Sony Refreshed Alpha Full-Frame Action Mirrorless

2019.10.03

Sony just launched the second version of their ground-breaking Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera for action photography. The new Alpha A9 II adds a number of features for professional photographers and performance refinements. The core of this new camera remains the same as the original A9 which is 24 megapixels Full-Frame Stacked BSI-CMOS sensor that can deliver full-resolution images at 20 FPS while maintaining a blackout-free view to follow fast moving actions. The launch of the Sony Alpha A9 is a significant moment in mirrorless history, introducing the first high-speed photography features that cannot be matched by any DSLR.

The Sony Alpha A9 II offers 5-axis image-stabilization which has been improved to 5.5-stops of efficiency and allows to stabilize any lens mounted on the camera. The sensor has a ISO 100-51200 sensitivity range which is expandable to ISO 50-204800. Sony merged technologies to give the A9 and A9 II a hybrid shutter and autofocus system. The shutter covers a 1/32000-30s range with 1/4000s being the fastest mechanical speed. Autofocus is performed by combining a 693-Point Phase-Detect AF system and 425-Point Contrast-Detect AF to deliver exceptional continuous 3D subject tracking capabilities.

The entire camera has been designed for use by professional photographers. It offers rare triple control-dials, a large focus-joystick, a traditional mode dial, a drive mode dial and direct Exposure-Compensation dial plus a high number of customizable buttons. The 3.6 megapixels 0.5" EVF with Eye-Start Sensor shows a large 0.78X magnification and 100% coverage, plus the blackout-free view pioneered by the original A9. There is also a 1.4 megapixels 3" Touchscreen LCD on the back, mounted on a tiltable hinge. All this is built intro a robust magnesium-allow body which is heavily weatherproof to withstand adverse weather conditions.

There are tons of features on this full-frame mirrorless, covering every type of photography imaginable. There are 5 choices of metering patterns, bracketing for up to 9 frames, an interval timer and 4K Ultra-HD video capture at 30 FPS. The new A9 II extends the feature set with USB-C 3.2 connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet and a built-in FTP server with support for SSL. WiFi, Bluetooh 4.1 and NFC complete connectivity options. This camera is made to capture quickly and retrieve photos as quickly as possible. This is helped by using dual SDXC UHS-II memory-card slots. Battery-life has been improved slightly compared to its predecessor.

Sony expects to ship the Alpha A9 II in November for $4500 USD or $6000 USD. Adorama and B&H Photo are ready to accept pre-orders. These reputable stores will only charge your credit-card when the camera ships while ensuring that you are among the first to receive the new Sony Alpha A9 II.

• Digital Camera