Tilta released two new affordable products under their Tiltaing brand and both of them are immediately available for pre-order. Tiltaing MB-T15 Mini Matte Box is small and lightweight matte box, which can accomodate screw-on or 4×5.65″ filters and it comes with french flag and a set of adapter rings. Tiltaing FF-T06 Mini Follow Focus is a lightweight mechanical follow focus with 15mm rod attachment. Tiltaing Mini matte box and Mini follow focus. Source: Tilta Tiltaing is Tilta’s project connecting their capital with people’s product ideas. Resulting finished products are being sold under Tiltaing brand and Tilta shares their profits with the inventor. We have already seen various Tiltaing camera cages or Tiltaing BMPCC4K display modification. Tilta recently announced two new products from the Tiltaing line – MB-T15 Mini Matte Box and FF-T06 Mini Follow Focus. Both of them are very affordable and the design looks promising. What are the features and specs? Tiltaing Mini matte box and Mini follow focus used in a camera rig. Source: Tilta Tiltaing MB-T15 Mini Matte Box The Mini Matte Box is made for use with DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. According to Tilta, it is a light-weight yet durable matte box that can accommodate screw-on or 4×5.65″ filters. It weighs only 140g (4.9oz) and features a french flag with 180 degrees of coverage. There are several 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 threads and cold shoe mounts which provide mounting points for accessories. Tiltaing Mini matte box with filter. Source: Tilta The added benefit of this matte box are two filter options. The front of the matte box provides a slot for any standard 4×5.65″ filter. Screw-on filters can be attached to the adapter rings via the inside threading that match each adapter ring diameter. The Kit includes the Tiltaing Mini Matte Box, the french flag, and four adapter rings (82mm, 77mm, 72mm, and 67mm). Tilta also offers additional adapter rings in non standard sizes. The kit also includes a 15mm matte box support that attaches to the bottom of it (does not support telescoping front element lenses). Tiltaing FF-T06 Mini Follow Focus The Tiltaing FF-T06 Mini Follow Focus has been designed as an affordable mechanical alternative to wireless follow focus systems like Tilta Nucleus-M or Nucleus Nano. Its compact size and weight makes it suitable for smaller camera rigs. It weighs only 220g (7.7oz). The Mini Follow Focus is made as a single unit with the ability to adjust the single rod attachment to fit cine lens or photo lens of various sizes. The single rod attachment mounts to any standard 15mm rail. Tiltaing Mini follow focus. Source: Tilta The focus wheel features a 360° rotation with adjustable hard stops and fluid dampening system that helps with precision focusing. The marking disk is removable and can be marked and cleaned for repeated use. The kit includes Tiltaing Mini Follow Focus, a zip tie follow focus ring, a 15mm single rod attachment, two allen keys, and a portable case. For lenses with different pitch gears, Tilta will offer a variety of focus gear attachments. Price and Availability Both new Tiltaing products are currently available for pre-order. B&H states December 26 as an expected shipping date. The price is very nice – both Mini Matte Box and Mini Follow Focus are priced at $99 each. For a limited time, Tilta even offers a 15% discount for pre-orders. Links can be found below this article. What do you think of the new Tiltaing Mini Matte Box and Mini Follow Focus? Do you like Tilta products? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Panasonic released new firmware update for their full-frame mirrorless camera Panasonic LUMIX S1H. The update fixes bug, which sometimes added noise in HFR (high frame rate) mode and it expands compatibility with Profoto wireless transmitters. It is available now free of charge at LUMIX website. Panasonic LUMIX S1H gets Firmware Update Panasonic LUMIX S1H is currently one of the best mirrorless cameras when it comes to video capabilities. Internally, it can record up to 5.9K 30fps 10-bit 4:2:0 16:9 video (or up to 6K video with 3:2 aspect ratio). It really offers wide array of different resolutions and framerates, most of these at 10-bit with either 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 subsampling. For more information about the camera, make sure to check our Panasonic S1H first look article with full specs. In fact, the S1H is such a capable filmmaking device, that it became the world’s first Netflix approved mirrorless camera back in October 2019. After having very limited time with the camera for our “first look” video article, we received it for proper testing to cinema5D office. Make sure to check both resulting articles – Johnnie’s Panasonic S1H video review as well as Gunther’s Panasonic S1H lab test. If you are a Panasonic camera owner, you are probably used to regular firmware updates with significant improvements, new features, and fixes. Panasonic S1H is just getting its first update, although this is rather a small one, which fixes some minor issues. Panasonic LUMIX S1H Firmware Update Version 1.1 There are two improvements/bug fixes coming with the new free firmware update. Improved performance. There were cases where block noise increases depending on the subject in HFR (High Frame Rate) mode. This bug has been fixed. Expanded compatibility with Profoto wireless transmitters. Profoto wireless transmitters “Air Remote TTL-O/P” and “Profoto Connect-O/P” can be used, enabling wireless connection and control of external strobes for professional shooting. *depending on situation, not all functions may be available Like always, the firmware update is available at the LUMIX Global customer support website. What do you think about the Panasonic S1H? Do you use this camera for your filmmaking work? