Petapixel comparing "Flagship" cameras

[AlphaWorld]

Chris Niccolls chose to compare the Canon R1 / Nikon Z9 / Sony A1 II. I guess by choosing the most expensive camera from each maker.

I think that's a mistake.

Maybe the theory was "if you can only have one camera...", but I think that's a mistake, because if you can only afford one camera, why would you be buying one of these cameras? The smart thing to do would be to spend less on the body and more on glass.

If you want the best camera for a specific purpose, and you are willing spend the price, then maybe you would be focussing more particularly on your needs, and not trying to buy a "do absolutely everything" camera.

So, if you want a high speed camera (that which gets called a "sports" camera), then my picks as flagships are:

• Canon R1
• Sony A9 III
• Nikon Z9, I guess?

If you want a higher resolution high speed camera then my picks as flagships are:

• Canon ? - they don't have a modern 1Ds body - is it the R5 II?
• Sony A1 II
• Nikon Z9

If you want a higher resolution camera without needing high speed, then choices seem not to be flagship-priced:

• Canon R5 II
• Sony A7RV
• Nikon Z8

My point is that Sony doesn't offer a single "flagship" camera - Sony has diversified their range so individual models can offer a more nuanced set of features. Canon doesn't really have a single flagship either (and in the past it has been more obvious - remembering the 1Ds and 1D series, or the 1DX and 5D series). Nikon does have an obvious flagship in the Z9, but even they offer a choice by having the Z8.

Rather than comparing the R1 vs Z9 vs A1 II, I think it makes more sense to nominate a photographic category, then pick cameras from each brand. For some categories, it might be smart to pick a couple of cameras from each brand - wedding photography, for example, where an A9 III and either an A1 II or an A7RV would be my choices.

Chris Niccolls did try to address this to a limited extent, but he did depict this as a showdown between a single model from each maker (I suspect that may have been a directive).

 

[evacguy]

Chris Niccolls chose to compare the Canon R1 / Nikon Z9 / Sony A1 II. I guess by choosing the most expensive camera from each maker.

I think that's a mistake.

Maybe the theory was "if you can only have one camera...", but I think that's a mistake, because if you can only afford one camera, why would you be buying one of these cameras? The smart thing to do would be to spend less on the body and more on glass.

If you want the best camera for a specific purpose, and you are willing spend the price, then maybe you would be focussing more particularly on your needs, and not trying to buy a "do absolutely everything" camera.

So, if you want a high speed camera (that which gets called a "sports" camera), then my picks as flagships are:

• Canon R1
• Sony A9 III
• Nikon Z9, I guess?

If you want a higher resolution high speed camera then my picks as flagships are:

• Canon ? - they don't have a modern 1Ds body - is it the R5 II?
• Sony A1 II
• Nikon Z9

If you want a higher resolution camera without needing high speed, then choices seem not to be flagship-priced:

• Canon R5 II
• Sony A7RV
• Nikon Z8

My point is that Sony doesn't offer a single "flagship" camera - Sony has diversified their range so individual models can offer a more nuanced set of features. Canon doesn't really have a single flagship either (and in the past it has been more obvious - remembering the 1Ds and 1D series, or the 1DX and 5D series). Nikon does have an obvious flagship in the Z9, but even they offer a choice by having the Z8.

Rather than comparing the R1 vs Z9 vs A1 II, I think it makes more sense to nominate a photographic category, then pick cameras from each brand. For some categories, it might be smart to pick a couple of cameras from each brand - wedding photography, for example, where an A9 III and either an A1 II or an A7RV would be my choices.

Chris Niccolls did try to address this to a limited extent, but he did depict this as a showdown between a single model from each maker (I suspect that may have been a directive).

Thanks Tony, this is an interesting comment and mirrors my thoughts. I haven’t seen the podcast yet but I think your approach to comparing models is sensible. I’m in the market for a second body and have been going through the thought process you have outlined. I have also had an interesting discussion with ST along the same lines. I’m coming to the personal conclusion that i’m interested in a camera that fits your category 2 and 3, leaning more to category 2 at the moment.

 

[Richard A]

I have read the article but not seen the video. Probably won’t bother to be honest. What really struck me was the title photo of the three cameras together. For me, all other things being relatively equal, give me the most compact one! I got my A7RV because I wanted to start doing more video but the body is slightly smaller than my APSC DSLR. I sometimes like to use a grip & that is always an option. I’d rather have the choice. As far as video goes, I wonder how many people would actually shoot RAW. I can’t imagine it would be may. Unless they got the camera specifically for video but there are probably better options for that.

 

[iamdlewis]

Chris Niccolls chose to compare the Canon R1 / Nikon Z9 / Sony A1 II. I guess by choosing the most expensive camera from each maker.

They compared what each manufacturer is calling their Flagship Camera. Yes they are also the most expensive cameras from each but that comes with being the most versatile of what they make.

Rather than comparing the R1 vs Z9 vs A1 II, I think it makes more sense to nominate a photographic category, then pick cameras from each brand.

They do this as well but when only looking at a single style of photography you cut out those that do multiple styles. Someone looking at doing Landscape and Sports surely shouldn't spend the money to buy two bodies when they could spend less to buy one should they?

Chris Niccolls did try to address this to a limited extent, but he did depict this as a showdown between a single model from each maker (I suspect that may have been a directive).

They are always doing comparisons between cameras that are of similar designs and what would be a good camera for a given style of photography. This comparison was an obvious one to make.

Where you have the Z9 you should also have the Z8 as it is the Z9 without the built-in grip. Yes the high speed high mega pixel Canon is the R5, though not really a good comparison to the A1 or Z9/8. The high-rez slow frame rate Nikon is the Z7ii.

 

[Landshark99]

I watched the video, and the basic reason the compared the three flagship cameras is because that is how most people look at them. the top camera from each brand "that does everything better than the rest of their line". For me my video needs are almost nil so that of the review meant little to me. I think the basic point was the A1 was so advanced when it came out that the update to the A1 II seems not the giant leap people were looking for. In the end shooting overall stills puts it at the top, the weakest was video.