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Sony A9 II

 
Sony Alpha A9 Mark II front
 
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Bump to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 678g - 129 x 96 x 76mm
  • Released October 2019
  • Superseded the Sony A9
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
62
Imaging
75
Features
93
Overall
82

Sony A9 II summary

Sony A9 II is Sony's Pro Mirrorless camera first introduced on October of 2019. It has a 24 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS Full frame size sensor with a max resolution of 6000 x 4000.

Sony launched this camera as a way to update the previous Sony A9 (Read Full Comparison)

The A9 II is positioned #20 out of 70 in Pro Mirrorless cameras and overall #24 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. You should test our Smart camera filter to see camera listings based on your personal factors.

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The following is a graph of various factors used in the rating system.

Sony A9 II family

The Sony A9 II is part of a family of products. You can read the detailed list underneath.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-Alpha-A7R-V front thumbnailSony A7R V
A9 II vs A7R V
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2022
Sony-Alpha-A7-IV front thumbnailSony A7 IV
A9 II vs A7 IV
33MPFull frame10.0 fps2021
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Sony-Alpha-a1 front thumbnailSony a1
A9 II vs a1
50MPFull frame30.0 fps2021
Sony-Alpha-A7S-III front thumbnailSony A7S III
A9 II vs A7S III
12MPFull frame10.0 fps2020
Sony-Alpha-A9-Mark-II front thumbnailSony A9 II24MPFull frame20.0 fps2019
Sony-Alpha-A7R-IV front thumbnailSony A7R IV
A9 II vs A7R IV
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2019
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Sony-Alpha-A7-III front thumbnailSony A7 III
A9 II vs A7 III
24MPFull frame10.0 fps2018
Sony-Alpha-A7R-III front thumbnailSony A7R III
A9 II vs A7R III
42MPFull frame10.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A9 front thumbnailSony A9
A9 II vs A9
24MPFull frame20.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A7S-II front thumbnailSony A7S II
A9 II vs A7S II
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
Sony-Alpha-A7R-II front thumbnailSony A7R II
A9 II vs A7R II
42MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
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Sony-Alpha-A7-II front thumbnailSony A7 II
A9 II vs A7 II
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7S front thumbnailSony A7S
A9 II vs A7S
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7R front thumbnailSony A7R
A9 II vs A7R
36MPFull frame4.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7 front thumbnailSony A7
A9 II vs A7
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2014

Sony A9 II Pros and Cons

Here is a collection of pluses and minuses of the Sony A9 II based on factors which are usually considered useful in a camera.

better than average battery pack (690 shots)
big sensor size (Full frame)
boasts focus by touch
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
environment proof
good ISO range (51,200)
good minimum ISO (100)
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
has bluetooth
has dual storage slots
has face detection focusing
has manual focus
has tracking autofocus
high frames per second (20.0 fps)
high resolution screen (1,440 thousand dot)
includes external microphone jack
includes HDMI support
includes headphone jack
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
NFC connection
quiet shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
resolution is good (24MP)
screen size is good (3 inches)
sensor has phase detect AF
supports RAW files
tilting screen
touchscreen enabled
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 resolution)
display isn't selfie friendly
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Sony A9 II Sensor specs

The Sony A9 II is run by the BIONZ X processor chip. The sensor measurement on the Sony A9 II is 35.6mm x 23.8mm (Full frame). The 847 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 6000 x 4000 pixels with aspect ratios of 3:2. The camera has got Image Stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis). Sensor stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter may produce cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 24MP and has a native ISO range of 100 to 51200. The ISO can also be extended digitally to 50 to 204800. RAW photos are supported which means that you have more margin for error.

The image underneath shows the A9 II's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The A9 II sensor comes with a crop factor of 1 and is outlined in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony A9 II dimensions

Sony A9 II is 1.49 lb (678 grams / 23.92 oz) and the size of the camera is 129mm x 96mm x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0"). The weight of typical Pro Mirrorless camera is 722 grams and the Sony A9 II is very much the same in comparison with various competitors.

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Down below is a image of the Sony A9 II beside a soft drink to help you have a feel for its size.

Sony Alpha A9 Mark II dimensions scale

The top view underneath will show you the button layout on the A9 II.

Sony Alpha A9 Mark II topview buttons dials

Sony A9 II Lens details

The A9 II works with the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses to select from. Here is a small number of the lenses we have in our database that will work with the A9 II.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Venus-Laowa-9mm-F2.8-Zero-D-Sony-E lensVenus Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D9mmf/2.8215g
Sony-Vario-Tessar-T-E-16-70mm-F4-ZA-OSS lensSony Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS16-70mmf/4.0 308g
Photography Glossary
Tamron-18-200mm-F3.5-6.3-Di-III-VC-Sony-E-NEX lensTamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 Di III VC18-200mmf/3.5-6.3 460g
Sony-FE-28mm-F2 lensSony FE 28mm F228mmf/2.0 200g
Sigma-24-70-F2.8-DG-DN-Art-Sony-FE lensSigma 24-70 F2.8 DG DN Art24-70mmf/2.8835g
Sony-E-18-200mm-F3.5-6.3-OSS-LE lensSony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS LE18-200mmf/3.5-6.3 460g
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Sony-E-16-55mm-F2.8-G lensSony E 16-55mm F2.8 G16-55mmf/2.8494g
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Sony A9 II Connectivity

The A9 II has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • Bluetooth Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that come with NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly via smartphones. You are able to send pictures and usually alter camera settings without connecting directly with the camera.

A few apps also enable a Liveview and hit the shutter when you are not close to the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external monitor. A lot of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack through the USB socket.

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Sony A9 II Video details

The max video resolution on the Sony A9 II is 3840 x 2160 and it can save in MPEG-4, AVCHD and H.264 format. 2160p delivers a superb resolution for video recording. You will be able to downsample to 1080p to get clearer results. Beware of the large file sizes and make sure you own good SD cards with good write speed. The camera does come with both headphone and microphone jack making it pretty useful while recording audio.

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Sony A9 II Weather Sealing

Sony A9 II features environment proofing which makes it a great selection to use during rough places. This can be particularly helpful any time you are unsure about the elements you might encounter during outdoor photography.

Sony A9 II Display and Viewfinder

The Sony A9 II has a 3 inch tilting display screen with a resolution of 1,440 thousand dots.

Moreover the display screen is touch friendly which means that you will be able to shift focus points plus adjust settings using your finger.

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The View Finder specifications regarding Sony A9 II are the following:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • Resolution 3,686 thousand dots
  • Coverage 100%
  • Magnification 0.78x

Viewfinders are quite handy during sunny outdoor situations which will make the camera display washed out and difficult to view.

Sony A9 II Shutter details

Sony A9 II continuous shooting rate is 20.0 fps. The max shutter speed is 1/8000 seconds. The camera also comes with silent electronic shutter of 1/32000 seconds. Keep in mind that the electronic shutter could result in "rolling shutter" in some conditions.

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Sony A9 II Flash and Hot shoe details

Sony A9 II has got external flash support but is lacking built in flash.

Sony A9 II Autofocusing details

Sony A9 II has got both Phase Detect AF and Contrast Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster & exact compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera has Face detect which can be helpful for portrait photography.

It has 693 focus points to pick from. Sony A9 II has touch to focus. You can easily use your fingers to adjust focus. It also boasts Tracking AF for moving objects. Sony A9 II includes manual focus in case it is required during low light conditions or you need to have more accurate control on focus.

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Sony A9 II Battery life

The battery pack (NP-FZ100) on the Sony A9 II is fashioned to last for 690 clicks based on the CIPA standards making it higher than standard when compared to its class. The usual Pro Mirrorless camera battery life is 460. Olympus E-M1X comes with the maximum (870) battery life within this class of cameras.

Following is a collection of Pro Mirrorless cameras which have the highest battery life:

Sony A9 II for various types of photography

The following chart presents a rundown of the Sony A9 II for various types of photography. To find out more, visit the specific paragraph underneath.

Sony A9 II Portrait photography details

The Sony A9 II receives a points total of 85 which is wonderful, meaning that it is a excellent option to use for portrait photos. Shooting portraits leans heavily to sensor specs, RAW support & capability to work with off-camera flash.

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manual focus
good MP (24 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
provides face detect focus
saves RAW files

Sony A9 II Street photography highlights

With a outstanding rating of 78, the Sony A9 II is a brilliant choice to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera has a fine balance of picture quality plus portability.

Photography Glossary
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
large sensor size (Full frame)
delivers RAW formats
has touch focus
weather sealing
very good ISO range (51,200)

Sony A9 II as a Sports photography camera

A very high sports photography score of 87 means the Sony A9 II is a brilliant choice for photographing sports. A camera needs to have great focusing and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent shooting (1/32,000s)
max frames per second high (20.0 frames per second)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (24MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
offers tracking autofocus
environment proofing
better than average battery life (690 CIPA)
sensor has phase detect auto focus

Sony A9 II Travel photography factors

Portability is really critical in selecting a travel camera. In general, the Sony A9 II gets a above average 73 for a travel camera which makes it a very decent fit to buy for your vacations.

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better than average battery life (690 shots)
weather proof
has bluetooth
boasts touch to focus
good megapixels (24 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly

Sony A9 II Landscape photography info

If you find yourself planning to choose a camera for landscape photography, the most vital aspect is going to be image quality. The Sony A9 II with it's very high rating of 86 for a landscape camera is a wonderful fit within the current market.

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you can focus manually
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (24MP)
big sensor size (Full frame)
good high ISO (51,200)
exports RAW formats
environment proof
great battery power (690 shots)
has dual storage slots

Sony A9 II Vlogging info

A vlogging camera really should offer a moving screen, mic input and if possible image stabilization. Taking all things in to account, the Sony A9 II is not suitable as a vlog camera as it gets a terrible rating of 36.

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screen is touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detection focusing
high quality video (3840 x 2160 pixels)
includes external microphone socket
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen

Sony A9 II Alternatives

If you need replacements to the A9 II, below is a number of the highest placed cameras that fall in to the family of Pro Mirrorless.

The line chart listed below will give you a bird's eye view of the A9 II vs it's highest ranked competitors suggested above.

These are various other cameras you may have a look at as alternative options. To look at a thorough comparison, visit the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Sony
Model
Sony Alpha A9 Mark II
Class
Pro Mirrorless
Released
2019-10-03
Body design
SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Chip
BIONZ X
Sensor size
Full frame
Sensor measurements
35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor area
847.3mm²
Sensor resolution
24 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
3:2
Peak resolution
6000 x 4000
RAW pictures
Highest native ISO
51200
Highest enhanced ISO
204800
Lowest native ISO
100
Lowest enhanced ISO
50
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points
693
Lens
Lens mounting type
Sony E
Amount of lenses
121
Focal length multiplier
1
Screen
Display type
Tilting
Display size
3 inches
Display resolution
1,440 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
3,686 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage
100%
Viewfinder magnification
0.78x
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Min shutter speed
30s
Max shutter speed
1/8000s
Max quiet shutter speed
1/32000s
Continuous shutter speed
20.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range
no built-in flash
Flash options
Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Highest video resolution
3840x2160
Video data format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
678 gr (1.49 lb)
Physical dimensions
129 x 96 x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0")
Other
Battery life
690 shots
Style of battery
Battery Pack
Battery model
NP-FZ100
Self timer
Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous, 3 or 5 frames)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible)
Storage slots
Dual
Retail cost
$4,498