Sony launched the second-generation model today flagship Alpha 1 camera. Sticking with the company’s famously bad naming conventions, the new camera is called Alpha 1 II.
The original Alpha 1 was the Swiss army knife of mirrorless cameras, critically acclaimed for its incredible high-speed photo and 8K video capabilities. The Alpha 1 II borrows the same 50.1MP full-frame stacked CMOS sensor, but combines it with a new AI processing unit.
This improves the autofocus capabilities, which can now detect a wider range of subjects apart from people, including animals, birds, insects and various types of vehicles. It can also estimate human poses and track a person even if they move or look away.
The Alpha 1 II also improves in-body image stabilization, which is now rated at 8.5 stops in the center of the frame (up from 5.5 stops) and 7 stops at the edge. The new camera also features a pre-capture mode, which allows you to capture a moment just before you press the shutter button, just in case you’re too late.
The Alpha 1 II has a new and much more mobile display. Instead of moving on one axis like the previous model, the new display can now rotate completely in any direction along 4 axes. The digital viewfinder also has a new, deeper eyecup that comes with the standard version. The camera body has also been changed with a better grip and more hotkeys.
The new camera has much of the same connectivity as before, but Sony has upgraded the Ethernet from 1 Gbps to 2.5 Gbps. Finally, the camera comes with a new BC-ZD1 charger, which can charge two Z batteries simultaneously. The rest of the camera is more or less identical to the original 2021 model, making it still an incredibly powerful and capable tool without much competition in its segment.
The Sony Alpha 1 II costs $6,500 and will be available from December 2024.