PetaPixel: Sony Has the Problem Every Competitor Wants: Its Flagship Was Too Good to Follow

Sony A1II at  BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama

Jeremy Gray from PetaPixel nails it when he writes:

When Sony announced the a1 II at its Creative Space event earlier this week, the camera was met with a slight buzz in the room. When Sony unveiled its incredible new FE 28-70mm f/2 GM lens, the room erupted. It’s not often that a new lens sucks up all the air in a room, especially not when a flagship camera is also announced.The original a1’s excellence is primarily to blame. The a9 III can also take some responsibility for the tepid response to the a1 II because it is the new measuring stick by which Sony camera announcements will be measured, fairly or not.

That’s exactly the point, Sony used us to give us big “WOW’s” when they announced new flagship models. This time around we didn’t get that. Still, I think the A1II is still an excellent camera as Jeremy writes

The Sony a1 II doesn’t provide Sony with the big leap ahead its predecessor did and I don’t believe it’s for a lack of effort or ability. I think it’s because the Sony a1 was so damn good that it’s practically impossible to follow. There was no significant shortcoming to address, and the technology to make the same type of revolutionary leap forward again simply doesn’t exist yet.
the company should take stock of the fact that it made its best camera even better, even if it’s not the mic drop moment of the original a1 or a9 III. Sony raised the standards so frequently that making something groundbreaking is almost impossible. Almost.

My personal take:
The A1II is made for professionals. And they will be happy with the up to 50% better autofocus performance, pre-capture, the better body and other small improvements it brings. Maybe in 3-4 years, when the Sony AIII is announced, the global shutter will have gotten so good that we’ll get a big jump in speed and features. Or maybe Sony can finally solve the 3-shift problems that Sigma hasn’t been able to solve yet. That would be a big WOW moment, don’t you think?

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Preorder links:
Sony A1II at  BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy, FotoErhardt, FotoKoch, Calumet, WexUK, Clifton, CameraPro. Sony Australia.
Sony 28-70mm f/2.0 GM at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy, FotoErhardt, Fotokoch, Calumet, WexUK, Clifton, CameraPro. Sony Australia.