New features 02:18 | IBIS Discussion 11:49 | Shutter and Burst Mode 14:28 | Focus System 18:05 | Sensor Performance 21:52 | Conclusion and Alternatives 30:21 | Video Sponsored by Ridge Wallet: www.ridge.com/DUSTIN Use Code “DUSTIN” for 10% off your order | Read the Text Review bit.ly/a9M2DLA | Visit the Image Gallery bit.ly/a9M2Images | Purchase a Sony a9M2 @ B&H Photo bhpho.to/2ZR0wWR | Amazon bhpho.to/33EpMRp | Camera Canada shrsl.com/2ikph | Amazon Canada amzn.to/3myqg4c | Amazon UK amzn.to/2Eb4FNE | Amazon Germany amzn.to/2H9LK73 | Ebay bit.ly/a9IIDLA
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Keywords: Sony a9 II, Sony Alpha 9II, Sony a9 Mark II, Sony a9M2, Alpha, 9, M2, ii, Sony a9II Review, Sony Alpha 9 II review, Sony a7riv, Sony a7r4, Sony, Review, Mark II, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Battery Life, Tracking, Focus, Burst Rate, Tracking, Sports, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, Dogs, Ergonomics, Sigma MC-11, Metabones, Vello, Sony a9
One of the best reviewer available on KZhead! I have made my purchases based on your reviews ! Thank you!
That's a lot of trust. Thank you.
@@DustinAbbottTWI maybe same kind of review for r6 in the future, Dustin? would be very nice
Thank you so much for this exhaustive comprehensive review
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent review!
Glad you liked it!
Great review as always, can't even remember how many times I have watched it! Did you do the DR tests with mechanical or electronic shutter?
I think with the electronic shutter, which I consider the primary option on this camera
Exceptional as always 👌
Thank you so much 😀
GREAT REVIEW! Realy good coverage and engaging. Also, just wanted to say, your scene/backdrop, lighting and levels look amazing. What are you doing and using?
I used the a9II and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN for those scenes.
Great review
Thank you!
Glad I found your channel. Going for the a9 or a9ii soon.
Welcome aboard!
Same here. I’be been waiting for reviews like this one to help me determine if I should pull the trigger or not. Coming from the a7r ii I’m looking for better focus, color science, and low light ability. The a9 ii covers that, and more.
Thank you for a great it is what it is review of the Sony A9II. I’m holding on to my A9.
hi Eddie, I'm basically in the same boat. I don't necessarily need more than my a9 provides.
I actually like the lock button on the ev compensation dial , like to lock it in the off mode so I can adjust easily. Love the bigger buttons , I also have the A7R3 and I often have to look away from the view finder to find them, the A9ii is a big improvement. It makes me smile almost every time I push the shutter button.
Overall the buttons are definitely better.
I think you're completely right in your summary, and the A7siii is showing the same pattern too, it doesn't have a brand new never seen before technology, but it perfected that tech to make it practical. Some notes: 13:16 I think Sony mentioned that the 5.76M dot EVF of the A7riv has more display lag or a slower refresh speed, so that's the reason a 3.68M dot evf was used instead, as the main purpose of the A9/A9ii is speed. 14:50 picture profile not included, apparently this is due to a limitation (or a feature) of the sensor of the A9 (it applies the gamma curve in hardware, not software, but don't quote me on this, I can't find the forum post that explained this ...) 16:55 you show how the electronic shutter CAN sound, but I think you should mention somewhere that the sound is purely artificial, you can also disable it, in which case there is no sound at all, I mean, some people might think there is always a sound :)
On your third part, it would be hard to show the 20 FPS with no sound turned on :)
Dustin, thanks for taking the time to make this long and detailed review. I have a question. Being that the A9 is Sony’s flagship camera, would you say that it’s a great all-purpose camera? Like an A7III but with a jacked-up stacked sensor? Thank you.
It is a great all-purpose camera, yes, though probably not worth the cost if you don't plan to utilize the tracking abilities of the camera for action.
Thanks for the in-depth review. I decided to stay with my A9 because the upgrade I need is resolution. The A7rIV doesn’t have the buffer depth that I benefit from. Hoping for an A9r !
I had high hopes for the a9II to come in around 32Mpx or so. That would be the sweet spot for me.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Agreed. I don't need or want 45 or 50 Mpx. Of course, as soon as I get 32 Mpx, I'll start printing larger than 50"x30" and will want more resolution... =)
Great review as usual Dustin! I own a A7R4, recently I am doing bird shooting and the ISO goes up to 12800 easily for 1/1000s at F6.3, and the images are not usable, so much noise. Thus I am thinking about getting an A9 II. However, the screen and EVF are just disappointing as you mentioned. Maybe I should wait for the mark 3 in 2021?
Or maybe I could grab a Olympus EM1 iii + 300 F4 Pro for bird/wildlife - it's cheaper than the A9 II body...
An a9II could suit your needs, for sure. I think it sounds like a good choice for your needs.
