24MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS Sensor. The Sony Alpha 9 is the first to sport a 35mm stacked CMOS image sensor with integral memory; its processing circuitry and built-in memory designed nearer the pixels and structured to deliver all data to the off-board processors at an optimized rate. Combined with a BIONZ X Image Processing Engine, this camera can capture fast-moving subjects in continuous 20fps. BIONZ X features a newly developed image processing algorithm to cut image noise, and its fast readout allows 60 AF/AE calculations per second.

Electronic Shutter. A9 cameras use an electronic shutter — not a mechanical one. What this means is the rolling shutter effect you see on mechanical shutter cameras due to up-and-down mirror motion is absent from the Alpha 9. It means blackout-free shooting, no shutter noise, and no EVF display lag. This electronic shutter achieves speeds up to 1/32000 sec. (selectable in only S and M modes).

Insanely Accurate Autofocus. Sony a9 full-frame cameras use a 693-point focal plane phase autofocus system. This means wide-area coverage, fast response, high tracking performance, and low-light AF detection down to EV-331 (at ISO 100). Shooters will appreciate the camera’s enhanced Eye AF that automatically focuses on and tracks focus on a subject’s eye, and the Focus Area Registration function that can memorize a frequently used focus area and recall it via custom button assignments. (It’s worth mentioning that other custom settings can be recalled the same way: shutter speed, aperture, etc.)