Sony Japan Unveils the a7II Mirrorless Camera, 70-300mm G SSM II A-Mount Lens

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It was just over a year ago when the groundbreaking full-frame a7 series was released and now Sony Japan is looking to further establish themselves with the announcement of the Alpha a7II Mirrorless Digital Camera. Building upon its much lauded predecessor, the a7II features 5-axis in-body image stabilization, a first for a full-frame image sensor, as well as improved handling, faster AF, enhanced weather sealing, and the addition of the XAVC S video codec along with the S-Log2 gamma curve. Beyond the announcement of the a7II E-mount camera, Sony Japan has also announced the A-mount 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II lens; a long-reaching telephoto zoom with optical refinements and improved AF performance.

Sony Alpha a7II Mirrorless Digital Camera

Perhaps the most exciting upgrade to the a7-series is the addition of 5-axis in-body image stabilization in this newest model. Shooters can now enjoy up to 4.5 stops of image stabilization when using any of their lenses, including adapted and fully manual lenses. This allows photographers to push the boundaries of their nighttime shooting by using slower shutter speeds or longer focal lengths in less than ideal lighting conditions. Also, videographers can now rejoice in having stabilization at all times without needing dedicated lenses or electronic adapters.

The a7II utilizes the same 24.3MP Exmor CMOS sensor and BIONZ X processor as its predecessor, along with a Fast Hybrid AF system that utilizes 117 phase-detection points and 25 contrast-detection points. However, an updated autofocus algorithm has also been implemented to improve subject tracking performance and focusing speeds by approximately 30%. Additionally, this new model carries over the same top native sensitivity of ISO 25600 as well as a continuous-hi shooting rate of 5 fps. The a7II also starts up 40% faster than the original a7.

In terms of video performance, the a7II now includes the XAVC S codec with its 50 Mbps bit rate. Also, users can now select from multiple picture profiles, including S-Log2, as well as S-Gamut for a dramatically improved dynamic range during video shooting. Timecode, user bit, and REC control functions are available when using an external recorder to ensure this camera will function in a professional workflow. These settings match those available of the a7S released earlier this year, albeit without the capability of 4K recording.

The a7II’s body has seen some improvements, most notably in the grip. Optimized for comfort and operability, the grip has been redesigned for more natural hand placement with the shutter release button having moved to a tilted front area. There are also 10 customizable buttons with 56 different functions available for programming. The body now features a magnesium alloy top and front like the higher end a7R and a7S and major buttons and dials have much improved sealing to prevent water and dust from entering your camera. Also, the lens mount is now more robust for handling larger telephoto lenses.

The a7II features updated 3.0” tilting LCD monitor, with 1,228k-dot resolution, as well as the same XGA OLED Tru-Finder with 2.36m-dot resolution found on the original. Other features that have carried over to the new model include the Multi-Interface Shoe, mic and headphones jacks, built-in Wi-Fi with NFC, and the use of the NP-FW50 battery pack.

With a new body come new accessories, and in this case a new VG-C2EM Vertical Battery Grip with a weather-resistant design to match the a7II. A special LCS-ELCB Soft Carrying Case that includes a leather body case and lens jacket was also announced, as well as the FDA-EP15 Eye Cup for users desiring more comfortable viewing.

Lens Mount Sony E (Full Frame)
Image Sensor Exmor CMOS; 35.8 x 23.9 mm
Effective Pixels 24.3MP
Total Pixels 24.7MP
Still Image File Format JPEG, RAW
Storage Media SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo/XC-HG Duo
Card Slot 1x memory card slot
Viewfinder Type XGA OLED Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359,296 dot
Frame Coverage 100%
Magnification Approx. 0.71x
Shutter Type Electronic first curtain shutter available
Shutter Speed 30 to 1/8000 sec.
Flash Sync Speed 1/250 sec
Image Stabilization 5-axis in-body image stabilization equivalent to 4.5 stops
Drive Modes Single shot, Continuous High, Continuous Low
Top Continuous Shooting Rate Up to 5 fps in continuous high; 2.5 fps in continuous low
Exposure Metering System Advanced 1200-zone evaluative metering
Metering Method Multi-metering, center-weighted, spot
Metering Range -1 - +20 EV
Exposure Modes Aperture-Priority (A), Manual (M), Programmed auto (P), Shutter-Priority Auto (S)
ISO Sensitivity ISO 100-25600 (expandable to ISO 50-51200 with multi-shot NR)
Autofocus System Fast Hybrid AF
Number of Focus Points Phase detection: 117 / contrast-detection: 25
Autofocus Sensitivity -1 - +20 EV
Built-In Flash No; Multi-Interface Shoe to accept optional external flash
Movie Recording 1920 x 1080; 60p, 60i, 24p
File Format XAVC S, AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MP4 (YCbCr 4:2:2 8-bit, RGB 8-bit)
Video Data Rate XAVC S: 50 Mbps
AVCHD: 28 Mbps (60p, PS), 24 Mbps (60i & 24p, FX), 17 Mbps (60i & 24p, FH)
MP4: 12 Mbps (1440 x 1080, 30 fps), 3 Mbps (640 x 480, 30 fps)
Audio Recording Built-in stereo microphone, optional external stereo microphone
Audio File Format XAVC S: Linear PCM, 2 channel
AVCHD: Dolby Digital AC3 2 channel
MP4: MPEG-4 AAC-LC 2 channel
Maximum Recording Time 29 min.
Monitor 3.0" 1.228.8k-dot TFT LCD monitor
Tilting Design 107° upward; 41° downward
Interface HDMI micro (type D), multi/micro USB, Multi-interface Shoe, 3.5mm stereo microphone jack, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
Wi-Fi Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity (IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz band); NFC Forum Type 3 Tag
Power Source NP-FW50 rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery Life With Viewfinder: 270 shots
With LCD Screen: 330 shots
Operating Environment 32-104 °F / 0-40 °C
Dimensions 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4" / 126.9 x 95.7 x 59.7mm
Weight 1.3lb / 599g (with battery and memory card)

