see also:

• Sony NEX E-mount camera system
• Sony NEX FX full frame mirrorless cameras
• Sony FE E-mount full frame lenses
• Sony a7R full frame mirrorless camera
• Sony a7R III full frame mirrorless camera
• my blog post
• instruction manual (10.6MB pdf)

• announced June 2015
• similar to Sony a7 full frame mirrorless camera but:
  • 42mp back-illuminated sensor not 36mp
  • 399 PDAF points
  • 5 axis image stabilisation included
  • improved high ISO noise
  • 40% faster AF
  • appears to have very good AF tracking of fast moving subjects at 5fps burst
  • Eye-AF now can track closest eye
  • faster AF with Canon lenses via Metabones adapter
  • can now utilize focal plane PDAF with Sony A-mount lenses, when using a LA-E3 lens mount adapter
  • 500,000 shot shutter rating
  • 50% less shutter vibration
  • capable of electronic first curtain mode
  • silent shutter mode
  • improved ergonomics
  • 5fps not 4fps burst
  • flash sync 1/250th sec
  • awesome 4K and 1080HD video features plus 720 120p slo mo
  • brighter LCD screen
  • improved EVF
  • the Olympus mode dial locking system
  • faster start up
  • heavier, larger, much more expensive
• who is it for?
  • wedding photographers
  • portrait photographers
  • landscape photographers
  • studio photographers
  • videographers
  • it is NOT a good camera for sports photographers who need reliable, accurate C-AF tracking

image courtesy of http://www.eoshd.com

• 42.4mp back-illuminated sensor with no anti-alias filter
  • 25 CDAF points
    • Eye-AF, which locks the focus on the pupil of faces that are detected
    • Flexible Spot AF (with adjustable focus point sizes)
    • Zone AF
    • Lock-on AF C-AF
  • excellent RAW dynamic range
• 399 PDAF points
• Bionz X processor
  • improved sharpening algorithms
  • diffraction reduction software for small apertures
  • context-sensitive, 'area-specific noise reduction'
• focus peaking
• panorama sweep mode
• 5fps burst
• shutter 30sec - 1/8000th sec but is it still loud?
• silent shutter mode
• 1st electronic shutter to reduce vibrations
• flash sync 1/250th sec
• no built-in flash but multi-interface flash shoe
  • Multi-Interface Shoe allows you to connect a latest model Sony flash, an external mic, video lamp, or XLR adapter
• exp. compensation ±5 EV
• ISO 100-25,600 (extended: 50, up to 102,400)
• 3“ tilting 1.23m dot LCD but not touch sensitive
• XGA EVF
• 4K video:
  • internal UHD 4K 3840 x 2160p at 30/24 fps in XAVC S format at 100Mbps and 4:2:0 sampling at 8-bit
  • Super 35 without pixel binning or full frame read-out format
  • customisable picture profiles
  • S-Log2 Gamma - “squeezes up to 1300% more dynamic range into the video signal then traditional REC709, for increased post-production flexibility”
  • S-Gamut
  • time code - standard 'Record Run” mode that only advances the timecode when recording, as well as “Free Run” timecode that advances the timecode even when not recording
  • clean 4:2:2 uncompressed video HDMI output
  • sensor based IS - hopefully now better optimised for video - but will it compete with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II's amazing IS in video?
  • 3.5mm microphone input jack
  • compatible with the Sony XLR-K2M XLR Adapter for recording professional balanced XLR audio signals with phantom power and adjustable mic/line inputs
  • 3.5mm headphone jack as well as real time audio levels for a visual reference
• 1080 60/24p HD video XAVC S7 codec at 50Mbps, with uncompressed HDMI out
• USB 2.0
• weather sealed, magnesium body
• WiFi with NFC
• 22.05 oz / 625 g incl. battery, card
• 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4“ / 126.9 x 95.7 x 60.3 mm
• $3200 body only
• optional vertical grip & 2nd battery holder
• optional AC-PW20 AC Adapter

