Product Reviews

Still one of the best pro cameras you can buy still after 5 years, The A9 series were world leaders in new and advanced technology and way ahead of their competition, with 25mp and 20 frames per second with 0 blackout and beautiful images with fantastic video caperbilities what is there not to like a wildlife or sportspersons dream camera and still is especially paired with the 100-400gm and the 200-600g lens

Bought this last week-its just amazing-spend time setting it up and boom…amazing.

I’ve had this camera just over a year now and I’m so happy with this camera there still room for improvement but these results of just some of the 1000s of pictures I’ve taken are so rewarding to me.

Great Camera Except……. It needs more Megapixels. It is pretty good in all other realms and could be improved in time by adding more functionality.

I was looking to upgrade from a different make/model and the lovely people at Wex recommended the Sony A9ii after listening to my requirements. Although being a little nervous having never used Sony photography equipment before. I'm extremely happy with both the camera, lens and 1.4x teleconverter. It has been really simple to transition from my previously preferred model. I really like the layout of the buttons across the camera, the easy to use menu and really love the AF and real-time eye. Love it!

I bought this 2 weeks ago and love it. It’s amazing for capturing action photos, dogs running full speed and tracking their motion.

Тhе аmаzіng ЅОNY аlрhа А9іі іѕ ѕесоnd іn thе Ѕоnу ѕроrt рrоfеѕѕіоnаl lіnе. Ехсеllеnt buіld аnd ехtrа соntrоlѕ Ехсеllеnt ѕрееd 20fрѕ uѕіng еlесtrоnіс ѕhuttеr оr 10fрѕ wіth рhуѕісаl ѕhuttеr wіth hаrdlу аnу rоllіng ѕhuttеr аt ѕрееdѕ 1/32000 - 30 ѕес Ехсеllеnt соnnесtіvіtу Рluѕ tеnѕ оf оwn FЕ Ѕоnу аnd Zеіѕѕ lеnѕеѕ, рluѕ ѕоmе vеrу gооd соmраtіblе lеnѕеѕ Еvеrуthіng а fаѕt ѕhооtеr nееdѕ рrоduсіng ехсеllеnt quаlіtу аnd vеrу lоw nоіѕе ѕtrаіght frоm thе саmеrа аѕ ЈРЕG, соmрrеѕѕеd аnd unсоmрrеѕѕеd RАW

Very fast auto focus and no viewfinder blackout and top quality build!

Bought the A911 in Nov21 ,getting cash back was very fraught due to picky support procedures, accepting photo evidence ok then not ok. The firmware procedure even more confusing,why so complex, still have not been able to update Have been back to wex twice for problems.Not good enough for the price.

First class I used the a99ii before and liked it but the a9 ii is a whole different ball game pity no bird eye tracking but every thing else is superb

Bought this camera a short while ago and am so pleased with the results

Best camera purchase I ever made. Never looked back. Sony always delivers innovation and outstanding quality

The amazing SONY alpha A9ii is second in the Sony sport professional line. Excellent build and extra controls Excellent speed 20fps using electronic shutter or 10fps with physical shutter with hardly any rolling shutter at speeds 1/32000 - 30 sec Excellent connectivity Plus tens of own FE Sony and Zeiss lenses, plus some very good compatible lenses Everything a fast shooter needs producing excellent quality and very low noise straight from the camera as JPEG, compressed and uncompressed RAW

ok Chose because i wanted to do night photography . I would appreciate a book like mastering the sony alpha II. It is a bit early to say how it performs.

I have been using this in top professional sports for 3 months now and have had many publications including a front page.

Right out of the box and this camera lives up to its reputation, super fast focus, it locks on to targets like a guided missile, and if shooting in fast mode it bursts though action shots like a video camera. It's first outing saw it tackle Golden Eagles, White Tailed Sea Eagles, Ospreys, and those pesky fast moving Red Squirrels, and moving South a afternoons shooting surfers with equal success, I think this will be a love affair that equals my Canon A1 all those years ago

Nearly a year since I bought it and haven’t looked back perfect for my hobby which is birdwatching

I photograph race horses on a daily basis and love my upgrade from the A9 to the A9 Mark II. The focus tracking is second to none and the dual SD slots both with the same write speed helps a lot. But best of all is the overall design tweaks for handling - bigger buttons and grip are now ideal.

