Sony a1 II vs Sony a1: Which Camera Should You Buy?

[@6gwilliams]

Sold my A1 and got an A1 II to add to my A9III and my A7RV. Pre-capture, 4-way articulating screen, better ergonomic body alone are worth the upgrade IMHO. I photograph all subjects around the world. The photographer that bought my pristine used A1 is thrilled, as he is upgrading from his A7III. A win-win for both of us. Cheers

[@KairulTalfa]

bro what do yo do for affording a a1II ?

[@rayafk8502]

@@KairulTalfagiven they had an A9III and an A7RV, they probably run a successful photography business.

[@RTM97701]

@@KairulTalfa it doesn’t take much to afford the A1II. :) hand full of private shoots or 1 good small commercial shoot will pay for it.

[@RTM97701]

@@KairulTalfa shooting families style portraits can rake you $500 a pop minimum. Senior shoots, etc. Weddings, quinceaneras and other events. You can shoot products like Cannabis (macro too), lots of fields pay well. Question is what do you like shooting?

[@RTM97701]

@@rayafk8502 it depends, I own multiple myself. Great gear doesn’t mean you are a great or “successful” photographer. :) Else he would be boasting about Hasselblads haha. Not saying he isn’t a great photographer, he could be amazing. The body of the Camera is attainable if you want it. Just get a loan and pay it off within a year. Most importantly, find your passion in it, be it people, scenic, lifestyle, fashion, events etc. work on your signature style and market yourself, being consistent in your brand. This tier of camera is by no means top tier. Don’t ever talk yourself out of something… you could be 100x the photographer they are. :) Get that camera if you want it.

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

"They haven't gone to the faster cards" => actually, the A1II has been measured to be FASTER at writing files than the competing cameras using CF-Express B. It can reach over 750MB/s writing speed whereas the Canon R3 reaches ~420MB/s and the Z8/Z9 reach 700-750MB/s. The only drawback is the reading speed when transfering files from the camera via USB.

[@unknownKnownunknowns]

Good info

[@csc-photo]

Where did you find this data?

[@matthewcullen7106]

Yeah, I was gonna mention the same, there really aren't any cameras on the market that actually take advantage of the speed potential of CF Express Type B cards at this point.

[@matthewcullen7106]

@@csc-photo the alphashooters and rfshooters websites have a lot of memory card tests showing in camera write speeds and buffer performance with various brands of cards, but there are loads of sources of in camera memory card tests on various websites, it's just a matter of looking for the info.

[@robbie154]

This is good to know, however B cards are still so much cheaper. It's comical how expense the Type A cards are.

[@spitfire1962]

I have the A1 and would like to have pre-capture. But I’m happy with my A1 and won’t be upgrading anytime soon.

[@hikertrashfilms]

Same here. This is a pitiful release and not worthy of upgrading $3,000 for a “firmware update”

[@RTM97701]

Likewise

[@marleenvandam6931]

@@hikertrashfilms is the canon R5 ii a firmware update against the R 5?

[@hikertrashfilms]

@ no. It’s a stack

[@gerhardwiesinger]

Sold my A1 and have the A1II now for some weeks.🙂Great upgrade. Only one disadvantage which noone AFAIK talked about yet: No Infrared Remote Sensor for Remote Control available anymore. Was very handy to keep the camera in airplane mode. Had to switch to a bluetooth remote control.

[@alphaandomega2709]

Happy new year!

[@WillieWalnuts]

I will take which ever one I can get for free. 🎉

[@MikeInkley-bb6qz]

Interestingly Jared, I got a shop display Sony A1 just before Christmas that had 91 (less than 100) actuations with both Sony and dealer Black Friday discounts for £3,099 and a free Sony 5 year warranty. Now that made it a sensible buy compared to the A1 ii.

[@kingghidorah8106]

god dang! I am so proud of you i had a similar situation 6.5 years ago when i saw an a77ii at my city's Sony store, it had only 500 actuations and after coping for 6 years with an a200 the upgrade was simply massive. Even with the a7iv now 6 years after i miss the body ergonomy and shape of the a77ii. I wanted an A99ii but second hand were quite expensive, above 3k and that without importing VAT and customs lol!!

