Sales of the Sony A1 II weren't live for more than 24 hours before Sony Japan shared an update that supply of the latest flagship mirrorless camera may be limited. On Tuesday, Sony Japan shared a notice stating that the company has received more orders than expected, which may delay the first shipments of the $6,499 / £6,299 / AU$ 10,999 camera for photographers in Japan.
While the newly launched Sony A1 II is the brand’s most advanced mirrorless to date, the launch is more of a modest update than a complete overhaul. The second generation keeps the same sensor but unleashes an even more advanced autofocus system, with my colleague Gareth Bevan describing it as a “predictable yet solid sequel” in his review.
“We started accepting orders for the full-frame mirrorless single-lens camera ‘A1 II’ (ILCE-1M2) on Tuesday, November 26, 2024,” the translated notice from Sony Japan reads. “We have received many more orders than we expected, so it may take some time for your product to be delivered. We are currently doing our best to meet your requests as much as possible, so we ask that you please wait a little longer.”
While the notice on potentially limited stock comes directly from Sony Japan, the company hasn’t shared any similar notices in the US or UK. In the US, B&H is still listing the flagship as a pre-order with shipping beginning on December 31, which is in line with the timeline that the company shared with last week’s announcement.
While the A1 series remains the brand’s flagship, it's arguably less innovative than the global shutter-centric Sony A9 III, which has a lower resolution (and price) than the A1 II. That with the steep price tag makes the higher-than-predicted demand a bit surprising.
But, the camera industry is no stranger to supply shortages. Newly launched compacts, while few and far between, are seeing such limited stock that cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI are selling for more used than the original list price. The X100 series' viral TikTok fame is likely to blame for the shortage, coupled with the compact market that, up until recently, was in decline.
I’m the sort of person that is glad when I see a busy parking lot outside of my favorite restaurant becausem the more cars I see, the more likely the restaurant is to remain in business. The photography industry has had a tumultuous adjustment to modern smartphones so the seeming increase in demand is similarly encouraging.
Of course, that’s little consolation for photographers who have saved up the hard-earned cash now playing the waiting game for a highly anticipated camera.
Too impatient to wait? Browse our list of the best Sony cameras, the best Sony lenses, or the best professional cameras.
