Tale of the Tape: Sony a9 -vs- Canon 1DX II -vs- Nikon D5

Sony-a9-Canon-1D-X-II-Nikon-D5

How does Sony’s new flagship a9 mirrorless camera compare with its Canon 1DX II and Nikon D5 flagship DSLR rivals? Here’s a look at their specs:

Sony a9 Mirrorless Camera ($4,499 Body Only)

Sony a9Price: $4,499 (Body Only)
Lens Mount: Sony E
Camera Format: Full-Frame (1.0x Crop Factor)
Pixels Effective: 24.2 Megapixel
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000
Autofocus Points: 693 Phase Detection (93% coverage)
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100-51,200 (Extended: 50-204,800)
Speed: 30 – 1/32,000 Second, Bulb Mode
Metering Range: EV -3.0 – EV 20 (ISO 100)
Dimensions (WxHxD): 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.5″
Weight: 1.48 lb / 673 g with battery and memory card
Continuous Shooting: up to 20 fps at 24.2 MP for up to 241 frames in raw format
Battery: 1 x NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack, 7.2 V, 2280 mAh battery
Sensor Size and Type: 36 x 24 mm CMOS
Memory Card Type: Dual SD Card Slots
Wi-Fi Capable: Yes (Built-in)
3.0″ 1.44m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD Monitor
4K UHD Video Recording at 24/30 fps
1000 Base-T Gigabit Wired LAN Support
IBIS Image Stabilization: YES

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR Camera ($5,999 Body Only)

canon-1dx-iiPrice: $5,999 (Body Only)
Lens Mount: Canon EF
Camera Format: Full-Frame (1.0x Crop Factor)
Pixels Effective: 20.2 Megapixel
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648
Autofocus Points: 61 Phase Detection (41 Cross-Type)
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100-51,200 (Extended: 50-409,600)
Speed: 30 – 1/8000 Second, Bulb Mode
Metering Range: EV 0.0 – EV 20.0
Dimensions (WxHxD): 6.2 x 6.6 x 3.3″
Weight: 3.37 lb / 1530 g with battery and memory card
Continuous Shooting: up to 14 fps at 20.2 MP for up to 170 frames in raw format
Battery: 1 x LP-E19 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack, 11.1 VDC, 2750 mAh
Sensor Size and Type: 36 x 24 mm CMOS
Memory Card Type: CFast CompactFlash
Wi-Fi Capable: Yes (with Optional Transmitter)
3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
DCI 4K Video at 60 fps
1000 Base-T Gigabit Wired LAN Support
IBIS Image Stabilization: NO

Nikon D5 DSLR Camera ($6,496.95 Body Only)

nikon-d5Price: $6,496.95 (Body Only)
Lens Mount: Nikon F
Camera Format: Full-Frame (1.0x Crop Factor)
Pixels Effective: 20.8 Megapixel
Max Resolution 5568 x 3712
Autofocus Points: 153 Phase Detection (99 Cross-Type)
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100-102400 (Extended: 50-3280000)
Speed: 30 – 1/8000 Second
Metering Range: EV -4.0 – EV 20.0
Dimensions (WxHxD): 6.3 x 6.2 x 3.6″
Weight: 3.11 lb / 1415 g with battery and memory cards
Continuous Shooting: Up to 12 fps at 20.8 MP for up to 200 frames in raw format
Battery: 1 x EN-EL18a Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack, 10.8 VDC, 2500 mAh
Sensor Size and Type: 35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS
Memory Card Type: CompactFlash or XQD
Wi-Fi Capable: Yes (with Optional Transmitter)
3.2″ 2.36m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
4K UHD Video Recording at 30 fps
1000 Base-T Gigabit Wired LAN Support
IBIS Image Stabilization: NO

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15 thoughts on “Tale of the Tape: Sony a9 -vs- Canon 1DX II -vs- Nikon D5”

  1. Brian – can you confirm that the a9 shoots 4k UHD 60fps? There didn’t seem to be much mention of it at launch and B&H has 30fps listed for 4k

  2. Pingback: First Look: Sony a9 & FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens

  3. Pretty much the camera I’ve been waiting for Sony to produce. Will be on my to-buy list when I return to the USA in the summer. It’s funny when they engineer something I never thought of, which I now see I cannot live without. I’m my case it’s that knob on the top left of the body. I’ve had a thousand occasions where that would have been handy. Anyhow, Brian, here’s a dumb question: what’s the reason for the Ethernet connection? What would I use that for?

    1. If you watch the video of today’s a9 camera launch, Rick Wilking explains how wire services, photo agencies and many newspapers edit remotely in real-time over an Ethernet LAN connection.

  4. no S-LOG@ or S-LOG3 really? Do you know why that would be removed?

    A6300 and A6500 actually made this useful even for amateurs.

  5. Sony really dropped a mega bomb! Cano better bring something good very very soon or they will get hurt fast!!!! The Sony camera marks a new era of photography!

  6. Are apps from playmemories removed too?

    I did not see them in some videos showing the menu.

    The camera is really impressive. 24MP and ultra fast.

  7. Walden Barney

    Brian, do you know by chance, when you buy one of things, what comes included with the camera, in the box? I’m looking on B&H and Amazon, etc., and don’t see anything that appears to be a description of what’s in the box (just assessing what will be included for the sake of knowing what additional items will need to be purchased in order to be basically functional). Thanks!

    1. I have not seen that listed either and since pre-production cameras don’t come packaged in a box, I’m not 100% certain.

      Assuming you’re asking about Sony a9, here’s what I know you’ll get:

    2. Sony a9 Camera Body
    3. Sony ALC-B1EM Body Cap
    4. Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
    5. Camera Strap
    6. USB Charging/Tether Cable

      There may be more than that – but I know those will be included. The two things required to make if functional are a lens and a SD memory card.

      Here’s a list of native lenses for Sony a9. As for SD memory cards, I highly recommend Sony SF-G cards with 299MB/s Write Speed & 300MB/s Read Speed perfect for 20 FPS burst shooting.

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