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Nikon P900 vs Sony A9

The Nikon Coolpix P900 and the Sony Alpha A9 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in March 2015 and April 2017. The P900 is a fixed lens compact, while the A9 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (P900) and a full frame (A9) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 15.9 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 P900
versus
Sony A9
Nikon P900   Sony A9
Fixed lens compact camera Mirrorless system camera
24-2000mm f/2.8-6.5 Sony E mount lenses
15.9 MP – 1/2.3" sensor 24 MP – Full Frame sensor
1080/60p Video 4K/30p Video
ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800) ISO 100-51,200 (50 - 204,800)
Electronic viewfinder (921k dots) Electronic viewfinder (3686k dots)
3.0" LCD – 921k dots 3.0" LCD – 1440k dots
Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive) Tilting touchscreen
7 shutter flaps per second 20 shutter flaps per second
Lens-based stabilizationIn-body stabilization
not weather sealedWeathersealed body
360 shots per battery charge650 shots per battery charge
140 x 103 x 137 mm, 899 g 127 x 96 x 63 mm, 673 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Coolpix P900 and the Sony Alpha A9? 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

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Nikon P900 and the Sony A9 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Nikon P900 vs Sony A9
Compare P900 versus A9 top
Comparison P900 or A9 rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A9 is notably smaller (15 percent) than the Nikon P900. It is noteworthy in this context that the A9 is splash and dust-proof, while the P900 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the P900 has a lens built in, whereas the A9 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the A9 and their specifications in the Sony FE Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the P900 gets 360 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL23 battery, while the A9 can take 650 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FZ100 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, 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
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon P900 140 mm 103 mm 137 mm 899 g 360 n Mar 2015 599ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A9 127 mm 96 mm 63 mm 673 g 650 Y Apr 2017 4,499ebay.com
3.
 
Canon SX60 128 mm 93 mm 114 mm 650 g 340 n Sep 2014 549ebay.com
4.
 
Kodak AZ901 139 mm 104 mm 119 mm 777 g 400 n Jan 2016 499 amazon.com
5.
 
Nikon P950 140 mm 110 mm 150 mm 1005 g 290 n Jan 2020 799 amazon.com
6.
 
Nikon P1000 146 mm 119 mm 181 mm 1415 g 250 n Jul 2018 999 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon B700 125 mm 85 mm 107 mm 565 g 350 n Feb 2016 499ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon B500 114 mm 78 mm 95 mm 541 g 600 n Jan 2016 299ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon L840 113 mm 78 mm 96 mm 538 g 590 n Feb 2015 299ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic FZ100 124 mm 82 mm 92 mm 540 g 410 n Jul 2010 499ebay.com
11.
 
Ricoh GR II 117 mm 63 mm 35 mm 251 g 320 n Jun 2015 699ebay.com
12.
 
Sony A7R V 131 mm 97 mm 82 mm 723 g 530 Y Oct 2022 3,899 amazon.com
13.
 
Sony A7R IIIA 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 650 Y Apr 2021 3,199 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A9 II 129 mm 96 mm 76 mm 678 g 690 Y Oct 2019 4,499 amazon.com
15.
 
Sony A7 III 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 610 Y Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
16.
 
Sony A7 II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 599 g 350 Y Nov 2014 1,999ebay.com
17.
 
Sony HX400V 130 mm 93 mm 103 mm 660 g 300 n Feb 2014 499ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The P900 was launched at a lower price than the A9, despite having a lens built in. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have 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.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon P900 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Sony A9 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the A9 is 2925 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 5.6 and 1.0. The sensor in the P900 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the A9 offers a 3:2 aspect.

Nikon P900 and Sony A9 sensor measures

With 24MP, the A9 offers a higher resolution than the P900 (15.9MP), but the A9 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 1.33μm for the P900) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the A9 is a much more recent model (by 2 years and 1 month) than the P900, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the P900 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A9 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A9 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 P900 are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

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

The Nikon Coolpix P900 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A9 are ISO 100 to ISO 51200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-204800.

In terms of underlying technology, the P900 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the A9 uses a Stacked BSI-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.

P900 versus A9 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 adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
# image Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Nikon P900 1/2.3 15.9 4608 34561080/60p20.211.672747
2.
 
Sony A9 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.913.3351792
3.
 
Canon SX60 1/2.3 14.2 4608 30721080/60p19.210.812739
4.
 
Kodak AZ901 1/2.3 20.2 5184 38881080/30p20.311.780648
5.
 
Nikon P950 1/2.3 15.9 4608 34564K/30p20.712.3118952
6.
 
