Sony announced yesterday that the a7 II will arrive in the U.S. on December 9th, which is around the same time the company plans on releasing them in Japan. (Europe is scheduled for January.) The camera supports for the XAVC-S codec, shoots 1080p 60fps, S-Log2, and a new 5-axis in-camera stabilization system. This feature compensates for "five types of camera shake," allowing users to shoot handheld, zoom, and capture close ups with "minimal camera shake blur." Furthermore, this stabilization system works with a wide range of lenses (though some may require adapters). Needless to say, this added stability will come in handy for 


You can read all about the a7 II's features in this article we posted a week ago when Sony made the initial announcement, but here's a rundown of important specs.

Technical Specifications

  • Sony E-Mount (Full Frame)
  • Image Sensor Exmor CMOS; 35.8 x 23.9 mm
  • Effective Pixels: 24.3MP, Total Pixels: 24.7MP
  • Still Image File Format: JPEG, RAW
  • Storage Media: SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo/XC-HG Duo
  • Viewfinder Type: XGA OLED Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder
  • Shutter Type: Electronic first curtain shutter available
  • Image Stabilization: 5-axis in-body image stabilization equivalent to 4.5 stops
  • Top Continuous Shooting Rate: Up to 5 fps in continuous high; 2.5 fps in continuous low
  • ISO Sensitivity: ISO 100-25600 (expandable to ISO 50-51200 with multi-shot NR)
  • Autofocus System: Fast Hybrid AF
  • Number of Focus Points Phase detection: 117 / contrast-detection: 25
  • Autofocus Sensitivity: -1 - +20 EV
  • Movie Recording: 1920 x 1080; 60p, 60i, 24p
  • File Format: XAVC S, AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MP4 (YCbCr 4:2:2 8-bit, RGB 8-bit)
  • Video Data Rate XAVC S: 50 Mbps
  • AVCHD: 28 Mbps (60p, PS), 24 Mbps (60i & 24p, FX), 17 Mbps (60i & 24p, FH)
  • MP4: 12 Mbps (1440 x 1080, 30 fps), 3 Mbps (640 x 480, 30 fps)
  • Audio Recording Built-in stereo microphone, optional external stereo microphone
  • Audio File Format XAVC S: Linear PCM, 2 channel
  • AVCHD: Dolby Digital AC3 2 channel
  • MP4: MPEG-4 AAC-LC 2 channel
  • Maximum Recording Time: 29 min.
  • Interface: HDMI micro (type D), multi/micro USB, Multi-interface Shoe, 3.5mm stereo microphone jack, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
  • Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity: (IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz band); NFC Forum Type 3 Tag
  • Operating Environment: 32-104 °F / 0-40 °C
  • Dimensions: 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4" / 126.9 x 95.7 x 59.7mm
  • Weight: 1.3lb / 599g (with battery and memory card)

The a7 II will become available for purchase in less than two weeks, but B&H is taking pre-orders for it now. For just the body, you're looking at spending $1699, but if you want a kit, $1999 will get you an FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens tacked on. (Now that the a7 II is about to hit the market, you can now save $400 on the Sony a7 body (only) as well as the lens package.)

For more information about the a7 II, check out Sony's website.

Sony Alpha a7II Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only) -- B&H

Sony Alpha a7II Mirrorless Digital Camera with FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens -- B&H

Source: Sony a7 II