Sony A1 review: The alpha of mirrorless cameras
Sony has been ahead of its full-frame mirrorless camera rivals for so long, it was actually shocking when Canon challenged it with two powerful models, the EOS R5 and R6. In addition to that,...
06/10/2021
Sony has been ahead of its full-frame mirrorless camera rivals for so long, it was actually shocking when Canon challenged it with two powerful models, the
EOS-R5
and
R6
. On top of that, it beat Sony to deliver the first camera with 8K video. Today, Sony strikes back with its new flagship, the 8K,
50megapixel A1
.
At $6,500, the A1 is clearly aimed at professional users who make a living from their cameras. However, as Sony's best mirrorless camera, it's a showcase for the latest sensors, autofocus, EVF and more that may appear in future models.
As well as packing 8K video, the A1 has specs we've never seen on a mirrorless camera like 30fps shooting speeds for 50-megapixel RAW images and a viewfinder. 240 Hz electronics at 9.44 million points. It should be a powerhouse for both video and photography, but how does the A1 compare to its only real rival, the R5? Let's find out.
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Sony A1 review: The Alpha of mirrorless cameras
body and handling
Sony builds camera components as well as cameras, and it has reserved a few new parts for its flagship. The 50.1-megapixel back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor is all-new, and it not only delivers high-resolution photos, but also blazing-fast readout speeds.
Charging error
It's also Sony's first 240 Hz, 9.44 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder camera. This electronic viewfinder is so crisp, bright and responsive that it should give pause to anyone who still thinks optical viewfinders are better.
The A1 has an incredibly small body, considering how much tech it packs. It has the same size as the
A7S III
< p>and weighs only 40 grams more at 737 grams (with a battery). Although it looks a lot like the A7S III, there are a few differences. It adds a handy dual-mode dial for shooting and focus modes, while moving the top video record button to the rear.Given that it handles far more data than the 12-megapixel A7S III in the same-sized body, it's reasonable to wonder if overheating is an issue like with the Canon R5. The quick answer is no, but more on that shortly.
Sony says the A1 is more rugged and weatherproof than ever, and I can vouch for that as I dropped it a short distance onto concrete and it didn't leave a scratch - sorry, Sony. It's also very comfortable to hold and use, although it can be slightly cramped for people with large hands or if you're wearing gloves, especially with a large lens.
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Controls include shutter and aperture dials, joystick, command dial, mode dial, exposure compensation dial and three programmable buttons. I wish all the top dials were locked like the exposure compensation dial, rather than the annoying press and hold system to unlock the other dials.
Otherwise, the controls are amazing. With the A1, Sony made minor but noticeable improvements to the dials and buttons, and they now have near-perfect feel, travel, and durability.
Sony has ditched its old menu system and the new one is much more intuitive. As with the A7S III, folders are divided into categories, so most settings are easy to find. You can also use the touchscreen with the menus and not just adjust the focus like before. Unlike the Canon R5, however, you can't touch a displayed setting to change it.
The main downside of the A1 is that, unlike the R5, its screen tilts and doesn't flip. This seems like an odd decision, as the A7S III has a fully articulating display and the A1 is a more powerful video camera. That makes it a hard sell for vloggers and one-person teams, in case the high price tag hasn't already put them off.
Like the A7S III, the A1 features Sony's unique dual-slot system that accepts both SD cards and faster Type-A CFexpress cards. The latter offers read and write speeds of 800 MB/s and 700 MB/s, compared to 300 MB/s on SD UHS II cards. However, no other camera maker yet supports CFexpress type A, cards are still hard to find and very expensive: currently
around 400$
for the 160GB model.
Sony has also crammed plenty of useful ports onto the A1. You get 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks, as well as a full-size HDMI port that's much more robust than the R5's micro-HDMI port. It also comes with a high-speed USB-C 3.2 port that can supply power, as well as flash sync and even a gigabit Ethernet port. The latter is useful for professional photographers who might need to upload images while shooting in a studio or sports venue, for example.