 

Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II Lens

Alongside the a7II, Sony Japan has also announced the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II A-mount lens for their Alpha DSLT lineup. This updated telephoto zoom lens employs a new nano AR coating to better reduce flare and ghosting for improved clarity and contrast. The AF motor has also received a notable upgrade to quicken its overall performance, which pairs well with the weather-resistant design to benefit its use in difficult shooting conditions.

This lens construction incorporates extra-low dispersion glass to reduce chromatic aberrations and distortions throughout the zoom range. It also retains the 3.9’ minimum focus distance of its predecessor and features a rounded 9-blade diaphragm for smooth out-of-focus areas.

Lens Mount Sony A
Focal Length (35mm-Equiv. on APS-C) 70-300mm (105-450mm)
Aperture Range f/4.5 to f/29
Angle of View 34° to 8°10'
Lens Construction 16 elements in 11 groups
Number of Diaphragm Blades 9
Minimum Focus Distance 3.9' / 1.2m
Maximum Magnification 0.25x
Filter Ring Diameter 62mm
Dimensions 3.2 x 5.3" / 82.5 x 135.5mm
Weight 1.7lb / 750g

 

The a7II and 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II lens were announced by Sony Japan and are not yet available in the USA. Some specifications may change or be updated before their official release. If you would like to be notified when more information in available please fill out the form below

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You can place an order for the a7II by clicking on the image of the camera above and adding it to your cart.  Keep in mind that the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II lens is an A-Mount lens, so is not natively compatible with an E-mount camera, such as the a7II.  That being said, you could place an order for the lens on its page on our site:  Click Here

At the present time Sony has not indicated anything about a new model.  Please note that manufacturers do not inform us of their future models or intentions prior to any official announcement.  We learn of new models on the same day as you would.  When/if they announce a new model, we will update our website accordingly.  Until then we can only keep an eye out on Sony's website for them to make an announcement. 

Please advise when this model is available. Also if there are any plans for an a7r Mk ii

If you click on the image of the camera above it will take you to the product link for the camera on our website where it will showcase the current price and other product information.  Currently Sony is permitting us to accept orders on the camera, however they have not indicated to us when we can expect it to arrive to begin fulfilling orders. 

As far as any future models go, please understand that manufacturers never inform us of their future models or intentions prior to any official announcement.  We learn of new models on the same day as you would.  When/If Sony releases a new body, We will update our website to showcase it.   Please check back with periodically for any new information. 

Looking forward to learn Sony's pricing

If you click on the image of the camera on this article, it will take you to the product page for the camera on our website which features our current price and availability.

 

Oh no, this is the camera the a7 should have been! It has everything I need and more. The look and feel are so much better and the five-axis stabilisation rocks! I love the new professional looking coating. That shiny metal was realy ugly and I think it looks cheap. Unfortunately I already bought the a7 a couple of months ago. Oh well, I'll just dump my a7 on eBay and pre order the a7II. Maybe some fool pays enough for it, but it's probably going to cost me a lot of money, because nobody wants the old a7 anymore. I guess that's just how the market works. 

You can get more information about the a7 II on its page on our site.  Click Here

Hi Yossi,

It'd be really great to know if the image stabilization will work when used with smart lens adapters like the Metabones system. A lot of videographers are wondering if they will be able to use their Canon and other third party lenses and still retain the stabilization benefit, or if we would have to use Sony lenses.

The A7II has stabilization in-body.  Therefore any lens you mount onto the camera, with or without an adapter will be stabilized. 

As existing A7 owner I am very interested the Mark 2 version. Please advise when available and price.

