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Nikon D4S vs Sony A9 III

The Nikon D4S and the Sony Alpha A9 III are two professional cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in February 2014 and November 2023. The D4S is a DSLR, while the A9 III is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 16.2 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 24 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications
Nikon D4S
versus
Sony A9 III
Nikon D4S   Sony A9 III
Digital single lens reflex Mirrorless system camera
Nikon F mount lenses Sony E mount lenses
16.2 MP – Full Frame sensor 24 MP – Full Frame sensor
1080/60p Video 4K/120p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (50 - 409,600) ISO 250-25,600 (125 - 51,200)
Optical viewfinder Electronic viewfinder (9440k dots)
3.2" LCD – 921k dots 3.2" LCD – 2100k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive) Fully flexible touchscreen
11 shutter flaps per second 120 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization onlyIn-body stabilization
Weathersealed bodyWeathersealed body
3020 shots per battery charge530 shots per battery charge
160 x 157 x 91 mm, 1350 g 136 x 97 x 83 mm, 702 g
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Check A9 III price at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D4S and the Sony Alpha A9 III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

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Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Nikon D4S and the Sony A9 III are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Nikon D4S vs Sony A9 III
Compare D4S versus A9 III top
Comparison D4S or A9 III rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A9 III is considerably smaller (47 percent) than the Nikon D4S. Moreover, the A9 III is substantially lighter (48 percent) than the D4S. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras, which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Nikon Lens Catalog (D4S) and the Sony FE Lens Catalog (A9 III). Mirrorless cameras, such as the A9 III, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.

Concerning battery life, the D4S gets 3020 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL18a battery, while the A9 III can take 530 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FZ100 power pack. As can be seen in the images above, the D4S has a battery grip built in. This facilitates image-taking in portrait orientation and gives it additional battery power. In order to provide similar functionality for the A9 III, Sony provides the VG-C5 vertical grip as an optional accessory (see here on ebay). The power pack in the A9 III can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
  empty Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D4S 160 mm 157 mm 91 mm 1350 g 3020 Y Feb 2014 EUR 6 149ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A9 III 136 mm 97 mm 83 mm 702 g 530 Y Nov 2023 EUR 6 999 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon 1D X 158 mm 168 mm 83 mm 1551 g 1120 Y Oct 2011 EUR 6 299ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D3 160 mm 157 mm 88 mm 1300 g 4300 Y Aug 2007 EUR 4 849ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D3S 160 mm 157 mm 88 mm 1240 g 4200 Y Oct 2009 EUR 4 999ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D3X 160 mm 157 mm 88 mm 1260 g 4400 Y Dec 2008 EUR 6 999ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D4 160 mm 157 mm 91 mm 1340 g 2600 Y Jan 2012 EUR 5 999ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D5 160 mm 159 mm 92 mm 1415 g 3780 Y Jan 2016 EUR 6 989ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D610 141 mm 113 mm 82 mm 850 g 900 Y Oct 2013 EUR 1 949ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D750 141 mm 113 mm 78 mm 750 g 1230 Y Sep 2014 EUR 2 149ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D810 146 mm 123 mm 82 mm 980 g 1200 Y Jun 2014 EUR 3 299ebay.com
12.
 
Nikon Df 144 mm 110 mm 67 mm 760 g 1400 Y Nov 2013 EUR 2 999ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A1 129 mm 97 mm 81 mm 737 g 530 Y Jan 2021 EUR 7 299 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A7 II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 599 g 350 Y Nov 2014 EUR 2 099ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A7 III 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 610 Y Feb 2018 EUR 2 299 amazon.com
16.
 
Sony A9 127 mm 96 mm 63 mm 673 g 650 Y Apr 2017 EUR 5 299ebay.com
17.
 
Sony A9 II 129 mm 96 mm 76 mm 678 g 690 Y Oct 2019 EUR 5 399 amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The A9 III was somewhat cheaper (by 8 percent) than the D4S at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A9 III is 2 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Nikon D4S and Sony A9 III sensor measures

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the A9 III offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 16.2 MP of the D4S. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 7.29μm for the D4S). However, it should be noted that the A9 III is much more recent (by 9 years and 8 months) than the D4S, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A9 III implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A9 III for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon D4S are 24.6 x 16.4 inches or 62.6 x 41.7 cm for good quality, 19.7 x 13.1 inches or 50.1 x 33.3 cm for very good quality, and 16.4 x 10.9 inches or 41.7 x 27.8 cm for excellent quality prints.

The A9 III has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Nikon D4S has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 50-409600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A9 III are ISO 250 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 125-51200.