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

FUJIFILM has been working in the background with Gudsen, DJI, and Zhiyun. Now, they have announced an upcoming firmware update that boosts the X-T3 gimbal controls through USB. If you own a Ronin S or a Crane 2, you’re going to want to read this. Image Credit: FUJIFILM Catching up to the Competition In our review of the X-T3, we named it “the BEST camera FUJIFILM have ever presented when it comes to video performance.” Then, we awarded it the title of Best Mirrorless Camera of 2018. And in a guest post, filmmaker Florian Gintenreiter reviewed the X-T3 and Ronin S in combination, asking specifically for start-stop and focus control through the Ronin S. It should come as no surprise, then, that we are very excited to see the FUJIFILM X-T3 updated with exactly that. FUJIFILM has come from relative obscurity to be a serious competitor in the video space alongside Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Panasonic. This update removes one more barrier between them. This will officially make the X-T3 gimbal-compatible. FUJIFILM X-T3 – DJI Ronin S combo (Image Credit: Florian Gintenreiter) What’s in the Update This update allows a significant number of features on the X-T3 to be controlled via USB. Before, you could trigger the shutter to take a photo. Now, with the update, the palette of options is a lot bigger. You can now stop and start video recording, as well as manually control focus on electronic lenses. The DJI Ronin-S and the Zhiyun Crane 2 both feature knobs that can act as digital follow-focus controls by interfacing with, and precisely controlling, the AF systems of various cameras via USB. FUJIFILM also promises control of exposure settings, such as shutter speed, ISO, aperture, etc. There will be a few higher-end drone users who this will affect, but by and large, this update is most meaningful to gimbal owners. Image Credit: Fujifilm Bonus Update:  FUJIFILM has also announced an update coming in early 2020 that will improve eye- and face-detection AF, especially in complex situations. This is just icing on the cake, as their autofocus system is already superb. via fujifilm.com Do these new features make you consider buying the X-T3? What do you usually use with your gimbal? Let us know in the comments!

Leica has announced its new L-Mount full-frame mirrorless camera. The Leica SL2 features a 47MP full-frame CMOS sensor with 5-axis image stabilization. It is capable of recording 5K video at up to 30fps, 4K video at up to 60fps, and FullHD video at up to 180fps, all in 10-bit H.264. The camera features a high-resolution EVF, full-size HDMI port, two 3.5mm jack ports for headphones and microphone, and an all-metal magnesium body. It will be available from November 21st, 2019 for $5,995. Leica SL2 full-frame mirrorless camera. Source: Leica It has already been four years since the German premium brand introduced its Leica SL full-frame mirrorless camera. Our Leica SL review and Lab test articles from 2015 are a good reminder of its video capabilities. The newly announced Leica SL2 promises to bring even more video-oriented features. Let’s take a look! Leica SL2 – 47MP Full-Frame Stabilized Sensor The new Leica SL2 features a 47.3MP 3:2 full-frame CMOS sensor and Maestro III image processor, which enables up to 20 fps continuous stills shooting with an electronic shutter, 10 fps with a mechanical shutter, and 6 fps with a mechanical shutter and AF-C, for up to 78 consecutive DNG files with a color depth of 14 bits per RGB channel. The sensor features a 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization system, which minimizes the appearance of camera shakes when shooting handheld. Using sensor-shift stabilization technology, the SL2 features a Multishot mode to capture and compile eight separate exposures to create a single 187MP (16736 x 11168) RAW or JPEG file. This is suitable for static subjects and when working on a tripod. Leica claims that the new SL2 offers a 14-stop Dynamic Range. The sensor’s design omits a low-pass filter for high degrees of sharpness and resolution. The ISO range is 50-50,000. Like its predecessor, the SL2 also uses Leica’s L-mount. Compared to 2015, however, thanks to the L-mount alliance, there are now much more affordable native lens choices from SIGMA and Panasonic. Leica SL2 full-frame mirrorless camera. Source: Leica The new Leica Object