Nikon P1000 1/2.3 15.9 4608 34564K/30p20.612.1104451
7.
 
Nikon B700 1/2.3 20.2 5184 38884K/30p20.411.881848
8.
 
Nikon B500 1/2.3 15.9 4608 34561080/60i20.311.781048
9.
 
Nikon L840 1/2.3 15.9 4608 34561080/60i20.211.672147
10.
 
Panasonic FZ100 1/2.3 14.0 4320 32401080/60i19.410.730639
11.
 
Ricoh GR II APS-C 16.1 4928 32641080/30p23.613.7107880
12.
 
Sony A7R V Full Frame 60.2 9504 63368k/24p26.514.83187100
13.
 
Sony A7R IIIA Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p26.014.73523100
14.
 
Sony A9 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.0343493
15.
 
Sony A7 III Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7373096
16.
 
Sony A7 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.913.6244990
17.
 
Sony HX400V 1/2.3 20.2 5184 38881080/60p20.111.462945
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the A9 provides a better video resolution than the P900. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/60p.

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Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A9 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the P900 (3686k vs 921k dots). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon P900 and Sony A9 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
# image 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 P900921 n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 7.0/s Y Y
2.
 
Sony A93686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
3.
 
Canon SX60922 n3.0 / 922 swivel n 1/2000s 6.4/s Y Y
4.
 
Kodak AZ901202 n3.0 / 920 swivel n 1/2000s 5.0/s Y Y
5.
 
Nikon P9502359 n3.2 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 7.0/s Y Y
6.
 
Nikon P10002359 n3.2 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 7.0/s Y Y
7.
 
Nikon B700921 n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Nikon B500none n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 7.4/s Y Y
9.
 
Nikon L840none n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 7.4/s Y Y
10.
 
Panasonic FZ100202 n3.0 / 460 swivel n 1/2000s 11.0/s Y Y
11.
 
Ricoh GR IIoptional n3.0 / 1230 fixed n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
12.
 
Sony A7R V9440 n3.2 / 2100 full-flex Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
13.
 
Sony A7R IIIA3686 n3.0 / 2340 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
14.
 
Sony A9 II3686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
15.
 
Sony A7 III2359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
16.
 
Sony A7 II2400 n3.0 / 1230 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
17.
 
Sony HX400V210 n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 10.0/s Y Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The P900 has one, while the A9 does not. While the built-in flash of the P900 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The P900 has an articulated LCD that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in snapping selfies. In contrast, the A9 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 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 P900 has 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 P900 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A9 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A9 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the P900 only has one slot. The A9 supports UHS-II cards on its first slot and UHS-I on its second one, while the P900 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

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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 Coolpix P900 and Sony Alpha A9 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
# image Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Nikon P900-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
2.
 
Sony A9Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YYY
3.
 
Canon SX60Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
4.
 
Kodak AZ901-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y--
5.
 
Nikon P950Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
6.
 
Nikon P1000Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
7.
 
Nikon B700-stereo / mono--micro2.0YYY
8.
 
Nikon B500-stereo / mono--micro2.0YYY
9.
 
Nikon L840-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
10.
 
Panasonic FZ100Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
11.
 
Ricoh GR IIYstereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
12.
 
Sony A7R VYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
13.
 
Sony A7R IIIAYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2YYY
14.
 
Sony A9 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
15.
 
Sony A7 IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
16.
 
Sony A7 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
17.
 
Sony HX400VYstereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
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It is notable that the A9 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The P900 does not feature such a mic input.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A9 (unlike the P900) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Travel and landscape photographers will find it useful that the P900 has an internal geolocalization sensor and can record GPS coordinates in its EXIF data.

Both the P900 and the A9 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The P900 was replaced by the Nikon P950, while the A9 was followed by the Sony A9 II. Further information on the features and operation of the P900 and A9 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon P900 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A9 Manual.

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Review summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Nikon P900 and the Sony A9? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

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Advantages of the Nikon Coolpix P900:

  • Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
  • More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
  • Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the A9 requires a separate lens.
  • Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
  • Easier geotagging: Features an internal GPS sensor to log localization data.
  • More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in March 2015).

