In the Field: Sony A9 for Portrait Photography

After entering the market with the groundbreaking 2013 A7, Sony established its cameras as serious image-makers for stills and video. Sony spent the next few years working on their first 'professional' camera, the 2017 Sony A9, which remains an excellent all-rounder for photographers today. So how does the Sony A9 perform for portrait photography?

Boasting a healthy 24-megapixel full-frame sensor, the A9 aimed to take on the pro-market led by the more traditional Nikon D5 Dual XQD and Canon EOS 1DX Mark II. But did Sony do it better? Well, that’s up for debate. The Sony A9 offers 20 frames-per-second—nearly double that of its DSLR competitors—making it a good choice for everything from sports to street photography. And with greater resolution, wider dynamic range, great video functions, and the mirrorless systems’ arguably better lens design, the A9 specs don’t lie.

With easy adaptability, lower weight and smaller size, pro-level mirrorless cameras are now here to stay. While Sony has since released the Sony A9 II, the A9 offers much of the same performance—at a much lower price point. This is a great all-purpose camera, so let's see how it handles portraits.

Eye autofocus

Sony's autofocus technology is top-notch, and the Sony A9 is no exception. The Eye AF feature is particularly useful for portrait photography, locking onto the subject's eyes with precision. Even at wide apertures, you'll know you've nailed focus every time.

Full-frame sensor

The Sony A9's full-frame sensor provides beautiful images with excellent dynamic range. It can capture fine details and smooth skin tones, perfect for professional portrait work.

Low-light performance

The Sony A9's native ISO goes all the way up to 25,600, making the camera a great choice for portrait photography in low light.

Image stabilisation

The Sony A9's five-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) system makes hand-held portrait shoots even easier.

Silent shutter

If you're covering events or conferences, and you're pulling people aside to capture portrait headshots, then the Sony A9's silent shutter is a great feature. The other people won't even know you're there.

Compatibility with vintage lenses

Like many Sony mirrorless cameras, it's fairly easy to convert vintage manual-focus lenses for experimental portrait photography. We even mounted a 1916 Kodak Vest lens to the A9, and the combo performed beautifully.

Verdict

We're not saying the A9 is necessarily the best Sony camera of all time. Or even the best for portraiture, as the Sony A7 IV (for example) offers greater resolution. But if you're looking for an all-rounder Sony camera — and you also want to capture portrait photography — then the Sony A9 is more than capable of capturing stunning portraits. And, these days, it offers excellent value for money too.

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