Excellent camera perfect for wildlife and sporting photography but equally great for macro work and portraits.

I've had this camera for nearly 3 weeks now, and it's performance has blown me away, the tracking speed for wildlife is super fast and the images are super sharp coupled with the sony 200-600mm lens, this camera will take alot of beating. I can't fault it.

I have been a wedding and events photographer for around 10 years now, and I made the jump to Sony mirrorless around 2015 with the Sony A7Rii. Since then I've owned pretty much every Sony mirrorless camera, and I can safely say the Sony A9ii is the best camera I have ever used. I owned the first Sony A9 too which I loved, and wasn't too sure about the upgrade, but I am glad I did. Improvements in ergonomics, autofocus is somehow even faster and stickier, and in my opinion there is an improvement in image quality, dynamic range and high ISO performance. Coupled with my GM lenses while at a wedding or event it really is a joy to use, not to mention the confidence it gives me in knowing that I got the shot.

Been using it for about a month and I think it's fantastic for wildlife photography. Auto focus is lightning fast using the 70-200 f2.8 and the focus tracking is amazing. I was able to pick up dragon flies in flight and focus on them immediately. The silent shooting mode is very useful, I've been shooting Little Owls this week and although they have acute hearing they've been very close without being disturbed. The 200-600 is ok, sharp enough but a little slow, If only Sony would bring out something between this and the 600 prime which is Too expensive.

Happy to make the correct decision in getting the a9 II last month. Have been using this for birds shooting and the performance is simply excellent.

Incredible camera bought only 2 weeks ago mainly for wildlife photography animal tracking plus it’s really good at high iso and keeping the grain low . The menu system takes a bit of work but anyone with any experience can gat around it no problem.

Having now used my new Sony A9ii for only a month, I realise what I've been missing when using other cameras. The autofocus performance for my interests in birds and wildlife is stunning.

There are so many good things about the A9II! But the dials on the right side of the camera need to go. That camera would be more functional if the exposure compensation dial was replaced with another custom function button and there was an LCD readout where the mode selector dial is. And I would like to see the rear dial IN the back of the camera, like the A7c.

Previous cameras Nikon D850 and D500, I love the IQ of the Nikon but wanted to try the Sony A9 ii because I enjoy wildlife and wanted silent shooting and better high ISO performance , also the AF for lower light. The A9 ii is a joy to use , the menus and customisation are excellent . The focus system is very accurate and the option of 20FPS is useful. Battery life is quite good for a mirrorless , I have set it to mainly use the EVF and turn the rear LCD off to preserve the battery power even more . The only thing I miss from my Nikon D850 is the 45mp's compared to the A9 ii 24mp . If you can fill the frame its no problem but with a lot of wildlife mainly birds they tend to require some crop .

I am always doing bird’s/wildlife photography. Coming from the a7iii, this a9ii is by far the fastest camera i ever own. I love how the a9ii has a dial for selecting focus modes and shooting modes. This alone is a great feature to switch shooting modes on the fly without going through the menus. In terms of picture quality, the a9ii did improved the iso performance. Together with the high burst 20fps electronic shutter & extremely fast AF system, i got a lot more keeper rate for all my action birds in flight/action wildlife. In my opinion, i would love to own a 600GM one day to get more Image Quality for my hobby. Its only a dream to have such a good setup out there for birds in flight and action wildlife. I have nothing to complain about the a9ii. For those out there looking for a fast camera for sports, birds in flight & action wildlife, look no further. The a9ii is second to none.

I bought the A9Mk2 five weeks ago , having had the A9 I moved up to the A9Mk2 . It’s amazing to use , it’s much faster focus and tracking my photography has improved Exponentially . Birds in flight shots are stunning . There just needs to be more availability of advice on setting up the camera for wildlife on perhaps (You Tube). That would be helpful . I recommend the A9Mk2 to anyone who wants probably the best top range camera on the market at a reasonable price .

Replace my A9, it product great image and the focusing is extremely amazing

I bought this camera slightly used online. At the same time I bought a new 200-600mm Sony lens and together they are a dream for wildlife/bird photographer. I could drastically increase the numbers of focused shots with birds in flight. Even in low or difficult light, I was able to take great shots. The quality out of the camera also cuts down on the time I spend post-processing the images.

