GEAR
NIKONZ 9 VS SONY A1
“For speed junkies, the Sony shoots 240fps inHD, which is fruitful for incredible 10x slowmotion and great for special effects”
you used compressed Raw files. For better-quality Raw, it’s 20fps. The Nikon claims 30fps, but this is only for JPEGs. So, there’s little difference, but a very small win for the Sony. However, in terms of the actual files, the Nikon’s have more pleasing colours – yet the Sony has less noise at higher ISO and slightly more resolution. The truth is, both cameras are brilliant and deliver stunning stills. For video spec, each offers 8K at up to 30p, but a firmware update promises to hike that to 60p in the Nikon. It also offers ProRes HQ internally, as well as a range of 8-bit and 10-bit codecs that match up to the Sony; ProRes Raw and full Raw are promised for the Z 9 in the future. Both cameras come with 4K/120p in 10-bit 4:2:2 with audio recording, and this saw a lot of work in action shooting. For speed junkies, the Sony shoots 240fps in HD, which is
TEARAWAYS Both cameras shoot 20fps Raw files with incredible AF, to capture every bit of the action
SONY A1
Sony. Type Bs are available in larger sizes, too, while Type A currently only goes up to 160GB. But those slots also accept SDs, so you can use fast V90-class cards that are much cheaper than CFexpress – and available in larger sizes, although certain frame rates are limited. For lens choice, there’s plenty of E-mount options for the Sony, but far fewer Z mount native optics – although you can make use of F mount with an adapter. Once again, there are pros and cons either way you go. Where the Sony certainly wins is with filmmaking accessories, like the digital audio system and multi-interface shoe, which powers other additions like wireless set-ups and monitors. And, of course, there are far more LUTs and plug-ins for Sony than Nikon. These factors all need to be taken into consideration when choosing your preferred camera system.
manage. For video quality, again we found the Nikon had more pleasing colours, but the Sony delivered better high-ISO performance. And currently, S-Log is easier to work with than N-Log. Advanced AF promises a lot, but we found the Sony hybrid system, with 759 phase detection and 425 contrast detection points, was more dependable than the 493-point hybrid Nikon – especially when light levels fell. So, advantage Sony. But Nikon’s image stabilisation definitely proved better. The Sony viewfinder is larger and higher-resolution, with a faster refresh rate, but the Nikon is brighter. Meanwhile, the Z 9 screen is bigger, with a greater pixel count, and can be angled to more positions than the tilt-only A1. In terms of storage, the Nikon is blessed with a pair of CFexpress B or XQD cards, twice as fast as the dual CFexpress Type A cards in the
SIZE MATTERS For handheld shooting, the bigger Nikon is more comfortable – but the more compact Sony is ideal on a gimbal
fruitful for incredible 10x slowmotion and great for special effects. That’s twice as fast as the Nikon can
THE VERDICT The Nikon Z 9 and Sony A1 are so similar in spec and performance, other factors will probably sway your decision. If you have a bagful of Sony lenses, there’s very little need to sell the lot, only to go down the Nikon route. Similarly, the A1’s charms are not significantly better than the Z 9 to tempt Nikon users. A Nikon Z 9 body with a pair of Angelbird 160GB CFexpress cards is £5653/$5857. To get a Sony A1 to the same spec, the price for the body, vertical grip, second battery and a pair of Sony 160GB cards is £7762/$7772. Manage without the grip and second battery, and it’s £464/$476 less, while replacing CFexpress Type A cards with SD could save around £600/$600 – but you won’t get access to all the codecs. It’s still a cool grand more. In our tests, the Z 9 was nicer ergonomically, with longer lenses on a monopod. But with these file sizes and real-world codecs, the A1 had lower-noise images in stills and video, and a greater hit rate for AF, while the Nikon had marginally nicer colours. Nobody would be disappointed with either, as they’re cutting-edge technology.
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