[@jakobjohannsson1045]

Happy new year Jared and thanks for your great videos! Second to none! Since I am an portrait photographer I am going to stick with my original A1. It is still a great camera!

[@officialbrandoncoleman]

Happy happy new years 💪🏾💪🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@JimEdds]

Get the faster OWC CF Express Type A 4.0 cards. They come with an adapter to be read by the OWC CF Express Type B reader (get that too). Now you are closer to 2000MB/sec.

[@LennonBright]

I want an a1ii but they are 12k here in New Zealand 😬

[@scb2scb2]

new eye-cup can work on several cameras and cost $17 Sony FDA-EP21 Eyepiece Cup

[@PressurePlayerStudio]

A7RV?

[@scb2scb2]

@@PressurePlayerStudio As far as i know (sony list it as related products) A7RV, A7IV, A1,A1ii,A7S3 and a9iii.

[@stepheneckert4006]

4:28

[@scb2scb2]

@@stepheneckert4006 Thats why i provided the model number and price so people can find it on b&h and others.

[@scb2scb2]

The A1ii is much better i have owned the a1 for 4 years and now a1ii for a few weeks. But its nice for people now to have 3 options secondhand a1 at about $4000, new A1 at $5500 and A1ii at $6500. I think the pre-cap and how they did it is near perfect especially how you can combine it in the fly with the c5 button they implemented it better than the other brands.

[@mattricci2981]

A1 new is $5000

[@scb2scb2]

@@mattricci2981 oops yeah sorry euro and dollar prices :) i am on europe so posted it top of my head.

[@kingghidorah8106]

wow you really pushed a1 for years. Not everyone who can afford high end gear actually keeps using it for more than a year. I've seen people switching A1 for A7RV and then to A1 II in the span of three years.

[@scb2scb2]

@@kingghidorah8106 Indeed what is your point these flagship models are not for everyone now we have 3 price points : a1 second hand, a1 new and a1ii new more people can use them but they are still not cheap. Personally i have owned the a1 for 4 years and it lost about 50% of its value over that time it will keep loosing value over next 4 years and faster than the a1ii over next 4 years so its unclear how much of a extra 'loss' you will get by upgrading and using a better model for 4 years. But they are not for everybody thats true...

[@mattricci2981]

@@kingghidorah8106 a1 is a lot better than the a7rv unless you need slightly more dynamic range it’s not as good just a better flip screen and more dots besides that a1 a lot better especially in video I don’t think people switched to that and that camera many have been using for years a great product

[@tonygerassi1502]

I think the OG A1 is still a very capable camera. You see a lot of Sony users still using A7iii’s and A7Riv’s. Newer cameras are obviously better, it’s a matter of do you want to spend for the newest features or maybe get a great deal of a used A1 OG.

[@jonspoard8416]

Happy New Year, JP. Thanks for the great content and comparison. What nobody ever reviews are these cameras for motorsport. What I mean by that is using slow shutter speeds for panning and movement shots. It's all very well that these cameras stick a box around the subject, but nobody wants a car or bike shot where the vehicle looks like it's standing still. I would love to know if I update my A1, will improve my keeper rate if I shoot a car at 1/160sec or slower. I guess people will say look at my amazing panning shot at 1/60sec, but how many did they get at that speed in focus. Pro cameras have been great at high-speed motorsport shots for years, but only with high shutter speeds.

[@renestaempfli1071]

As I have both the A1 and A9III, I decided to wait for the A1III with global shutter.

[@PaviaPOV]

Pre-ordered an a1 ii from B&H in early December. Hoping they aren’t on back order for much longer!

[@Matt.2024]

I was told the next wave of orders is going out soon earlier today.

[@iconicon3108]

Brutally honest answer.. First time, Sony aii, budget A1. Already own A1, current version not necessary.

[@Jonathantuba]

I have upgrade from the A1 to A1ii. Pre-capture was the main reason, but in all respects I find it is an upgrade. Basically my perfect camera.

