Sony Alpha 1 II (Body)

Description

The Sony a1 II is the most versatile camera yet offering the best overall mixture of speed, video capabilities, high-resolution stills, and a robust, professional-worthy body design. It pulls much of the original a1's well-rounded feature-set into an a9 III body and adds the AF and IBIS technologies introduced with the a7R V. It's a camera meant for working professionals, whether their sports, editorial, product, fashion, or advertising shooters, and it's equally appealing to landscape, portrait, wedding, and event photographers, too. And, beyond photography, it has the video tools the a1-series is known for, including 8K recording, along with useful stabilization and framing aids borrowed from the ZV class of cameras.

The a1 II brings Sony's best technology from every lineup into one all-encompassing camera body making it the do anything camera solution for professionals.

• AI Processing Unit-The addition of this key piece of tech greatly improves autofocus, subject detection, and subject tracking accuracy, speed, and reliability. These new processing capabilities allow the camera to more accurately and intelligently recognize subjects, predict their movements, and generally retain critical focus on them as they move.
• Pre-Capture and Speed Boost Functions-These two features are dedicated to continuous burst-style shooting and make the a1 II an even better option for action photographers looking to use this camera in high-end sports, wildlife, and birding situations.
• 8.5-Stop IBIS-It's typical for cameras to have better IBIS figures with each new generation, but the a1 II adds a whopping 3 extra stops to its predecessor's performance, meaning it's possible to use the camera handheld in noticeably dimmer lighting conditions and with slower shutter speeds, opening even more shooting versatility.
• Video Improvements-The core video specs remain the same between the generations, but the a1 II gains some asked-for features to make it even more of a video powerhouse: Dynamic Active Mode Stabilizer, Framing Stabilizer, true 24.00 frame rate, and Breathing Compensation are all welcomed additions for content creators.
• Overhauled Body Design-The a1 II inherits the a9 III's body design, making it more comfortable to use, more robust in terms of weather-sealing, compatibility with the latest VG-C5 Vertical Grip, and an improved LCD and EVF.

Sensor and Processing Improvements

The original a1 was already known for its strong imaging performance and the a1 II improves on this with upgraded BIONZ XR processing, an AI processing unit, more powerful 8.5-stop IBIS, and the impressive 50MP stacked BSI CMOS sensor from its predecessor. The sensor and processor still afford a top 30-fps shooting rate, expandable sensitivity from ISO 50-102400, and an impressive 15-stop dynamic range. Additionally, on the speed front, the a1 II gains the Pre-Capture and Speed Boost functions that debuted on the a9 III.
 

• Up to 30 fps continuous shooting with an electronic shutter, or 10 fps with the mechanical shutter, with AF and AE supported.
• Pre-Capture Shooting records at up to 30 fps for up to 1 second prior to fully pressing the shutter, helping to ensure you don't miss fleeting moments.
• Speed Boost lets you vary your continuous shooting speed mid-burst; when the C5 button is depressed while burst shooting, you can switch from the chosen continuous shooting speed to a faster or slower one to suit the pace of action you're photographing.
• Refined 5-axis in-body image stabilization compensates for up to 8.5 stops of camera shake at the center of the frame and 7 stops at the periphery; an improvement of 3 stops of shake control compared to the original a1.
• Same full-frame 50MP stacked BSI CMOS sensor as the a1, mixing high resolution with the speed and reduced rolling shutter of a stacked design to suit both meticulous and quick-working shooters.
   

Smarter, Faster Autofocus and Subject Tracking

The a1 II's focusing system received similarly significant upgrades from its predecessor, now sporting an AI Processing Unit and refined subject detection and tracking. The phase-detection AF system itself still comprises 759 points, which cover about 92% of the sensor area, and support focusing down to -4 EV at f/2. Subject tracking and subject detection is improved, too, specifically how the camera is 30% faster at detect human eyes and 50% faster with animal eyes.

• First seen in the a7R V and a9 III, the a1 II sports a dedicated AI Processing Unit for refined, responsive, and intelligent subject tracking and detection of humans, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains, and airplanes.
• Human pose estimation tracks body and head positions for accurate focus in portraiture and sports settings and Real-time Eye AF performance has been improved by 30%.
• Additionally, human pose estimation can distinguish between multiple people and maintain focus on the targeted subject; even if someone crosses in front, the camera maintains focus on the key person.
• Real-time Tracking benefits from AI-based subject recognition for following moving subjects, making it particularly well-suited to sports and action subjects.
• Auto Subject Recognition modes no longer necessitate selecting a subject type, letting the camera detect and track the intended subject.
• XS and XL focus area spot sizes have been added for more subject versatility or you can customize AF focus areas to suit uniquely sized or shaped subjects.
• Full-time DMF (Direct Manual Focus) enables using the lens's focus ring for manual focus control at any time, making it easier to switch focus to a different subject even when working with AF.

Alpha's Alpha in Video Capabilities

The core video specs of the original a1 were ahead of their time, and in many ways, still are. The a1 II keeps many of the core resolutions and frame rates but refines the video recording capabilities with more supportive modes and features, including access to Dynamic Area Stabilization and support for a true 24.00 frame rate for a cinematic look and timecode input with optional adapter. This makes the a1 II just as capable on a professional film set as it is in a photography studio.

• Familiar recording formats: 8K 30p with 10-bit 4:2:0 sampling and 4K 120p with 10-bit 4:2:2 sampling. When using a Super 35 recording area, 4K footage can use 5.8K oversampling for improved detail and the full-frame area offers 8.6K oversampling for the 8K footage.
• Included S-Cinetone profile, ProRes RAW output over HDMI, and the ability to import LUTs all point to the great amount of color control the a1 II offers.
• AI subject recognition, gained from the AI Processing Unit, benefits the Framing Stabilizer mode, which can be used to automatically crop and recompose so the subject remains centered in the image.
• Dynamic Active Mode Stabilization also helps retain accurate framing while filming, especially when recording while walking or moving.
• Support for Breathing Compensation mode, which reduces the effects of focus breathing when using select lenses.

Technical Data

• 50.1MP Full-frame Exmor RS stacked CMOS image sensor with integral memory
• Powerful BIONZ XR image processing engine with improved image quality at mid to high ISO
• Image stabilization with up to 8.5-step central and 7.0-step peripheral compensation
• A state-of-the-art AI Processing Unit achieves Real-time Recognition AF for both stills and movies
• Advanced Real-time Tracking and wide, 759-point high density phase detection AF
• No blackout, up to 30 fps continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking
• Pre-Capture and Continuous Shooting Speed boost functions
• Flash sync up to 1/400 s (APS-C 1/500 s)
• Composite RAW functions; NR Shooting Settings, Pixel Shift Multi Shooting 
• 8K 30p and 4K 50/60p movie recording, 4:2:2 10 bit, All-I 
• Framing Stabilizer / Dynamic active Mode / Auto Framing
• Import User LUT’s / S-Cinetone / S-log 3
• Breathing compensation 
• 4-axis multi-angle LCD monitor with 3.2-type screen, class leading 9.44 mil resolution EVF @ 120fps
• Ergonomic grip and buttons
• 155 min charging time per 2 batteries with new supplied quick battery charger
• Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO, SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2), 2.5GBASE-T Wired LAN 
• Dedicated microphone for Voice Memo
• UVC/UAC USB streaming up to 4K 30p  
• High reliability for any working environment

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