Sony's new camera matches Canon and Nikon's best pro DSLRs—for thousands less.

Professional cameras tend to specialise and concentrate on fairly limited area of photography. As a professional-level camera the Sony Alpha 9 has an extensive feature set and there’s a huge range of customisation options.

Sony’s high-end mirrorless cameras continue to impress, and the A9 represents a genuine challenge to Nikon and Canon’s top-of-the-range DSLRs. 20fps stills shooting, with continuously-updating autofocus and exposure, from a full-frame lens? That’s something none of this camera’s rivals can touch at the moment. Is this a camera for non-professionals, though? At £4,500, it’s a tough sell – the Sony A7 series offers fantastic (albeit slightly slower) models for £2,000 less, and I’d be inclined to recommend those above the A9 for the vast majority of people. For those five percenters who shoot sport, wildlife or photojournalism and need the speed, though? The A9 is the fastest camera in town.

Incredibly fast stills shooting; 5-axis image stabilisation; Solid, compact build; Good battery life; Cheaper than Canon and Nikon rivals; Slick 4x slo-mo video;

Screen won’t flip to the front; That price tag;

Excellent handling and controls; Superb autofocus tracking; High-speed shooting with minimal distortion; Excellent electronic viewfinder with zero blackout; Impressive battery life;

AF area not highlighted in viewfinder when moved via the joystick; Touchscreen woefully under-used;

Incredibly fast stills shooting; 5-axis image stabilisation; Solid, compact build; Good battery life; Cheaper than Canon and Nikon rivals; Slick 4x slo-mo video;

Screen won’t flip to the front; That price tag;

In every field of technology, there are liminal moments when the new begins to outpace the old, and the bell begins to toll for the previous generation's greatest achievements. As I look past the Sony a9 across my collection of digital SLRs, I can hear a distinct ringing.

Upon returning home I couldn't resist spending a day on the bayou in an attempt to get some action shots of a Rougarou -Louisiana's fabled swamp-dwelling werewolf. Fortunately, there was nary a bloodthirsty monster in sight, but the Sony A9 performed admirably with more familiar subjects like flora...

The a9 is an impressive shooter that can appeal to photo amateurs who can spend the money ($4999.99), or to professional photographers who prefer to carry a compact camera instead of a heavy DSLR.

Sony officially launched their newest flagship mirrorless camera today, the A9. The new camera is aimed at professionals that require a fast shooter , something that has long been dominated by traditional DSLR offerings from brands like Canon and Nikon .

The fastest mirrorless camera Sony's made yet.

So fast you'll forget about Nikon and Canon

That price means this is a pro camera