Testing bird focus with a 70-200 2.8 doesn't have value to real bird shooters. Never can get that close

Maybe a less popular wish list item but would like to see EVF tech and specs advance. Headsets like AVP while being a totally different device have shown that it’s possible to get really good viewing experience up close. IMO there’s still much improvement to be had over the current 9 million spec. For a flagship that’s at a premium price, it’s also strange to see Sony put constraints upon a primary channel of interacting, working with a camera. Would like to see the industry move to higher resolutions, refresh rates, image fidelity on EVFs while also continuing to refine the UI/UX. While possible to change settings, IMO crowding the perimeter with setting icons isn’t the most elegant solution and kinda takes away from fully inspecting the scene

It seems to be a debunked myth that more pixels (meaning smaller pixels per measured area) would reduce image quality due to "gathering less light" than larger pixels on the same sensor would gather. If one considers the Nikon D700 versus the D600, the 12MP of the D700 should magically win out versus the 24MP of the same size sensor in the D600. But that's not how it played out. I think it's a correlation that sometimes was true that a more packed sensor had worse high ISO performance, but that is not fact that the pixel size is the cause. If it were, the D600 would perform far worse than a D700. And there are other instances of this in other camera lines where higher MP sensors perform better than older lower MP sensors. My point of all this is that it's a difference in the sensors themselves and the signal to noise ratio management that impacts image quality at higher ISO, not the physical size of the pixels themselves. That's why today's higher MP sensors can perform so beautifully, especially in sensors of 35MP or higher density. So extrapolate that down to 16MP versus 20MP on M43 and we end up with a larger MP sensor in the 20MP M43 bodies outperforming the 16MP cameras. Has nothing to do with pixel size, but rather advances in sensor technology and electronics that boost that performance. Older just isn't better in most cases when it comes to high ISO performance, but it's also true that M43 is very respectable up to 6400 on many camera bodies versus larger sensor cameras at the same ISO. I just don't see the issue, but admittedly larger sensors do perform better in general if we remain in the same technology timeline with the comparisons. However, compare a M43 sensor today to a full frame Canon 5D or 5D Mark II and the differences are very close. This is a great video, very in depth and factual. I genuinely appreciate the perspective as I'm today looking at a G85 in 2024 to replace a Fujifilm X-T1 kit. I'm perfectly happy with my X-T1 up to 6400 and from what I have seen, the older 16MP M43 sensors do pretty well there too. M43 lenses are generally cheaper, lighter and perform beautifully, the color outputs are great, and the tech within them outstanding. I don't care how old the camera is if it performs well and I have maybe a handful of photos shot above ISO 6400, so I just don't need more. Noise is ok if the image is captured properly in camera, and if noise becomes the subject of conversation, it wasn't a great photo anyway. Thank you for the hard work that went into this even if an older video.

Hi gordon what sd cards would you recommend for the xt4 for raw+raw ...

I’m hoping someone will compare this to the ef 501.2. I bought the 35 of this and it’s ok not breathtaking but not sure 50 would be a big upgrade

After the release of A9III, the A1 II just seems to be a rehash of older technology. I think the A1 II is targeted to new users rather than owners of the previous generation. On my part, I recently purchased the A7RV which is an almost complete camera for landscape and portraits. For action or video, I am interested in the A9III rather than the A1 II or the previous generation A1. I accept that the combo of the A7RV/A9III is more expensive than purchasing the A1 II, but the combo is better at landscape and action. That leaves the A1 II as the jack of all combo cameras. Now, to sell my older model Sony cameras to make purchasing the A9III less dear to my wallet.

Hi, where is the in depth review about the R5II? Thx

thnaks. is the focus on the moon, or focus on the foreground subject? or is it hyperfocal?. Any stack necesary, or single shot? Thank you again👋

when the a7r v was announced many a1 owners were not happy that their camera didn’t have these new features . Sony now bring these features to the a1 ii yet it seems those same a1 users are still not happy! 😂

Not worth 6K get it in a few years on the used market for 2500$

Masterful review Gordon. Thank you

I would buy this instantly if the borderless option was actually borderless. Instead, there's a thin border around the image and a thick white line on the bottom.

Yup..9:10 that view quality quirk..lol Is also in the A7R5 as well..I remember that when I first used my A7R5..lol I was like what is that!..lol just had to live with it of course. lol Did I miss it?..did you not talk about the better "touchscreen" functions?..change settings via touching swipe..i.e like the aperture and shutter speed?..I know Sony is behind in terms of having more touch screen capabilities..other brands have had touch function changing settings already..lol

WTF???!!! Not full res EVF (9.44) at 120 fps???!!!

This camera just proves how far ahead of the competition the A1 really was. Considering that this camera segment has reached close to full maturity and market saturation there wasn't much more for Sony to add to the already excellent A1. I wish Sony would throw an upgraded RX100 into the more popular point and shoot market. One has only to look at the hugely popular and expensive Leica Q or Fuji X100VI to see what cameras sell at the moment

Again... a most amazing review. (It makes me wonder how long I'll need to set aside to watch your in depth review!) Overall your assessment reminds me of how I felt when being an original alpha9 user, when the 2nd version of the A9 was released; did the upgrades warrant a change? Eventually I succumbed to new product envy... MPB benefiting again from my GAS!

watching this as I play with the credit card I just got my A1ii with. My plan is to never sell it BECAUSE it's multifaceted. If video gigs take off I'll get an FX, if my photography takes off I'll get the next A7R or other brands. I'm ready to do a crap load of work with this camera.