[@gordonnorman8259]

Agree 100% with your excellent A1ii review! Another YT Sony shooter, a predominant video-centric wedding photographer, does not agree in his recent review - but I am a stills-centric wildlife photographer for whom the A1ii's many upgrades are very compelling: 1. improved bird eye-AF, 2. improved AF & tracking in video mode, 3. pre-capture, 4. improved IBIS to 8.5 stops, 5. dynamic active stabilization in video, 6. improved body ergonomics, 7. auto selection of AF mode, 8. C5 burst mode, 9. custom focus areas, 10. full-time DMF, 11. improved LCD resolution, 12. improved viewfinder scan rate, 13. shutter closure on turning off, 14. focus bracketing, 15. dial for stills, video, S&Q, 16. M1, M2, M3 for each of stills, video, S&Q, 17. full 4-axis LCD screen, 18. timelapse movies.

[@MariaEleanor.official]

Still stay with A1 😊 ... Still happy

[@benajaphotography3455]

Crazy this video was uploaded 30sec earlier

[@tytang2010]

Happy New Year! Great Job in first day of 2025! I sold my A7RV for A1 II and kept my A1. Yes A1 is a legendary camera in SONY's lineup still good in 2025.

[@mikede2464]

Happy to see Sony getting into computational photography with the A1ii. Hopefully Canon and others will follow. That being said, A1ii seems somewhat underwhelming...especially for the price.

[@_Suzuka_Joe]

I have an A1 and rather than buying an A1ii I'd rather put that $2500-3k difference towards another A1 and have 2.

[@mattricci2981]

For what

[@CapturedByKen]

I understand having a secondary body but why the same? Wouldn't you want something that offers something a bit different so that you have more opportunities to capture a variety of shots or video?

[@frankfeng2701]

I would pick A7R5, a9iii, or FX3 as my second body.

[@Zimtstangerl1989]

Well Jared, I get an A1 mint condition (2800 shots) for €4000 in June 2024. I’m a leisure photographer. Would you recommend selling and getting the A1 II?

[@froknowsphoto]

i think people are forgetting the amount of shots in meangless at this point. It might track actual shutter actuations but not electronic shutter ones

[@Zimtstangerl1989]

@@froknowsphoto yes, it does not track electronic shutter releases. The A1II is sold for €7500 over here. So it’s quite a pricy step-up.

[@pentagramyt417]

@@Zimtstangerl1989 You should buy A6700 instead of this, if that's a hobby. Best deal.

[@Zimtstangerl1989]

@@pentagramyt417 why should I buy an A6700 when I already have an A1? My question to Jared was whether he suggests to upgrade to the A1II or not.

[@pentagramyt417]

@@Zimtstangerl1989 You can answer your question. Are you just wealth or inteligent? "I have A1" "I am hobbyst". If you need pre-capture buy OM-1, if you need A1-2 to prove your wealth just buy... why you need to ask someone about your needs?

[@mrelaborate]

I love your hair i want a wig like your hair. ❤

[@photographingwildlife8779]

I have them both and love them both but the new features of the A1 II are outstanding. One thing I haven't heard mentioned is the ability to change the shutter speed in camera on the A1 II by putting the top dial on *. The A1 did not have that feature and I shoot a lot of night photography. I would get frustrated because I would have to find a flashlight to see where the dial was set and to change the shutter speed with the dial on top. Now I can do it using the viewfinder. Might not mean much to some, but it's a big deal to me. Thanks for your reviews Jared! I always watch your videos and appreciate your honest takes.

[@holgerkrieg3587]

I have both and the answer is easy: If you need an advanced AF system to take pictures of fast moving objects, than go with the a1 II.

[@AskKailas]

is it worth to move from an a7rv to A1 or A1 ii ? I am a profesional photographer and cover events that are not fast moving..

[@streblak2085]

I have the A7RV and an A1 when shooting wild life I use both, for most everything else, its the A7RV and I wont be changing any of my equipment anytime soon.....because they are small I have two APSC cameras so I have lots of pictures to choose from

[@AskKailas]

@@streblak2085 I do event video coverage as well.. wondering if the events dont have a fast moving subject.. example weddings is a7rv good o should I buy an a1

[@nickwilliams7867]

For photography the silent shooting indoors is a game changer for weddings and corporate events. A fast prime and a stacked sensor camera make a great combo for this.

