One of the reasons that Sony is among the industry leaders is that they always take care of the needs of every segment of the population.
Their new release targeting professional photographers, Sony Alpha a9 II, is designed with features to specifically cater to the needs of working professionals in the field.
Table of Contents
Sony Alpha a9 II Review
Built
Alpha a9 II evolved in terms of its built with the key focus in terms of improving ergonomics. There is the addition of a few dials to enhance ease of use. Users can directly control all primary settings using these dials instead of spending time operating them manually.
It has a comparatively larger grip compared to a9. It is beneficial when one is using a larger lens.
Customization
One noticeable function is Custom Operation Menu that allows toggling with the custom button. All 11 buttons on the camera body can be customized with 100 options. The on-screen menu’s 12 options can be customized with up to 54 options.
Blackout free shooting
Sony Alpha a9 II is targeted towards photojournalism and sports photography. A lot can happen within a single setting. This mirrorless camera features a full-frame Exmor RSTM CMOS sensor and BIONZ XTM processor team up for 20fps with AF/AE tracking. With increased speed, this combination is offering blackout-free capture at 20fps to meet the demands of a professional workflow.
The viewfinder offers 100% frame coverage.
CMOS Image Sensor
Alpha a9 II features a 35mm stacked CMOS sensor to ensure super speed whenever you shoot. This 24.2 MP image sensor with integrated memory allows the camera to achieve a sensitivity of up to ISO 204800. Higher sensitivity decreases blurring and enhances camera performance in dimly lit situations
Autofocus
In casual shooting, average or below average autofocus speed works fine, but photographers rely on it heavily in professional photography. Action photographers, especially sports and wildlife photographers, do not have time to adjust the focus manually every time they shoot.
As Sony a9 Alpha is targeted towards professional photographers, it offers swift autofocus with up to 20fps at full resolution with 60 AF/AE tracking calculations per second. To ensure you do not miss a moment, there is Real-time Eye AF. This feature is relatively new even for Sony cameras.
Still images
With an impressive feature set passed on by its predecessor and additional brand-new features, you get superior image quality shooting with this camera. For a 24MP sensor, 14-bit RAW output and 16-bit image processing are pretty nifty. Images of a9 II offer more excellent image details compared to rivals’ cameras of the same category. The colors of the photos are pretty vibrant and sharp.
RAW images are known for detail performance, but one distinctive feature of this mirrorless is retaining details in JPEG format.
Video
In terms of video performance, there isn’t any visible difference between the video results of this camera and its predecessors. Like the original a9, impressively responsive performance is guaranteed every time you shoot with it.
One improvement compared to Sony a9 I is that the additional dials on the body of this camera increase the ease for photographers, especially for one who is shooting manually. Also, this version has a lot more new movie modes to facilitate movie shooting.
Key video features are 4K/30p footage with a 1.2x crop, less rolling shutter, interval recording, clean HDMI output, timecode/user bits (TC/UB), REC Control, marker display/setting, and simultaneous proxy movie recording.
Battery life
Sony Alpha a9 uses around 690 shots using the rear LCD and 500 images using the EVF.
This is standard shooting time, but actual battery life depends upon usage and shooting circumstances.
Sony a9 II Specs:
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 5.07 x 3.8 x 3.05 inches
- Weight: 1.49 lb / 678 g (with Battery)
- Lens Mount: Sony E
- Sensor Type: CMOS
- Sensor Resolution: 24.2 Megapixel (6000 x 4000)
- Image File Format: JPEG, Raw
- Image Stabilization: Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis
- ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100-51200
- Shutter Speed: Mechanical, 1/8000s to 30s
- Electronic Shutter: 1/32000 to 30s
- Metering Method: Center-Weighted Average, Highlight Weighted, Multi-Zone, Spot
- Exposure Modes: Aperture Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority
- White Balance: Auto, Cloudy, Color Temperature, Custom, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent (Cool White), Fluorescent (Day White), Fluorescent (Daylight), Fluorescent (Warm White), Incandescent, Shade, Underwater
- Continuous Shooting: Up to 20fps at 24.2MP for up to 239 Frames (Raw) / 361 Frames (JPEG), Up to 10fps at 24.2MP for up to 239 Frames (Raw) / 361 Frames (JPEG)
- Interval Recording: Yes
- Self-Timer: 2/5/10-Second Delay
- Video Recording Modes: XAVC S, UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p [60 to 100 Mb/s], Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [50 to 100 Mb/s], AVCHD, Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 50i/59.94i [17 to 24 Mb/s]
- Audio Recording: Built-In Microphone (Stereo)
- Focus Type: Auto and Manual Focus
- Focus Mode: Continuous-Servo AF (C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus (M), Single-Servo AF (S)
- Autofocus Points: 693
- Viewfinder Type: Electronic (OLED) 0.5″
- Screen Size: 3.0″, 1,440,000 Dot, Tilting Touchscreen LCD
- Memory Card: Dual Slot: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II)
- Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 2280 mAh (Approx. 500 Shots)
- Wireless: No
Pros:
- 24MP full-frame stacked sensor
- 93% autofocus coverage
- Up to 20fps
- High luminance viewfinder
- Voice memo feature
- 5 GHz7 wireless LAN support
Cons:
- Some rival mirrorless cameras of the same category that cost less than this one offer better battery life.
- Compared to predecessor a9, an increase of $1000 in price is a little extra.
Conclusion
Overall, Sony a9 II is a great camera. With the reliable name tag of Sony and an imposing set of features, it is worth buying this mirrorless camera. <–Affiliate Link 🙂
Built specifically to support professional needs with the top-notch second-generation features, magnesium alloy built, and no blackout between frames – we highly recommend Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera.