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In terms of battery, the A1 is rated for a good 530 shots without the EVF. I was able to shoot all day on a charge, and it took about 75 minutes to shoot 8K 30p video, longer than expected. I got about two hours of recording in 4K.
When it comes to shooting performance, the A1 destroys every mirrorless camera ever made except the EOS R5. It shoots 50-megapixel photos at a blistering 30 fps in electronic shutter mode with continuous AF and auto exposure, or 10 fps with the mechanical shutter.
Sony says you can take 155 compressed RAW files before the buffer fills up. Shooting in electronic shutter mode at 30 fps, that means you have about five seconds of shooting time, or 15 seconds in mechanical shutter mode.
With a CFexpress card, transfers were fast enough that I was able to shoot continuously without ever really stopping in mechanical shutter mode. With the same card at higher electronic shutter speeds, I had to pause between bursts, but not for a very long period - maybe 5 or 10 seconds - before I could fire another long burst. It will be a boon for sports or wildlife photographers, allowing them to take extra frames to capture the perfect moment, without worrying about buffer filling.
On the downside, it only hits the 30fps mark if you're using compressed RAW files, and that also depends on shutter speed and lens type. By comparison, the R5 is faster in mechanical shutter mode at 12.5 fps, and can “only” shoot 20 fps with the electronic shutter. However, it has no RAW limitation in either mode.
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Along with the higher sensor read speeds and faster image processing, Sony claims the rolling shutter is reduced by 1.5x compared to the A9 II, which is impressive considering it has double resolution. It does a bit better than the EOS R5 in this regard as well. However, if you are using the 30 fps shooting speeds for action shots, fast moving subjects may still be distorted in electronic shutter mode, so these high speeds may not be practical in some situations.
Once you hit those kinds of speeds, fps is less important than autofocus speed and accuracy. Here, the A1 largely delivers where it counts: tracking fast-moving subjects.
It performs well in touch tracking as well as face and eye detection modes. It can capture animals and birds well, but not as reliably as the R5. However, it is more reliable for people you are shooting sports, parties or portraits.
Shooting speeds are often well below 30fps for fast-moving subjects, especially when close to the camera, but the same happened with the R5. Note that to get the most out of the A1 autofocus system, you'll need one of Sony's latest XD linear motor lenses, such as the new 24mm f/1.4 and 400mm f/2.8.
The A1 comes with 5-axis in-body stabilization, but it only offers 5.5 stops of shake reduction with a compatible lens. Canon's R5 offers 8 f-stops, so it can shoot at slightly lower shutter speeds and still deliver sharp photos.
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As the A1 is aimed at professionals, I lent it to photographers Samuel Dejours and Nathanael Charpentier (above), who do birth, wedding, portrait and other types of photography, both on place and in their
NathSam Studio
in Gien, France. The interview was translated from French and abridged.
How did you feel about this camera compared to your other Sony mirrorless cameras (the A9 and A7R III)?
Samuel: The grip is a lot better, so there's less fear of dropping it, and it has a more balanced feel. The manual controls are better positioned, especially the front dial – you can now hold it with one hand and easily operate the dial, which is not the case on the A9. Even the buttons feel better, with a bit more travel and more positive action.
What did you like most about it?
Samuel: It was the autofocus that was most impressive, how it would latch onto a subject and not let go – especially given the resolution. To photograph hospital births, weddings, etc., you have to be very reactive. As soon as there is an important moment, you have a split second to capture a good photo, and there is no lag with this camera. When we shot in bursts with the A1, we had no unusable photos. If you can't get close enough, the extra resolve is also a big bonus.
Do you have other details?
Nathanael: Another thing we found really handy is that you can set the shutter to close automatically when you turn off the camera. We often have to change lenses, which protects the sensor from dust. With our other mirrorless cameras this is a regular problem, especially when working outdoors.
Image quality
Performance is pretty close between the two models, but the A1 trumps the R5 in image quality. Sony seems to have found a winning formula for color science, striking a good balance between pleasing skin tones and color accuracy. This compares to Sony's older full-frame models, which tended to shift skin tones towards magenta. Even with the latest improvements, however, some photographers may still prefer Canon's warmer skin tones.