In terms of underlying technology, the D4S is build around a CMOS sensor, while the A9 III uses a Stacked CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

D4S versus A9 III MP

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

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Sensor Characteristics
  empty Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Nikon D4S Full Frame 16.2 4928 32801080/60p24.413.3307489
2.
 
Sony A9 III Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/120p25.414.7324396
3.
 
Canon 1D X Full Frame 17.9 5184 34561080/30p23.811.8278682
4.
 
Nikon D3 Full Frame 12.1 4256 2832none23.512.2229081
5.
 
Nikon D3S Full Frame 12.1 4256 2832720/24p23.512.0325382
6.
 
Nikon D3X Full Frame 24.4 6048 4032none24.713.7199288
7.
 
Nikon D4 Full Frame 16.2 4928 32801080/30p24.713.1296589
8.
 
Nikon D5 Full Frame 20.7 5588 37124K/30p25.112.3234388
9.
 
Nikon D610 Full Frame 24.2 6016 40161080/30p25.114.4292594
10.
 
Nikon D750 Full Frame 24.2 6016 40161080/60p24.814.5295693
11.
 
Nikon D810 Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/60p25.714.8285397
12.
 
Nikon Df Full Frame 16.2 4928 3280none24.613.1327989
13.
 
Sony A1 Full Frame 49.8 8640 57608k/30p25.914.5316398
14.
 
Sony A7 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.913.6244990
15.
 
Sony A7 III Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7373096
16.
 
Sony A9 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.913.3351792
17.
 
Sony A9 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.0343493
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the A9 III provides a better video resolution than the D4S. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/120p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/60p.

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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A9 III has an electronic viewfinder (9440k dots), while the D4S has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the A9 III has a higher magnification than the one of the D4S (0.9x vs 0.70x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Nikon D4S and Sony A9 III along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
  empty Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Nikon D4Soptical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 11.0/s n n
2.
 
Sony A9 III9440 n3.2 / 2100 full-flex Y 1/80000s 120.0/s n Y
3.
 
Canon 1D Xoptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 14.0/s n n
4.
 
Nikon D3optical Y3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/8000s 11.0/s n n
5.
 
Nikon D3Soptical Y3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 11.0/s n n
6.
 
Nikon D3Xoptical Y3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
7.
 
Nikon D4optical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 11.0/s n n
8.
 
Nikon D5optical Y3.2 / 2359 fixed Y 1/8000s 14.0/s n n
9.
 
Nikon D610optical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
10.
 
Nikon D750optical Y3.2 / 1229 tilting n 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
11.
 
Nikon D810optical Y3.2 / 1229 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s Y n
12.
 
Nikon Dfoptical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 5.5/s n n
13.
 
Sony A19437 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
14.
 
Sony A7 II2400 n3.0 / 1230 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
15.
 
Sony A7 III2359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
16.
 
Sony A93686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
17.
 
Sony A9 II3686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the D4S, but is missing on the A9 III is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The A9 III has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the D4S does not have a selfie-screen.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the A9 III is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Nikon D4S and the Sony A9 III both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The D4S writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or XQD cards, while the A9 III uses CFexpress (type A) or SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

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Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D4S and Sony Alpha A9 III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
  empty Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Nikon D4SYmono / monoYYmini2.0---
2.
 
Sony A9 IIIYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
3.
 
Canon 1D XYmono / -Y-mini2.0---
4.
 
Nikon D3Y- / ---mini2.0---
5.
 
Nikon D3SYstereo / ---mini2.0---
6.
 
Nikon D3XY- / ---mini2.0---
7.
 
Nikon D4Ymono / monoYYmicro2.0---
8.
 
Nikon D5Ystereo / monoYYmini3.0---
9.
 
Nikon D610Ymono / monoYYmini2.0---
10.
 
Nikon D750Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0Y--
11.
 
Nikon D810Ystereo / monoYYmini3.0Y--
12.
 
Nikon DfY- / ---mini2.0---
13.
 
Sony A1Ystereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
14.
 
Sony A7 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
15.
 
Sony A7 IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
16.
 
Sony A9Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YYY
17.
 
Sony A9 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY

It is notable that the A9 III offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the D4S does not provide wifi capability.

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

The A9 III is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Sony. In contrast, the D4S has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the D4S was succeeded by the Nikon D5. Further information on the features and operation of the D4S and A9 III can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D4S Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A9 III Manual.

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Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Nikon D4S better than the Sony A9 III or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

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Advantages of the Nikon D4S:

  • Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
  • Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
  • More portrait friendly: Features an integrated vertical grip for easier portrait shooting.
  • Longer lasting: Can take more shots (3020 versus 530) on a single battery charge.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2014).

