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Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II Comparison

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Sony A7R III

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R III
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Canon G9 X II

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Canon G9 X II
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Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7R III, which was introduced in October 2017 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Canon G9 X II, which was introduced in January 2017 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1' sensor. There is only 10 months difference between A7R III and G9 X II so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather-sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A7R II Compare

Canon G9 X II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-01-04
  • 20MP - 1' BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • 28-84 mm F2-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 8.2fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 206g. 98 x 58 x 31 mm
  • Replaced Canon PowerShot G9 X Compare

Sony A7R III was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Sony Alpha A7R III
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Sony A7R III Sony A7R III
See at AMAZON
Canon G9 X II Canon G9 X II
See at AMAZON
Sony A7R III
See at AMAZON
Canon G9 X II
See at AMAZON
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP 110% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 12.800 150% higher Max ISO
LCD Resolution
1.440k dots vs 1.040k dots 38% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 8.2fps 1.8 fps faster
Battery Life
650 shots vs 235 shots 415 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth
26.0 vs 21.9 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.7 vs 12.5 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3523 vs 522 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
20.43µm2 vs 5.82µm2 251% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (169. 6) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A7R III PRICE


Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
206 g vs 657 g 451 g lighter
CHECK G9 X II PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection
Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
Max Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 8.2fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II
Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7R III has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91″) and weighs 657 g (1.45 lb / 23.17 oz) (including batteries). Canon G9 X II has external dimensions of 98 x 58 x 31 mm (3.86 x 2.28 x 1.22″) and weighs 206 g (0.45 lb / 7.27 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A7R III and the Canon G9 X II. Canon G9 X II is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 29mm narrower, 38mm shorter and 43mm thinner than Sony A7R III. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G9 X II has a built-in lens but Sony A7R III doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7R III, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Sony A7R III and the Canon G9 X II Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II.

Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Sony A7R III and the Canon G9 X II Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II.
Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Sony A7R III and the Canon G9 X II Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon G9 X II is significantly lighter (451g ) than the Sony A7R III which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A7R III, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather-sealed body, we believe that the A7R III has a big advantage over the G9 X II which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

On the other hand, Sony A7R III features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels whereas the Canon G9 X II has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7R III.


Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Canon G9 X II has a 20.0MP 1' (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 7 processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 22MP more than Canon G9 X II's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R III's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R III and G9 X II sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 7.4x Larger sensor area than Canon G9 X II. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A7R III has scored 100, 35 points higher than G9 X II.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7R III 100 26.0 bits 14.7 Evs 3523 ISO
Canon G9 X II 65 21.9 bits 12.5 Evs 522 ISO
What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A7R III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Canon G9 X II for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon G9 X II for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon G9 X II for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.2fps
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 235 shots
84 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon G9 X II for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
Compact Body
206g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
3.0X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Canon G9 X II for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Canon G9 X II: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far, but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A7R III and Canon G9 X II scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #10 out of 118 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #12 out of 1276 in all Cameras
Canon G9 X II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 478 in Compact cameras
Ranked #299 out of 1276 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon G9 X II in all criteria except one: Portability. Canon G9 X II is significantly smaller than Sony A7R III. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon G9 X II. Otherwise, Sony A7R III is the better camera overall.

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Canon G9 X II
Canon G9 X II
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Canon G9 X II vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II
Brand Sony Canon
Announced 2017-10-25 2017-01-04
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame 1'
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 861.60mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 125 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 425 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 28-84 mm (3x)
Max Aperture no lens F2-4.9
Macro Focus Range no lens 5cm
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,440k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 6.00 m (at Auto ISO)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 8.2 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 206g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 98 x 58 x 31mm
Battery Life 650 shots 235 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 65
DxO Color Depth 26.0 21.9
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 12.5
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 522
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