[@streblak2085]

@@AskKailas I don't do video but if I did I would probably get a video camera like an FX30 or something like that... that way I am still get to use my E-mount lenses without compromising video capabilities

[@riparianlife97701]

I would rather have two A7cr bodies for the money. I currently have a cr.

[@ilfotografoviaggiatore]

Ciao, potresti inserire la traccia audio in italiano. Grazie 👍

[@jean-philippeperetti8463]

Hey Jared, why not show us what Skittles does to other photos besides the baseball stadium.

[@froknowsphoto]

I do. Have you seen any of my photos on Instagram of baseball games or the photos from Kenya on Safari?

[@jean-philippeperetti8463]

@@froknowsphoto Not really. I was referring to your KZbin videos only. 😀 I'll have to follow you on IG then, I guess. Ha ha!

[@DeanWilcox-p6v]

Happy New Year! I got an A1 new from Adorama before new year for $4998. You cannot beat that price for what the A1 does and with the $1500 saved over the new A1 ii I can buy some new glass to use on my A1 and A7RV

[@KatySei]

Happy Chanuka Jared. Today is the last eight candle.

[@Louphotos]

I still use the original Sony A9 for my action shots and it still gets the job done just fine. But I been debating on picking up a used A1 and adding it to my arsenal. I don’t need all the new bells and whistles. I just want a good focusing camera and that A1 will still get the job done.

[@Cloud_Effect]

10/10 Content Bro

[@alexwoods4293]

Hi Jared, I got the A1M1 and will move to the A1M2, because as Sport event shooter I also have the A9M3 as my main camera but use the A1M1 as my wide angle one, and I know you don't do this yourself, but I crop where needed the wider shots. In some cases I use the GM 70-200 f/2.8 in ASP-C mode to get the 300mm f/2.8 and still the same resolution than the A9M3. Therefore I have to switch my A1M1, as pre-capture saved me the occasional brilliant shot. Thanks for your videos Greetings from Switzerland Cheers Alex

[@Edwin--]

Panamoz now sells the Sony A1 new for GBP 3,700 - 3,800 as grey import (i.e. outside the Sony official dealer network). I think as a competitor with the A7R-series, I think it is an excellent camera in that price range if you are looking for speed and great video options. Happy and healthy 2025 everyone!

[@mr.j5526]

After watching so many Fro comparisons videos I know it always end with " If you're a professional sell your old gear and upgrade. But if you have no lenses, then buy the cheaper body used and buy glass,glass,glass"

[@dicekolev5360]

We also know that his fav preset is Scittles and more so that all the presets are On Sale!! Surprise-surprise!!

[@mikede2464]

I think Sony missed an opportunity with the A1ii to stay ahead of their competition. As a result, this may be the camera generation where Canon catches up, or in certain ways, pulls ahead of Sony.

[@benoittissier58]

Got a used A1 to replace the A7iv which couldn’t focus reliably for sports. The back screen is a big difference for low angle vertical shots. A1ii is too expensrive, so I may get to A7v if it has good AF.

[@harryvuemedia]

Mang, this is a tough call. Sony A1-ii with all the new features and better bodies but price tag is at $6,500.00 USD. Sony A1 can still compete while lacking some specs and features, but the $5,500.00 USD price tag is a game changer. Actually, if you wait for holiday sales, A1 will drop down to $5,000.00 USD price tag. Hopefully one day I'll be able to pick up 3x Sony A1 in the future now that their price tag is far more affordable. Happy New Year 2025 everyone!!!!

[@mike_s_media]

If I were buying one all over again brand new then I'm definitely going A1 II but since that isn't the case and I already have the A1 and have been shooting on it since it's release I'll be sitting on it for a while longer. I don't typically like to buy the very next generation of anything because often that's just a money trap for minimal features regardless of what you're buying. While the updates they added to the A1 II are pretty nice, they aren't game changing and they aren't going to significantly impact my work. I'm not going to get into the depreciation aspect of things but if you play the long game with your equipment it tends to fair better on the accounting side of things! None the less, it is an amazing camera and anyone looking to upgrade from a lesser camera body to the A1 platform would be wise to go with the updated A1 II.

