The Sony Alpha 1 is the latest full-frame mirrorless camera to hit the streets. Let's watch what some reviewers have to say.
Early reviews of the Sony Alpha 1 have been published, and while No Film School is waiting to get our hands on one, the YouTubers who received one right away collectively agree it's an impressive camera.
The A1 is Sony's new flagship camera. It has a 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor CMOS and image processing that's 8x as powerful thanks to its BIONZ XR processor. The camera is also Sony's first dive into 8K on a mirrorless body. It's capable of shooting 8K 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS video with 8.6K oversampling. It can also shoot 4K 120p 10-bit 4:2:2 internally.
Sony says it also improved autofocus, added real-time AF for birds, and included S-Cinetone color matrix as seen in FX9 and FX6. The A1 carries over a lot of features from the a7S III, including 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization that can correct a 5.5-stops of camera shake.
But is the $6,500 price tag worth the price of admission? Let's find out what some reviewers have to say.
Keep in mind they've only had the A1 for about a week.
Potato Jet
"I'm pretty shocked how usable this 8K is... The only downside is that it's 4:2:0. You can't do active image stabilization or crop modes. Overall, this 8K is actually usable in this camera."
Sara Dietschy
"...With S-Cinetone, the skin tones are amazing. It's a good look all around."
Gerald Undone
"It's a better photo camera than the a7r IV, and it's a better video camera than the a7s III, but where it gets complicated is that it cost about as much as an a7R IV and an a7S III combined. And I think for the money, I would rather have those two separate cameras than this one camera by itself."
Julia Trotti
"...filmed some video tests in 4K and in 8K all on the Zeiss 35mm F1.4 on autofocus. We had no issues filming 8K on location even though it was a hot day in Australia. Plus, we were shooting with the camera all day."
Jason Vong
"When it comes to low light, the a7s III is still king."
Have any thoughts on the Sony Alpha 1? Let us know in the comments below.
Your Comment
3 Comments
They’re practically giving it away...
But seriously, good job Sony
Maybe one day I’ll buy one, my Sony bashing days are behind me
February 5, 2021 at 10:39AM
Camera is a waste of money. Video is identical to the sony A7S III. The 8k is just for marketing purposes and is complete garbage. 4k is good though. unless you are doing poster size prints the 50 mp is a waste of hard drive space. also its still 14 bit color for photos when it can easily be 16 bit and better color. Over all Sony is reaching with this one.
February 8, 2021 at 11:11AM
Some reviews have it not being as good as the Canon R5 for stills. But obviously better for video. Once it gets released and gets some firmware updates, probably be the camera to beat for now.
February 12, 2021 at 1:17PM