Preorders:
Sony Alpha a7II (Body Only) for $1,698 at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here), SonyStore (Click here).
Sony Alpha a7II with FE 28-70mm OSS Lens for $1,998 at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here), SonyStore (Click here).
Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II Lens for $1,148 at BHphoto (Click here).
Today Sony announced the A7M2 (in Japan only!), three new (updated) A-mount lenses and the A-mount A77M2 firmware update (great stuff!). Here is the perfect overview to learn everything about the new products:)
Sony A7m2:
Worldwide only preorder is at Amazon Japan.
Full spec list and videos on SAR.
Full english A7m2 features list on SAR.
Image samples here on Sony.net.
Real life Images of the A7m2 on SAR.
Triple A-mount lens release:
70-300mm II official release not on SAR.
First images of the 24-70mm II and 16-35mm II A-mount lens son SAR.
A-mount A77M2 firmware:
Coming in December with two great new features (here on SAR).
The main things you need to know about the A7m2:
1) Camera will be released in Japan on December 5 and cost 190,000 yen. It will ship in Europe in January for 1.799 Euro (no US price info yet).
2) It has an amazing 5axis on sensor stabilization. It works both in stills and video mode with up to 4,5 stop stabilization (CIPA standard).
3) The 5 axis stabilization is a world’s first on a FF camera and is also a Sony proprietary tech (not borrowed from the Olympus OMD). Source: SonyAlphaForum.
4) 5 axis stabilization works with all third party lenses (Source: SonyAlphaForum).
5) Sensor is the “almost” the same as the one used by the A7. But autofocus speed is 30% faster
6) The A7m2 has the shutter button on top of the grip and a new grip and texture on the A7 body.
7) It has a robust mount ring. No need to replace it with the Fotodiox solution 🙂
8) A7m2 has XAVC-s and X-Log2
9) Picture of Nikon and Canon managers after the A7m2 launch (SAR twitter) 😉
This is a really impressive camera for the money! All your lenses from Sony and third party lenses from every rangefinder/Mirrorless/DSLR system are now “miraculously” stabilized!
And SAR readers seem to really love this new camera:
[poll id=”201″]
Images (Click on them to enlarge):
Videos:
α7Ⅱ from Sony: Official Video Release
α7 Ⅱ 5-axis SteadyShot INSIDE from Sony: Official Video Release
0 Responses
Amazing, Sony engineers managed to not only implement steady shot but improve the a mount version within the tighter e mount confines with a full frame sensor. And they did it in only two years. The future for e mount is bright, but they simultaneously announced 3 a mount lens updates (and improved the a77-2) reassuring a mount users. Christmas came in early for Alpha shooters.
And they fixed that shutter button!
Official price announced in Europe : 1800 euros, quite expensive compared to appx 1300 euros in Japon.
I guess price will be 1799USD in us
Where is that official price note for Europe???
Don’t know about official announcement but if you compare amazon.co.jp vs amazon.fr prices for A7, and make a correlation for A7ii, it calculates to 1871 Euros.
I came to the same price as well. When you compare price on amazon.fr and amazon.jp you have a 50% price bump after the currency conversion. I guess you have to add taxes, import duties maybe?
Even closer to 1800euros
Excellent stuff from Sony but I will not buy. Bring on the A9!!!
Agreed! I want my A9 now!
That’s not enough, give you A10!
I will be only satisfied the day Sony comes with the A9125 with coffea coming out from the HDmi port 🙂
but fully waterproof at the same thime. Kind of like the GEOX of HDMI-ports!
Why does everyone say coffee? I think a vibrator is much more useful.
What makes people think a7II will stabilize adapted lenses from leica ot other non chipped adapters?
haha, keep on trying to justify not buying this camera.lol.
lol
Sadly I have my a7 now for maybe 6 months… A well! This is technology and sony is having a lot of fun showing off their innovations and awesome end-less and mirror-less tech! (borat style: Very Nice! I Like!)
A mount cameras have been doing that for 10 years, they’ll stabilize anything.
No they won’t, if there is no communication with the lens then the camera does not know the correct focal length, it’s why the A7II has the option of inputting it manually.
