Sony’s new Alpha 1 II camera features upgraded IBIS, better autofocus, and an improved body design
Though the image processing pipeline is largely unchanged, the new Alpha 1 II has improvements and tweaks that should delight professional users.
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The new Sony Alpha 1 II. Photo: Sony
Sony has a new flagship camera called the Alpha 1 II. Though it’s not a dramatic redesign or overhaul of its predecessor, there are still numerous updates and improvements that professionals will appreciate and love.
To start, the sensor and image processor are unchanged. This means the Alpha I II retains the 50.1-megapixel stacked full-frame sensor of its predecessor, as well as the Bionz XR processor. However, Sony says the image processing engine has been improved to allow the Alpha 1 II to deliver better image quality at mid to high ISOs.
In terms of shooting speed, you still get 30fps when using the electronic shutter. But there’s a new pre-capture feature that buffers up to a second’s worth of footage when the shutter is half-depressed. This can be handy when shooting sports or wildlife.
The grip is deeper. Photo: Sony
The in-body image stabilization (IBIS) has been improved from 5.5 stops in the Alpha 1 to 8.5 stops in the centre of the frame and 7 stops around the periphery.
Like other high-end Alpha cameras, the Alpha 1 II gets a dedicated “AI processor” that helps with autofocus. Sony says it can now recognise even more subjects – including insects, cars, trains, and planes. The company claims a 30% improvement in eye detection for humans and animals and a 50% boost in bird eye recognition.
Speaking of autofocus, the Alpha I II is the first Sony camera to get an auto subject recognition mode. In this mode, the camera will automatically determine what kind of subject it should be tracking and lock on to it. Though this comes at a small performance penalty (in terms of speed), it also means users need to switch between modes should they be in a situation where they need to shoot multiple types of subjects.
The rear LCD display fully articulates now, making it suitable for both stills and videos. Photo: Sony
There are also significant changes to the body. The Alpha 1 II has a deeper grip and a revised button layout. It also gets a new menu system, improved displays and EVF. The rear display is a four-axis tilting screen and has a higher resolution of 2.1 million dots (vs. 1.44 million dots in the Alpha 1). The EVF’s resolution is unchanged at 9.44 million dots, but it now has a higher refresh rate of 240fps (vs. just 60fps in the Alpha 1).
Video specs are largely unchanged. The Alpha 1 II still shoots up to 8K at 30fps and captures full-width 4K videos at up to 60fps or up to 120fps with a 1.13x crop. However, users can now import up to 16 custom LUTs that can be used to preview what your Log footage will look like when it’s graded.
Card slots are also unchanged. The Alpha 1 II has two CFexpress Type A card slots and a single UHS-II SD card slot.
The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 G-Master. Photo: Sony
Alongside the Alpha 1 II, Sony also introduced a new G Master lens – the FE 28-70mm F2 G Master. This lens has a relatively fast F2 aperture and covers a wide variety of popular focal ranges. It has fast Linear XD motors, which Sony says enables the lens to keep up with the Alpha 1 II’s fast shooting speeds.
Availability and pricing
The Sony Alpha 1 II will be available in Singapore sometime in December next month. Pricing hasn’t been fixed, so we’ll update this article once we receive more details. That said, it’s worth pointing out that the Alpha 1 II has the same launch price in the US, which is US$6,499 (~S$8,701).
Pre-orders will start on 22 November and will end on 6 December. Customers who pre-order will get a free year of Premium Care (worth S$399) and a three-month Capture One All-In-One subscription (worth S$140). Customers will also be entitled to a purchase-with-purchase offer of a 160GB CFexpress memory card for S$199 (U.P. S$550).
The Sony FE 28-70mm F2 G Master lens will also be available sometime in December. Pricing hasn’t been fixed, so we’ll update this article once we receive more details. The lens has a US launch price of US$2,899.99 (~S$3,882).
Sony is running a launch promo for the lens from 22 November to 1 January 2025. Customers who purchase the lens will get a free year of Premium Care (S$399), an 86mm B+W T-pro UV MRC Nano Filter (worth S$238), and exclusive G Master accessories like a lens filter case, lens cap pouch, and lens cap sticker.
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