality and losing no detail at all. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Great audio quality | The Sony a9 comes with a microphone jack, and this means that you can, with the use of an external microphone, better the audio quality you get from your recordings. This is surely good news for you if you are one who records a lot of audio and video with their camera. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Better audio control | This camera further comes with a headphone jack. And this is yet another good news for those who do a lot of video and audio recordings. With headphones, you can better monitor, regulate, and generally control the sound you are getting while you are recording. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Weather sealing | The Sony a9 is safe to use in tough weather conditions because it has a weather sealing on it. So, you won’t have to disrupt your shoot just because of a change in weather. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Easy transfer of files | This camera offers you 2 different ways by which you can wirelessly connect you camera to nearby devices and do easy and smooth transfers. So, the days of USB cables should be behind you. And with the Wi-Fi, you can connect more quickly to a nearby device using the near field communication (NFC) technology – even easier. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Remote controlled shooting | You can connect your smart device to the Sony a9 and use that device to do a remote controlled shooting. We have already told you in this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison article how useful this feature can be – especially for wildlife photographers. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Additional storage slot | The Sony a9 offers you 2 storage slots which is more than the usual 1 you get with most cameras. This, therefore, means that you will be getting more external storage space than normal, which is surely good news. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Fast transfer of files | This camera supports ultra high speed (UHS) memory cards. And unlike normal memory cards, these memory cards read files in super high speeds, hence allowing super fast transfer of files. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Good photos in tough exposure conditions | Earlier in this Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 comparison article, we talked about the auto exposure bracketing feature. This is the feature that makes shooting in tough lighting conditions really convenient, and also give you awesome results. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| View images on larger screen | You can connect your Sony a9 to a large screen using an HDMI cord. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| Slow motion | The Sony a9 allows you to express your creativity via slow motion videos. | Same as the Sony a9. |
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| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Common Cons
Sony a9 |
Nikon D850 | |
| No in-built flash | The camera’s in-built flash is usually the primary source of lighting. This is usually what gives you bright enough images in areas of low light without even having to connect an external flash. But well, you won’t be getting that with the Sony a9, as this camera does come with an in-built flash. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| No GPS | The Sony a9 does not have an in-built GPS, and therefore, you will not be able to geo-tag your photos and videos taken on this camera. | Same as the Sony a9. |
| No panorama | This is one very interesting way by which photographers express some creativity. This feature stitches a couple of different photos together and makes them into one really lovely panoramic shot. Anyway, you won’t be able to achieve that with this camera – it does not come with that feature. | Same as the Sony a9. |
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – What Do People Think About Both Cameras?
Sony a9 |
Nikon D850 |
| Sports photographers seem to be in love with the Sony a9, and one major reason many of them mentioned is the burst mode speed. Sports photographers do take a lot of photos of people in motion. So, they are so grateful that this camera, with 20 frames per second can get them really great shots at games. In addition to that, they have said the Sony a9 is pretty lightweight, and is so easy for them to carry for the entire duration of the game. Other things that seemed to endear sports photographers to this camera are the high resolution, and the fact that this camera comes with a weather sealing. Therefore, if you are a sports photographer, the Sony a9 should be looking very inviting to you. | A certain customer described the Nikon D850 as almost perfect. He seemed particularly stunned by the image quality of this camera and also said that the touch screen is very responsive. Customers are also excited about the top display which shows the settings, and illuminated buttons which make shooting in the dark really convenient. |
| Furthermore, customers have mentioned that the Sony a9 is pretty easy to use – especially for a Pro camera. The touch screen works really well, and people seem to love the articulating screen. People also love that the buttons of the Sony a9 can be customized to whatever you – the photographer – want. And also, one thing they seem to love is that this camera can conduct an absolutely silent shoot. | The fast autofocus of the Nikon D850 is yet another thing that seemed to make majority of the customers very happy. And people also love the whole idea of focus stacking. |
| Anyway, photographers do not seem very impressed with the position of the return button on the Sony a9. Also, a few people were of the opinion that this camera could have been made a bit more affordable. | One of the major problems photographers appeared to have with this camera is the slow burst mode. Apparently, they expected way more than 7 frames per second on continuous shooting. Also, they did not seem very impressed that the Nikon D850 does not come with image stabilization. Anyway, though, Nikon seemed to make up for all of that with the battery. And you know, 1840 shots per full charge has the ability to do that to any photographer, lol! |
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| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
Sony a9 vs Nikon D850 – Our Take
Sony a9 |
Nikon D850 |
| Sony did a really great job with the a9. You get a fast burst mode speed, image stabilization, smartphone remote control, and more, all in a small and portable package. Who wouldn’t love that? This is an awesome camera for you if you are into sports or wildlife photography, particularly. | This camera is just the camera you want if you are looking to do a lot of creative stuff with your photography. You can make time-lapse videos, slow motion videos, you can do focus stacking, and a whole lot more. |
| However, although the battery of the Sony a9 isn’t exactly horrible, we would have expected that this camera, being a Pro camera, offered a longer lasting battery. Anyway, though, it has to be said that the Sony a9 is a really good mirrorless Pro camera, and we are happy with it. Anyway, if you would like to see how this camera compares with another, check out our Sony a9 vs a7RII comparison article. | Great camera indeed, but your hands might suffer. This camera weighs over a kilogram, so, you might have to be on a really good workout program to use this one, lol! Well, burst mode should have been faster than just 7 frames per second. But in summary, we think Nikon did a great job. |
| Get the Sony a9 here now! | Get the Nikon D850 here now! |
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