I have had this camera since June,,,AMAZING,can’t recommend this enough

I bought this 13 days ago and had lots of fun setting it up to behave as I wish.

I have been amazed by the continuous burst speed of this camera. I took it out to get my dogs leaping around and got the best results ever because it can just freeze the motion

Can’t beat the Sony A9 II for focussing - using for my Bird in Flight photography with amazing 20 FPS it rarely drops a shot!

SHARP PICTURES OF BIRDS SITTING STILL INITAL DEFECT IN SENSOR SCREEN - UNABLE SO FAR TO GET REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT

Very Happy for my A9ii , and I have an A7R4 as well! A9II is a beast, great iso and reliable device! 5 stars for this camera... I loved it! I always had Nikon.. my last was Nikon D5, wich is good.. and Nikon Z7.(AF is not good for this camera)

I owned three Sony cameras A7SM2, A7RM3 and A9M2. Each camera has its unique functionality and capability. If you are capturing the challenging moments, you will not disappointed with A9M2 performance.

I am a experienced wildlife photographer. My shots have been published on National Geographic Top Shots. I'm recently converting myself from DSLR to mirror-less. Below are my feedback to Sony after using my a9ii and 600mm F4 lens for a few months. Things I love: * Light weight - only 8.5 pounds when paired with the 600mm f4 GM lense. * No blackout continuous shooting - love it. * Best AF tracking on the market - once AF locks on the subject, it stays. * Flip-out screen - great for low angle shooting. Some DSLR bodies also have flip-out screen but their "live-view" AF speeds are super slow for moving targets. * 20 fps high speed shooting * High ISO noise fairly low for JPEG images Things to improve: * Buffer clear is SUPPER slow! And you cannot do things like video recording while it's in progress (but you can continue to shoot stills). This is true even when the buffer is half full. So long it's clearing the buffer, you cannot shoot video! Not sure why Sony has been struggling on this, because other camera brands have resolved the issue loooong time back! * RAW images are very grainy when ISO is high and even the Sony software cannot reduce it reasonably in post-process! * While the AF tracking is the best on the market, the initial AF is not. For one, the initial AF speed is sometimes a bit slow. For two, when using AF tracking modes, the initial focus doesn't grab on the subject that's pointed by the focus point. Even when using single AF tracking mode, it many times grabs a branch or leaf next to the bird. I can understand it if I was using the wide area tracking AF mode, but I don't understand why single point or flex point AF tracking mode does that too? * Lack of third finger operation. When configured with back-button focusing (which a lot of wildlife photographers do), the thumb and the index finger are occupied during shooting. When you need to change a setting in flight while shooting, buttons located in front of the camera would be ideal to allow a third finger to press/hold and release the button. Again, other brands already offer this for a long time.

I have waited a long time for the A9ii, it hasn’t disappointed so far. I’m an action photographer so I absolutely have to capture the moment. Changing from 1DX mk1 to mirrorless has meant learning new things, but I absolutely love the images. I watch lots of Mark Galor’s YouTube videos on set up. I wish there were courses that Sony ran in the UK. My only battle is setting up the Wifi to send JPEG’s to a laptop, I’m not in a studio often out in countryside or in an arena. Bottom line. I love this camera

I had brought this camera about two month ago. I upgrade from A 7 III

Switched from 20 years with Canon after doing a lot of research on Sony and I'm very happy with my decision.

Moved from A7III to the A7RIV and then to the A9II mainly for its superb autofocus tracking ability. Even with the TC on, it still tracks well. The A7III is still best at high ISOs, while the A7RIV was a letdown. It couldn't autofocus in low light and the noise is terrible. The A9II bests the other 2 models in tracking moving subjects but the noise is higher than the A7III which was a bit disappointing. Nevertheless, still love the tracking

