PHOTO QUALITY. This 42-megapixel SLR camera captured images with very good quality. Pictures were sharp, which means you can see most details and subtle patterns in the image. In low-light situations without a flash, pictures were sharp. We judged this model excellent for outdoor performance, such as shooting landscapes in the daytime; excellent for indoor performance, such as photographing a well-lit basketball game in a gym. And very good for low-light performance without a flash, such as capturing a birthday party. Photos taken in our low-light performance tests displayed very little image noise; subjects retained correct detail and color.
FLASH. This model has no flash.
LENS. The lens has a fixed focal length; it has no zoom capability.
IMAGE STABILIZATION. Shooting with digital telephoto in well-lit scenes, this model did an excellent job of minimizing the effects of camera shake. In low-light settings, it performed excellently and almost never produced blurry photos. Overall, the shake reduction results from our tests were excellent.
SPEED. In terms of performance, the Sony Alpha 99 II w/ 85mm F2.8 SAM powers up instantly. It has a short interval between shots, which can be important when shooting fast-moving or unpredictable subjects.
VIDEO. The Sony Alpha 99 II w/ 85mm F2.8 SAM takes excellent video. It also captures 4K-UHD video at 3840 x 2160 120p or 30i. As for sound, it captures excellent audio in stereo.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. Like all SLRs, it also includes an electronic viewfinder, helpful when composing in bright light; this viewfinder has excellent quality. The display also swivels; this can be helpful when shooting self-portraits or hard-to-reach shots. Although this model has many features and controls, this SLR is bulky and heavy, which may not make it the best model if you travel a lot.
