Sony’s new a1 II features a new dedicated AI processor, better image stabilization and a deeper grip.
When the A1 arrived in 2021, it put the camera world on notice. In more than a few categories, Sony’s full-frame mirrorless camera outperformed rivals like the Canon R5 and came with a lofty $6,500 price to match. However, after nearly four years, the A1 finds itself in an awkward position. Despite its position as Sony’s flagship, the A1 is not the most complete camera in the company’s lineup, with the more recently released A7R V and A9 III each offering features not found on their sibling. That’s changing today with the introduction of A1 II, which retains the performance capabilities of its predecessor while borrowing quality-of-life improvements from the A7R V and A9 III.
To start, the A1 II features the same fully stacked 50.1-megapixel CMOS sensor found inside the A1. As before, Sony says photographers can expect 15 stops of dynamic range for stills. The company has once again paired that sensor with its Bionz XR image processing engine but added a dedicated AI processor to handle subject recognition and autofocus. As a result, the A1 II can still shoot at up to 30 frames per second using its electronic shutter, and the autofocus system once again offers 759 points, good enough for 92 percent coverage of the sensor.
