Sony a1 Review (by ePHOTOzine)
ePhotozine published the Sony a1 mirrorless camera review saying that the Sony Alpha 1 is the best all-round digital camera currently available.
Sony a1 Key Features:
- 50MP Full-Frame Exmor RS BSI CMOS Sensor
- Up to 30 fps Shooting, ISO 50-102400
- 8K 30p and 4K 120p Video in 10-Bit
- 4.3K 16-Bit Raw Video Output, S-Cinetone
- 9.44m-Dot EVF with 240 fps Refresh Rate
- 759-Pt. Fast Hybrid AF, Real-time Eye AF
- 5-Axis SteadyShot Image Stabilization
- Dual Drive Mech. Shutter, 1/400 Sec Sync
- 5 GHz MIMO Wi-Fi, 1000BASE-T Ethernet
- Dual CFexpress Type A/SD Card Slots
Sony a1 Pros:
- Large high-resolution electronic viewfinder
- 30fps continuous shooting at 50mp with AF/AE
- 8K 30/25fps video recording
- 4K 120/100fps video recording
- Improved menu system with touch-control
- Excellent range of lenses available
- USB power / charging
Sony a1 Cons:
- High-price
- Multi-shot high-res shots aren’t auto-created in camera
- No in-camera raw editing (just crop/rotate)
- The screen feels like a budget choice, considering the camera price
- Subject type must be manually selected (animals/human/birds)
Ephotozine from Conclusion:
The Sony Alpha 1 offers a hell of a lot. Video users will be extremely happy with 8K 30fps / 4K 120fps footage, and this will be overkill for the average videographer. High-speed stills photographers will be impressed by the 30fps on offer, and even those looking for high-resolution shots will be impressed by the 50mp on offer.
However, the price seems to be at a real premium over the competition, putting the camera easily into Leica territory. For some, particularly the professional photographer, the price of the Sony Alpha 1 will be of no consequence, and for the professional sports photographer, that would normally be shooting with a Nikon D5 or D6, or a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II or Mark III, then the Alpha 1 will seem incredible, offering over double the resolution, as well as almost double the continuous shooting speed.
For the professional photographer, the camera should be able to pay for itself over the years, however, for many, the Sony Alpha 1 will remain the stuff of legends, much like the Porsche 928 was the poster car of the 80s.
Many of the previous complaints made against Sony cameras, to do with handling, have been resolved with the A7S III and Alpha 1, with an updated, and easier to use menu system, an improved touch-screen operation, where the camera actually lets you use the touch-screen in a useful way. There is also a range of customisable buttons and controls.
However, there are still some things we wish were possible with the camera, such as front custom buttons (just one would be nice), we’d also like to see proper in-camera raw editing, as featured on almost all other camera brands, and we’d also like to see in-camera multi-shot image creation, rather than having to process the images later on a computer.
If you’re in the market for a high-resolution, high-speed, 8K video recording camera, then the Sony Alpha 1 is pretty much the perfect blend of everything you could ever want from a camera. As part of the E-Mount system, it’s also got one of the biggest range of lenses that are available for a full-frame mirrorless camera system, without the need to use an adapter.
Most photographers don’t need 50mp images at 30fps, and who really needs 8K video, except for professional videographers? So whilst we’d love to own a Sony Alpha 1, we’d ultimately feel guilty for spending £6500 on a camera. But if you want the best, and have the money, then, without a doubt, the Sony Alpha 1 is the best all-round digital camera currently available.
Sony a1 body: $6,498 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama, FocusCamera.
Read more:
