Sony A1 system camera

Sony A1

Sony's response to the competition (read: Canon R5) is brutal! The camera is built without compromise and is suitable for every situation. At the heart of the camera is an all-new 50 megapixel EXMOR RS backlit sensor and BionZ XR processor. This combo together offers unprecedented specs like 30fps continuous shooting and up to 8 times faster performance and reading speed. These figures effectively mean the world's best focusing system, which puts the former king, the Sony A9 II, in the shade. There are 759 focus points in the newcomer, covering 92% of the sensor's surface area. The eye focus, and especially its detection, has been further improved and the system now also detects birds, as well as people and animals. For the first time, Sony also offers

For the first time, Sony also offers lossless raw image packaging. This feature results in a file size reduction of about 50%, without any loss in image quality. The flip side of the coin is slower editing.

The viewfinder is the best on the market with 9.44 million pixels and a virtually instantaneous 240 fps refresh rate. A high-quality viewfinder helps you keep track of your continuous shooting.

The ergonomics and operating logic of the body follows the familiar Sony pattern, so if you've used an A7R IV or Sony A7S III the body is almost identical. The main features of the fourth generation of cameras include a redesigned menu system, improved ergonomics and weather protection. The A1 also offers professional-grade data transfer over 5Ghz Wi-Fi or 1 Gigabit Ethernet (FTP) connections, and can be connected to a USB-C fast charger to guarantee power supply even during longer sessions.

While the Sony A1 brings to the table the toughest stills specs on the market, the video side is by no means forgotten. The first Sony consumer body to offer 8K30P 10-bit video and the highly desirable 4K120P 10-bit ALL-I. It comes with the S-Log3 profile, which offers over 15 apertures of dynamic range, and the S-Cinetone colour matrix familiar from the A7S III. An HDMI port outputs 16-bit raw video to an external recorder. The A1 also doesn't skimp on video recording, shooting up to 30 minutes of 8K video in a single playback!

Main features

• 50 megapixel EXMOR sensor with 15-stop dynamics
• Even Sony A9 II better focus, which used to be the industry standard
• Upgraded Bionz XR processor, up to 8 times better performance
• Hardly any rolling shutter
• 30 frames per second burst shooting with continuous focus and full resolution
• Up to 1/400s flash sync with mechanical shutter (get more power from the flash!)
• 199MP Pixel Shift image
• 8K30p and 4K120P video recording in 10-bit
• S-Cinetone profile
• 5,5 aperture cell stabilizer
• 9.44 million pixel viewfinder that updates at 240 frames per second
• 5Ghz wifi, 1000BASE-T Ethernet connectivity for fast data transfer
• 2x CFexpress Type A / SDXC UHS II card slots

Technical specifications

• Sony E bayonet
• Full Frame format
• 50.1 Megapixels (8640 x 5760)
• Aspect ratios 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9
• CMOS backlit sensor
• File formats JPEG, Raw, HEIF
• Built-in 5-axis image stabilizer
• ISO sensitivity Auto, 100 - 32000 (Expandable: 50 - 102400)
• 1/8000 - 30 seconds with mechanical shutter
• 1/32000 - 30 seconds with electronic shutter
• 1/8000 to 1/4 seconds for video recording
• Focus range -3 - 20 EV
• Continuous shooting 30 fps @ 50.1 MP - 155 frames (Raw) / 165 frames (JPEG) with electronic shutter
• Continuous shooting at 10 fps with mechanical shutter
• Video
• Recording mode H.265/XAVC HS 4:2:2 10-Bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [50 to 280 Mb/s]
  • H.265/XAVC HS 4:2:0 10-bit
  • UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p [200 to 400 Mb/s]
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [30 to 200 Mb/s]
  • H.264/XAVC S-I 4:2:2 10-bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p [240 to 600 Mb/s]
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p [89 to 222 Mb/s]
  • H.264/XAVC S 4:2:2 10-bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [100 to 280 Mb/s]
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p/200p/239.76p [50 Mb/s]
  • H.264/XAVC S 4:2:0 8-bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p [60 to 200 Mb/s]
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p/100p/119.88p/200p/239.76p [16 to 100 Mb/s]
• External recording Raw 16-Bit
  • 4.2K (4264 x 2408) up to 59.94p
  • 4:2:2 10-bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/50p/59.94p
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 50i/59.94i
• 4:2:0 8-bit
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) at 23.976p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 23.976p/50p/59.94p
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 50i/59.94i
  • Recording Limit Unlimited
  • Video Encoding NTSC/PAL
• Internal microphone (Stereo)
• External microphone input (Stereo)
• Audio File Format AAC LC, Linear PCM (Stereo)
• Live streaming
• Webcam
• Focus Mode Continuous-Servo AF (C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus (M), Single-Servo AF (S)
• Autofocus Points Phase Detection: 759
• Contrast detection: 425
• Autofocus Sensitivity -4 to +20 EV
• Searching
  • Type (OLED)
  • Size 0.64″
  • Resolution 9,437,184 points
  • 100% coverage
  • Magnification 0.9x
• Monitor
  • Size 3.0″
  • Resolution 1,440,000 Dot
  • Rotating touch screen
• Maximum flash sync speed 1/400
• Flash compensation -3 to +3 EV (1/3, 1/2 EV Steps)
• Memory card CFexpress Type A / SD
• Connectivity HDMI A, USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1), USB Micro-B (USB 2.0), 3.5mm microphone, 3.5mm headset, RJ45
• Wireless Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, 7.2 VDC, 2280 mAh
• Size 128.9 x 96.9 x 69.7 mm
• Weight 737 g

Sony A1 is Sony's flagship body, see also other options

See also the options used