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Digital cameras can basically see in the dark now
We all love a good camera. But for many, photography isn't a just a hobby, it's a way of life. While you could put faster film in an analog camera to boost low-light performance, digital cameras offer flexibility at a level we couldn't have dreamed of 20 years ago. They've now progressed to a point where top-of-the-range devices have ISO performance so impressive that they can capture video in almost pitch-black conditions.
24 hours with Sony's A99 II full-frame camera
With high-end mirrorless cameras such as the A7S II and A7R II, it's easy to forget that Sony also makes full-frame DSLR-like shooters. Its latest one, the A99 II, is set to arrive later this month for $3,200 body-only. That gets you a massive 42.2-megapixel sensor, max ISO of 102,400, 12-fps continuous shooting and, unlike the original A99, in-camera 5-axis image stabilization. While I've only been using it for a day or so, I can tell you the camera shows a lot of promise -- which isn't surprising given its sensor type and price.
A first look at Sony's Alpha A99 II
In the past year alone, Sony launched three major E-mount cameras: the full-frame A7S II and A7R II, along with the A6300 -- all impressive mirrorless models. So you might think it was losing interest in its A-mount single-lens translucent (SLT) series, having just launched one, the entry-level A68, late last year. At Photokina, however, Sony unveiled the Alpha A99 II, the long-awaited successor to its flagship A99 model.
Sony's A99 II promises fast focus in a full-frame camera
It's been four years since Sony last introduced a flagship-class full-frame camera, but it's finally back with more. Sony is launching the A99 II, a 42.4-megapixel pro cam that incorporates many of the upgrades you've seen in recent Alpha DSLRs and mirrorless models... and then some. To start, it promises to be an autofocusing champ. This is the first full-frame Alpha to use 4D Focus tech, delivering a hybrid autofocusing system that melds 79 dedicated phase detection points with 399 focal plane phase detection points. Between this and the lack of a moving mirror, Sony is promising "full-time" autofocus that can track fast-moving objects -- important when you can shoot up to a brisk 12 frames per second (8FPS in live view).
