This is also a big improvement if you like to shoot at night. The A99 II adapts the A7 II's 5-axis image stabilization to a full-frame body, helping it counter both shifting blur in close-ups and rolling blur in low light. Reportedly, it's equivalent to a 4.5-step shutter speed advantage. Combine that with a peak ISO 102,400 sensitivity and it may be an easy choice for in-the-dark shooting, although you won't get the extreme sensitivity options of very high-end DSLRs like the Nikon D5.

You're getting a newer design, to boot. The magnesium alloy body is about 8 percent smaller than the first A99, and you'll get both a newer grip, twin SD card slots and seals that make the camera both dust- and water-resistant. The 1,024 x 768 OLED viewfinder should help, too, and you're getting a redesigned menu that should be easier to use in the midst of a hectic photo shoot.

Other perks? You can finally record 4K video on a full-frame Sony DSLR (without pixel binning, even), and there's a "Slow and Quick" mode that combines both slow-mo and accelerated video speeds. Pro movie makers may also appreciate better gamma handling (including S-Log2 and S-Log3 gamma for wide dynamic range videos) and a zebra mode that helps with tweaking the exposure.

The A99 II should arrive in November, and it'll be relatively affordable for the category at $3,199 (€3,600) for the body alone. That's not trivial, but it's less than Canon's EOS 5D Mark IV -- and it looks to be more powerful than the two-year-old Nikon D810.

Aaron Souppouris contributed to this report.

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