The Sony A9 was released in 2017 but is still very popular today. It has 24.2 megapixels and an amazing shooting speed, making it shine when taking pictures. If you are looking for a camera that is good at photography, the Sony A9 is a good choice.
However, when picking a camera, many friends will be concerned about its battery life. So how does the A9’s battery perform? Scroll down, and you’ll find the answer.
What Kind of Battery Does the Sony A9 Use?
The Sony A9 uses the NP-FZ100 battery, which has a standard charge of 2280 mAh. It has a battery life of 650 shots with LCD according to CIPA standards.
How Is Sony A9 Battery Life?
Here’s a table of the Sony A9 battery life in different states:
| ViewFinder/Screen | Shooting Type | Battery Life |
|---|---|---|
| ViewFinder | Actual shooting | 105 min. |
| Screen | Actual shooting | 120 min. |
| ViewFinder | Continuous shooting | 185 min. |
| Screen | Continuous shooting | 195 min. |
| ViewFinder | Still images | 480 images |
| Screen | Still images | 650 images |
What is CIPA?
CIPA is a camera union, of which many major Japanese camera brands are members. They use a rigorous set of testing standards to test the overall performance of cameras. It has considerable authority.
How to Treat CIPA Correctly?
CIPA uses rigorous standards; it almost intentionally drains the camera’s power for testing purposes.
And in actual use, it is almost impossible to get the same environment and camera settings. As a result, the number of photos you take or the length of the video will be higher than what CIPA reports.
So, CIPA’s report can help you compare each camera’s performance horizontally. However, it only serves as a reference for actual use.
How Long Can Sony A9 Shoot Images in Real Life?
The Sony A9 is one of the best cameras for taking pictures when traveling.
By adjusting parameters and turning off features, the A9 can achieve amazing battery life . In my tests, the A9 could take about 3800 photos. I turned off its WIFI and Bluetooth and turned on Airplane mode the whole time.
Of course, the number may drop slightly if you use lenses with OIS. But there is no doubt that the A9 has perfect battery life.
Here is a vlog about traveling and taking photos along the way. Blogger Robert Pugh shared his experience. The traveler chose to use the A9 to film his daily trips. After 5 days of using the camera, it still had 80% battery left. Of course, he also used some unique methods to reduce power consumption, and the results are remarkable.
How to Prevent A9 From Shutting Down by Overheating?
First, I need to explain that many cameras have heat problems. Due to the continuous work of the components, the heat generated will make the camera internal heating.
And longer periods of high energy consumption work may allow the temperature to exceed the threshold and thus overheat.
So, the point of our discussion is different from how to keep the camera from heating up but how to keep it from heating up quickly.
Here are some ways you can refer to:
Turn Off Bluetooth & GPS
When taking pictures with your camera, you rarely use these two features, and it’s time to turn them off. That will allow your camera to handle fewer programs and reduce power consumption per unit.
Use the LCD Screen
The EVF is a power hog. Because it is a high resolution and refreshes rate screen, it tends to require more power to maintain than an LCD. So, LCD instead of EVF is an excellent way to slow down heat generation.
Turn the Auto-Off Temperature to High
You can set the camera’s auto-off temperature high for some special shooting situations. You may sometimes shoot in a high temperature for a long time. In that case, you can pre-adjust this parameter to prevent the camera from shutting down automatically.
Of course, this feature will affect the camera’s performance, so you must choose to use it according to the actual situation.
How to Prolong Sony A9 Battery Life?
Reduce Useless Waiting Time
We can divide the camera into four states. The first one is off, the second one is in sleep mode, the third is semi-active, and the fourth is active.
The off-state is obviously the most power-efficient because the electronic system is all turned off. So, when the camera is not being used, turning it off can save a lot of power. However, do not turn the camera on/off sparingly because this action will consume more power.
Reduce Non-Essential Focusing Actions
The correct practice is to think first before focusing. If you hold the camera to view and focus repeatedly at any time, you will consume a large amount of power.
Use LCD Screen
To reduce power consumption, you can use an LCD screen instead of EVF. The refresh rate and resolution of the EVF are very high, so it also consumes a lot of power.
Turn Off Non-Core Functions
If not necessary, turn off the IBIS and autofocus function. However, turning off these functions will affect photos’ success rate and quality. You can use these functions to ensure the success rate at first time. But improving your skills is the solution. After all, the previous photographer’s camera does not have these features.
Limited Image Review
Do you often open the album and browse through the photos you just took? It is the watermelon of many novice photographers and a very power-hungry move. Even if you open the album, the various elements of the camera are still working. At the same time, the LCD screen also needs to take up additional power. If you frequently review, your camera power will quickly decrease.
Reduce Setup Time
Those who just got the camera will have this experience. Unpacking, open the camera, set the camera, and then the camera is out of power. Yes, setting up the camera is also a very power-consuming process. When you need to go outdoors for shooting, you can make some simple settings while charging. And when you arrive at the scene, directly call the settings, and you have tuned. That will get the camera into working order quickly and save you the time and wear and tear of setting it up.
Does the Sony A9 Support a Battery Grip?
Yes, the Sony A9 can have an external battery grip. Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip is an external battery grip that can support the A9, and it can be an excellent way to extend the time of single use of the A9.
Conclusion
Well, guys, through the above introduction, you already know something about the battery life of the A9. As a camera that has been around for a while, the A9 is still great for taking pictures today.
If you master the methods described in this article, you can take many beautiful photos on a single outing. It’s a great machine, and I’m sure it will give you many great experiences.