Sony A1 II Review

Verdict

This flagship full - anatomy mirrorless camera from the electronics jumbo imports invention inaugurate in the Sony A9 III to get the 2nd looping A1 up to scratch .

Pros

Cons

Key Features

Introduction

photographer with a thick pocketbook in their sac have a plethora of choices when it comes to Sony ’s high - conclusion full - frame digital camera . There ’s the speed daemon option in the 120fps , 24.6MP resolutionA9 IIIor the choice of a giant resolution for hoarding - sizing pictures via the 60MPA7CR . Now , sitting somewhere in between the two in terms of specification is Sony ’s fresh flagship model : the 50MP , 30fps shooting A1 II , aka Alpha 1 II .

The simple sales talk here is that the A1 II update the original 2021 A1 camera with Sony ’s latest AI - enhanced , subject - recognize paradigm gaining control tech , as is also found in the previously released A9 III .

So , does the sum of the A1 II ’s restructure part add up to a faithfully sharp shooting and robust camera worth spending a king ’s ransom money on ? Read on to regain out …

Sony A1 II front in hand

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Design and Handling

Pairing the Sony A1 II with the equally high - end G Master serial publication FE f/1.4 50 millimeter lens to really get the most item out of a sensing element of this size and firmness of purpose results in a chunky – but not impractical – set up . Reassuringly , it ’s one that I found lends itself to steady , eye - degree , handheld shooting .

instead , you could apply the flip - out , twist and swivel 3.2 - column inch LCD to attain creative low or high angles that you would n’t otherwise be able to get with your eye flush to the ocular .

Sitting firmly in the hand thanks to a large , wrought grip , reinforcement for those shoot handheld without flash or supplemental lighting is leave by improved image stabilization that is the equivalent of up to a maximal 8.5 stop when capturing stills , which is impressive and work well in praxis .

Sony A1 II front in hand

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

While the camera body has room for one append rechargeable Li - ion battery in effect for around 420 shots from a full charge , it aim to live up to power drug user by coming with a main twist up to of charging two batteries at the same time . or else , you may connect a USB - equip cable to a fittingly enable mains punch and use the port wine on the side of the camera to charge its cell in situ , without the need for a disjoined courser .

As I ’ve find in the past with Sony mirrorless camera , although the 9.44 million dot eye level viewfinder render is electronic , it ’s of such a high-pitched firmness that it ’s barely distinguishable from the ocular mixture .

The top plate control layout with shooting mode and social function rack mix automatic options with user - assignable ones , while control wheels both front and back allow options to be tabbed through via a flick of thumb or index for an immediately familiar intuitive feeling .

Sony A1 II front in hand

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

The on / off button encircles the shutter release button , mean you’re able to have the photographic camera up and run and locked onto a quarry in a couple of second gear if that . The camera really did find like it operated as an extension of my own arm , meaning the user can concentrate on photographic technique rather than being distracted by engineering .

The Mark II social unit sport a form constituent that Sony claims to be more ergonomic overall than the original A1 , with dimensions that are exactly the same as those of the A9 III . However , the A1 II is actually a few grams heavier than the A9 with its 658 GB body - only weightiness .

It all have for a camera that sits firmly in the manus , is as lightning fast in terms of reply times and truth of focus as you ’d go for and feels like it should withstand eld of regular use . Given the expensive price tag end of the unit , we would n’t settle for anything less .

Sony A1 II front in hand

Features

You would expect a camera in this rarified price wall bracket to be feature - festooned and , though much that made the original A1 capital has simply been carried across to this ‘ newer ’ version , it does find like the manufacturer has attempted to let in everything but the kitchen sink .

As with the Sony A9 III , which the camera outwardly resemble , the novel A1 II features dual visiting card slot , each of which can accommodate either a CFexpress or more standard Coyote State medium card .

Still photos away , nobody does video quite like Sony . While this raw flagship matches the A9 III for 4 K settlement 120fps video clipping ( as expect ) , it ups the ante further by offering 8 K resolution seizure at 30fps . Not surprisingly , the camera features its manufacturing business ’s latest figure of speech CPU to handle all the data point . That is , in this case , Sony ’s Bionz XR microprocessor chip .

Sony A1 II front in hand

As cite in the introduction , the enhanced performance enabled by AI in the Sony A1 II is keenly felt in the camera ’s response times , especially with regard to actual - time Recognition AF , which can recognise humans not just via their heads but also their torsos . The photographic camera can immediately put away focus on and track vehicle , boo , creature and even insects . Here , autofocus derive across as so advanced , dissipated and accurate that it palpate you could take your foot off the gasoline and allow it to do its affair while concentrating on the prowess of contention and finding the basic ingredient of what would found a great pic .

Despite being the flagship model , the A1 II is only a tiny number more expensive than the A9 III from which it ’s inherit a bunch of features , so making a purchase choice between will come down to whether the exploiter wants to prioritise speed or resolution when it add up to the very high echelon of the Alpha camera range .

The best bits of the original A1 from a few years back plus improved AF thanks to the magic of AI is basically what we ’re getting here in the A1 II . That may not be enough to allure owners of the pilot to upgrade , though it does aid Sony to continue to make a claim for the A1 series being its ‘ ultimate ’ mirrorless photographic camera .

Sony A1 II side 2

Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Image quality

With the gamy resolution , 3.2 - inch backscreen providing reassurance that colour - rich , razor - penetrative imagery is being captured from the off , bleeding edge picture quality is what anyone capable to outdo up this much spend for a camera will be wanting first and first , and blithely I received images that seem to leap off the screen .

colour are well saturated without seem unnatural . With our supplied lens delivering detail right into the nook of each frame , set at a nonpayment 3:2 image aspect ratio when you turn the camera on , I could n’t retrieve of better final result being achievable in its class .

pick of seizure format includes several RAW file options , alongside a top quality extra fine JPEG setting that is more than fine for those who want instant results straight out of the photographic camera for speedy rescue and fulfilment .

Sony A1 II side 2

Should you buy it?

And you want the very latest cutting edge Sony tv camera tech in a body that will withstand regular professional manipulation and surrender consistently razor sharp images when allied with the best glass in its maker ’s channel up .

Or you already own an exist A1 with which the Mark II manikin still shares a boniface of key , core feature . If you choose burgeon forth manual of arms rather than relying on automobile focal point to do its AI enabled stuff and nonsense , this young model will also be less of an immediate draw .

Final Thoughts

This tank - like A1 refresh very much handles and performs like the high - end traditional DSLR it resembles .

Razor - sharp , detail - rich imagery delivered on a consistent foundation makes it something of an partizan / pro photographer ’s workhorse . Coupling 50 - megapixel exposure with 30 frames per second seizure , as opposed to the A9 III ’s 24.6MP resolution at up to 120fps , the A1 II hits that fresh position for lensman who fritter away a wide range of subject , not just sports or action picture taking , while wanting the ultimate in timbre and performance .

The only fly in the unction is the powerful asking price that , as with the A9 III , put this upgrade beyond the reach of most of the hobbyists who would relish using it .

Sony A1 II side 2

For more majuscule cameras , make certain to check out our usher to thebest camerasandbest mirrorless cameras .

Trusted Score

How we test

We test every photographic camera we survey good . We use set tests to compare features properly and we expend it as our primary twist over the review period . We ’ll always say you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to refresh a product .