Detection AF, which uses 225 selectable AF areas for fast and accurate performance, ensures a fast and reliable autofocus. In addition to an array of modes and features, including face recognition, the SL2’s AF system also automatically detects whether a subject is stationary or in motion, and subsequently switches between motion and focus priority. Leica SL2 Video Capabilities We can really see that filmmakers are a very important segment for Leica. The SL2 seems to be a capable video camera with its 5K (4992 x 3744) 10-bit color depth video recording. The high-speed recording modes sound impressive as well – with UHD 4K60 (with 30 fps playback, 2x slow motion), and Full HD 180 fps (with 30 fps playback, 6x slow motion). Leica SL2 full-frame mirrorless camera. Source: Leica The list of internal recording modes looks impressive, too. All of the following modes are in H.264 with 10-bit color depth, with MOV quicktime codec (UHD and Full HD are also available in MP4): 5K (4992 x 3744) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p/180p The camera, unfortunately, has a recording limit – up to 29 minutes. We don’t know yet whether the SL2 uses 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 subsampling and what the exact bitrates for the recording modes are. We will update the article once we get this information. Leica SL2 main display. Source: Leica There is a “Cine mode”, which (when activated) transforms the SL2 into a manually controlled cine camera as ISO becomes ASA, the shutter speed is marked in degrees on the rotary disk shutter, and the f-stops indicating the aperture ratio are replaced by T-stops, which measure the actual amount of light transmitted through the lens. The camera offers a dedicated Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) Photo Style mode and L-Log gamma profile for higher Dynamic Range and greater flexibility for color grading. The Leica SL2 also outputs video signal (in DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) 10-bit up to 59.94p) over its full-size HDMI port, so using an external monitor or recording to an optional external recorder is possible. Finally, there are also dedicated 3.5mm jack ports for a microphone and headphones. Leica SL2 Ergonomy Another great feature is a high resolution electronic viewfinder – the Leica SL2 includes a new 5.76m-dot EyeRes OLED EVF with 0.78x configurable viewing magnification, along with 120 fps refresh rate, 0.005 sec lag, and 10,000:1 contrast ratio. On the back, there is a large 3.2″ 2.1m-dot touchscreen LCD with durable Gorilla glass. Last but not least, on the top there is a 1.28″ top status LCD, which can be used for quick recognition of shooting settings – even when the camera is powered off. Leica SL2 top display. Source: Leica Leica SL2’s durable, weather-sealed magnesium-alloy all-metal body is splash-, dust-, and freeze-proof with an IP54 certification. The SL2 is actually the only mirrorless camera designed and manufactured in Germany. The BP-SCL4 rechargeable lithium-ion battery is rated for approximately 370 shots per charge when working with the rear monitor. The camera offers dual UHS-II-compatible SD card slots. The USB Type-C port allows for fast file transferring, as well as high-speed in-camera battery charging. Additionally, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work in conjunction with the Leica FOTOS app (iOS and Android) for wireless file transferring and remote camera control. Leica HG-SCL6 Battery Grip Along with the launch of the Leica SL2 camera, the German camera manufacturer also announced a new battery grip for this camera. As one would expect, the HG-SCL6 grip offers both, extended battery life and a more comfortable grip when shooting in vertical orientation. It accepts one additional BP-SCL4 battery to effectively double the overall battery life. The grip’s design maintains the same layout, fit, and finish as the camera body itself for seamless use, and incorporates a secondary shutter button and control dials. Leica HG-SCL6 battery grip. Source: Leica Price and Availability The Leica SL2 will available from November 21st 2019 on. It can already be pre-ordered now. The price for the camera has been set to be $5,995. I suppose the battery grip will be available at the same time. It is priced at $995 and can be pre-ordered now, as well. What do you think of the new Leica SL2? Have you worked with the original Leica SL? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Canon has just released their latest addition to the EOS R lineup of mirrorless full-frame cameras: The Canon EOS Ra. As the name suggests, this camera is a close relative to the EOS R but the little ‘a’ hints to its real purpose: Astrophotography!  