Sony A1 II Review and Initial Thoughts

The Sony A1 II is Sony's newest flagship camera, announced in November, 2024. It replaces the Sony A1 - Sony's first camera in the "1" line of flagship cameras which made headlines in 2021. At the time the A1 was revolutionary. It offered a 50 megapixel sensor capable of 30 fps burst shooting and 8K video. It was the first camera to have an electronic shutter that syncs with underwater strobes. And though the retail price came in at an eye popping $6500, that didn't stop it from becoming one of the most popular underwater cameras at Bluewater Photo. The Sony A1 II comes in at the same retail price as the A1 with moderate upgrades - like an AI autofocus processor and features like pre-capture. Though, it may not be the most exciting camera release from Sony, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the A1 has been made current again. Will it be a major improvement for underwater photography? We'll see! As soon as an underwater housing for the Sony A1 drops, you can be sure we'll have one in the water. Fortunately, it's looking quite possible that Sony A9 III housings will be compatible with the Sony A1 as well. 

Order your Sony A1 II Camera at Bluewater Photo

Support our content and purchase a Sony A1 II underwater housing at Bluewater Photo:

View All Sony A1 II Underwater Housings

Order an Ikelite Sony A1 II Housing

Order a Marelux Sony A1 II Housing

Order a Nauticam Sony A1 II Housing

Sony A1 II Camera Specifications

• 50.1 megapixel full frame sensor
• BIONZ XR processor
• 120 autofocus calculations per second
• Improved AF tracking with AI autofocus processor first introduced in the Sony A7R V
• 30% better eye detection for animals and humans
• Up to 8.5 stops of in body image stabilization
• 1/400 flash sync speed with mechanical shutter (1/200 with electronic shutter) and 1/500 sync speed in aps-c mode
• 8k/30p and 4K/120p video recording
• Improved Log recording
• Autoframing video features
• Pre-capture
• 30fps burst shooting with electronic shutter
• 9.4 million dot EVF (electronic viewfinder)
• Dual card slots for CF Express type A or UHS-II SD cards
• 420 shot battery life with EVF and 520 shot battery life with LCD
• Dimensions:136.1 mm x 96.9 mm x 82.9mm
• Weight: 743 grams

Upgrades from the Original Sony A1

Imroved Autofocus

The main improvement in the Sony A1 II for underwater photography is the autofocus. The camera features the AI autofocus processor first introduced in the Sony A7R V. This dedicated hardware has improved the camera's ability to detect humans and animals by 30%. For birds, the accuracy has increased to 50%. If the performance of the new Canon R5 Mark II or Sony A7R V is indicative of performance in the A1 II, then this camera should be much better at tracking fish. That said, initial reviews do mention that the Sony A9 III does still have better autofocus performance than the A1 II. This makes sense as the A1 requires a lot more processing with 51 megapixel files. 

Improved In-Body Image Stabilization

Sony introduced the concept of In-Body Image Stabilization with some of their first mirrorless cameras. Essentially, the camera's sensor is on a gyroscope allowing you to captured photos at much lower shutter speeds without motion blur. The A1 II's performance has been improved to up to 8.5 stops of correction - in line with recent cameras from Canon, Sony, and Nikon. At 8.5 stops of correction, this means you can half your minimum shutter speed 8.5 times and get an equivalent photo! 

Precapture Shooting 

Precapture shooting on the Sony A1 II now allows you to capture photos for 1 second before you hit the shutter, up to 30 fps. However, this is not as useful for underwater photography because it doesn't work with strobes. That said, if you do quick action photography without strobes - like the sailfish in Mag Bay - this feature is a game changer. It does eat battery life so bring extra batteries!

A New Body

The Sony A1 II's body is almost identical to the Sony A9 III. The ergonomics on this camera are arguably better than the original A1. That said, most of these improvements will be felt for above water photography. 

Underwater Housings for the Sony A1 II

As we mentioned before, it's quite likely that the Sony A1 II will fit in underwater housings for the Sony A9 III. This would be a major benefit for those wanting the quickest underwater camera Sony has to offer capable of a global shutter (and unlimited flash sync speeds) to be used in conjunction with the A1 II. It's the ultimate combination. But we won't know more until the camera is officially released and housing manufacturers have had the chance to evaluate the camera. So make sure to keep up to date on new Sony A1 II Underwater Housing releases at Bluewater Photo.

Is the Sony A1 II Worth the Upgrade?

While the Sony A1 II isn't a major upgrade from the Sony A1, many of it's new features were only possible with a hardware upgrade, not a firmware update. In fact, Sony is typically very good about making sure their legacy cameras receive firmware updates to modernize them. So in many ways, this release is commendable. That said, the image quality from the Sony A1 II will be the same as the Sony A1. Many of the video features are the same as well. Some minor features like auto framing, introduced in the Sony ZV-E1, and improved Log recording are exciting but not game-changing. 

If you need absolutely the best camera on the market from Sony, the A1 II is it. But much like with the release of the Sony A1, the Canon R5 II and the Nikon Z8 offer flagship-level shooting capability for a more affordable price point. But as we learned with the original Sony A1, sometimes cost isn't a deciding factor. Especially if you need the best.