Click. Click. Boom
The Alpha 9 II now leads Sony’s Alpha full-frame camera lineup, offering high-speed performance that makes it a powerful tool for discerning photographers
in mechanical shooting speed, since it continues to lag behind Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark III’s 16fps rating. What does stand out is the new mechanical shutter, which is rated at over 500,000 cycles. Considering that most mechanical shutters rate between 200,000 and 400,000 actuations, the A9II’s durability is well-positioned towards the top of the echelon.
The advantages of a mechanical shutter are enjoyed even in casual situations: reduced rolling shutter distortion can translate into a clearer picture of your dog catching a frisbee mid-air. Similarly, faster flash synchronisation speeds mean that you won’t have to shirk from taking pictures with flash under the blaring midday sun. Continuous shooting with the A9II is now also supported by antiflicker with auto-focus/auto-exposure (AF/AE) tracking reaching up to 60 calculations per second.
While the A9II serves well as an everyday-shooter (albeit an overqualified one), it is not for Sony neophytes. The menu architecture isn’t the most intuitive and may prove to be puzzling for users transitioning between brands, if only initially. However, there is plenty of room to make it one’s own ‒ the Alpha 9 II supports up to five custom menu settings. Photographers will able to define specific menu layouts for different situations.
Point And Shoot
Fans of mirrorless cameras will no doubt appreciate Sony’s “4D Focus” hybrid AF, which addresses the biggest drawback with mirrorless setups. As opposed to conventional sensor-based AF, hybrid AF blends phase-detection and contrast-detection modules into the mix. While most hybrid AFs rely on height, width and depth for their calculations, 4D Focus takes an additional dimension into account ‒ time. The 4D Focus algorithm allows the AF system to track the speed and predict the movement of the object, achieving steadfast tracking. Due to this technology, extremely rapid and “sticky” AF becomes possible, even with wide-angle shots.
The A9II handles low-light conditions remarkably well, as it is equipped with a native ISO range of 100 to 51,200, and an extended ISO range of 50 to 204,800. When it comes to the extreme ends of the ISO spectrum, however, it is crucial to understand the difference between native and extended ISO. While switching ISO values will change your sensor’s sensitivity to light, moving into the extended range brings the camera’s processor into the equation. Extended ISO utilises the camera’s processor to amplify or reduce the exposure to the nearest ISO approximation.
At the maximum native ISO value of 51,200, image noise remains remarkably low. Unsurprisingly, this deteriorates as one moves into the upper ranges of the extended ISO. That is not to say that shots taken at maximum ISO settings are unusable. There are simply more efficient ways of compensating for poor or low lighting.
While the upgrades appear minor by themselves, the features found with the A9II are testament to how seemingly small incremental changes can add up to pretty huge differences. The improvements in file transfer, wireless connectivity, weather-sealing and the new voice-tagging show that Sony has its finger on the pulse of things when it comes to what professional photographers need. In turn, this has led to the realisation of the A9 series’ potential as a professional action camera. The postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics may have rained on the A9II’s parade, postponing its opportunity to shine. However, there’s no disputing what Sony has managed to achieve: a hard-hitting contender that has a decent chance of shifting the status quo within the market for professional cameras, especially those aimed at sports coverage. AM