The new Canon EOS Ra (as in astrophotography). Background image credit: Brian McMahon via unsplash.com This new, special version of the original EOS R is not a whole new camera, however it does come with a bunch of features dedicated to astrophotography. If you are into this rather complicated field of photography, you’ll know how difficult it is to capture a decent shot of the milky way. There are a lot of details to take into account and a light setup can quickly grow big and cumbersome. The new Canon EOS Ra is here to help. Canon EOS Ra – Focused on Astrophotography One of the major hurdles you will run into, when specializing on astrophotography is a matter of physics: There may not be as much visible light in outer space, but there is so much more invisible infrared radiation that pollutes other wavelengths, such as so-called H-alpha rays! And these hydrogen alpha rays (Ha, 656.28nm) are exactly the ones you want to capture in order to create an accurately colored shot of distant galaxies. So the IR blocking filter of the original EOS R has been modified, in order to let these wavelengths saturate the sensor – without being polluted by infrared light. With this modification, the Canon EOS Ra is able to capture about four times the amount of these rays in comparison to the EOR R camera. Distant nebulas and other celestial objects can be captured without the need of dedicated accessories or further modifications. In order to aid with focussing, which is tricky when shooting (very) far away objects in combination with wide angle lenses, the Canon EOS Ra offers a 30x magnification within the EVF and in live view. The original EOS R offers a mere 10x magnification. This camera is a special kind of tool for special tasks. So don’t go buying one of these if you just want to capture normal worldly images: Due to the tweaked IR filter the colors will be off! You can, however, add another filter in front of your lens to counteract the modification. While that somehow defeats the purpose of the camera a bit, it still offers you the possibility to use the EOS Ra as a normal camera, which is good. Specifications As stated above, the Canon EOS Ra is pretty much an EOS R with some modifications, so the specs are pretty much the same, as well: 30.3MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor Max resolution (stills): 6720 x 4480 Internal video recording: mp4/h.264 UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) @ 23.976p / 24p / 25p / 29.97p FullHD (1920 x 1080) @ 23.967p / 24p / 25p / 29.97p / 59.94p External recording 4:2:2 10-bit UHD Digital 5-axis image stabilization (video only) The absence of image stabilization in stills mode might sound strange, but in reality you will use a tripod for capturing galaxies. Always. Is it Worth it? If this camera is a worthy addition to the R lineup? Well, it’s a special camera for a special purpose. If you’re an astrophotographer this might be big news: A fully self-contained full-frame mirrorless camera dedicated for capturing stars? Sounds great! However, if you’re a regular normal stills shooter or an indie filmmaker, this camera might not be for you. Personally, I would be more content seeing a “pro” version of the EOS R more suited for filmmakers, of course, but who am I to judge… The Canon EOS Ra is currently available for pre-order and it should ship pretty soon. Link: Canon Website What do you think? Are you into astrophotography? Share your experiences in the comments below!

After strong user feedback towards recently announced EOS cameras in which Canon originally ditched 24p recording, Canon promised to release a firmware update which will add 24p (23.98fps) video recording mode to these cameras. The update will be available for both Full HD and 4K UHD resolutions starting with the EOS 90D and EOS RP in late October, followed by PowerShot G7X Mark III, G5 X Mark II, and EOS M6 Mark II. Canon will update selected cameras with 24p mode When Canon recently introduced their new cameras with uncropped 4K UHD video, the EOS 90D DSLR and EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless, many users pointed out with disappointment that these cameras do not support 24p mode anymore (video recording with 23.98 fps). It seems that Canon listened to these numerous complaints, because they now promised to release a new firmware update, which will fix that and bring 24p to their cameras after all. The 24p feature will come via a series of future free firmware updates for selected models. Once installed, the cameras will be able to shoot 24p (23.98fps) in both Full HD and 4K resolutions. The first Canon models to benefit from the new 24p (23.98fps) firmware will be the recently launched EOS 90D and EOS RP in late October. The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and G5 X Mark II will follow by the end of December and the EOS M6 Mark II update will be available during 2020. Canon will update selected cameras with 24p mode. Image credit: Canon This announcement comes after the recent availability of the new firmware version 1.3 for EOS RP and 1.4 for EOS R which further enhances the eye and subject detection AF performance of both mirrorless cameras. While Canon offers 24p in their older cameras, they somehow decided not to include it in the new releases. No information was given why. Thankfully, they changed their opinion after strong user feedback. What do you think of this step from Canon? If you use Canon for your video work, would you have missed the 24p feature? Let us know in the comments below the article.