Still, it works (poorly).
A mount defaults to 50mm stabilization for any lens that isn’t chipped.
well this means that any lens with FL>25 mm will get at least little better with IBIS on, and lenses about 50 mm range will benefit fully 😀
This
That’s pretty cool! Thanks for answering.
Topic 1. Well, there you go. Apparently, IBIS is possible with the “badly engineered” E-mount and A-mount is not dead. Let’s see what the whining will be about now.
Topic 2. Sony had some issues with the NEX lineup, but this aX line is moving forward very consistently. I wonder how long systems like m43 can survive, at such a pace.
With this new camera, I don’t even care anymore if A-mount is dead! I’ll happily adapt my lenses to this baby!
Why? E mount is still badly engineered. Wide angles could be built a lot smaller with a broader mount. Let’s hope this iteration is not going to wobble too badly LOL.
it’s not mandatory to buy a “full frame” to take nice photos. Sensors are quickly evolving (thank you Sony), and also IQ of smaller sensor cameras is increasing: the rumored organic sensor (never seen yet) from Fuji/Panasonic could add something more.
The question is: do we really need each new iteration of the gear?
Today I almost had a G.A.S. attack, luckily there were no preorder links, but thenI asked myself: would it bring something more, this camera, that right now I really need?
The answer is no.
Still it seems a great camera, and I’m waiting to see the first user reports.
I never said it was mandatory. But if you have better sensor, allowing you more flexibility, everything else equal, what would you choose? I did phrase it badly though, change “survive” to “lose some of its appeal”.
Im kind of happy to see sony taking this direction, but at the same time i think they are a little lazy because i would have made this layout choice in the first a7 iteration…
I really like the new grip, but i think the shutter button is maybe too high, i really think that canons shutter button position is almost if not perfect. This new grips is very substancial and i really prefer it, the ev comp is the best implementation in my opnion and would like to see a version with the evf on the right side not in the middle like that hump. i guess A9 or the third iteration will be a fatality for canikon, this is really getting to the point i though many years ago with start of the nex thing. Happy!
Does it use hybrid focus with non-E lenses?
you mean A-mount?
Yes… through we want everything ^^
Now put that awesome ibis into the a6000, add digital level and structure on the body like nex-6 and Sony can have all my money! Stabilized M42 lenses, here I come
Exactly what I have been thinking. Could that be delivered in the rumored a7000?
I remembered not long time ago, rumors posted that there is no collaboration of Olympus and Sony in imaging division. Apparently now we knew there is BIG collaboration in Sony Imaging division to incorporate the 5xis IBIS from Olympus into Sony A7II haha!
Time to give those eyes a good check-up:
3) The 5 axis stabilization is a world’s first on a FF camera and is also a Sony proprietary tech (not borrowed from the Olympus OMD). Source: SonyAlphaForum.
Is there a firmware update for the A99 users? I fell fooled as I bought the supposed Flagship A99 and guess what it seems that Sony dont care of those who bought this camera… i would love to have XAVC-S and X-Log2 on the A99… but i guess im dreaming
I’m sure the a77 users said that too lol wait until the a99ii with the bionz x processor that can handle it 😉 most likely announcement will occur “after” the canon 5dmk4 just like the a99 after the canon 5dmk3.
heck.. the nikon d800 doesn’t even have 1080/60p lol
I just think that SONY offers not much support for supposed to be Professional Cameras… That’s maybe why Canon and Nikon are still prefered by professionnals… I love my A99 and really enjoy how Sony is growing the right way in Photography industry but the release more cameras then Lenses (or firmware updates)…
They will get there, my friend. Canon and Nikon has been in the SLR world long before Sony bought a-mount. Give them time with new technology on the rise.
Sony will not get my money until they offer true lossless 14bit RAW files..,
Have you had any issues with the current RAW files? Just curious
I haven’t yet because I’m waiting for Sony to offer this before I sell all my gear and switch to the A7 series.
There are many people who take issue with their lossy compression, and also many who don’t care and appreciate the smaller file sizes. I just want the option to choose.
http://diglloyd.com/blog/2014/20140212_2-SonyA7-RawDigger-posterization.html
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3599922
I agree. Choice is absolutely preferred. I’ve had my a7 in a year now and have yet to encounter any issues with the compression. But yes, I too would like to choose.