I love photographing wildlife, especially birds. My previous kit was a Canon 70D, with 100-400L IS II USM. This combination, despite the grade of the camera, gave me some fantastic shots during the six years I owned it. After some years of use though, I started to demand more, especially in AF performance. The news that Canon decided to ditch the single digit APS-C line (the 7D series) was hugely disappointing as I lost my upgrade path. In the meantime, I became more aware of lush reviews poured on the Sony A9, primarily for their insane frames-per-second performance, and somewhat later, improved AF performance post some major firmware updates. As a traditional DSLR shooter, one aspect I was very very sceptical of the A9 series was its AF performance. Throughout my DSLR years, I learned the importance of retaining total control over which AF point/area to use, and concentrating on keeping the main subject under that AF point/area no matter what. Therefore, the crazy number of phase-detect AF points over the almost entire expanse of the image sensor, and the use of AI to detect and focus on your main subject sounded too good to be true until I started using my current model, the SONY A9II. The A9II is blessed with so many different AF modes, with varying sizes of AF points, with tenacious AF tracking to boot should you need that, too. I even go so far as to say that the camera focuses perfectly as long as you use the most suitable AF setting for the scene at hand. Plus, with the joystick, it is so easy to instantaneously change and move the position of AF point, too. As they claim, the camera is massively capable of achieving and retaining focus of an oncoming approaching subject which traditional DSLRs struggled with. But one thing that could be improved in terms of the model’s AF performance is to equip its AI with more subject information. When your subjects are dogs, cats and humans, yes, the camera performs phenomenally well but when you are trying to photograph a relatively obvious and unobscured bird perched on a branch or a squirrel on the grass, it struggles. In such cases, you realise how much of the camera’s AF intelligence depends on the knowledge-base preloaded onto the camera. But in fairness I would add that when the camera struggled, I was mostly using a 1.4x teleconverter, and the atmospheric light was getting rather low. Although the camera impressed me with its insane AF performance and fast continuous shooting, as the most expensive model in the current Sony line-up, there are certain quibbles, too, which I hope will be addressed in the near future, hopefully with firmware updates if these suffice, whilst some others can only be put right by hardware improvements. One thing that bugs me currently is the colour temperature variations between the EVF, the rear LCD screen, and the real scene in front of you. I know from my past experiences that Sony tends to give their screens (TVs, LCDs, etc.) a slight cooler tinge. That is very much the case with the EVF. The thing is, when the main benefit of using a mirrorless camera is meant to be WYSIWYG, it becomes far from the truth when the picture you see in the EVF is bluer than the real scene, therefore, you change white balance accordingly, only to realise later that the picture is way too warm. It is possible to adjust the colour temperature of the EVF and I had mine set to -2 (the warmest setting available as it looks more true to real life scene), but still, some vegetation, reeds especially, carry a tinge of blue when looked through the viewfinder. This is a major flaw and I am surprised that not a single well-known reviewer online mentioned this. Another disappointment is again related to the EVF. The resolution needs to be a lot higher. A higher resolution should help the photographer know if part of the subject you are trying to focus on is in sharp focus or not. Another downside of low-res EVF is not being able to appreciate the beauty of whatever scene you are trying to capture as it unfolds in front of you - especially how the ever-changing light falls onto a particular part of your subject, etc. Photography is all about catching such fleeting beauty and capturing it at the right moment - with the current EVF in the A9II, the experience is still inferior to that through an OVF. You need a bit of guessing and imagination. I also add that the exposure compensation setting isn’t reflected faithfully inside the EVF - I tend to find that the final image ends up looking way too dark when uploaded to a computer. The rear LCD needs a higher resolution, too, for the same reason. Normally on locations, I am rarely blown away by the image quality when reviewing taken pictures as the screen lets the camera down. Only when I get home and uploaded all my pictures to a bigger screen do I get to appreciate the full capabilities of the A9II. It’s an amazing camera with tremendous image sensor inside. It’s sad that this cycle of taking a picture and reviewing it in situ before adjusting the settings is hindered by the lack of faithfulness in the way the pictures are shown on the various screens on the camera. Please fix this as this is crucial for serious photographers. Another thing I want Sony to fix is the lag from the sleep mode. I half-press the shutter button to wake my camera up but the EVF takes a bit of time to wake up. Whatever else you do before the EVF fully wakes up, such as trying to get the right AF mode, etc., isn’t met with a response. As a sports model, the slow recovery from sleep mode is embarrassing. AWB - auto white balance - is another major letdown. It performs admirably under the clear blue sky. However, the moment the light level drops, the AWB seems to get it wrong. Where the ‘Shade’ setting should have been applied, I still see the ‘Daylight’ kelvin applied. I shoot in RAW so it is possible to adjust in post, however, given the pricing point of the camera, I expect it to do way better. The only saving grace is that the Sony’s image sensor is capable of capturing so much detail and information therefore a post adjustment, if done right, can bring so much more life to a picture. Another thing is related to AF yet again. If you are into photographing small birds that like to hide in shrubs and trees, you might wish the smallest AF point to be a lot smaller. In shops when testing the camera, I didn’t think I would wish for this, but in real life situations, the smallest AF point is still big and the camera refuses to see the bird I see. I might sound way too critical of such a ground breaking, highly acclaimed camera of the twenty first century, but that’s because I know that this little camera has got a big potential to be even greater. The camera really shines and impresses when it is doing what it’s meant and designed to do in ideal situations. Dogs running, jumping, running around a tree, birds in flight with no confusing background, no problem! So I know if Sony put their minds to it, they can turn this into an even more unbelievable performer for bird photographers. The direction for the camera industry is definitely mirrorless even at the high-end. The slow response and commitment from Canon to the technology meant I simply refused to invest my hard earned cash in their dying EF mount system, which as they admitted recently has stopped receiving any more R&D money as Canon need to focus on the RF mount. If you already own a high-end DSLR system and happy with what it can do for you, then don’t consider jumping ship until the gear has failed or broken. But if you are like me, needing a high speed model/system now or soon with a future worth investing in, the Sony A9II is a very worthy addition to your shortlist.

