Video-wise, the A9 can shoot 4K (3,840 x 2,160) with full-frame capture and 1080p at up to 120fps, in case you’re looking to record some slow-motion footage. The body itself resembles a number of Sony’s latest Alpha shooters, such as the A7S II, A7R II and A7 II. Its looks are so similar to these that a few people at the launch event tried to snatch my A7 II thinking it was the A9. There are three physical dials on the top of the camera (exposure, scene and shooting mode), as well as two SD card slots and an Ethernet port. Meanwhile, Sony claims its new Z battery will last you for more than 500 shots.

Sony says its new flagship full-frame is “half the size and weight” as the DSLRs it wants to dethrone, like Canon’s 5D Mark IV or Nikon’s D5. If you’ve ever held one of the Alpha shooters mentioned above, you’ll feel right at home with the A9’s ergonomics. On that note, Sony revealed today that it is now the number two seller of full-frame interchangeable lens cameras in the US, thanks in large part to the A7S II and A7R II. With the introduction of the A9, the company’s hoping that this momentum continues.

Unfortunately, while Sony let us shoot briefly with the A9, we weren’t allowed to use our own SD cards to see what the full-resolution images looked like. That said, stay tuned, as we’ll be spending more time with the A9 before it hits stores May 25th for $4,500 (body-only). And if you want the new $2,500 G Master 100-400mm telephoto lens to go with that, you’ll have to wait until July.

Sony’s excitement is palpable at the A9 launch event, and for what sounds like good reason. It has by far the best sensor tech on the market, supplying most other camera-makers, but the new model is the first to use its full-frame stacked CMOS sensor, driven by an upgraded BIONZ processor. That allows the A9 to track “complex erratic motion with higher accuracy than ever before,” Sony says. It also yield an ISO range from 100 to 51,200, expandable to 204,800 — not quite in Alpha 7S II range, but the A9 has double the megapixel count.

It’s got a Quad-VGA, 3,686 dot OLED viewfinder, the highest resolution model Sony’s ever used. During shooting, you’ll never get any blackouts, even at 20fps. That’ll give you “all the benefits of an electronic viewfinder … that not even the finest optical viewfinders can match,” Sony claims.

The A9 has a new, compact body with 5-axis image stabilization and a wired ethernet port for studio-based shooters. At the same time, it has over double the battery life of previous full-frame A7 models, two media card slots, including support for high-speed UHS-II SD media in one.

AS for video, as you’d expect, the A9 supports 4K recording, but it reads out the entire full-frame sensor at 6K, and oversamples it to produce “high quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth.” That’s a step up from past Sony models, which have only oversampled a smaller, Super-35mm chunk of the frame, though the A9 can do that, too. It can also shoot 1080p video at up to 120 fps with full autofocus tracking.

The A9 will start shipping in the US on May 25th for $4,500 and Europe in June for €5,300 — that’s a lot, but comparable to competitors like the Nikon D5. Pre-orders will open up this Friday. Sony also unveiled the $2,500 G Master 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 telephoto lens designed specifically for the A9, set to arrive in July.