There are many people who take issue with lossy compression, but very very few who can actually demonstrate it being a problem!
I agree that they are desirable camera and for most uses it would not be an issue, – it was Lloyd’s star trail photos that looked rather disappointing with compression artifacts, see the link below:
http://diglloyd.com/blog/2014/images/2014-0214-DSC0035.html
And there is a lot of people who smoke crack, are you waiting for that too?
Dumbest comment of the day award
Wait till CI Sales rises from his slumber before giving out your award!
So, for e-mount OSS lenses, it is a hybrid stabilization. Interesting.
It’s more a gimmick than real feature.
Why?
The in lens OSS is a 2-axis stabilization. Then you can add the remaining 3 axis from the 5-axis IBIS to that OSS-stabilization. I can’t see it should be a gimmick!
Now Sony can add tilt and Z shift and turn any legacy lens into AF, stabilized, tilt-shift 😀
I NEED TILT BADLY for photographing electronic circuits!
What do you mean by tilt?
As far as I can see they are covering 5 out of 6 degrees of freedom!
1 – Rotation around horizontal axis in sensor plane
2 – Rotation around vertical axis in sensor plane
3 – Rotation around axis perpendicular to sensor plane
4 – Movement up/down
5 – Movement left-/right
Only one left to cover back and forward!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_freedom
Tilt as in T&S lenses…
I would give you an example what it does, but my Tilt-adaptor m42-nex ordered at Ebay had been never made in to me T.T
Alright, I know what tilt and shift lens/adaptor is, I thought you talking about stabilisation
Canon and Nikon have some good TS lenses. On Canon, you can also use Mirex + several 645 lenses. And it is a real camera, no wobbles 🙂
Envy and (just a little little bit) disappointment on the new A7 II.
The 5-axis thing, ahhh!!! I wish my 2 month old A7S got that! Then I can buy the FE 55 excellent lens without worrying on shaky videos! Ahhhh!!!!
Very good features on the A7 II indeed! Bravo Sony! The very little disappointment is lack of a handy pop-up flash and no 4K video.
Now, I’m interested to see upcoming high resolution model (36MP or higher) with the same 5-exis thing (pretty sure it will be there), pop up flash (also pretty sure it won’t be there!), and internal 4K video recording. Hope my dream comes true to add another A7 camera to my existing A7S,
Any word on improved weather sealing?
Feel bad for the canon rumor camp, exciting thing they get is an lightroom update.Though I like using my canon 70-200mm II IS on my a7r with metabones, which IS works. Sony keeps pushing through sony body updates.
Some Canon owners are earning money with their-not-so-up-to-date cameras and even sometimes shooting in JPG, I envy them 😀
Ignorance is bliss I guess 🙂
And that’s something Dmitry has going for him.
If you actually had that lens, you would be a monkey fool. But you are just writing rubbish, like the rest of us.
I actually own the lens with the sony a7r 😉 will post a picture’ in a bit
14 bit color depth…. ?
Do “scaling with darkness and saturation data” any difference ?
dcraw for an a7r:
Loading Sony ILCE-7R image from _DSC3599.ARW …
Scaling with darkness 128, saturation 4095, and
multipliers 2.304688 1.000000 1.648438 1.000000
dcraw for a Leica:
Loading Leica M (Typ 240) image from L1000628.DNG …
Scaling with darkness 0, saturation 15000, and
multipliers 2.324219 1.000000 1.503906 1.000000
dcraw verbose for a Canon D60:
Loading Canon EOS 60D image from canon_eos_60d_02.cr2 …
Scaling with darkness 2047, saturation 12279, and
multipliers 2.415039 1.000000 1.510742 1.000000
dcraw verbose for a Nikon D800:
Loading Nikon D800 image from nikon_d800_01.nef …
Scaling with darkness 0, saturation 4095, and
multipliers 2.023438 1.000000 1.355469 1.000000
What? Please, explain!
Wonder if IBIS works for video or heat dissipation issues prevent it.
