Sony has announced the Alpha 1 mirrorless camera, a camera that combines all of Sony’s top technologies into one body, creating a 50-megapixel camera that can capture stills at up to 30 frames per second, blackout-free, as well as 8K video.
The Sony Alpha 1 is a combination/condensation of all of Sony’s most advanced technologies into one body. It features a new 50.1-megapixel full-frame Exmor RS CMOS image sensor in combination with an upgraded BIONZ XR imaging processing engine with eight times more processing power compared to the BIONZ X processor.
It can shoot up to 30 frames per second – the fastest shooting speed ever – blackout-free while also combined with Sony’s autofocus technology that enables up to 120 autofocus calculations per second, which is double the speed of the a9 II.
That 50.1-megapixel sensor is capable of 15-stops of dynamic range and does not sacrifice any previously-expected ISO performance.
Even with this sensor’s high pixel count, the Alpha 1 offers high sensitivity with low noise, plus 15+ stops of dynamic range for video and 15 stops for stills, for smooth, natural gradations from shadows to highlights thanks to its cutting-edge processing system, throughout a wide ISO sensitivity range of 100-32,000 (expandable to 50-102,400, when shooting stills).
Additionally, the Alpha 1 features a massive-resolution OLED viewfinder: 0.64-type 9.44 million-dot (approx.) OLED Quad-XGA electronic viewfinder with the world’s first refresh rate of 240 fps.
It also features a silent, vibration-free electronic shutter that features the world’s first anti-flicker shooting with both mechanical and electronic shutter. Additionally, the Alpha 1 is capable of electronic shutter flash sync up to 1/200 second and up to 1/400 second with the mechanical shutter (this extends to 1/500 when shooting in APS-C crop mode) thanks to what the company is calling its “dual driven shutter.”
The Alpha 1 features 759 AF points with 92% coverage of the sensor, which exceeds the A9 series. IT also adds real-time eye-AF for bird photography, and overall real-time tracking has been improved for more reliable tracking and can be done as closed down as f/22.
Sony also mentions that the Alpha 1 is a “professional movie camera” as it is capable of 8K video at up to 30 frames per second, a first in the Alpha line. It’s 8K video is captured by oversampling 8.6K down to 8K (oversampling and condensing is a hallmark of Sony video features). Additionally, it can shoot at up to 4Kp120 in 10 bit 4:2:2: All-I compression. Oversampled, higher-quality 4K is also available in Super 35 mode.
The Alpha 1 also supports S-Cinetone, which is on the cinema line, which delivers cinema color, as well as 10-bit S-Log3 which delivers 15+ stops of dynamic range. The camera also, of course, supports HLG.
As expected, the a2 also supports 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization for 5.5 stops of stabilization and a heat-dissipating structure for extended recording: 30 minutes in 4Kp60 or 8K. It can also export 16-bit raw video via HDMI.
The Alpha 1 has two media slots that both support UHS-I and UHS-II SDXC/SDHC cards, as well as new CFexpress Type A cards for higher overall capacity and faster read/write speeds. It also features a durable magnesium alloy chassis, long battery life with the Z-battery which can be extended using the optional VG-C4EM Vertical Grip (sold separately), an improved dust removal feature, shutter close function on power-off to protect image sensor, plus dust and moisture resistance that maximizes reliability in challenging environments. It includes a durable, reliable HDMI Type-A connector, and USB PD (Power Delivery) support, allowing higher power to be supplied from an external source so that users can record for extended periods with minimal internal battery usage.
The Sony Alpha 1 will be available in March of 2021 for $6,500.
Author: Jaron Schneider
Source: Petapixel
