The best camera in history, Sony has created a beast that in short is able to record at 8k, and take 50mpx photos at 30 frames per second. This is the definitive evolution of the evil or mirrorless camera.
Features and specifications of the Sony A1
In this table we will show you the main features of the Sony A1 model, both in photography and video, and then we will show you its quality in practice.
SONY A1 | |
SENSOR | CMOS Full Frame 50mpx |
PROCESSOR | Bionz XR |
FOCUS (AF) | 759-point hybrid |
VIEWER | 9.43mpx |
DISPLAY | 1.44mpx |
ISO | 100 to 32000 (extended 50 to 102400) |
SHOTS PER SECOND | 30 FPS |
STABILISER | 5 axes |
STORAGE | 2 SD |
DYNAMIC RANGE | 15 stops |
VIDEO RESOLUTION | 8K for 30p and 4k for 120p |
CONNECTIVITY | LAN, headphone socket, sync flash, microphone |
BATERY | 430 shoots |
MONT | Sony E |
WEIGHT | 737 g |
STARTING PRICE (BODY) | 7300€ |
Construction and Ergonomics
If there is one thing that makes this new Sony a1 stand out, it is its construction. Many of us thought that a camera with such technology would end up occupying the same size or similar to its SLR competitors, such as the Canon 1DX III or the Nikon D6, but on the contrary we find a camera with the same body as the a7 and a9 series, the only thing that changes except for some details is not on the outside but on the inside. Of course, the other competitors choose to incorporate dual battery slots, which we don’t have directly on this one, but we can access it with an additional grip sold by the brand. The ergonomics are still as good as those of the Sony a7III or a9II.
Focus
The focus is undoubtedly the strong point of this great camera, although it must be said that it was already almost impossible to surpass what was achieved with the serious a9, they have achieved it and they have eliminated the black spaces that appear in all mirrorless cameras when shooting. This means we can follow the action at all times without losing a tenth of a second. And thanks to a new record 30 frames per second, not to mention 50mpx, we can capture everything we want without losing focus on the subject for a second. This is thanks in part to improved technology and a processor that is now able to track the subject’s eye much better.
Quality and performance
It is clear that this is one of the best cameras on the market, if not the best at the moment. Those 50mpx are capable of capturing an image to be able to crop it even in half without losing much quality, this is something very important for action photographers who are often forced to work on complicated and unpredictable actions. According to the brand, the emphasis has been placed on improving the representation of colors in the photographs, as we know this was a weak point in the brand if we compare them to other brands such as Canon or Nikon. As usual with Sony models they offer up to 15 stops of dynamic range, something that other brands are only able to dream of, but are unable to replicate, this helps us to better capture the shadows and thus be able to go up without losing too much quality.
Opinion
That the Sony A1 is the best camera currently on the market, there seems to be no doubt, but it is also true that Sony has created a dilemma for users of the a9 series, because after this announcement, where does the a9 series stand? Previously it was the series that had and incorporated the best possible quality. Perhaps Sony believes that this new A1 series will be designed to always carry the highest quality sensors in terms of mpx and the a9 series the one with the highest speed, although we will see this in the near future. Another thing that has not been talked about too much is its price, about €7300 in Spain. You might think at first that this is a very high price, but if you compare it with its competitors you can really see that they are on a par. If you are a professional action photographer this is the best camera you can buy, as long as you don’t care too much about the battery which is quite low at only 430 shots, if this is the case this is the camera for you.