2) It has an amazing 5axis on sensor stabilization. It works both in stills and video mode with up to 4,5 stop stabilization (CIPA standard).
Are you sure the IBIS hardware stabilization works for video? That’s a big achievement if so.
Yes, it works during video. The official Sony promo video shows it quite clearly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svbUXedWsbA
Yes, it does.
IBIS worked on the previous A77 in video mode. So, it’s not without precedent.
No, steady shot is digital only in the a mount bodies and significantly degrades sharpness. I just end up applying stabilization in post versus digital steady shot. It’s not convenient but I find in camera it makes a99 video too mushy.
Oops, I missed that you specifically stated “hardware” IBIS.
Oh hey, another new body from Sony? Shocker!
If they put this amount of effort into their lenses they’d be unstoppable.
Do you know how long lenses take from design to production 2+ years.
Not to mention how many are coming in March…
Ask Canon how long it takes for a body from design to production (>7 years)! Especially if Sony already owns all old Minolta lenses which are (often) a) FF, b) small and c) good.
They have released an amazing amount of new lenses in only a year.
Youre so ignorant.
Another sarcastic comment from a poster on SAR? Shocker!
Silent Shutter?
nope
Think I’ll grab the 90/2.8 instead, in that case. It’s not like I really need ibis with the 35/2.8 or the 55/1.8…
UG, thx.
Well, even if it is stated otherwise, I strongly believe that the 5-axis IBIS happened due to a collaboration with Olympus. It can’t be a coincidance that Olympus gets access to brand new Sony sensors (E-M5) and all of a sudden Sony has an IBIS with similar specs as Olympus.
Hi Andrea – does this mean oss is still going to be included in unreleased lender like the 90/2.8?
So, is the sensor similar to the A7S sensor?
I’d love that, but not at 12MP. 16-20MP would be perfect.
Read the released specs, friend 🙂
Reading them and understanding them are two different things. 😉
No, it’s the same sensor as the a7 – 24mp
Is the sensor wet cleaning possible? It was a big concern for the E-M1 owners.
What is this and why is it a concern?
you might easily damage the sensor attempting to clean it thanks to the floating sensor.
http://www.mu-43.com/showthread.php?t=45596
I see. Thank you for the info. I hope, since this is Sony tech, that this is not an issue.
Never had this issue, and I cleaned em5 and em1 sensors several times.
I cleaned my Em5 and Em1 sensor several times and never had a problem. Just treat it a little bit more gently.
The single most important question is: How is the low light focusing? The a7 had terrible, unusable low light focusing and the evf would gain up so bad that even manual focusing in really low light was impossible. Has this been corrected like in the a7s
Low light focusing seems better as A7 was 0EV and A7 mk 2 is -1EV
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!!!
Where are the people moaning about RAW compression?
Have they not wished enough about that yet?
On a more serious note, sad to see that A7, A7r, RX1 won’t get any updates to improve on anything like AF or video codec.
We don’t know that. Yet.
As much as I liked IBIS on my old Minolta Dynax 7D and my A77, I recently started to not rely on it anymore. You either have images with blurry people or you could have used a tiny tripod for landscapes. I don’t need miss IBIS on my A6000. It’s nice to have but not a major selling point anymore. I rather prefer better high ISO performance.
However, the new grip and the new shutter position seams a good improvement. The A7 and the new A7m2 have been great and amazing cameras, no doubt. If you already own a A7, you don’t need to cry for wasted money, I think.
Sadly, there’s still no GPS on the new A7. That would really make my buy it. A travel cam needs to have build-in GPS – period!
The old Sony IBIS is hardly worth the effort, Olympus 5-axis, which I presume this is based on, is stunning and can out perform optically stabilized lenses a lot of the time.
I have 5 axis on my EP5. It’s great, but I think it’s over rated. However, great job Sony. How can any A mount fan complain now- seriously. Don’t like the grip- fixed. Don’t like the placement of the shutter button- fixed. Wobble mount- fixed. No IBIS- fixed!
I wouldn’t trade the A7 in for this, but this should persuade many more users to adopt the system in part or in whole. Won’t lie though, I secretly wish this was the A99II.
