Comparative specifications of the Nikon Z9 vs Sony Alpha 1 (A1) and Canon EOS R3

Nikon announced with great fanfare the Z9, its sporty hybrid camera. A great opportunity to compare the characteristics of the newcomer with those of its direct competitors, which are the Sony Alpha 1 (A1) and the Canon EOS R3.

After years of waiting, the three big photo manufacturers finally each have a very high-end camera. The Nikon z9, Sony Alpha (A1) and Canon EOS R3 are the perfect boxes for sports or animals, but not only. They are also very good video cameras. All-round flagships, but not always equivalent in terms of specifications. Through a (not so) small table, we invite you to take a look at the main characteristics of the devices. An overview of the capabilities of each before our tests of the EOS R3 and of course the Z9.

Nikon z9

Characteristics	Nikon z9	Sony Alpha 1	Canon EOS R3
Sensor definition	45.7 MP	50.1 MP	24.1 MP
Mechanical stabilization	Yes	Yes	Yes
ISO sensitivity (extended)	32 – 102,400	50 – 102,400	50 – 204,800
Shutter speed	30s – 1 / 32000s	30s – 1 / 32000s	30s – 1 / 64000s
Burst mechanical shutter	/	10 fps	12 fps
Burst electronic shutter	20 fps	30 fps	30 fps
Max burst buffer memory	1000 images	155 images	150 images
Video definition max.	8K UHD 30 fps	8K UHD 30 fps	6K DCI 60 fps
Video crop	No	No	No
29 min recording limit	No	No	No
AF tracking	Human, animals, vehicles	Human, animals	Human, animals, vehicles
Selectable AF points	493	759	1053
Viewfinder definition	3.69 Mpts	9.44 Mpts	5.76 Mpts
Viewfinder magnification	0.80x	0.90x	0.76x
Screen on ball joint	No	No	Yes
Screen definition	2.1 Mpts	1.44 Mpts	4.15 Mpts
Diagonal screen	8 cm	7.5cm	8 cm
Dimensions (WxHxD)	149 × 149.5 × 90.5 mm	128.9 x 96.9 x 80.8 mm	150 × 142.6 × 87.2mm
Weight	1340 g	737 g	1015 g
Tropicalization	Yes	Yes	Yes
Memory card	2x CFexpress Type B / XQD	2x CFexpress type A / SD	CFexpress type B + SD
Autonomy (CIPA standard)	700	430	620
USB-C charging	Yes	Yes	No
Headphone socket	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microphone socket	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wifi and bluetooth	Yes	Yes	Yes
Starting price	€ 5,999	€ 7,299	€ 5,999

On paper, a lot of strengths, few weaknesses

As you can see, all three devices offer very high specs. Without extensive testing, that doesn’t mean much, but there are several points that can be observed. For example, the A1 and Z9 offer a much more defined sensor than the EOS R3, but this one makes up for it with a more extended sensitivity and a faster exposure time. The burst of the A1 and R3 reaches 30 fps, but the buffer of the Z9 is larger. And we could go on like this for a long time.

On paper, there are no bad devices, and the few limitations are hardly crippling. However, that will not prevent us from carefully sifting through all the functions of the Nikon Z9 and the EOS R3 to see if one of these two devices could snatch the title of champion from the Sony Alpha (1).

On paper, a lot of strengths, few weaknesses

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