[@tonygerassi1502]

I think the decision to keep CF A cards makes the camera more universal. If you compare the R5ii, R1, R3, A9iii, A1, A1ii buffer through the image processor pipeline, they all seem to able to continuously process 500-600 MB/s for continuous throughput which means the card slot on the camera doesn’t matter if it’s CFA or CFB speeds. The only real benefit of CFB is the offloading footage workflow. Personally I think the ability to use both CFA and SD as a last resort is more convenient to have.

[@richardbedford5558]

Both great cameras.

[@K_MachinaFilms-p1e]

would be nice if the body was slightly different

[@TheAndrewforbes88]

The A7S II and the A7S III definitely don't have the same sensor.

[@1UAE]

i waited 7 months to buy a1ii ! 2nd day of announcement i went to buy A9iii 👍😎

[@ko300zx]

If you're a professional or have money falling out of your b-hole, you already ordered one. If you have an A1 and can get good money for it, sell it and upgrade. If you're a hobbyist on a budget, save yourself a ton of cash and get an R5ii or Z8. Take the time to learn the camera and you'll nail any shot.

[@19Pixel]

If money isn't an option why would anybody buy a year's old body over a new one?

[@RCGJR_]

Obviously A1 is better for having the gold font 😅

[@かま二郎]

In next five years, I feel like no other brands including Sony won't release better camera than A1ii. In that sense, I think it's worth to upgrade to the best camera in the market so far. Ai AF and pre capture with 50MP is game changer for wildlife photography for sure!

[@contentm3893]

I picked up the A1 for $4K new so not going to upgrade to the A1 II.

[@WildExposures]

I Shoot Jpegs

[@jayocotube6483]

Neither. You should buy an R5II and save $2200

[@sidehustlers336]

Used a1 for 3k

[@EricWatson5570]

Ep-21 17.99$

[@tresderan10]

none of them nikon has a better future ahead sony is doing too minor improvements.. the only camera that is interesting but for video is the A9III for the rest they are falling behind and it's seems even the market akwnoledge that.. A Z6III is just the best hybrid camera at the moment for many reasons.. and firmawares update with nikon are just amazing they are all in.. canon they made a wonderful R5II but it lacks only 4k 60p oversampled and they nailed it!!! But Sony no, A1 and A1II? minor difference and not even 8k 60P no way .. let them keep it on their shelves..

[@mattricci2981]

A1 new is $5000

[@stepheneckert4006]

It’s $5498 as of today

[@mattricci2981]

@ aw damn must of went up just ordered it on Amazon for 5k

[@IslandAdventures]

Neither!

[@unknownKnownunknowns]

Sony needs a robust refurbished program like Canon. The A1 would be $4k or less. Too many smoking semi annual refurbished sales with full warranty to not buy Canon gear if you are on a tight budget.

[@petrpohnan875]

9:24 am I the only one who finds these results at ISO6400 totally awfull? So much smeared and lacking any details.

[@SuperSdbaby]

Was the 8k recording overheating corrected?🎯 Yes or No?👨🏽‍🦲

[@stepheneckert4006]

It overheated on us after 20ish minutes during our initial preview video in 8k that’s linked in description, so seems to be the same as original a1

[@contentm3893]

I just picked up a A1 after using Canon and the A1 is amazing. I do actually hate the Sony IOS menu system and how it treats color and AWB or color in general. It seems like you have to dial it in through the menu and cross your fingers. Little things like tons of blue in the shadows etc. Overall I can dial colors in post. Now I know why you shoot your You Tube videos on Canon and use Sony for all other work. Happy New Year!

[@jaegerschtulmann]

Was it necessary for this video to exist? NO. Literally every single person who can afford these cameras are no amateurs and know the differences between them. Booooooring!

[@Battlem0nk]

You'll be surprised the number of people with thick wallet buying without reading the specs or due diligence

[@jaegerschtulmann]

@@Battlem0nk most of the people you mentioned end up buying Leicas LOL

[@Ben_Stewart]

Neither. Get a Nikon Z9 with CF-Express type B cards.

[@aubgoodwinSRCphotography]

well I would 100% have thee A1ii i currently own an a9 i and a A7iv am looking into selling both so i can get the A1ii but if the wife fits out i will also be looking for somewhere to live 🫣🫤