Sony Alpha A99 II: Capturing Professional-Quality Photos and Videos

Overview of the Alpha A99 II

Are you looking for a camera that can capture professional-quality photos and videos? Look no further than the Sony Alpha A99 II. This powerful mirrorless camera boasts a high-resolution sensor and advanced autofocus system that make it an ideal choice for photographers who demand the best. Plus, with 4K video recording capabilities, the A99 II is sure to impress videographers looking to expand their creative options. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at what makes the Sony Alpha A99 II such a great camera and explore some of its standout features.

Sony Alpha A99 II Pros and Cons

Now, we will look more closely at our review of the Sony Alpha A99 II camera. We will see what it can do and compare it to other cameras like it. We will tell you what's good about it and what's not so good. This way, you'll know if it's the camera for you!

Build and Construction

Body and dimensions

Sony Alpha A99 II

Weather Sealing

The Sony Alpha A99 II camera is equipped with environmental seals that make it resistant to weather, preventing water and dust from entering the camera. If you enjoy outdoor photography and need a camera that can handle extreme conditions, the Alpha A99 II is an excellent choice.

Design and Handling

LCD Screen

This camera has a fully articulated 3.00" screen, with a display resolution of 1,229k dots. This makes the Sony Alpha A99 II very suitable for those looking for a vlogging camera as you can view yourself while shooting selfies. Unfortunately, the camera does not have a touch screen, which may make it less user-friendly.

Viewfinder

Alpha A99 II includes a electronic viewfinder with 2,359k dots of resolution with a coverage of 100% and a magnification of 0.78x. This feature enhances the camera's suitability for outdoor photography in bright conditions.

Image Quality

Sony Alpha A99 II has a 42MP sized BSI-CMOS sensor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 42 pixels. Sony Alpha A99 II has a native ISO range of 100 - 25600 which can be boosted to 50 - 102400. It can also save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

DXO mark sensor scores

The DXOmark rankings indicate that the Sony Alpha A99 II camera has excellent color depth performance, which refers to the number of colors the sensor can distinguish. Additionally, its dynamic range is also excellent, allowing it to retain medium amounts of details in both bright and dark areas of a scene. The camera's low light ISO performance is below average, which is an important factor to consider if you plan to use it in dimly lit indoor environments or at night. Overall the image quality of the Alpha A99 II is excellent

Connectivity, storage, battery

Storage

The Sony Alpha A99 II supports Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS Duo slots with 2 slots for storage. Having dual SD card slots on the Sony Alpha A99 II is highly advantageous as it mitigates the risk of losing footage due to memory card malfunctions. This feature is particularly beneficial for wedding photography and other professional settings.

Battery

The Sony Alpha A99 II uses the NP-FM500H model of np-fm500h lithium-ion battery & charger. This is rated for 490 shots shots which is high. If you intend to take photos or record videos for an extended period, it might be a good idea to bring along additional batteries.

Photography Features

Flash

The Sony Alpha A99 II does not have a built-in flash, but it does offer a flash shoe that allows you to attach external flashes. This provides more versatility in your lighting choices.

Shutter

The Sony Alpha A99 II boasts a maximum mechanical shutter speed of 1/8000s, which is ideal for shooting fast-moving subjects in bright environments, such as in sports photography. Faster shutter speeds enable you to freeze the action and capture every detail, making it easier to get the perfect shot.

With a continuous mechanical shutter speed of n/a or an electronic shutter speed of n/a, this camera is not capable of capturing the perfect moment more easily, making it not as suited for wedding, sports, and wildlife photography. Higher shutter speeds make it easier to capture fast-paced action, ensuring that you never miss the perfect shot.

Autofocus

The Sony Alpha A99 II includes two autofocus (AF) systems: contrast detection and phase detection, with 399 number of focus points.

While contrast detection is generally more accurate and precise, phase detection autofocus is faster and more effective in most situations, particularly when photographing moving subjects.

Phase detection autofocus works by dividing the incoming light into pairs and then analyzing how they intersect on the camera's sensor. This method allows the camera to determine not only if a subject is in focus but also the direction and distance needed to adjust the focus to achieve perfect sharpness.

On the other hand, contrast detection autofocus works by analyzing the contrast of an image and adjusting the focus until the highest contrast is detected. While this method is very accurate, it can be slow, especially in low light conditions or when photographing moving subjects.

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