• firmware v3.30 Aug 2016:
  • Adds support for Radio Controlled Lighting System
  • Improves stability for temperature control (temperature rise warning) while taking still images
  • Improves overall stability and operability of the camera
• firmware 3.20:
  • Allows recording of XAVCS format video with an SDHC card in addition to SDXC card
• firmware 3.10:
  • Adds support for additional lenses
  • Adds support for Phase-detection AF
  • The AF can be used in movie recording mode with the SEL85F14GM lens
• firmware 3.00:
  • Improves 4K movie recording time when using the vertical grip (VG-C2EM) or when APS-C/Super35mm mode is activated
  • Improves picture quality
• firmware 2.00:
  • Adds the selectable feature for uncompressed 14-Bit RAW image capture
  • Adds support to output video via HDMI during use of the Remote Camera Control software (still mode only)
• firmware 1.00:
  • Reduces the chance of the camera changing to front focus when shooting certain scenes
  • Decreases chroma noise when Long Exposure NR is set to Off
  • Improves continuous shooting at Hi speed so that it can be used just as long when using the flash as without the flash

• image stabiliser not as effective as dSLR OIS or Olympus sensor based IS
• LCD screen not touch sensitive
• loud shutter
• silent shutter mode limited functionality
• poor ergonomics - need to resort to menu system too much
• no timelapse recording
• no external battery charger bundled - need to charge battery inside camera via USB
• USB 2.0 only
• when used with Metabones adapter:
  • Eye-AF and Center Lock-On AF are not possible
  • Face Detection as well as Wide, Center and Flexible Spot Focus Areas work with “compatible” Canon lenses
  • C-AF in video mode is not possible
  • AF is not as good as native FE lenses
  • some Canon lenses are not compatible with CDAF and thus only use PDAF - you need to manually select PDAF mode in the AF System menu ²⁾
    • eg. Canon 135mm f/2, Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon 35mm f/1.4L, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM - see http://www.metabones.com/products/details/MB-EF-E-BT6

• a7R II has higher resolution sensor 42mp vs 24mp
• better noise, dynamic range, and colour range
• 399 PDAF points not 117
• electronic silent shutter mode
• 4K video not just 1080HD
• similar weight only 25g heavier
• faster AF with Metabones adapters for Canon lenses
• twice the price

• EOSHD brief preview
• EOSHD - more sensor architecture details
• petapixel preview
• dpreview.com hands on preview
  • “autofocusing Canon EF lenses using a Metabones electronic adapter. Focus appeared to be on par with OVF focus on a native Canon body, and the AF experience itself didn't appear to be limited simply because you're using a third party lens (full coverage and tracking are available).”
• http://www.dpreview.com/articles/7945517371/opinion-did-sony-just-do-the-impossible
• http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-alpha-7r-ii
• testing C-AF for sports
  • C-AF on moving sports subjects was generally poor and when using Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, although C-AF performance was similar to a native lens, there are major restrictions in using a Canon lens:
    • burst rate with AF reduced to 3fps from 5fps
    • no eye AF, nor lock-on AF, nor zone, nor 'Expand Flexible Spot' modes function available
  • the alpha-series is missing a major, physical control point that is indispensable for sports (and arguably all) photographers
  • Back-button autofocus users – arguably a majority of sports photographers – will discover a quirk that occurs when programming the a7R II’s rear C3 button for shutter-independent operation of continuous autofocus. While C3 is held down, any shutter speed or aperture changes will not be recorded
  • ergonomic issues with larger lenses
• Ken Rockwell's review
  • awful menu system
  • jpeg colour rendition not great
  • silent mode won't work with flash or with continuous advance modes
  • LCD isn't bright enough to see in direct sunlight
  • IS is not as good as Canon/Nikon
  • only 2 dials so lots of menu work and clumsy ergonomics
  • Auto ISO is magnificent as it is fully programmable
  • ISO great to 12,800
  • no anti-alias filters, so it's subject to aliasing and moiré
• Imaging resource review
  • much more comfortable camera to shoot than version I
• https://photographylife.com/reviews/sony-a7r-ii
• http://petapixel.com/2015/08/24/42-megapixels-of-garbage-an-unconventional-review-of-the-sony-a7r-ii/
  • the a7R II still feels sluggish on the autofocus side of things, especially in low light situations making it behave more like a 5D Mark II than a D810
• dpreview.com a7RII vs a7II