Sony claims 15 levels of dynamic range for the A1 at lower ISO levels and it's easy to believe. When shooting RAW, you will be able to recover detail from overexposed highlights and underexposed shadows. It will relieve a lot of stress when shooting in bright sunlight or in dimly lit rooms.
And for a high-res camera, the A1 offers very respectable low-light capability that's far better than Sony's A7R III and A7R IV models and on par with the EOS R5. With the dual-gain sensor, you'll see little noise when shooting below ISO 3200, and you can still get usable shots at around ISO 12800, although noise increases significantly thereafter. For JPEGs, Sony's noise reduction algorithm works very well, making a good compromise between noise and detail.
Video
The A1 is just as capable for video as it is for stills and has far fewer serious heating issues than the R5. Sony guarantees 30 minutes of continuous 8K recording, but I was able to shoot at room temperature for an hour or more before shutting down. After taking out the battery and memory card and leaving them for five minutes, I was able to film for another hour. It's way better than the R5 for both total shot and recovery time.
Although it lacks the internal RAW and high-bandwidth recording found on the R5, the A1 has 10-bit recording in all video modes, including 8K. The A1 offers something of a compromise, as the R5 has slightly better detail, but the A1's files are smaller and easier to use. If you need the best possible resolution, the A1 can export RAW 4K and Atomos recently released a
firmware update
to support this feature on its Ninja V recorder.
< p>As with stills, the A1 has subject and animal/human eye tracking for video, and the system is fast, responsive and reliable. It's a match for the R5 and I honestly can't say which is better - they both have outstanding video AF which is far better than any other brand.© Provided by Engadget
The Five-axis image stabilization is perfect for handheld video shooting as long as you don't move too quickly. I wouldn't use it if you plan to walk around or move very quickly, though. The R5, on the other hand, lets you walk and vlog as long as you're fluid enough. Neither can replace a gimbal, of course.
On the other hand, you can use the A1 in gyro mode with the optical stabilizer disabled. Then you go to Sony's Catalyst Browse program and it will stabilize the footage quite well, much like SteadXP or other dedicated software stabilization products.
8K video is oversampled from 8.6K, so it's very sharp. However, full-sensor 4K video has some pixel bunching, so it's not as clear as the R5's high-quality 4K mode. If you use APS cropping, you can get 4K downsampling without pixel binning.
The A1 supports all of Sony's S-Log modes (S-Log, S-Log2 and S-Log3), allowing you to dramatically increase dynamic range, especially with the latter setting. This allows for HDR production and extra space to over- or under-expose shots while recovering detail. Just be aware that the settings can be a little tricky to use, especially S-Log3.
Unlike any other Sony mirrorless camera, the A1 also supports
S-Cinetone
recording borrowed from its line of motion picture cameras. This offers decent dynamic range and looks good straight out of the camera, unlike S-log footage. However, it is important to expose it correctly, as saturation levels can change quite drastically if images are over or underexposed.
I have often criticized Sony cameras for the terrible rolling shutter in movie mode. However, with the A1's fast sensor reading, the roller shutter is greatly reduced compared to previous models. Even in 8K mode, it's barely noticeable unless the camera or subject is moving very quickly.
Summary
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To sum up, the Sony A1 is the most powerful mirrorless camera ever built, and it should cost $6,500. It's also an impressive display of Sony's technological prowess, giving us a taste of what's to come with its future mirrorless lineup.
But does it beat the Canon R5? The higher video and still shot speeds give it a slight edge, but it would be hard for the average person to justify paying an extra $2,500 for moderately better performance. For an additional $500, you can also get a "hybrid" camera and video by purchasing both a Sony A7SIII and an A7R IV.
The main market for this camera is professional sports, action and wildlife photography. For that, the A1 has incredible speed and reliable autofocus, and the high-resolution photos are a huge bonus for cropping.
Another valid segment is dedicated 8K video shooting. Because it doesn't have the overheating issues of Canon's R5, the A1 is actually doable for it. If you look at it that way, the A1 is actually one of the cheapest 8K video cameras available.
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