Sony a9 II: A Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera

With the second iteration of its high speed, full-frame mirrorless camera, Sony has concentrated on subtle rather than dramatic improvements.

- JIM FISHER

The a9 II is the equal of its predecessor, the a9, from an imaging perspective. Improvements are largely ergonomic, so there’s little reason for a9 owners to upgrade. But that doesn’t detract from just how good the a9 II is for capturing sports, wildlife, and other subjects that task autofocus to its limits. Its performance is class-leading, and it undercuts its competitors in price by a wide margin, making it our Editors’ Choice.

FAMILIAR BUT IMPROVED

The a9 II feels familiar and comfortable in the hand. Its body isn’t that much different from the a9 from 2017. The grip is improved, and controls have been updated to match the feel of what you get with Sony’s specialized high-resolution model, the a7R IV.

The body is pro-grade, with magnesium-alloy construction, five-axis image stabilization, and weather protection. It’s smaller than similar models from Canon and Nikon, which incorporate vertical shooting grips into the body. On its own, the a9 II measures 3.8 by 5.1 by 3.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.5 pounds.

The camera is sold as a body only, but there are a wealth of lenses available for the system. All of the standard options that pros want are there, and Sony has a couple of exotic telephoto primes, the FE 400mm F2.8 GM and FE 600mm F4 GM, both with teleconverter compatibility. Canon and Nikon go a little bit further—each offers 500mm and 800mm prime lens options as well.