The all-powerful new Sony a1 II is here – with the future of Sony’s autofocus
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony has just announced a new crown jewel in its lineup – the Sony a1 II. The latest flagship takes the baton from the original Sony a1 three years after its release and continues Sony’s all-embracing approach to camera design, cramming the best of every technology Sony has at its disposal into this model.
That said, this isn’t the most significant update you’re ever going to see to a flagship camera – the A1 carries a lot over from the previous model, including the excellent 50.1MP sensor, with Sony’s global shutter seemingly solely reserved for the A9 III right now. While other improvements come from the addition of features we have seen debuted in other Sony models since the original a1’s launch – mostly last year’s Sony a9 III.
The biggest internal change comes with the addition of Sony’s BionzXR processor with its AI co-processing powers to add the very latest in subject recognition technology. Catching up with the rest of the Sony range, the a1 II can now recognize human poses, heads, faces, and eyes, as well as animals and birds (also down their eyes), insects, and a range of vehicles including cars, motorbikes, trains, and planes. The camera has 759 AF points across 92% of the frame, and Sony claims the a1 II is up to 30% better at finding human eyes, and up to 50% better at recognizing birds than the first generation.
However, there is one significant new autofocus feature that has me genuinely excited – and that is auto-subject detection. Yes – you can finally detect multiple types of subjects in one mode, no more having to instruct the camera on what it is aiming at and wasting valuable seconds where you might miss a fleeting moment. I have tested it out, and you can read my thoughts in my Sony a1 II review – but in a nutshell; it's amazing.
(Image credit: Gareth Bevan / Digital Camera World)
The sensor is backed up with up to 8.5 stops of in-body image stabilization – half a stop more than the a9 III. The a1 II is capable of shooting native ISOs between 100-32,000 (expandable from 50-102,400) and autofocusing down to -4 exposure. Sony claims noise reduction has been improved throughout the mid-high range, but if you need the absolute minimal noise possible, there is also a new low-noise composite that takes between 4 to 32 RAW images that can be combined into one low-noise composite. There is also Sony’s take on Pixel Shift which can combine 10 images into one 199MP final image.
For video, like the previous generation, the a1 II is capable of shooting in 8K30p 4:2:0 oversampled from 8.6K, as well as 4K60p with no crop or 4K120p with a marginal 1.1x crop. Video footage can be tuned in-camera with up to 16 slots for user-imported LUTs, as well as Sony’s popular S-Cinetone grading inherited from its cine cameras. The new AI subject recognition and autofocus powers for stills are also available in video as well.
(Image credit: Gareth Bevan / Digital Camera World)
Other physical improvements to the camera include a more rounded grip and improved shutter button shape inherited from the Sony a9 III which Sony claims is more comfortable to use.
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The OLED viewfinder has been upgraded to the same 9.4 million-dot EVF from the a9 III with 100% coverage and 0.9x magnification. There is also a new 3.2-inch 4-axis tilt monitor, also from the Sony a9 III, which allows the screen to extend further, making it easier to view, but also crucially helping to avoid it clashing with any cables connected to the camera's ports.
And speaking of ports, the a1 II has had another port layout change, which Sony claims is in response to feedback from a9 III users. The port selection includes a full-sized HDMI, multi-controller port, 10Gbps wired LAN, flash sync terminal, USB-C, and separate headphone and microphone jacks. There are also dual Wifi antennas for a more solid wireless connection. Finally, the a9 II also has dual CFexpress Type-A / SD card slots.
The a1 II is powered by an NP-FZ100 battery, which can be doubled up with the optional Sony VG-C5 vertical grip (also compatible with the Sony a9 III) which also adds additional camera controls.
The Sony a1 II will be available in December and will cost a pretty staggering $6,499.99 / £6,299.99 / AU$10,999, although this is ever so slightly less expensive than the first generation. The Sony VG-C5 vertical grip is available now for $399 / £389 / AU$672.
Gareth is a photographer based in London, working as a freelance photographer and videographer for the past several years, having the privilege to shoot for some household names. With work focusing on fashion, portrait and lifestyle content creation, he has developed a range of skills covering everything from editorial shoots to social media videos. Outside of work, he has a personal passion for travel and nature photography, with a devotion to sustainability and environmental causes.