EDIT: Our full SIGMA fp camera review is now online and can be accessed by click here. Back in July, we reported about the launch of the SIGMA fp full-frame camera. We visited the SIGMA factory in August, we asked questions about it at this years IBC in September and we posted about the official release of highly accurate 3D models of the camera and its available accessories in order to create an even further expanded pool of custom accessories. But one thing remained in the dark and that’s the price of the fp camera. Now the company spilled the beans and here it is: The SIGMA fp will be yours for $1,899 US. Preorders are open as we speak. The SIGMA fp is not your average pocket-sized point’n’shoot camera. It’s kind of two cameras in one and it sports a full frame sensor. You can choose between a dedicated cine mode as well as a stills mode, accessible via a hardware switch right on the top plate of the camera, no more menu digging! That’s a lot of functionality inside this tiny body and it’s a fresh apporach of tackling all these menu settings and controls for both, stills and cine applications. The SIGMA fp With the introduction of the L-Mount Alliance at Photokina 2018 (read all about it here) rumors started to sprout about SIGMAs development of yet another camera, this time fitted with an L-Mount, obviously. Fast forward to July 2019 and here it is, the SIGMA fp. Despite the modular approach, the clean cut between stills and cine applications and the overall look of it, one question remained: The price. The fp fits the palm of your hand easily. Fast forward another three months, that question is know being answered: The SIGMA fp is officially a sub-$2,000 full frame camera. And it really needed to be. The competition wasn’t idle and other cameras cost about as much as the fp. So another question surfaces in the aftermath: How does the SIGMA fp compare to the full-frame competition, namely the Sony Alpha a7 III, the Panasonic S1, Canon EOR R or Nikon Z 6? To be honest, I don’t know. The SIGMA fp is not out yet but we will definitely take it for a spin once it is (stay tuned, review is coming soon)! What we do know are some hard facts about the specificatons of the fp: 35.9 x 23.9 mm CMOS Bayer sensor with 6000 x 4000 pixels (25.38 MP / effective: 24.6 MP) cine mode _ internal recording: H.264 UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/59.94p/100p/119.88p cine mode _ external recording: 4:2:2 12-Bit UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/120p external recording to USB SSD is possible micro HDMI out for streaming to an external recorder 3.15″ fixed LCD touchscreen Single Slot SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) Size: (W x H x D) 4.43 x 2.75 x 1.78″ / 112.6 x 69.9 x 45.3 mm Weight: 14.89 oz / 422 g (Body with Battery and Memory) Also, SIGMA CEO Yamaki-san told us at IBC that internal CDNG recording will be possible, but only in 8-Bit internally (which is a bit of a strange combination to be honest). The full rundown reads as follows, but keep in mind that these specs are not finalized, yet: internal 8-Bit CDNG RAW in UHD 4K at 23.98/24/25p. internal 8 / 10 / 12-Bit CDNG RAW in HD up to 60p. external 8 / 10 / 12-bit CDNG RAW in UHD 4K/1080 HD at 24p. More questions sourcing from the filmmakers community circle around the absence of dedicated log profiles for smooth post production. Right now, there is no such option but we may see (hopefully) some kind log profile in a future firmware update. SIGMA is well aware of the demand here! However, there are some picture profiles available but these are more about looks, not so much about being flat for easy grading. Pricing and Availability The SIGMA fp is available for preorder as we speak. If you don’t own any L-Mount glass yet, there is also a bundle available which might be pretty interesting: Get the SIGMA fp along with a 45mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary L-Mount lens with a $250 saving over at B&H. There are L-Mount adapters as well, so you can easily adapt other glass to the fp camera. the fp is a pretty versatile piece of gear! Links: SIGMA website What do you think? Might this little camera be found in your bag in no time? Or do you prefer something bigger? Let us know in the comments below!

