Sony changes the game for journalists in the UAE

Sony has announced the release of its latest alpha line of fully interchangeable lens cameras, the Alpha 9 II in the UAE.

Building upon the impressive legacy of Alpha 9, the new Alpha 9 II maintains groundbreaking speed performance including blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 20 frames per second with Auto Focus and Auto Exposure tracking, and 60 times per second AF/AE calculations, while incorporating even more functionality driven directly from the voice of professionals.

Updates to the Alpha 9 II include enhanced connectivity, continuous shooting upto 10 fps with mechanical shutter, highly evolved AF performance and a redesigned chassis with a whole new level of durability.

“The Alpha 9 II is the direct result of countless feedback sessions with agency, sports and news photographers that started right after the launch of the original Alpha 9. We’ve added connectivity and network capabilities that drastically improve the professional workflow, while also making subtle adjustments to design, interface and processing power that complete the user experience. Complemented by our extremely versatile E-mount system – with 55 native lenses introduced at this point, including the super-telephoto 600mm and 400mm G Master™ series lenses – this new camera is a tool unlike any other for professionals either in the field or on the field.” said Murat Gebeceli, Head of Digital Imaging, Sony Middle East & Africa.

Designed to improve the speed of news agencies’ workflow, the Alpha 9 II features a new Voice Memo function that allows spoken information to be attached to images in the form of voice memos that can be replayed when the images are reviewed. The voice data can also be included with images sent to an editor, giving them important information needed for effective editing. Alternatively, a field photographer can also use the ‘Transfer & Tagging add-on’ “Imaging Edge” application to transfer voice tags with the images to their mobile device and have the voice memos automatically converted to text and added to the JPEG images in the form of IPTC metadata.

The new Alpha 9 II shares the same acclaimed 35mm full-frame stacked 24.2 MP Exmor RS CMOS image sensor with integral memory as the original Alpha 9, giving it the same unmatched speed performance and outstanding image quality. The new model can shoot continuously and completely silently at 20 fps for up to 361 JPEG images or 239 compressed RAW images, with no viewfinder blackout, allowing the photographer to follow the subject and action with no interruption to the EVF during picture taking.

The camera is designed to function whilst continuously calculating Auto Focus and Auto Exposure at up to 60 times per second, thanks to the newly optimized AF algorithms that provide notably enhanced AF precision and performance, ensuring even the most erratic subject motion, often experienced in sports, is captured with high precision.

The advanced focusing system in the new Alpha 9 II is comprised of 693 focal-plane phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 93% of the image area, as well as 425 contrast AF points. This Fast Hybrid Auto Focus system achieves extremely fast and accurate performance, ensuring all fast-moving subjects are accurately captured.

What about the all-new build?

  1. Upgraded BIONZ X image processing engine gains maximum benefit from the sensor’s fast readout speed. 
  2. Upgraded dust and moisture resistant design to meet the needs of professionals in even the most challenging outdoor conditions.  Stronger sealing provided at all body seams as well as the battery compartment cover and media slot.
  3. The latest image-processing algorithm reduces noise in the medium-to-high sensitivity range while improving subjective resolution and image quality.
  4. 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization system provides a shutter speed advantage of 5.5 steps.
  5. Improved grip configuration for even greater comfort and sure hold. 
  6. Improved button design and feel. Increased diameter and feedback of the ‘AF-ON’ button; a refined multi-selector joystick design; an exposure compensation dial lock button and a redesigned shape and new position for the rear dial.
  7. Redesigned shutter mechanism to suppress even the slightest movement that can cause image blur. 
  8. USB Type-C connector supports fast USB 3.2 Gen 1 data transfer.
  9. Dual media slots are both compatible with UHS-I and UHS-II SD cards, allowing the higher overall capacity and faster read/write speeds.
  10. Digital audio interface added to the camera’s Multi Interface Shoe™ (MI Shoe) enabling the new ECM-B1M Shotgun Microphone orXLR-K3M XLR Adaptor Kit to be connected directly to the MI Shoe for a cleaner, clearer audio recordings. 

The Alpha 9 II will be available for pre-order in the UAE from 23rd October 2019 until 10th November at a retail price of AED 18,999.