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Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A9 III:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 16.2MP), which boosts linear resolution by 22%.
  • Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/120p vs 1080/60p).
  • Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
  • More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.9x vs 0.70x).
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2100k vs 921k dots).
  • More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/80000s vs 1/8000s) to freeze action.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (120 vs 11 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
  • More compact: Is smaller (136x97mm vs 160x157mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
  • Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 648g or 48 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
  • Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
  • Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
  • More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
  • Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
  • Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
  • Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
  • More modern: Reflects 9 years and 8 months of technical progress since the D4S launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A9 III is the clear winner of the contest (22 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

D4S 05:22 A9 III

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D4S and the Sony A9 III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the D4S or the A9 III. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

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Expert Camera Reviews
  empty  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D4S5/5......4.5/54.5/5 Feb 2014 EUR 6 149ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A9 III4.5/5.......... Nov 2023 EUR 6 999 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon 1D X5/5......4.5/54.5/5 Oct 2011 EUR 6 299ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D3......+ +5/54.5/5 Aug 2007 EUR 4 849ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D3S5/5....89/1004.5/55/5 Oct 2009 EUR 4 999ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D3X......86/1004/55/5 Dec 2008 EUR 6 999ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D4........4.5/54.5/5 Jan 2012 EUR 5 999ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D5....4/589/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2016 EUR 6 989ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D6104/5+ +..87/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2013 EUR 1 949ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D7505/5+ +4/590/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2014 EUR 2 149ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D8105/5..5/586/1005/54.5/5 Jun 2014 EUR 3 299ebay.com
12.
 
Nikon Df4/5....81/1004/54/5 Nov 2013 EUR 2 999ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A15/5o4.5/593/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2021 EUR 7 299 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A7 II5/5+4/582/1004.5/55/5 Nov 2014 EUR 2 099ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A7 III..+ +4.5/589/1005/55/5 Feb 2018 EUR 2 299 amazon.com
16.
 
Sony A95/5+ +4.8/589/1005/55/5 Apr 2017 EUR 5 299ebay.com
17.
 
Sony A9 II....5/590/1005/55/5 Oct 2019 EUR 5 399 amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Check D4S offers at
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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications: Nikon D4S vs Sony A9 III

    Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Nikon D4S Sony A9 III
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Nikon F mount lenses Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date February 2014 November 2023
    Launch Price USD 6,499 USD 5,999
    Sensor Specs Nikon D4S Sony A9 III
    Sensor Technology CMOS Stacked CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 36.0 x 23.9 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm
    Sensor Area 860.4 mm2 847.28 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.2 mm 42.8 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 16.2 Megapixels 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4928 x 3280 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 7.29 μm 5.94 μm
    Pixel Density 1.88 MP/cm2 2.83 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60p Video 4K/120p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 25,600 ISO 250 - 25,600 ISO
    ISO Boost 50 - 409,600 ISO 125 - 51,200 ISO
    Image Processor EXPEED 4 Dual BIONZ XR
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 89 ..
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 24.4 ..
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 13.3 ..
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 3074 ..
    Screen Specs Nikon D4S Sony A9 III
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100% 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.70x 0.9x
    Viewfinder Resolution 9440k dots
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View Live View
    Rear LCD Size 3.2inch 3.2inch
    LCD Resolution 921k dots 2100k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen Fully flexible screen
    Touch Input no Touchscreen Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs Nikon D4S Sony A9 III
    Focus System Phase-detect AF On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking FeatureFocus Peaking
    Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) 1/8000s 1/80000s
    Continuous Shooting 11 shutter flaps/s 120 shutter flaps/s
    Electronic Shutterno E-Shutterup to 1/80000s
    Time-Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer built-inIntervalometer built-in
    Image StabilizationLens stabilization onlyIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium CF or XQD cards CFexA or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots Dual card slots
    Connectivity Specs Nikon D4S Sony A9 III
    External Flash Hotshoe Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 3.2
    HDMI Port mini HDMI full HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port Headphone port
    Wifi Support no Wifi Wifi built-in
    Bluetooth Support no Bluetooth Bluetooth built-in
    Body Specs Nikon D4S Sony A9 III
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed bodyWeathersealed body
    Battery Type Nikon EN-EL18a Sony NP-FZ100
    Battery Life (CIPA)3020 shots per charge530 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging no USB charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 160 x 157 x 91 mm
    (6.3 x 6.2 x 3.6 in)
    136 x 97 x 83 mm
    (5.4 x 3.8 x 3.3 in)
    Camera Weight 1350 g (47.6 oz) 702 g (24.8 oz)
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