Time flies! Three years have already passed since the introduction of the Sony A1, the first mirrorless camera capable of competing on equal terms with a top-of-the-range reflex camera even in the field that is most congenial to it: sports photography.
Today, Sony announces the second generation of its flagship, the A1 II (ILCE-1M2), in a context that has, in the meantime, evolved and consolidated a little. Nikon showed its excellent Z9 and, some time later, its sister Z8, which in terms of camera body structure is the closest rival to the Sony A1. Canon, for its part, presented the EOS R3, and more recently its “true” flagship EOS R1, of which we have, at the moment, only had a first taste.
To strengthen his position, Sony has refined its flagship by focusing on usability and shooting assistance functions. The heart of the camera has remained completely unchanged, starting with that 50 Mpixel stacked Exmor RS sensor, which made it possible to create the first generation of A1.
However, thanks also to a dedicated Ai processor, according to Sony technicians the A1 II now manages noise better, ensuring cleaner images at medium-high sensitivitiesbetter recognizes the scene in front of him, ensuring not just one more accurate focus but also a better white balance and more accurate colors in difficult situations (shadows), is equipped with one more effective stabilizerof a new function of RAW multiple shot which does not multiply the resolution but reduces the noiseunpublished pre-shooting functions and continuous shooting at increased cadence borrowed from the A9 III.
An evolution, therefore, not a new revolution. An evolution that facilitates the photographer’s task, increasing the probability of obtaining an optimal result. An evolution that increases the already non-negligible list price of the previous model by 200 Euros, bringing the total to 7500 Euros for the body only machine.
This makes the A1 II one of the most expensive cameras in its segment, if not the most expensive overall: The EOS R1 costs even more, around 7750 Euros, but to the Sony A1 II you must add, if you want the same type of operation, the VG-C5 vertical grip worth 450 Euros and the cost of the second battery. The Nikon Z9, for comparison, debuted at around 6100 Euros…
The camera will be available starting from the first week of December, and has been tested with a lens which is itself an important novelty in the Sony catalogue: it is dellFE 28-70mm F2 GMasterto which we will dedicate a separate review.
Source: www.fotografidigitali.it
