Sony Alpha 1 II Body

This flagship full-frame mirrorless camera from the electronics giant imports innovations introduced in the Sony A9 III to bring the second iteration A1 up to scratch.

Editor's Choice – Top of the line performance at a top of the line price.

Sony’s A1 II is the company’s best mirrorless camera yet, with improved handling, stabilization and autofocus compared to the original A1.

When I first heard the specifications for the A1 II, I felt a little underwhelmed. Despite its flagship status, there’s no major new features, just a series of smaller updates to refresh the camera. Almost all the upgrades have been inherited from previous bodies, most notably the A9 III, and while it’s nice to have more sophisticated subject detection, pre-capture bursts, a more flexible screen and speed boost mode, the only genuinely new feature making its debut here is Auto subject recognition - thankfully this is a highlight in general use. And even as a champion of CF Express Type-A, the slots won’t exploit the extra speed of the latest 4th Generation cards. As such there’s little reason for existing A1 owners to upgrade unless they really value the improved subject detection and pre-capture. But while some may be disappointed there’s no boost in resolution or burst rate, it’s still only the second outing for this sensor, and for most of us, 50mp at 30fps is already more than good enough. But equally you could already do this with the original A1 and four years later the market has moved on. Not only can you now buy discounted or used Alpha 1 bodies, but Canon’s EOS R5 Mark II has resolved its predecessor’s issues to become a compelling alternative at roughly two thirds the price. Ultimately while the A1 II may become Sony’s most powerful overall Alpha to date and one that’s worthy of the flagship status, it remains a mild refresh over the original, leaving potential buyers weighing-up whether it’s worth investing the extra over a discounted or used A1.