Thanks so much for diz wonderful review sir we need canon r5 review vs a7r3 dynamic range test plzz
I hope to have my hands on an R5 in a week or so.
When it comes to specs the one thing where A9 II (and already A9) excels at is electronic shutter readout speed. It's only about 6ms, so very low rolling shutter effect. For example the next best ES speed I know is about 15ms on Canon R5. I myself actually prefer mechanical shutter though and don't really shoot video so that's not so important to me. Great video, thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
The feature I was looking for was the addition of anti-flicker control. Hooray.
Yep!
As always, great review. But I will have to respectfully disagree with your comment to have the exposure compensation lock match the others, as that would require the shooter to completely remove their hand from the grip to adjust it. I use exposure comp often when shooting BIF on my A9 when they fly in front of a bright background such as the sky and I need to increase exposure on the fly to keep the subject from getting too dark. This would be impossible if the knob had a lock matching the mode dial. With a click on, click off type of lock, it would allow me (if I had an A9ii) to return the dial to 0 and lock it before dropping the camera to my side (on my sling). Then I could quickly unlock it while raising the camera next time. Not criticizing here, just offering a different point of view. 🙂
Totally agree!
Fair enough. My argument is more that I would like consistency across the board.
Great review! Have you ever had the A9ii overheat on you while recording 4K?
Hi Simon, I haven't, but it isn't particularly hot here in September.
I'm so close to trading in my two A9's for a single A9 ii to go with my A7R IV, more so than ever now. Liking the color retention at higher iso's, being a sports photography. One thing I'm still curious about, is the skin tones. I've heard that is much improved on the A9 ii over the A9 i, which would be big for me. Thanks for the review, clarified some things to me not covered by others :o)
Sounds like it could be a solid upgrade in your position.
Hi Jimmy, the A9ii and the A7R4 is exactly what i shoot with and im delighted with both cameras
@@FootprintPhoto Very good! I contacted my local retailer and will more than likely trade one of my A9's towards the A9 ii, looking forward to it!
09/22/2020 thank you for this information
You're welcome.
Dustin, apologies if you answered this in the video (I don’t have 45 minutes just now unfortunately!) - do you know if the a9ii has the 30 minute record limit or not? Can’t find an answer anywhere! Thanks!
Unfortunately it does.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you! Not the camera for me unfortunately!
I tried both grips and found the A9 much more comfortable!
That's interesting. Are your hands smaller?
@@DustinAbbottTWI My hands are mid-sized. A9 Body fits perfectly and the A9ii handle feels clunky for me, like having less control over the camera while carrying and shooting.
Does the A9 11 have a 30-minute record limit.. what lens did you use on this video cheers Barry
It does have the 30 minute limitation. I used the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks for the fast reply lovinng your reviews..
Wonder if you will do a similar in depth review for Canon R5/R6 and do a comparison with Sony A9II, that kind review and comparison from a trustworthy and experienced reviewer like you would be great and very helpful for many people who wandering around and even lost between the competition of these giants.
I do plan to give the R5 and R6 my full attention in the near future.
You can expect the EVF and tilt screen and CF cards of the A7SIII will be in the A9III next year.
That could be the case.
i like the mechanism of exposure compensation lock much better, wish they make them all like that
Interesting. I do agree on one point; I prefer consistency across the board.
Just noticed now it says "includes paid promotion" at the beginning of the video. Is it for the camera as well or for your sponsors only?
I can't confirm, but I'd imagine it's only for his RWallet sponsor. When you upload a video to KZhead, there's a checkbox you should tick that indicates if there's a sponsored promotion at all, and it's not the clearest indicator for what specifically is paid promotion and what isn't. Again, I'm not Father Abbott and I can't speak for him, but I trust his integrity enough that I doubt his "review" of the a9 II is paid for by Sony.
Sebastian has it right. I'm just trying to be clear that the video does have a paid sponsorship. I would never do a video that was paid for by the subject of the review.
Thanks. After the release of the A1, top of the line ... I am wondering how Sony is going to keep developing the A9 serie. - Keep it 24MP (versus 50MP for the A1) - If aimed at Sport/Journalist/Wildlife photographers, will Sony risk a new body design, full body with grip like the Z9 or R3? Even the body has gained a bit of weight, but I noticed there are users who are asking for a body with integrated grip. Dustin, what would you like to see for A9III?
Good question. I personally don't want an integrated grip, but there are plenty who would. I could see them moving to a variation of the new 33MP sensor for the a7IV. There are obviously some A1 ergonomic improvements they could add.
I think I'm going to trade my A7r3 in for credit toward the A92. I have an A74 and A73 as well, but need a fast stills camera for when I do weddings and sports. I think this may be the camera I need. Great review.
Thanks, Francois
Yes it is superb camera definitely a keeper.I sold my A7R4 because i don't need that much resolution. 24M is a sweet spot.
For many people it is a sweet spot.