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Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A9:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 25%.
  • Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
  • Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
  • Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
  • More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
  • Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
  • Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
  • Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
  • Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
  • Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
  • More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (3686k vs 921k dots).
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1440k vs 921k dots).
  • Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
  • Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (20 vs 7 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
  • More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
  • More compact: Is smaller (127x96mm vs 140x103mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
  • Longer lasting: Gets more shots (650 versus 360) out of a single battery charge.
  • Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
  • Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
  • Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
  • Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
  • Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
  • Faster buffer clearing: Supports Ultra High Speed (UHS-II and UHS-I) SDXC cards.
  • More modern: Reflects 2 years and 1 month of technical progress since the P900 launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A9 is the clear winner of the contest (26 : 9 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

P900 09:26 A9

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon P900 and the Sony A9 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the P900 and the A9 in practical situations. 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 where reviews by experts come in. 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
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon P900......77/1004/54/5 Mar 2015 599ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A95/5+ +4.8/589/1005/55/5 Apr 2017 4,499ebay.com
3.
 
Canon SX603/5+ +..75/1004/54.5/5 Sep 2014 549ebay.com
4.
 
Kodak AZ901........3.5/53/5 Jan 2016 499 amazon.com
5.
 
Nikon P950....3/5..4/54/5 Jan 2020 799 amazon.com
6.
 
Nikon P1000..+3.5/573/1003.5/53.5/5 Jul 2018 999 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon B700..+....4/54/5 Feb 2016 499ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon B500..+....4/53.5/5 Jan 2016 299ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon L840..+ +....3.5/54/5 Feb 2015 299ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic FZ100..+....4.5/54.5/5 Jul 2010 499ebay.com
11.
 
Ricoh GR II........4.5/54.5/5 Jun 2015 699ebay.com
12.
 
Sony A7R V5/5+ +4.5/592/100.... Oct 2022 3,899 amazon.com
13.
 
Sony A7R IIIA..+ +4/590/1004.5/55/5 Apr 2021 3,199 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A9 II....5/590/1005/55/5 Oct 2019 4,499 amazon.com
15.
 
Sony A7 III..+ +4.5/589/1005/55/5 Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
16.
 
Sony A7 II5/5+4/582/1004.5/55/5 Nov 2014 1,999ebay.com
17.
 
Sony HX400V4/5+ +....4/54/5 Feb 2014 499ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted 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 comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications: Nikon P900 vs Sony A9

    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 P900 Sony A9
    Camera Type Fixed lens compact camera Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens 24-2000mm f/2.8-6.5 Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date March 2015 April 2017
    Launch Price USD 599 USD 4,499
    Sensor Specs Nikon P900 Sony A9
    Sensor Technology BSI-CMOS Stacked BSI-CMOS
    Sensor Format 1/2.3" Sensor Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 6.17 x 4.55 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm
    Sensor Area 28.0735 mm2 847.28 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 7.7 mm 42.8 mm
    Crop Factor 5.6x 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 15.9 Megapixels 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4608 x 3456 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 1.33 μm 5.94 μm
    Pixel Density 56.73 MP/cm2 2.83 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60p Video 4K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 6,400 ISO 100 - 51,200 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 12,800 ISO 50 - 204,800 ISO
    Image Processor EXPEED C2 BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) .. 92
    DXO Color Depth (bits) .. 24.9
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) .. 13.3
    DXO Low Light (ISO) .. 3517
    Screen Specs Nikon P900 Sony A9
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100% 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x
    Viewfinder Resolution 921k dots 3686k dots
    LCD Framing Live View Live View
    Rear LCD Size 3.0inch 3.0inch
    LCD Resolution 921k dots 1440k dots
    LCD Attachment Swivel screen Tilting screen
    Touch Input no Touchscreen Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs Nikon P900 Sony A9
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus PeakingFocus Peaking
    Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) 1/4000s 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 7 shutter flaps/s 20 shutter flaps/s
    Electronic Shutterno E-Shutterup to 1/32000s
    Time-Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer built-inno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationLens-based stabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot Dual card slots
    UHS card support no Single UHS-II
    Connectivity Specs Nikon P900 Sony A9
    External Flash no Hotshoe Hotshoe
    Studio Flash no PC Sync PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI micro HDMI
    Microphone Port no MIC socket External MIC port
    Headphone Socket no Headphone port Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication NFC built-in NFC built-in
    Bluetooth Support no Bluetooth Bluetooth built-in
    Geotagging GPS built-in no internal GPS
    Body Specs Nikon P900 Sony A9
    Environmental Sealingnot weather sealedWeathersealed body
    Battery Type Nikon EN-EL23 Sony NP-FZ100
    Battery Life (CIPA)360 shots per charge650 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 140 x 103 x 137 mm
    (5.5 x 4.1 x 5.4 in)
    127 x 96 x 63 mm
    (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.5 in)
    Camera Weight 899 g (31.7 oz) 673 g (23.7 oz)
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