Thank you Gordon .. fantastic review!there is one thing I want to know and I still can’t find a resource for it which is a comparison of the resolution of A7r4/5 and the A1 side by side .. I want to see the difference between the 60 and 50 make megapixel when cropping tightly, in many times I crop a lot .. specially for birds, do you have any comparison ?

Just drop a comment before I start watching to help the algorithm! ❤❤❤

Get R5 II or A1 II?

For me my SONY A7RIII and SONY A7RV are enough

Missed this guy,..thought you people shut down?

If the A1II were around the $5k-$5500 USD range, I’d trade both of my A7RVs for two of these. As good as the A1II is, it’s hard for me to justify the added cost.

Gotta laugh at the masssively let down Sony users . Yer like Sasha groupies expecting greatness on a night out only to be let down because the tech selection never gave you a semi ....lolol

Are you a full time tog ... What subject matter do you capture when your not doing reviews .. Or do you only do reviews ????

Nobody has mentioned if they added focus stacking this time. I tried to Google it, but only found rumors pre-release about it.

I think the comparison to the R5mii says it all. It’s a minor upgrade and that’s fine, but the market now has options that $2k - $3k cheaper. They’re essentially doing victory laps because of how good the original A1 was while the competition has already started the second race.

nothing beats Canon R5M2.

Another excellent review. Great Info

Biggest caveat from Sony, you can achieve marketed shooting speed only with Sony lenses. For third party, expect half the performance. While on Canon adapted Sigma EF lense we can get full shooting speed. My intention is not to glorify Canon, but I am sick of this marketing shenanigans from Sony. For each of their product like for example PS5 + wireless headphones (you cannot pair any bluetooth headphones with PS5 due to performance, while on my PC I get zero effect on performance) etc. there is always a caveat.

I can't believe that 4K recording is still subsampled or line skipped and not 8K oversampled like in the Nikon Z8 (8.3K oversampled 4K60p) or in the R5 (4K Fine oversampled from 8K up to 30p). The only oversampled 4K mode in the a1 II is the cropped APS-C mode. A flagship should be able to record full-width 8K oversampled 4K60p or at the very least 30p!

It wouldn't hold a candle to my gfx 100S ii for image quality.... don't why people are buying these cameras. Who needs 40 frames a second And it's a similar price in Australia 😮

Thanks for the super in depth video Gordon!!

Does it have in-built flash? 📸

A terrific lens for sure. However, how many Canon and Nikon users are going to switch to Sony because of this lens? Close to zero. This is good for Sony because they will sell a bunch of them to Sony owners that have been envious of Canon's 5 or 6 year old 28-70 f2.

This is quite underwhelming compare to Canon and Nikkon's offering, SONY has been too comfortable and failing behind in terms of camera body.

Thanks for this - the two questions I am left with is how does the 28-70 compare to the Sony 24-70/2.8 GM II in overlapping focal lengths and apertures; and how does it compare to the Tamron 35-150/2-2.8 - which to me is an awesome travel portrait lens

9:22 PEOPLE have claimed that this issue DOES NOT AFFECT the a1/a9 series because they have stacked sensors. Surprisingly enough, they do! I prefer to have a 3.6m dot evf that goes from hd 720 to vga 480 than a 9m dot full hd viewfinder that also goes to vga 480 when focusing. A7IV's 120fps refresh is cool, though.

Great review. I like the different approach to the review by focusing (pun intended) on things not mentioned by other reviewers. I especially appreciate the clarification around the EVF quality given the 3 parameters that one can toggle. This is especially important for me as I dislike the loss in image quality or resolution when the camera is focusing or thinking. I currently own the A7R4. Previous to that I have the A7 Original.

does it make sense compared to an old Lumix LX100?

Greetings, your videos are very instructive, however sometimes it is very difficult to know how things work for those of us who do not speak English but have an Olympus E Mix camera. I would like to know where I have to go to have auto focus since it does not take well-focused photos. Thank you for your help. Spanish: Saludos, sus videos son muy instructivos, sin embargo a veces es bien dificil saber como funciaonal las cosas para los que no hablamos ingles pero tenemos una camara E Mix Olympus quiciera saber donde tengo que entrar para tener auto focus ya que no me tira fotos enfocadas bien gracias por su ayuda

Another good review ❤.

Thank you Gordon. I own the 7RV for 2 years now, and I do photography only, so no need to move to this, but do you feel the autofocus is actually better than that from the 7RV? Julia Trotti mentioned that the auto recognition may need tweaking.

Great review Gordon, yes I think it would be great for shooting events or weddings

Just snagged a used A1 for $3000 😂

Thanks, Gordon. Canon RF28-70mm F2L ii any time soon?😂

This is not a mark ii

Thanks Gordon! Excellent review. Looks like a great camera but outside of my price range.... and I am currently a Canon guy.

Thanks Gordon, great review as always. Looks like the lens suits mainly travel, panny should have waited and released with this rather than the 26mm. Still not fully sold yet, as I need a lens for travel and portrait. Though it's interesting to see the price of the jet black with 20-60mm has dropped to $1999 aud here and that's a bargain. Maybe they're clearing this out to make way for the 18-40 as the new kit lens. Keep up the good work!

So what happens when the A2 is released? Will that be the A2 1? Names are a joke in this market and I'm getting sick of them.