I still don't understand the widespread gripe about the grip not fitting the pinky [2:53]. When I use the camera, mainly my left hand, under the lens, supports the weight, while my right hand, merely stabilizing the position, is nearly vertical, and has only its middle finger encircling the grip, whereas even its next lowest finger-between middle and pinky-merely hooks around the grip's bottom edge, placing the fingertip _under_ the grip. My pinky is a nonissue. Not merely a compromise, this feels natural and comfortable to me.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I strongly prefer having a firm grip with my right hand.
Will you review the A7S III?
I'm on a list.
Excellent in-depth review but not enough improvement to make me upgrade from the original a9
Fair enough. The same was true for me.
nice
Thanks
I think the A9II was really an attempt to be as ready for the Japan Olympics as could be done in one year. Unfortunately that never happened so now we have to wait for the A9III to get some real upgrades.
There's probably some truth to that.
Wait! So what do you get instead of picture profiles? This is a basic feature of any camera. I was literally about to buy this camera!!!
You do have picture profiles for still images, but not for video. No LOG profile or anything like that, too. It's a weird, weird omission.
The biggest concern from a financial point of view is the wear and tear to the camera body (like the A9 in this video which looks like a 40 year old slr gone through a war zone) which hugely affects the trade in value. These cameras need to be made as robust as the 1dx or nikon d series - get rid of those sharp edges and also the terrible ergonmics.
LOL - my a9 was looking rough.
16:53 - Why is the camera making a noise if it's using the electronic shutter?
Mostly to give you some auditory feedback that a photo is being taken. You can shoot in silent mode.
@@DustinAbbottTWI so the nose we’re hearing at 16:53 is artificial?
Yes
From my understanding, the EVF is what it is because of the very short lag. A higher resolution EVF would have more lag when added on to the basically same hardware platform. The no s-log video is due to the special sensor not being able to deliver that because of how it was constructed. These are the explanations I have seen and they sound sane. I do wish Sony was better to communicate things like this in interviews, presentations or FAQs since so many people wonder about them and these and some other topics pops up on and on.
Perhaps, though the new EOS R5 has a higher resolution viewfinder which is also capable of the higher refresh rate.
@@DustinAbbottTWI That might be fully correct, but I think one needs to remember that the R5 is a 2020 construction while the A9II is a slightly pimped A9 from 2017.
Think businesses, the A9 line is geared to action photography not for video, it’s not puzzling that it doesn’t have slot of video features
Perhaps, but what about the Alpha 1? It's even more robust for sports, but has a very full set of video features.
@@DustinAbbottTWI exactly and the price is very expensive to keep it to a specific clientele
IM gonna be honest but i can't be the only one, but I've turned off my cam a few times reaching for the front dial lol ;) anyone else? Also, i think they need to do the eos 1 line body design. You are spending an ALOT of money it should take a battery that will last you the day. Also its about time these companies give us the ability to adapt an external HD to the cams to save to. If you are set in a studio and take portraits why not allow us to just save directly to an external with all the megapixels an external HD ability we don't ever have to worry about space and for the video to. Just my 2 cents.
I think they would expect you to solve that first problem by using the battery grip, which essentially achieves the same end.
@@DustinAbbottTWI i understand, but you figure for 5k they should resolve that with the price?
1:23 that's not a backslash \, but a forward / one
You're right...
When I see this, it is an improvement definitely, but I don't think it does justify the upgrade in price.
I suspect there's a lot of people in the same boat.
They maybe waiting for their real flagship to include, finaly, slog and touchscreen capabilities (and they need money for that: not only time...).
Here's hoping.
Definitive?
(of a conclusion or agreement) done or reached decisively and with authority. 2) : authoritative and apparently exhaustive | I do a long format (definitive) review (which is more detailed than just about any other reviewer out there) and a shorter, standard review.
This video is too long for me (might watch the standard video) and i have no interest in buying this camera. But as always, a thumbs-up to support a wonderful fellow Canadian!
Thanks...
X pro1 x ever
The A9 is probably the fattest of the mirrorless breed... Sony should be taking advantage of the mirrorless packaging to make interchangeable lens cameras more Like Leica Ms or Contax Gs. Instead, they are progressively making their mirrorless bodies BIGGER and BIGGER so they resemble SLRs. My favorite E-mount bodies was the NEX7 from an ergonomics stand point. From there it got fatter and taller starting with the 1st Gen A7 (which was at least slim), followed by another porking out with the 2nd gen, 3rd and gen and now 4th. The A7C was finally a step in the right direction even if pairing it with the Zeiss-Sony 1.4/50 or any of the GMs will be kinda comical. -- I have always lamented that Sony missed the perfect opportunity at the dawn of the E-mount to ditch autofocus for infinity only lenses with focusing done in the camera body by moving the sensor forward and back. If Sony makes an "R" version of the A7C and a proper compact zoom like an optically superior 3.3/25-50 I'll give up the A7RII for them immediately. Until then, every generation of Sony Mirrorless bodies -- irrespective of price -- is moving further and further from what I am looking for.
Interesting, as I disagree here. I want a functional, ergonomic camera, not a small one. The sweet spot if you want small and light is the APS-C mirrorless cameras.