NEW: Sony Xperia 1 II and Sony Xperia Pro
After the MWC 2020 was cancelled, Sony recently launched their new flagship smartphones online. The devices are the Sony Xperia 1 II (ie: Xperia One Mark Two) and (joining the new trend for adding a “pro” tag to smartphones) the Sony Xperia Pro. The latter devices is still in development stage but sounds like this will be an exclusive high end device for photographers filmmakers.
So what’s new with the mark two version of the Xperia 1?
Sony Xperia 1 II
One of the main marketing images for the Xperia 1 II makes it clear what Sony are trying to say. The device sits beside one of their new Alpha 9 range of mirrorless cameras. Indeed Sony say the Xperia 1 II “was co-developed with the engineers behind the latest Alpha 9 series cameras for industry-leading autofocus.”
The camera resolutions are unchanged with 12MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP telephoto. However, the new setup brings bigger sensors and faster lenses. The Ultrawide is 16mm equivalent focal length and f/2.2 aperture and 1/2.6″ sensor with Dual-PD AF. Meanwhile, the telephoto lens is 70mm equivalent focal length, f/2.4 OIS lens and 1/3.4 with PD AF in the middle.
The main camera of the Sony Xperia 1 II has a large 1/1.7” Exmor sensor with Dual PD AF sensor and OIS. The lens also has the widest aperture at f/1.7.
All about the camera
And the main Xperia 1 II page on the Sony website is all about the camera. They talk about the Eye Autofocus, which works on humans as well as your pets. For photographers, there’s new manual controls plus RAW support.
The cameras are now on the left of the phone rather than in the middle and come provided by “Legendary ZEISS”. Sony say the lenses are calibrated specifically for Xperia smartphone and comes with a coating which assists “rendering and contrast by reducing reflections”.
Sony say the Dual Photo Diode sensor will deliver “spectacularly fast and accurate focusing”. This is down to an autofocus that covers 2/3 of the sensor and an innovative 3D iToF (indirect Time-of-Flight) sensor for low light shooting.
Cinema Pro app now for stills too
Looks like the Cinema Pro app was a success, as Sony have now made it capable of shooting stills as well as video. Sony have also added touch focus to the app, too.
And the Xperia 1 II still looks like one of the best smartphones for shooting professional looking video. There’s Sony’s Look colour management pre-sets, the same 21:9 ratio as the Xperia 1, 4K HDR and 24fps. And they’ve improved the audio too. The new Xperia now comes with an “Intelligent wind filter” for reducing wind noise distortion.
The new Xperia also brings back the 3.5mm audio jack that was missing on last year’s model.
Sony Xperia Pro
The Sony Xperia Pro is a new device which is still in development. However, Sony says the Xperia Pro is a professional solution rather than a phone aimed at general consumers. As I said about the original Xperia 1, Sony are attempting what RED failed at – a smartphone designed for serious filmmakers, which actually works.
The Pro has the same display and camera setup as the Xperia 1 mark II. There will be an HDMI port and integration with Sony Alpha cameras. This means you’ll be able to use it as a viewfinder, plus the 5G connection will give you broadcasting and sharing capabilities. A customisable shortcut key on its side will let you launch any app at a press of a button.
The Pro will double the storage to 512GB and feature a sturdier body – its back is inspired by the Alpha cameras and should provide excellent grip.
The Xperia Pro will have a unique 4-way 5G mmWave antenna arrangement. This could mean it can broadcast with speeds up to 5 Gbps or faster, but only if the phone has a clear sight to a 5G antenna.
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