My first mirrorless camera so still getting to grips with the newness of it all. A steep learning curve for us old people. Bought to take wildlife pictures but weather has been poor since purchase. What we have managed looks good, camera feels good to handle and a lot of features to master. Pleased with the decision to purchase.

Just upgraded from a Sony RX10M4 and decided to commit to a higher end camera. No regrets (except would like more megapixels with the A9ii). Best in class n performance for fast moving subjects! Follow me on my Instagram mc.film2019 - great Sony combination.

This is a camera we shouldn’t underestimate. Capturing the moment is always the most important thing as a photographer but capturing challenging moments the A9ii will not let you down. At the end of the day you kinda blame yourself for not being prepared so this camera actually challenges you to be faster and more aware about what is to come. Thank you Sony

So far I am happy with the purchase of the A9 II camera. Easy of operation n etc

I absolutlly love shooting with my new Sony a9 full frame camera! It has been amazing. I have only one complaint...I wish I had two :)

I recieved my A9ii on Nov 7th and have had a chance to use it for photographing birds in flight as well as a wedding. For reference, I had owned an A7r2 and currently own an A7r3. I had been wanting an A9 as the A7r3 takes spectacular portrait & landscape pictures, but is rather hit or miss when your subject is moving. The reviews of the Ergonomic improvements on the new A7r4 sounded very positive, so when the A9ii was announced & would be using those same improvements, I decided to purchase it. It was immediately obvious the A7r3 and A9ii are both excellent tools, but for two totally different functions, one for resolution, the other for speed of acquiring and maintaining focus while delivering 20 pictures per second, albeit at 24 MP. And yes, all those ergonomic improvements ( larger grip, button size & travel in particular) are just better in all respects from the A7r3 or previous. I have no hands on experience with either the original A9 or the A7r4. The electronic shutter, when set at 20FPS (there is a medium & low setting available as well) is something you must experience to believe. Coupled with the no blackout view finder, capturing birds in flight is as simple as if using a video camera. The Real Time Tracking locks on to your target and just doesn't let go. I'm including some pictures that demonstrates just that. The 1st picture of the two American White Ibis has focus locked on the lead bird. Pictures 2, 3 & 4 are consecutive shots where the A9ii clearly stays focused on the lead Ibis, even as the trailing Ibis almost totally eclipses it. The lens for these pictures was the Sony 70-200mm GM set at f3.2 and 200mm. The A9ii was set at 1/2000 and ISO 100.

I already have the a9 mk1 so know how good this camera is, At the moment though - mid Nov 2019 - the camera is not worth using due to Sony / Adobe (not sure which) not sorting out the ability to import raw files from this camera into Lightroom. There is a labourious workaround involving downloading additional software, importing the raw fils as tiffs and then importing those into LR but what a pain it is to do that. Come on Sony /Adobe please get this sorted asap

I loved after buy this camera This camera just made for professional photographer