Gear Up For the New Sony a1 II
Sony's latest take on its flagship camera is here. Let's look at the new Sony a1 II and discuss your best options for storage.
Jourdan Aldredge • Nov 21, 2024
An upgraded version of Sony’s popular a1 mirrorless camera is here to be the brand’s new flagship. And while the a1 II might feature the same 50MP stacked BSI CMOS sensor as the previous model, this updated version is set to bring a great deal of versatility to Sony’s top Alpha line option.
But with this new power comes new responsibility. The Sony a1 II is primarily designed for hybrid content creators looking to get the best photo and video capabilities out of pretty much any mirrorless camera currently on the market. Gearing up for it is no small feat.
Let’s take a look at the new Sony a1 II and its new and upgraded specs and features, plus—with a focus on storage—let’s give you some suggestions for the best cards to fit into its dual CFexpress Type A/SD card slots.
A Look at the New Sony a1 II
With the original Sony a1 already designed for strong imaging performance, this new a1 II update looks like it should only improve with upgraded BIONZ XR processing, an AI processing unit, and more powerful 8.5-stop IBIS.
This 50MP sensor and processor combo will be able to achieve a top 30-fps shooting rate, expandable sensitivity from ISO 50-102400, and a quite impressive 15-stop dynamic range. The overall design is being moved into a Sony a9 III body and will feature some of the best technologies (like AF and IBIS) that were found in the new a7R V.
Versatility is the overall name of the game here, as Sony has designed the a1 II to excel in hybrid shooting for working professionals who focus on sports, editorial, product, fashion, and advertising.
Gear Up for the New Sony a1 II With the Best CFexpress Type A Memory Cards
While some Sony fans might have been expecting, or at least hoping, for some improved video recording capabilities to exceed the 8K at 30p of the original a1, this might be good news for those looking to upgrade to this new version, but don’t want to have to reinvest in all near gear.
The new a1 II will feature the same dual CFexpress Type A/SD card slots. Those looking to fill those slots with the best CFexpress Type A cards on the market need look no further than the OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A memory cards.
OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress Type A cards offer top-of-the-line performance, high capacities, and great pricing. Atlas Pro CFexpress Type A cards boast 1700 MB/s write and 1850 MB/s read speeds and are VPG200 certified. That means they can keep up with fast burst RAW image sequences and high bitrate video recording and they will work with all Sony camera settings.
With these max speeds, along with a thermal design that guarantees sustained speeds of at least 400MB/s, Atlas Pro CFexpress Type A cards are designed for creators who want to benefit from the maximum performance that their Sony cameras can offer such as 8K video, Pro-slow motion (up to 240 fps) or Pro-high resolution burst RAW photography. Consistent performance allows these cards to flawlessly capture high-volume, high-bitrate shots without a moment of delay.
Atlas Pro CFexpress Type A cards are available in 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB capacities and start at only $199.99. You can check out the full specs and purchase options for our OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A cards here.
And if you're looking to make the most of the a1's versatile card slots, you can pair an OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress Type A card with a high-capacity Atlas Pro or Atlas Ultra SD card. Atlas Pro cards start at only $29.99, are V60-rated and off capacities up to 1TB. Meanwhile, Atlas Ultra cards start at only $59.99, are V90-rated, and offer capacities up to 512GB.
Pricing, specs and availability for the Sony a1 II
As for the new Sony a1 II, we’re excited to see more hands-on reviews and demos of this new flagship come out. Sony has always done a great job of keeping the shooter in mind, so we’d expect this new top option from their Alpha lineup to be even more fine-tuned for professional photo and video work than its predecessor—and we’re excited to see it out in the wild.
The Sony a1 II retails for $6,499 for a body-only kit. Here are the full specs for the Sony a1 II and where you can learn more about it.
50MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Sensor
AI Tracking & Human Pose Estimation
8K 30p and 4K 120p Video in 10-Bit
Up to 30 fps Shooting with AF/AE
Pre-Capture & Speed Boost Button
8.5-Stop IBIS + Dynamic Stabilization
9.44m-Dot EVF with 240 fps Refresh Rate
3.2" 2.1m-Dot 4-Axis Touchscreen LCD
5 GHz MIMO Wi-Fi, 2.5GBASE-T Ethernet
Dual CFexpress Type A/SD Card Slots