Sony Alpha a99 II

Well-rounded feature set ; Superb overall image quality ; Fast focusing system ; Seamless LCD/EVF use ; Highly flexible LCD screen

Relatively short battery life ; Can be sluggish at times ; No touchscreen ; No in-camera raw processing

Sony has made some significant changes from the original A99 for this latest iteration, and the result is a camera that should satisfy a broad range of users, whether they tend to focus on stills or video. While some issues from the A99 remain, it’s...

42.4-million-pixel full-frame sensor with fixed mirror is a landscape photographer's dream ; Sharp when paired with good glass ; Image stabilisation ; Excellent JPEG quality ; Strong feature set ; Performance in 8fps continuous high burst mode ; Superb 4k

Autofocus promises much but can’t keep up in the 12fps continuous high+ burst mode ; Poor battery life ; Joystick is fiddly ; Improved processor again does not match the continuous high shooting modes ; Menus not available while buffer clears

On paper, the Sony Alpha 99 II sounds massively impressive. So is it good enough to cater for both professionals who want to print big and those who want to never miss a shot from its speed-focused setup?

Superb image quality for stills and video ; Compact compared to peers ; Huge, bright viewfinder ; Fast AF and continuous shooting ; 5-axis IS ; Weather-sealed magnesium alloy body

Expensive ; Huge menu system

Too expensive for mass appeal, but the A99 II is packed with ability and clever features

The Sony Alpha A99 Mark II is a combination of Sony's latest technogies, including the excellent 42 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, which gives both high resolution images, and low noise, delivering excellent image quality. With Sony's latest image...

Incredible 42MP full-frame image sensor. 12fps capture rate. Dual autofocus system. Sturdy, pro-grade build. Crisp EVF. Articulating rear LCD. Focus point joystick selector. Uncompressed or compressed Raw capture options. 4K video capture.

Lengthy write times. Neglected lens system. Some photographers dislike EVFs. In-body stabilization not as effective as lens-based IS. Battery life lags behind other pro models. Omits built-in flash.

There was some question as to whether the Sony Alpha 99 II would ever be released. Sony has seemingly put all of its efforts into developing its mirrorless system, letting SLRs fall by the wayside. But the Alpha 99 II shows that the company hasn't...