Sony a9 vs Nikon D500

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 and Nikon D500. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a9 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D500 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a9 were released 2017 and Nikon D500 was released 2016. 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
Nikon D500 2016

Type of camera

Sony a9 is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D500 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 Nikon D500 has a "Nikon DX"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a9 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D500 75 mm
Nikon DX sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** 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 (Nikon)

Resolution

Sony a9 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D500 has 21 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
Nikon D500 21 MP
20668416 pixels
5568 x 3712

Sony a9 has a 16 % larger resolution than Nikon D500. 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

Both of these cameras offer the exact same ISO range. They both have 100 to 51200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a9 100-51200
Nikon D500 100-51200

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 Nikon D500

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 Nikon D500 can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a9 20
Nikon D500 10

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a9 and Nikon D500 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.

Nikon D500 weighs 860 gr (equal to 1.9 lb) which is 28% heavier than Sony a9 and its 673 gr (or 1.48 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a9 673 gr
1.48 lb
Nikon D500 860 gr
1.9 lb

Sony a9 vs Nikon D500 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 and Nikon D500, 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
Nikon D500
Name Sony a9 Nikon D500
Manufacturer Sony Nikon
Release Date and Price
Sony a9
Nikon D500
Release Year 2017 2016
Release Date 2017-04-19 2016-01-05
MSRP 4499 USD 1999 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a9
Nikon D500
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a9
Nikon D500
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.7 x 15.5 mm)
Also known as "DX"
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS CMOS
Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 5568 x 3712 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 21 MP
Image Processor Bionz X EXPEED 5
Image
Sony a9
Nikon D500
ISO Range 100 - 51200 100 - 51200
White Balance Presets 10 12
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 + TIFF
Optics & Focus
Sony a9
Nikon D500
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
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 693 153
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Nikon F

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
DX / APS-C (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a9
Nikon D500
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 3.2”
Screen dots 1440000 2359000
Touch screen Yes Yes
Screen type TFT LCD TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 1× (0.67× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 0
Photography features
Sony a9
Nikon D500
Frames per second 20 fps 10 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 Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a9
Nikon D500
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
Nikon D500
Memory Card SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
XQD
Connectivity
Sony a9
Nikon D500
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 (Wi-Fi with low energy Bluetooth)
Remote Control Yes (Wired or wireless) Yes (Optional, wired or wireless)
GPS No Yes
Optional with GP-1
Body & Dimensions
Sony a9
Nikon D500
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100
Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 650 shots 1240 shots
Width 127 mm 147 mm
Height 96 mm 115 mm
Depth 63 mm 81 mm
Weight 673 gram 860 gram