Sony a9 Noise Test Results and Some Comments

High ISO noise test results and specifications have been added to the Sony a9 page.

I've been using the a9 over the last week and can say with certainty that Sony has made some considerable improvements over the a7R II. While these cameras are not targeting the same uses, there is a lot of overlap in design. What is my favorite a9 improvement so far? The viewfinder blackout reduction makes tracking action possible with the a9's EVF.

How does the Sony a9 compare to the Sony a7R II?

In the Sony a9 and a7R II noise comparison, we see the a9 showing significantly less noise, at least in part capitalizing on its lower resolution. At the same time, we see that the Sony a7R II has modestly higher dynamic range than the a9. That link shows a comparison of images captured at a 3 stop higher exposure setting than the standard results and processed to -3 stops. Notice the a7R II holding the highlight color better in the top-left two monochrome blocks? Also, notice the a7R II's better bright yellow block.

How does the Sony a9 compare to the Canon EOS 1D X Mark II?

In the Canon 1D X Mark II and Sony a9 noise comparison (Canon results showing on top/left), we see the Sony pipeline being used for this testing creating slightly brighter results and the Canon pipeline producing slightly sharper results. Equalize those two attributes and the two cameras deliver similar noise levels. That the a9 has a 4 megapixel advantage over the 1D X II tips the scales in the Sony direction.

In the +3 EV capture, we see that the Sony a9 has a very slightly higher dynamic range than the 1D X II, keeping some color where the 1D X II does not.