Sony A9 vs Sony RX100 VA

Its time to look closer at the Sony A9 and Sony RX100 VA, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both offered by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A9 (24MP) and the RX100 VA (20MP) is fairly close but the A9 (Full frame) and RX100 VA (1") provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The A9 was unveiled 15 months prior to the RX100 VA making them a generation away from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short introduction of how the A9 scores vs the RX100 VA with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha A9 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The full galleries are provided at Sony A9 Gallery and Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Sony A9 offers physical dimensions of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") with a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs) while the Sony RX100 VA has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Analyze the Sony A9 and Sony RX100 VA in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the A9 and the RX100 VA.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the A9 and RX100 VA is 65 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions merely by viewing specifications. The picture underneath will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A9 and RX100 VA.

Plainly, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The A9 with its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Sony A9 will render more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged A9 will be behind in sensor technology.