Sony A9 II Announced Just Before 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Sony has just updated their top of the line full-frame mirrorless camera with the Sony A9 II, just in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The new Alpha 9 II  builds on the same legacy of the first A9 maintaining it’s groundbreaking “no-blackout” 20 fps shooting speed with no viewfinder blackout which is crucial of getting those crispy, fast-paced moments. This is because the A9 II shares the same CMOS sensor of the original A9. Thus it goes without saying that it’s 693 autofocus points which covers 93% of the image areas and it’s expandable ISO range are also maintained.

Even though the new A9 II still uses the same 2017 CMOS sensor, Sony has added some new upgrades under the hood which makes the A9 II worthy to be called a successor for 2019 standards rather than a pointless upgrade.

Firstly, the new A9 II has improved the mechanical shutter of the A9 doubling it’s fps to 10 fps, useful for photographers who may find themselves in tricky lighting situations.

The A9 II has also added 5.5-stops in-body stabilization from it’s high-res brother, the Sony A7RIV. This allows the new flagship to increase it’s image sharpness during hand-held photo-taking sessions.

Furthermore, Sony has added USB-C to the A9 II’s ports. This allows photographers to power the camera during shoots and also provides fast USB 3.2 GEN 1 data transfer.

Another added advantage the A9 II has is the introduction of a Gigabit Ethernet port that takes data transfer speeds to a whole new level, up to 1Gbps. This feature would be more focused towards professionals who needs to transfer large amount of files, decreases release time lag and reduced live view screen delay when using the ‘Remote Camera Tool’ desktop application. The A9 II also adds a 5GHz wireless LAN functionality to the 2.4GHz option already provided by the first-generation A9.

A handy feature that Sony has placed in the A9 II is the use of voice memos that allows audio recordings to be attached to the images that can be replayed when the images are reviewed. This handy little feature will surely benefit working professionals who needs to share their work with other people on a project.

The A9 II also takes the best from the Alpha A6400’s new Bionz X processor giving the best autofocus to the A9 II in speed and accuracy for face, eye and animal’s eyes too.

Finally, Sony has also improved the A9 II’s dust and water resistance with stronger sealing at all body seams as well as over the battery compartment and media slot. This tweak is sure to benefit professionals who are always on the go for the rough and wet shoots.

The battery life to the A9 II is expected to last around 50 additional shots than the previous A9(around 480 shots). However, the A9 II has a new compatible battery grip which is surely way more than enough battery to cover a photographing session.

Sony Malaysia has yet to come up with a price of the A9 II in Malaysia. But based on international tech news, the A9 II will set you back no less than $4,500. Obviously, the Sony A9 II is not the camera for the new amateur looking to explore the world of photography, nor is it the camera for hobbyist who are looking for a gear upgrade. The $4,500 price alone already shows it is for professionals who will need the A9’s specific features to get the best possible shot for the hefty price tag to be justified.

The Sony A9 II is expected to be available in Malaysia from December 2019. For full product detail, please visit here.