The new Sony A9 III is the first camera with a global shutter sensor. It’s technically very exciting, says Andy Westlake, but beware of getting caught up in the hype
If you’ve been following the photographic industry news recently, you’ll surely have heard of the new Sony Alpha A9 III – we published our First Look in last week’s issue. It’s a super-fast camera for sports and action photographers that boasts the world’s first ‘global shutter’ sensor. You can’t move for articles declaring this to be a ‘gamechanger’, or some other such hyperbole.
But is this really the case? For most of us, no, it’s just a very clever (but very expensive) piece of technology. To help understand why this is, we need to go back to the origins of the A9 line.
When Sony introduced the original Alpha A9 in 2017, it rapidly became clear that it was no ordinary camera. Technically, it was the first full-frame mirrorless model to include a stacked CMOS sensor, with an additional memory layer enabling highspeed data readout. In practice, this meant it could shoot full-resolution 24MP raw files silently at 20 frames per second, while tracking focus on a subject anywhere in the frame, and with no viewfinder blackout. It really was a game-changer, making Canon and Nikon’s top-end pro-spec sports DSLRs obsolete at a stroke.
When the A9 II appeared a couple of years later, it concentrated on adding professional workflow productivity and connectivity features, rather than any major spec updates. Then in early 2021, the firm introduced the even higher-spec flagship Alpha 1, which offered 30fps shooting in 50MP raw, and 8K video. At that point, it looked as though the A9 line may have run its course.
As it turns out, the A9 wasn’t dead, but sleeping. Now the latest model has appeared, the Sony Alpha A9 III.
It’s another huge technological leap forward, being the first full-frame mirrorless camera with a global shutter, via a stackedCMOS sensor that can read out every single pixel simultaneously. This brings with it an incredibly impressive spec sheet, and lays down the gauntlet to Sony’s rivals in the run-up to a year packed full of major sporting events in 2024. For pro sports and action photographers, it’s a really big deal. But not, perhaps, for anyone else.
Why does a global shutter matter?
So why does a global shutter matter? In short, on the Sony Alpha A9 III it’s integral to a completely new sensor design, that enables ludicrously fast continuous shooting at 120 frames per second in full resolution 24.6MP raw. This comes complete with
