Sony Launches Ultimate Flagship Mirrorless Camera

2021.01.26

This morning Sony unveiled a Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera in its own new top-level series. The Alpha 1 is the first Full-Frame to get a new series since the A9 which introduced ultra-high-speed black-out-free continuous shooting in a Full-Frame camera.

A groundbreaking 50 megapixels Exmor RS Stacked-CMOS makes its debut in the Sony Alpha 1. This ultra-high resolution sensor captures incredibly fine details with over 15-stops of dynamic-range, exceeding dynamic-range from the Sony A7R IV reviewed here and its 61 MP sensor, and should offer lower image noise than the A7R IV too. The stacked-sensor design allows exceptionally fast read-out which turns into 30 FPS continuous capture at full-resolution for the new Sony mirrorless! A pair of BIONZ XR processors makes it possible to capture long bursts of 182 JPEG images or 96 RAW files at maximum quality.

This state-of-the-art sensor is mounted on a 5-axis image-stabilization system that offers up to 5½-stops of shake compensation. With a standard ISO 100-32000 sensitivity range, expandable to ISO 50-102400, the new A1 is expected to deliver good low-light performance compared to other high-resolution cameras. Phase-Detect AF is built into 759 points spread over 92% of the sensor area and allow tracking subjects anywhere in the frame.

By combining a 50 MP sensor with high-speed output, the Sony Alpha 1 becomes the first Sony digital camera to capture 8K video, which it supports at 30 FPS for up to 30 minutes, thanks to a new heat-dissipation structure. To produce video with minimal artifacts, the A1 captures its full 8.6K sensor area and down-samples it to 8K in real-time. A more standard 4K capture is possible even up to 120 FPS with 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording, compared to 8K which is 10-bit 4:2:0. External 16-bit RAW output is supported, although we suspect the extra bits are zero-padded since the sensor is likely to output 14-bits at most.

Looks like Sony resisted pressure to include an unwieldy rotating LCD and sensible chose a more practical and sturdy tilting mechanism. The Sony Alpha 1 body greatly resembles that of the A9 II and will be familiar to all Sony Full-Frame users. It keeps a set of triple control-dials, focusing joystick, dedicated EC dial and traditional mode dial. On the right shoulder, stacked Drive Mode and Focus Mode dials make the A1 more efficient than A7-series cameras.

The same class-leading EVF as Sony Alpha A7S III, the ultimate low-light camera, is built into the A1. This 0.64" EVF offers an incredible 9.4 megapixels of resolution with 100% coverage at a 0.9X magnification, the largest of any electronic viewfinder ever built. There is an essential Eye-Start Sensor to automatically switch between the EVF and LCD.

As one expects, the Alpha 1 includes nearly every feature available on professional mirrorless cameras. This includes weatherproof construction and dual memory-card slots, both are hybrid slots that support SDXC and CFExpress Type A cards. The latter are required to extract the maximum performance from the camera. Like the A7R IV though, the ultra-high resolution of the Alpha 1 makes it impossible to built composite images in-camera. So, while it supports AEB and an Interval-Timer, this one cannot merge frames into a HDR image or a Time-Lapse. The same goes for its Super-Resolution capture mode that grabs 4 or 16 frame that can be assembled into an almost 200-megapixels image.

A new hybrid carbon-fibre shutter pushes the limits of what other Alpha cameras can do. It spans the usual 1/8000-30s shutter-speed range but manages flash-sync at 1/400s. In electronic mode, the shutter can reach 1/32000s, a first for Sony interchangeable lens cameras. A reasonably-sized battery allows 430 shots-per-charge with the EVF and can be charged in-camera via USB-C Power-Delivery.

Speaking of delivery, Sony plans to have the Alpha 1 available in March for $6500 USD or $8500 CAD, making it by far the most expensive Full-Frame camera on the market. This flagship is in a league of its own and could be the first viable model to record 8K videos, so expect professionals to rush as they run to produce some of the earliest 8K videos.

Adorama and B&H Photo are both ready to accept pre-orders. These reputable affiliates of ours will not charge your credit-card until the camera ships, while ensuring to be among the first to get delivery.

• Digital Camera