Sony Alpha 1 II: 60 Days Later

An expensive camera that makes photography more enjoyable

Moving from the Sony A7 IV to the Alpha 1 II has been quite an upgrade, especially for bird photography.

The autofocus is easily my favourite feature. Tracking birds, particularly those in flight, has become much easier. The eye detection and subject tracking are impressive, although not always perfect.

The 50-megapixel sensor is another big plus. As an intermediate photographer (well, perhaps still closer to a beginner! 😊), I tend to crop my images quite heavily. Thankfully, the A1 II leaves me with plenty of detail, even after some rather aggressive cropping!

The high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF) is a joy to use, and the much-improved, fully articulating LCD screen makes shooting from awkward angles far more comfortable. These may sound like small improvements, but they make a noticeable difference in everyday photography.

I was particularly excited about Pre-Capture, which lets you capture moments even before fully pressing the shutter. It’s a brilliant feature for unpredictable wildlife action. However, I quickly realised that I don’t need it as often as I expected. With storage prices being what they are, I would rather avoid collecting thousands of extra frames!

Of course, there are a few catches. The camera is expensive, and those beautiful 50MP RAW files demand plenty of storage and processing power. Shooting at high frame rates can quickly leave you with hundreds of pictures to review. Sometimes I feel the camera is much faster at taking pictures than I am at deciding which ones to keep!

Another consideration is value for money. The competition, particularly Canon’s R5 Mark II, offers impressive capabilities at a lower price. And while the A1 II brings several welcome improvements, it is more of a refinement of the original A1 than a complete overhaul.

So, would I recommend it?

After 60 days, I am delighted with my purchase. For photographers moving up from Sony’s A7 series, particularly those interested in wildlife and action photography, the A1 II represents a huge step forward. However, for existing A1 owners or those already using a comparable flagship camera, the improvements may not be compelling enough to justify the investment.

Is it more camera than I need? Absolutely. Am I making full use of its capabilities? Not even close. But that’s part of the fun. There is so much more to explore and learn.

The Alpha 1 II may not make me a better photographer overnight, but it certainly makes running out of excuses a lot easier!