α6700 vs α9 III
A side-by-side readout for af points.
Understanding af points
Autofocus points are the discrete locations on the sensor where the AF system can lock focus. Modern mirrorless bodies report point counts ranging from a few hundred to several thousand.
Why the count alone can mislead
Coverage area and detection type matter more than raw count:
- A 425-point system covering 100% of the frame outperforms a 1,053-point system covering only the center 60%.
- Hybrid phase-detect + contrast AF is faster than contrast-only with twice as many points.
What to compare
- Coverage area (% of frame).
- AF detection mode count (eye-AF for humans, animals, birds, vehicles).
- Low-light AF rating (EV value — lower is better, -6 EV is excellent).
- Continuous AF tracking frame rate.
In comparisons
For sports and wildlife, prioritize bodies with subject-recognition AF (eye-detection for the relevant subject) over raw point count.
This matchupIn this spec, α6700 and α9 III are effectively tied at 759 — buyers can treat them as equivalent on af points alone.
What is af points?
The number of selectable autofocus zones across the frame. More points usually means denser frame coverage and finer subject-tracking granularity.
Read the full AF points explainer →Other specs on this comparison
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