Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera

A fusion of leading technologies delivers overwhelming performance
The massive volume of data from the 50.1 megapixel full-frame Exmor RS™ image sensor is processed in real time by Sony’s BIONZ XR™ image processing engine. An advanced AI processing unit applies high-level subject recognition to reliably recognize a wide range of subjects. These state-of-the-art technologies make it easy to capture even the most challenging subjects in extraordinary resolution, with blackout-free viewing and full AF/AE tracking at up to 30 fps.

An advanced AI processing unit achieves high-level subject recognition
The α1 II features a dedicated AI processing unit that helps to recognize people more accurately based on human pose estimation and supports recognition of a wide range of subjects other than people, such as animals, vehicles and insects, with high accuracy. This results in a dramatic improvement in Real-time Recognition AF and Real-time Tracking capability, and higher overall AF performance.

Human eye recognition improved by up to approximately 30%
Real-time Recognition AF has improved human eye recognition by approximately 30%, and its human pose estimation technology also delivers precise recognition of subjects facing away from the camera, wearing sunglasses, or with the face obscured. Recognition of distant human subjects occupying only a small part of the frame has been notably improved, so approaching subjects are recognized and tracked sooner. Subjects can also be tracked better across occlusions among many people.

A wide variety of subjects accurately recognized
A wider variety of subjects*7 is now recognized for stills and movies, with a new [Auto] mode letting the camera select. Recognition of animals overall is improved by approximately 30%*6, with eyes of some small animals added, and the eyes, heads and faces of animals like dogs and cats recognized. Recognition of birds is improved by 50%

AF tracking response settable to match subject speed changes
Fast Hybrid AF combines phase detection and contrast detection for superb speed, precision and tracking performance. 759 phase-detection points cover 92% of the image sensor. The AF tracking response for stills can now be selected from [Stable], [Standard], and [Responsive] to suit the likely subject motion, useful for example in bird photography. High AF precision is achieved right down to light levels as low as EV-4.0 in AF-S mode, with improved contrast AF response.

Flexible focus area settings
XL and XS focus area spot sizes are now available in addition to the existing L, M, and S. XS can be useful to avoid focusing on foreground objects such as branches. It is also possible to create a custom focus area of specified size and aspect ratio, useful in situations like a track event where athletes are lined up side-by-side and you want to focus on the leading runner.

Selectable release time lag
Selectable release time lag modes are available via the [Release Lag] / [Start Display] menu. With blackout occurring on only the first image in a continuous burst, [Fastest Release/On] provides the shortest possible release time lag, while [Stable Release/On] minimizes variations in release time lag making it easier to release the shutter at the intended moment. The default [Auto/Off] setting gives no blackout when shooting is started.

High-speed continuous shooting at full 50.1 MP resolution
High-speed continuous shooting at up to 30 fps with full AF/AE tracking is possible at a stunning 50.1 MP*1 resolution, with up to 120 AF/AE calculations per second*12 on the data from the image sensor. Blackout-free shooting with no loss of viewfinder image allows seamless framing and capture of the subject as if viewed with the naked eye.

Pre-Capture and Continuous Shooting Speed Boost
Pre-capture retroactively captures moments that occurred before the shutter was released, without compromising resolution, even when shooting continuously at up to 30 fps with selectable recording time options. Continuous Shooting Speed Boost can temporarily change the burst speed. Both features reduce the chance of missing that vital instant.

Stunning resolution with 50.1 megapixels
Sony’s extensive high-performance G Master line work with the 50.1 megapixel Exmor RS image sensor and BIONZ XR image processing engine to create deep, lifelike, high-resolution rendering. The sensor’s high pixel count means that resolution is still a very impressive 21 megapixels (approx.) when shooting in APS-C mode or cropping to APS-C size after shooting.

Selectable RAW image size and quality
Compressed, Uncompressed, and high-compression Lossless compressed RAW still images are provided. Compressed RAW images can be shot continuously at up to 30 fps. Three Lossless compressed RAW image sizes can be selected to suit the application: L, M, and S. Lossless compressed RAW, JPEG, and HEIF images in M and S size have the same number of pixels whether shot in the full-frame or APS-C mode, making it possible to seamlessly switch modes while maintaining the same image resolution. JPEG and RAW sizes can be freely mixed and matched to meet the needs of the application.