Sony a9 vs Canon EOS 850D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 and Canon EOS 850D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a9 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 850D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Type of camera

Sony a9 is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 850D is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a9 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 850D has a "Canon APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a9 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 850D has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

ISO range

Sony a9 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 850D. Sony a9 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Canon EOS 850D has 100 to 25600.

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a9
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 850D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a9 can shoot up to 20 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 850D can shoot up to 7,5 pictures per seconds.

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a9 and Canon EOS 850D can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a9 weighs 673 gr (equal to 1.48 lb) which is 31% heavier than Canon EOS 850D and its 515 gr (or 1.14 lb).

Sony a9 vs Canon EOS 850D Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 and Canon EOS 850D, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Name	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Manufacturer	Sony	Canon
Release Date and Price	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Release Year	2017	2020
Release Date	2017-04-19	2020-02-12
MSRP	4499 USD	749 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Camera Type	Mirrorless	DSLR
Sensor	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Sensor Size	Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)	APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type	Stacked CMOS	CMOS
Resolution	6000 x 4000 pixels	6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels	24 MP	24 MP
Image Processor	Bionz X	DIGIC 8
Image	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
ISO Range	100 - 51200	100 - 25600
White Balance Presets	10	6
Custom White Balance	Yes	Yes
Image Stabilization	Yes (Sensor-Shift (5-axis))	No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating	0 stops	0 stops
Uncompressed format	RAW	RAW
Optics & Focus	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Autofocus Motor	Yes	Yes
Autofocus	Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection LiveView	Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection LiveView
Focus Points	693	45
Lens Mount	Sony E See Compatible Lenses	Canon EF Canon EF-S See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier	Full frame No multiplier Example: 24 mm remains 24 mm 50 mm remains 50 mm 100 mm remains 100 mm 200 mm remains 200 mm	APS-C Sensor 1.6x multiplier Example: 24 mm becomes 38 mm 50 mm becomes 80 mm 100 mm becomes 160 mm 200 mm becomes 320 mm
Screen & Viewfinder	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Articulated LCD	Tilting	Fully articulated
Screen size	3”	3”
Screen dots	1440000	1040000
Touch screen	Yes	Yes
Screen type	TFT LCD	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Electronic	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	95%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.78x	0.82× (0.51× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution	3686400	0
Photography features	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Frames per second	20 fps	7,5 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed	30 seconds	30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed	1/8000 seconds	1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash	No	Yes
Built-in Flash Range	N/A	4 meters
External Flash	Yes	Yes
Self-Timer	Yes	Yes
Time-lapse	No	Yes
Metering modes	Multi Center Weighted Highlight Weighted Spot Average	Multi Center Weighted Spot Partial
Exposure Compensation	+/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Video recording	Yes	Yes
Video format	MPEG4 H.264 AVCHD	MPEG4 H.264
Video resolution	1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160	1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Built-in Microphone	Yes	Yes
Built-in Speakers	Yes	Yes
Storage	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Memory Card	SD/SDHC	SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
HDMI Output	Yes	Yes
Microphone Port	Yes	Yes
Headphone Port	Yes	No
Wireless	Yes Built-in (802.11/b/g/n with NFC)	Yes Built-in (802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth)
Remote Control	Yes (Wired or wireless)	Yes (via wireless remote or smartphone)
GPS	No	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a9	Canon EOS 850D
Enviromentally sealed	Yes	No
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	NP-FZ100	LP-E17 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	650 shots	800 shots
Width	127 mm	131 mm
Height	96 mm	103 mm
Depth	63 mm	76 mm
Weight	673 gram	515 gram