The Sony a9 II camera, which they call “the second generation of speed” of the great Japanese brand, comes with improvements over the previous Sony a9. Specially designed for the sports and journalistic world, inspired for the most professional.
Sony a9 II Specifications
In this table we will show you the main features of the Sony a9 II model, both in photography and video, and then we will show you its quality in practice.
SENSOR | Exmor RS CMOS sensor, 35 mm full frame (35.6×23.8 mm), 24 mp |
PROCESSOR | BIONZ X |
FOCUS (AF) | (693 points) and contrast (425 points) |
VIEWER | 1.3 cm (0.5 type), OLED Quad-VGA 3 686 400 dots electronic (color) viewer |
DISPLAY | 3″ 1,440,000 px and touch functionality |
ISO | 100 – 51.200 |
SHOTS PER SECOND | 20 FPS |
MAXIMUM RAPIDITY | 20 ips with AF up to 239 RAW or 361 JPEGs |
STABILIZER | 5-axis mechanical (5.5 steps) |
DYNAMIC RANGE | Auto/Level (1-5)); Auto High Dynamic Range: (Auto exposure difference; Exposure difference level (1-6 EV, 1.0 EV step)) |
VIDEO RESOLUTION | 3,840 x 2,160 (25/30 fps) UHD / 4K, with stereo audio |
CONNECTIVITY | USB 3.0, wifi, hdmi |
BATTERY | 500 shots approx. (viewer) 690 shots approx. (LCD monitor) |
MONTURA | Sony E |
WEIGHT | Approx. 678 grams |
PRICE | 5,400 EUROS |
Features
The body is characterized by a strong, rigid and reliable body, thanks to its high rigidity magnesium alloy composition, as well as the firmness of the mount. In addition, the grip design has been improved for a more comfortable and secure camera hold. It is also completely sealed to protect it from dust and humidity, as well as the weather conditions in which we find ourselves.
On the other hand, the display is a 3-inch LCD with 1.44 million dots, with touch functionality and tiltable (up and down). And the viewfinder is an electronic Tru-Finder OLED Quad-VGA viewfinder with a resolution of 3.69 million dots and a magnification of 0.78 x, which allows a bright and clear display with great detail.
Functions
Making use of a 24-megapixel Exmor RS CMOS-type sensor, coupled with an upgraded BIONZ X image processor, the high sensitivity and speed with which this array works allows us to produce incredible images regardless of the situation. The sensor offers high sensitivity (extendable to ISO 204,800), for exceptional image quality in any lighting conditions. It is also astonishingly fast, allowing shooting at up to 20 fps (electronic shutter) or 10 fps (mechanical shutter), with AE/AF tracking. And on the other hand, the processor enables faster image processing with a wide dynamic range. Finally, this set allows for black space-free, anti-flicker capture, and silent capture (thanks to the electronic shutter).
It also has a 5-axis image stabilizer system, which allows compensation of up to 5.5 steps.
Video
As for video resolution, it allows recording videos at 4K (30 fps) and Full HD (even up to 120 fps). In addition, full pixel readout without clustering allows for condensing about 2.4 times the amount of 4K data, which is equivalent to 6K quality. The auto-focus tracking system is now also enabled in video recording, and supports the new multi-functional microphone, which allows high-quality sound recording with minimal distortion.
Approach
In this section it is worth mentioning that Sony has an impressive focusing system, in addition, the brand is the recent winner in the TIPA awards for best innovation in photos, due to Sony’s real-time tracking.
The Sony A9 II has a real-time tracking system and Eye AF function designed to accurately and quickly track the subject (as well as animals), allowing them to be in focus at all times.
But the highlight is its new 4D FOCUS focusing system, an impressive system, as it does not only focus on space like the conventional AF system, but in addition to focusing on space it also detects the moving subject at the same time. In addition, this system has 693 points for the phase detection system and 425 points for the contrast detection system, also allowing this sensor to cover 93% of the image, with sharpness and high density. And finally this system is reliable even in low light, the advanced algorithms of this system improve light accuracy down to EV-3 levels.
Connectivity and battery
And finally, the new model has extensive connectivity options, either via 5GHz Wifi, which allows instant image sharing, or via Bluetooth, as well as an Ethernet port for LAN cable sharing, and USB Type-C connection. In addition, there are applications to facilitate this direct connection, such as FTP, Imagine Edge or Remote Camera Tool, to control the camera remotely.
The durability of the battery is ample as it is designed for the hard working days of those professionals, the camera has a high capacity NP-FZ100 battery, which has a life of approximately 500 shots with the viewfinder or 690 shots with the rear LCD monitor. There is also the option of applying two batteries.
Images of the Sony a9 II
Sony A9 II review
The Sony A9 II is a great option for the professional field, it does not differ much from the previous one, but we can see improvements in all areas, especially in video resolution as the new model allows recording in 4K as well as a longer battery life. In this case it is more advisable to buy the new one, since, for a difference of 100 euros, you can acquire an improved camera. It is true that the price is a little high, but if you are a professional, or basically want to have some photos as such, it is a very suitable option.
And to conclude, this camera is ideal for professional workflows, as it was created and supports advanced workflows, with the options of transferring large images at high speed, adding voice memos, as well as fast WiFi (5 GHz).