Sony just announced the a9 II full-frame E-mount mirrorless camera. Aimed at professional sports photographers and photojournalistst, the Sony a9 II is all about speed. It has the same 24.2 MP CMOS sensor as the original a9. The camera is capable of 20fps continous blackout-free stills shooting with AF and AE tracking with electronic shutter (up to 10fps with mechanical shutter). The new a9 II also features better in-body image stabilization, weather resistance, and gigabit ethernet port for high speed communication. Available in October for $4,500 (€5,400). Sony a9 II Sony a9 sits on top of the alpha series of mirrorless cameras. It is aimed at professional photographers, who does not require the maximum possible resolution (for those Sony has the a7R series), but who require speed and other useful features (for example sports photographers and photojournalists). The first generation Sony a9 was presented during NAB 2017, so it has been more than two years. Today Sony announced the a9 II. What are its specs and innovations? Sony a9 II – Speed Above All As I mentioned above, the a9 series is all about speed. Sony a9 II (full model name: ILCE-9M2) features blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 20 frames per second (with electronic shutter) with Auto Focus and Auto Exposure tracking, 60 times per second AF/AE calculations. This applies for 1/125 sec. or higher shutter speed. In AF-C mode the maximum continuous frame rate will depend on the shooting mode and lens used. The number of AF calculations will depend on the lens used. A software update may be required for some lenses. The high speed shooting can last for up to 361 JPEG images or 239 compressed RAW images (in “Hi” continuous shooting mode with UHS-II memory card), with no viewfinder blackout, allowing the photographer to follow the subject and action with no interruption to the EVF during picture taking. For times when mechanical shutter is preferred or required, the new A9 II has been improved to shoot at up to 10 fps, about 2x the speed of the A9. Sony a9 II – Front and left side view The new camera now offers an anti-flicker shooting mode that automatically detects and adjusts for the presence of fluorescent or artificial lighting to maximise image quality. Please note, that only 100 Hz and 120 Hz flicker is detected. Continuous shooting speed may decrease. Flicker-free shooting is not available during electronic shutter, BULB exposure, or movie recording. The new A9 II has the same 35mm full-frame stacked 24.2 MP CMOS image sensor with integral memory as the original A9. There is an upgraded BIONZ X image processing engine to enhance speed in AF/AE detection, image processing, face detection and accuracy. What also got improved is the 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation system that now provides a shutter speed advantage of 5.5 steps. Sony a9 II – Rear and right side view Fast Communication Sony a9 II includes an in-built 1000BASE-T Ethernet terminal, enabling gigabit communication for high-speed, stable data transfer operations. Additionally, File Transfer over SSL or TLS encryption (FTPS) is supported for increased data security and PC remote (tether) shooting performance is improved, with decreased release time lag and reduced live view screen delay when using the ‘Remote Camera Tool’ desktop application. The speed of the camera’s built-in wireless LAN functionality has also been increased, adding a stable and fast 5 GHz (IEEE 802.11ac) band, in addition to the 2.4 GHz provided in the original a9. (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards are all supported, 5 GHz communication may be restricted in some countries and regions) Sony a9 II with battery grip / View of the Ethernet terminal The a9 II features a new Voice Memo function that allows spoken information to be attached to images in the form of voice memos that can be replayed when the images are reviewed. The voice data can also be included with images sent to an editor. Voice memos can also be automatically converted to text and added to JPEG images in the form of IPTC metadata using the ‘Transfer & Tagging add-on’ “Imaging Edge” application on a mobile device. This is only available in regions where Google services are available. Voice Memo exceeding 50 seconds cannot be converted to text. Fast Autofocus The a9 II focusing system is comprised of 693 focal-plane phase-detection AF points covering approximately 93% of the image area, as well as 425 contrast AF points. Additional notable focusing capabilities include Real-time Eye AF with right eye / left eye selection, Real-time Eye AF for animals (for stills only – Real-Time human eye AF is available for movie recording as well), Real-time Tracking, selectable focus frame colour, Touch Pad focus point control while using the viewfinder and more. Sony a9 II – Top view The Sony a9 II features upgraded dust and moisture resistant design. There is a stronger sealing at all body seams as well as the battery compartment cover and media slot. It uses Sony NP-FZ100 2280 mAh batteries. Improved grip configuration provides for more comfort and sure hold. The camera is compatible with Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip. There is now USB Type-C connector that supports fast USB 3.2 Gen 1 data transfer and dual media slots that are both compatible with UHS-I and UHS-II SD cards. Digital audio interface has been added to the camera’s Multi Interface Shoe (MI Shoe) enabling the new ECM-B1M Shotgun Microphone or XLR-K3M XLR Adaptor Kit to be connected directly to the MI Shoe. Sony a9 II with lens Video Capabilities XAVC S codec at UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p with 60 to 100 Mb/s bitrate or at Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p with 50 to 100 Mb/s bitrate. All internal video recording is 8-bit 4:2:0. The camera is capable to output 8-bit 4:2:2 video up to 4K UHD externally via HDMI micro port. The camera features 3.5mm jack for microphone and a headphone jack. So unfortunately no improvements there, which means this camera will produce the same type of video we have become used to from the Sony Alpha series. Sony, we’re waiting for your 10-bit capabilities in those cameras!! Price and Availability Sony a9 II will be available in October 2019. The price is set in the premium segment – around $4,500 (in Europe around €5,400 including VAT). What do you think of the new Sony a9 II? Do you have experience with the first generation? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.