Not the right Mount- not fixed, still have to use a freake adapter- not fixed , and all the other bugs sony as build in in a hurry to harvest the needed money- not fixed
It’s the right mount for the right crowd. A mount users unwilling to use adapters excluded. This could have been an A mount camera. I’m thinking A mount is heading up town…as in MF quality high end only. I’m thinking A99II will be nothing like the A77II upgrade. A re-thinking of the wheel- total reinvention. Maybe just a bigger sized MILC.
Clearly you are going to piss and moan no matter what Sony release.
Thinkingpictures, it might be. But this is the first e-mount camera with stabilization!!!
It’s is nice that Sony listens to it’s custmers from time to time 🙂
Now lets see if there is a *Nex7 II* APS-C camera in 2015 with 5-axis stabilization also.
These to pictures accurately describe my thoughts on the subject.
Too pricey for me so I’ll lust after it from a distance, maybe start a savings fund.
IBIS is proprietary and “not borrowed from Olympus”?
Yeah, that’s a crock.
You make that statement based on what?
First off, great for Sony for listening to consumers about the flaws of the initial A7 and fixing many of them in this update, looks like a great camera.
As far as new A mount lenses go, they aren’t exactly “new” they are just old lenses with upgraded coatings, AF and cosmetics without any real optical improvements. This doesn’t make me any more confident about the A-mount’s future. They still haven’t updated any of the lenses that really need optical upgrades like the 11-18 and the 35 f/1.4 or released new lenses to fill the holes in the lineup: such as a good f/1.8 prime options like Nikon has been releasing.
Nice, now you can take the stabilizer out of the lens. Let’s see some small faster than f2 primes
Nice upgrade .
Considering the awesome stabilization addition the price seems fair to me .
But I ‘ll wait to see if an A9 shows up , and what it has to offer before deciding anything.
Congrats to Sony to keep inovating anyway and pushing things forward , I ‘m glad to use your stuffs since the first Walkman in the eighties.
Any rumours of an upcoming A7RII?
I don’t think we’ll see such a thing soon… I think Sony will be steering people towards the A9 for high res.
I bet they’ll launch a A8II with a 36mp sensor, and a A9II with a 12mp sensor.
I bet you’re wrong. Rumours suggest the A9 will be a high res camera with a new sensor.
Also, it’s a bit early to be talking about an A8II? and A9II, don’t you think?
A7II really puts me on the fence for moving to e-mount. What are the newest rumors on new a-mount full frame cameras? I’m looking for upgrading to full frame camera but I don’t know if I should move to e-mount or stay with my a-mount lenses…
What puts me on the fence is caught underpants. That’s why I usually tuck my trousers into my socks and secure my shirt when hopping over an entanglement of metal wire.
If everytime I have to hop this fence to hear a rumor, I fear my trousers will get shredded to bits. So, as far as those A mount rumors your wondering about. Best to leave them on the other side where they belong. Only Sony knows it’s true A mount intentions. If the A7II is any indication, we won’t hear a pip squeak until right before launch.
Well that was funny 😀
am i more or less correct to assume the a7r and the a7s will be re-released containing stabilization in a 2nd version, likely over the next year?
You are correct in assuming there will be a rapid fire succession of Sony cameras. It’s best to list it on ebay before actually receiving it. That way you can make your money back right before the next one hits your door.
it took me a minute..but i get it. 🙁 im happy with my a7r..but i have been toying with the idea of picking up an s. now i have a reason to tell myself to wait…or is more of a reason to go ahead and get it when it comes down to 1299 when the s2 hits..hm.
Andrea, seriously, you should buy a new domain name: sonyalphanews.com, that would suit materials you publish much better.
So you suggest I should not write the news when a camera gets released because it’s not a rumor anymore?
Very weird…
You “rumours” about a7.2 appeared only a day before announcement and I hardly can remember really interesting leak on your site recent times.
You are invited to do a better job.
Always easier to demand from others than to make it better, isn’t it?
1) Not interested
2) There were much more rumors here 1.5 years ago. They gone about a year ago and we only have “rumors” that are news in fact since that.