Sony unveils a99 II, its first flagship-class, full-frame interchangeable lens camera in four years

[Shawn Knight]

Sony on Monday at Photokina 2016 introduced the Alpha a99 II, its first flagship-class, full-frame interchangeable lens camera in four years. The wait seems to be well worth it as the a99 II is loaded to the brim with pro-level features.

The a99 II comes loaded with a 42.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS full-frame sensor with an ISO range of 100 to 25,600 (expandable to ISO 50 – 102,400). If you’re familiar with Sony shooters, you’ll recognize this sensor as the same one found in the company’s excellent a7R II mirrorless camera.

There’s also a new front-end LSI that works with the sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine to enable continuous shooting at up to 12 frames per second. 4K video recording (3,840 x 2,160 @ 30 frames per second / 100Mbps) comes standard.

Elsewhere, the camera features a hybrid autofocus system using 3D Focus technology which affords 79 dedicated phase detection points along with 399 focal plane phase detection points – both of which work concurrently at all times.

Another carryover from the a7 II line is the 5-axis image stabilization system (pitch, yaw, horizontal motion, vertical motion and roll motions) that’ll help keep the camera steady in low-light scenes.

Sony says the a99 II is a bit more refined than the original, now eight percent smaller with a new grip, magnesium alloy body and dual SD card slots. The button, dials and media jack cover are all sealed to provide a shield against dust and moisture although Sony doesn’t guarantee it'll keep out 100 percent of the elements.

Sony’s a99 II is slated to arrive in November priced at $3,199 (body only).

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https://www.techspot.com/news/66368-sony-unveils-a99-ii-first-flagship-class-full.html

 

[Jack007]

These are the same specs I have been posting up all over the net for. On canon nikon and other forums. With these monstrous specs it would be a like giants thundering through canon and nikon land. Alas the great one has come

 

[Squid Surprise]

And for a flagship camera, that's a pretty good price... I'm looking forward to reviews to see how well it actually performs...

 

[Uncle Al]

WAY over priced ..... too many good digital bodies from Cannon and Nikon for 1/3 the price and less!

 

[Squid Surprise]

WAY over priced ..... too many good digital bodies from Cannon and Nikon for 1/3 the price and less!

Yes... but not at this level... flagship cameras tend to cost around 5k....

 

[Uncle Al]

Yes... but not at this level... flagship cameras tend to cost around 5k....

Flagship camera ..... that is truly a laugh! Any photographer worth their salt can take an old pentax film camera, priced at under $100 at any pawn shop, and turn out as good, if not better that those so called flagship cameras. It's the operator, not the equipment ..... all you have to do is look at Eisenstat's work; it says it all.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Flagship camera ..... that is truly a laugh! Any photographer worth their salt can take an old pentax film camera, priced at under $100 at any pawn shop, and turn out as good, if not better that those so called flagship cameras. It's the operator, not the equipment ..... all you have to do is look at Eisenstat's work; it says it all.

Ok, you can use your Pentax.... Let's let the rest of the digital world speak about the present... This camera, for what it is, is priced quite competitively - until we see how it actually performs, we won't know if it's a good buy.

 

[Raoul Duke]

As a guy that grew up shooting film (just personal stuff, not pro in any way), my mind is boggled by these kinds of offerings

 

[Jack007]

WAY over priced ..... too many good digital bodies from Cannon and Nikon for 1/3 the price and less!

a sony camera with 42mp photos and sensor from a7 rii which produce the very best jpeg images in the world coupled with a fast 399 autofocus system controlled by a massive bionz processor spitting 12fps into a intricate pipeline in a deep buffer is what I would call a planet buster. this camera has the level of superman. literally

 

[wiyosaya]

These are the same specs I have been posting up all over the net for. On canon nikon and other forums. With these monstrous specs it would be a like giants thundering through canon and nikon land. Alas the great one has come

You sound like a Sony shill.

As I see it, this is yet another entry from has been Sony looking to make scads of money from their once meaningful name. 42MP may be a lot of pixels, but the 5DS and 5DS R had late again Sony beat long ago.

 

[Uncle Al]

You sound like a Sony shill.

As I see it, this is yet another entry from has been Sony looking to make scads of money from their once meaningful name. 42MP may be a lot of pixels, but the 5DS and 5DS R had late again Sony beat long ago.

Just a realist that see's the difference between real photographers and a mass of "wannabe's" that think an expensive camera is going to solve their lack of talent ....... LOL

 

[mbrowne5061]

Just a realist that see's the difference between real photographers and a mass of "wannabe's" that think an expensive camera is going to solve their lack of talent ....

I'll agree with you here to an extent, that an expensive camera isn't going to magically make someone the next McCury or Aslund - just like how buying an F1 car isn't going to magically make someone the next Lauda or Schumacher.

I would never recommend that someone starts with a camera as awesome as this one. I wouldn't even recommend a DSLR of any kind. Instead, I would point them towards a mirrorless body - probably also a Sony, because Nikon and Canon can't seem to get their act together in that market - and then towards some good photography forums. I also wouldn't recommend that they start with film. You can take a fraction of the shots with film as you can with digital, and this will limit your ability to practice. The expense involved in keeping your camera fed will be discouraging as well. After they decide that they like photography, and have a picked subject medium/direction, then they can move into a starter-DSLR body that suits their subject and their styles, and then slowly up the ranks of camera bodies and glass.

No, this camera is marketed towards the people taking magazine cover shots, shooting for NatGeo, or the pros who prefer digital over film.

 

[Jack007]

You sound like a Sony shill.

As I see it, this is yet another entry from has been Sony looking to make scads of money from their once meaningful name. 42MP may be a lot of pixels, but the 5DS and 5DS R had late again Sony beat long ago.

8mp is negligable when you have the best looking jpegs in the world. Canon 5ds is far behind this camera. Its so slow compared to 399 autofocus points. If any other camera maker would have made this I would have applauded them enormously cause they accomplished what canikon might be hiding until they have made too much from consumers. instead of giving the consumers a super camera that wont have to be replaced for another 3 years minimum due to its extremely high performance and superb rounded specs