Sony a1 II Long-Term Review: What $7,000 Really Gets You After Months of Use

You’re probably eyeing the Sony a1 II because you want one body that can handle sports, wildlife, portraits, and serious video without feeling like a compromise. The catch is that it’s priced like a long-term decision, so small differences in handling, tracking, and video tools turn into real wins or real regret.

Coming to you from Dustin Abbott, this methodical video frames the Sony a1 II as a long-term “does it actually hold up?” check, not a first-impressions lap. Abbott bought the original Sony a1 after reviewing it in 2021, used it for years, then waited before jumping to the Mark II in fall 2025. That gap matters, because you get commentary from someone who knows what the first version did right, what it quietly did wrong, and which fixes feel real once you’ve lived with the camera through paid work and daily use. You also get direct talk about the $7,000 price and the uncomfortable part: the upgrade math is not automatic.

A big chunk focuses on handling changes that sound small until they fix daily friction. The body is a touch larger with a grip that finally feels like it belongs on a flagship, especially when you hang heavier glass off the front. The standout change is the new tilt-and-flip LCD, the style first seen on the Sony a7R V, which is the difference between guessing your framing and actually seeing it when recording yourself. Abbott also points out a workflow perk that’s easy to overlook: separate control setups for stills, video, and slow/quick, so your custom buttons stop fighting each other. Even the viewfinder gets a practical tweak, with high resolution maintained at 120 fps instead of dropping detail.

Where the video gets more interesting is when it starts poking at tradeoffs. The burst headline stays familiar, but the rules around it still bite: 30 fps shooting can mean lossy compressed raw, and top burst rates can depend on using Sony-branded lenses rather than third-party options. Abbott shows why card choice matters, calling out CFexpress Type A as the way to keep the buffer from becoming the bottleneck, then backs it with real burst counts instead of just quoting a chart. The autofocus discussion centers on the dedicated AI chip and how it changes subject tracking behavior, including sticking to a subject even when faces disappear or foreground clutter tries to steal focus. A quick example with the Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 (Sony E) hints at how forgiving the system can be with a non-sports zoom.

Video features get a clear-eyed take: you still get 8K up to 30 fps and 4K up to 120 fps, but you do not get open gate or internal raw recording. Instead, the upgrades are the kind you feel while shooting: custom LUT monitoring, AI autoframing that can mimic an operator by cropping and tracking your face, and stronger stabilization with an active mode for handheld movement. Abbott ties that to real solo-shooting reality, including how the front-facing monitoring alone can save you from ruined takes you only notice after you pack up. Power stays on the familiar NP-FZ100, with shot ratings that dip compared to the older body, so planning batteries still matters when you lean on high-resolution video modes. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Abbott.