The world’s fastest camera? Sony A9 III tipped to launch at imminent ‘special’ event
Sony has announced the dates for a big Alpha launch, with the latest rumors expected to see the highly anticipated Sony A9 III announced.
The event on November 8 and 9 was plagued by Sony Japan, which calls it a “special event” where we can “experience the latest mirrorless α (Alpha) and lenses.” That’s it for now on the details, but informed speculation from reliable sources Sony Alpha Rumors may have filled in the gaps.
The site says there is now a “90% chance” that the Sony A9 III will be announced at the event. That’s a big deal for sports photographers and anyone wanting a glimpse of the future of high-speed photography, as previously tipped by Sony Alpha Rumors to be the “world’s fastest full-frame camera”.
The current A9 II is Sony’s flagship sports camera and the successor is expected to deliver a new 44MP full-frame stacked sensor that offers a burst shooting speed of 26fps. That’s fast for a full-frame camera and could make it a highly coveted tool for sports photographers during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris next year.
Some a little more wild speculation suggests the event teaser hints at a new autofocus feature for the A9 III, with the 3D dotted card pointing to depth-tracking AF. While mentions of Lidar autofocus may seem somewhat exaggerated, Sony is likely to give the A9 III its best autofocus tracking system yet – so we’re looking forward to seeing what exactly that is.
The event will also likely see the launch of a premium sports lens alongside the A9 III. We saw leaked images of a Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM in August, so it will almost certainly arrive on November 8 as well, complete with a hefty price tag.
What about the Sony A1 II?
While the Sony A9 III is an exciting camera given the series’ history of groundbreaking technology, some fans may be disappointed that there is still no news of the launch of a Sony A1 II.
The original Sony A1 was an incredible all-rounder for affluent photographers and videographers when it launched in January 2021. But it has been left controversial by more recent cameras with lower price tags, leading some to question whether it is worth investing in such cameras. a high-end camera for the long term.
Well, it looks like Sony has listened and may be showing the A1 series some love at November’s Alpha event in the form of a major firmware update. We don’t know yet exactly what features are coming to the A1 (and possibly other cameras like the A7S III), but it will likely be on par with newer models like the Sony ZV-E1 in some areas, like autofocus and menus . .
That would be a wise move on Sony’s part, as the Sony A1 II is unlikely to hit the market until well into 2024 and the current A1 is undercut by some of the best Sony cameras we’ve seen this year, including the Sony A7R V.
Sony hasn’t announced the timings for the November 8 and 9 event yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as they’re announced. If you are in New York you can also go to the free Creative space event that’s scheduled for the same dates – while there’s no guarantee there will be an A9 III, it will be one of the best places to quiz Sony’s experts on the camera if it does indeed launch.