Sony a9 vs Canon EOS Ra
This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 and Canon EOS Ra. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.
Manufacturing
Sony a9 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS Ra is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.
Sony a9 were released 2017 and Canon EOS Ra was released 2018. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.Camera | Released |
Sony a9 | 2017 |
Canon EOS Ra | 2018 |
Type of camera
Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.
Sensors / crop factor
Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.
Camera | Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 ** |
Sony a9 | 50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier |
Canon EOS Ra | 50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier |
** 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
Sony a9 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS Ra has 30 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:
Camera | Megapixels |
Sony a9 |
24 MP
24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000 |
Canon EOS Ra |
30 MP
30105600 pixels 6720 x 4480 |
Canon EOS Ra has a 25 % larger resolution than Sony a9. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.
ISO range
Sony a9 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS Ra. Sony a9 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Canon EOS Ra has 100 to 40000.
Camera | ISO Range |
Sony a9 | 100-51200 |
Canon EOS Ra | 100-40000 |
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.
Worth mentioning is that Canon EOS Ra belongs to the Canon EOS R-system and needs an adapter to work with Canons EF, EF-S, MP-E, and TS-E lenses. You can read more about this adapter here:
Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a9
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS Ra
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 Ra can shoot up to 8 pictures per seconds.
Camera | FPS (Frames per second) |
Sony a9 | 20 |
Canon EOS Ra | 8 |
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 Ra 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 2% heavier than Canon EOS Ra and its 660 gr (or 1.46 lb).
Camera | Weight |
Sony a9 | 673 gr 1.48 lb |
Canon EOS Ra | 660 gr 1.46 lb |
Sony a9 vs Canon EOS Ra Specs
Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 and Canon EOS Ra, 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 Ra |
Name | Sony a9 | Canon EOS Ra |
Manufacturer | Sony | Canon |
Release Date and Price |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
Release Year | 2017 | 2018 |
Release Date | 2017-04-19 | 2018-11-05 |
MSRP | 4499 USD | 2499 USD |
Buy it today | ||
Camera Type |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
Camera Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
Sensor |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
Sensor Size | Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) | Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) |
Sensor Type | Stacked CMOS | CMOS |
Resolution | 6000 x 4000 pixels | 6720 x 4480 pixels |
Megapixels | 24 MP | 30 MP |
Image Processor | Bionz X | DIGIC 8 |
Image |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
ISO Range | 100 - 51200 | 100 - 40000 |
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 Ra |
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 | 5655 |
Lens Mount |
Sony E See Compatible Lenses |
Canon RF 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 |
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 |
Screen & Viewfinder |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
Articulated LCD | Tilting | Fully articulated |
Screen size | 3” | 3.2” |
Screen dots | 1440000 | 2100000 |
Touch screen | Yes | Yes |
Screen type | TFT LCD | TFT LCD |
Live view | Yes | Yes |
Viewfinder Type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.78x | 0.76× |
Viewfinder Resolution | 3686400 | 3690000 |
Photography features |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
Frames per second | 20 fps | 8 fps |
Minimum Shutter Speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Built-in Flash | No | No |
Built-in Flash Range | N/A | N/A |
External Flash | Yes | Yes |
Self-Timer | Yes | Yes |
Time-lapse | No | No |
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 Ra |
Video recording | Yes | Yes |
Video format |
MPEG4 H.264 AVCHD |
MPEG4 H.264 |
Video resolution |
1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160 |
1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160 |
Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Speakers | Yes | Yes |
Storage |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
Memory Card |
SD/SDHC |
SD/SDHC |
Connectivity |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
HDMI Output | Yes | Yes |
Microphone Port | Yes | Yes |
Headphone Port | Yes | Yes |
Wireless |
Yes Built-in (802.11/b/g/n with NFC) |
Yes Built-in (802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.1 LE) |
Remote Control | Yes (Wired or wireless) | Yes (via smartphone) |
GPS | No | No |
Body & Dimensions |
Sony a9 |
Canon EOS Ra |
Enviromentally sealed | Yes | Yes |
Battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery Details |
NP-FZ100
|
LP-E6N lithium-ion battery & charger
|
Battery Life (CIPA) | 650 shots | 370 shots |
Width | 127 mm | 136 mm |
Height | 96 mm | 98 mm |
Depth | 63 mm | 84 mm |
Weight | 673 gram | 660 gram |