We are now currently taking pre-orders for this camera, which you can place at the following link: http://bhpho.to/1rlPuEq

These pre-orders will ship as soon as we receive the A7 II in our inventory.

Does the A7 II do full-sensor read out while capturing video at 1920 x 1080 60p XAVC-S at 50 mbps?

I apologize Angelo, we're not quite sure what you are wanting to know.  Can you please rephrase your question for us?  Thank you in advance.

"full sensor readout without any line skipping". Does the A7 II have this feature like the A7s?

The a7II will not be capable of a full sensor readout without line skipping for video.  This would be one of the many differences between it and the a7S.

Anyone in the market for a Nikon D800 and lots of glass - The older I get the heavier it feels.  I'm making the jump because size really does matter! Can't wait to get my hands on the A7 II

These camera's are impressive.  In fact, I would love to move to the Sony A7 series of camera's. 
The problem is the limited number of lenses made specifically for the FE mount; and the lack of a full function Nikon F-mount adaptor.
If either one of those was availbable, I'd buy one in a minute.
Until then...

Hi. I am very interested in buying the A7 II and a couple of lenses. 

 

At the end of the article, there is a box where you can enter in your name and email address to be notified when more information becomes available, such as pricing and availability.

I'm curious about the pricing and when this will be made available.

Sony has yet to provide information on pricing and availability.  If you would like to be notified with more information as it becomes available, such as pricing and estimated availability, you can sign up for that at the end of the article.  There is a box where you can enter in your name and email address.

If you would like to be notified with more information as it becomes available, such as pricing and estimated availability, you can sign up for that at the end of the article.  There is a box where you can enter in your name and email address.

Are there any disadvantages to using Canon lenses with the Metabones 4 adapter on this camera compared to using the more expensive Sony lenses?

Other than potentially having slightly slower focusing, there aren't any disadvantages to using an adapted Canon lens with the Metabones Canon EF Lens to Sony NEX Camera Lens Mount Adapter Mark IV [http://bhpho.to/SOclrB] with the Sony A7 II.

It seems very nice...but two big questions remain:

1) DId they fix the cRAW format which is widely critized for being advertised as 14-bit but is a compressed 11-bit + 7-bit delta in 32-bit blocks with discernable artifacts.

2) Will it support phase detect autofocus with adapted lenses? The A7 has a large, 117-point phase detection array on the sensor but currently Alpha lenses are adapted with a minimalist 19 point array in the adapter and other brand lenses (e.g. Canon) are only supported with contrast detection which is slow. There is a very limited number of full-frame lenses in the FE mount; even in the roadmap there are no F/2.8 zooms which are de riguer for full-frame cameras. There are also no long telephotos although some exist in the Alpha mount. 

I'm curious about the pricing, not sure yet if I would be a buyer.

Sony has yet to provide information on pricing and availability.  If you would like to be notified with more information as it becomes available, such as pricing and estimated availability, you can sign up for that at the end of the article.  There is a box where you can enter in your name and email address.

If you would like to be notified with more information as it becomes available, such as pricing and estimated availability, you can sign up for that at the end of the article.  There is a box where you can enter in your name and email address.

In plain English, wait 2592000 seconds means wait 30 days. My guess is that this notification means expect a response within 30 days. Of course this could also be a bug in te web site, take your pick!

Interested in price and if LCD is fixed or not.

The a7II features an updated 3.0” tilting LCD monitor.

Sony has yet to provide information on pricing and availability.  If you would like to be notified with more information as it becomes available, such as pricing and estimated availability, you can sign up for that at the end of the article.  There is a box where you can enter in your name and email address.

Any mention from Sony if this camera will receive a planned 4K firmware upgrade/update?

No word as of  yet.  Hopefully as more information is released by Sony they will cover this. 

Looks wonderful.  Technology is beautiful.  Simply amazing. There are some really intelligent peopie in the world today. Great time to be alive and experience all the wonderful products that are avaliable today.

I look forward to more to come on the market. If I live so long!

Travis Lindsay 

I have a tremendous investment in Nikon & Nikkor lenses, Manual, D and G types.  Is there an adapter that will give full functionality with these lenses?

While there are adapters that will enable you to mount your Nikon lenses on the Sony a7 series cameras, there are none at this time that will allow you to retain auto functions such as autofocus.

does the Minolta lens fit the Sony Japan 711 Mirrorless camera?

The a7 II has the Sony E-mount.  You would need an adapter to mount Minolta lenses on the a7 II.  Which adapter would depend on the mount of your Minolta lenses (Minolta has had several mounts).

Gee - - too bad this wasn't announced as available at Photokina.
Sorry Sony - - your vaporware announcement will NOT cut it for this holiday season.

Send me notifiation on this camra at availability for purchase. Thanks

If you would like to be notified with more information as it becomes available, such as pricing and estimated availability, you can sign up for that at the end of the article.  There is a box where you can enter in your name and email address.

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