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Is it really THE one? - the Sony Alpha 1 in the test

Reading Time: 8 minutes - February 04, 2021

With the new Sony Alpha One, Sony is launching a whole new series and expanding the possibilities for photographers to express their creativity to a greater extent. Equipped with a 50.1 megapixel full-frame sensor, as well as superior 8K video quality that takes you into a new world of videography. We had the new Sony Alpha 1 with us for a day and put it to the test. You can find out all the exciting details in this article.

Everything new? Everything different?

With the Alpha One, Sony has created a new extremely fast 50.1 MP Exmor RS? CMOS full-frame sensor that scores with particularly fast data readout and thus enables continuous shooting at up to 30 fps with AF and AE tracking with electronic shutter. Perfect for all situations where perfect timing is essential. With the Alpha One, Sony is focusing on perfection in the field of video: the blackout-free display of the subject enables a fast reaction. The new image sensor and the BIONZ XR processor enable video recordings in 8K30p with outstanding image quality. However, if you don't want to film in 8K, the Alpha One allows you to record internal 4K video with a high frame rate of up to 120 frames per second. This enables smooth, expressive slow-motion playback at up to a fifth of the recording speed. In addition, Super 35 mode compresses approximately 2.3 times the amount of data required for QFHD 4K, resulting in beautiful, detailed full-frame shots with full pixel readout and no pixel binning. With such great shots, the question of overheating naturally remains: Sony has created a newly developed heat-dissipating structure that prevents overheating during continuous shooting.

The Alpha One offers you 10-bit color depth and 4:2:2 color subsampling for flexible editing of your shots. You also have the option of connecting the 16-bit RAW output to an external recorder via HDMI for faster post-production. Thanks to the new processor, real-time AF as well as face and eye detection are also possible and improved for 8K.
The electronic viewfinder is updated at 240 frames per second during continuous shooting. So you won't miss a single moment! The electronic viewfinder also scores points for being particularly quiet and vibration-free, making it perfect for situations that need to be noiseless. Who hasn't experienced this? Artificial lights and constant flickering in the image? With the Sony Alpha One this is history: Flicker-free shots under artificial light with all the advantages of the electronic and mechanical shutter are now possible.

Speed without compromise

The multi-layer back-illuminated 50.1 MP full-frame image sensor offers you higher resolution and more speed. Separate layers and the new A/D conversion ensure faster processing. Outstanding resolution, low distortion sensitivity and up to 15 stops of dynamic range make the Sony Alpha One a true professional camera! In addition, the BIONZ XR processor has been vastly improved: the new architecture now processes data 8 times faster and enables outstanding image quality and a faster response time. The 5-axis stabilization ensures smooth shots: the precise image stabilization unit, gyro sensors and the latest image stabilization algorithms enable a shutter speed advantage of 5.5 steps. In video, this is supported by the new Active Mode. The new Alpha One also scores highly in the low-light sector. Despite the high number of pixels in the sensor, the back-illuminated structure with gapless lens-on-chip lenses and the outer glass with AR coating ensure a standard ISO of ISO 100-32000, which can be extended to ISO 50-102400.

Autofocus on a new level

Thanks to the first-class subject recognition technology, the real-time eye AF now also tracks and focuses on the eyes of birds. This makes it easy to take high-quality pictures of birds. The eye autofocus is specifically designed for cats and dogs and uses advanced subject recognition technology to reliably track and focus on animal eyes. The Alpha One tracks human eyes approximately 30% more accurately than the Alpha 9 II, thanks to a combination of cutting-edge technology and advanced Hybrid AF algorithms! The Alpha One also features sensitive, fast and precise autofocus phase detection with 759 phase detection points.

Other functions

Sony has developed a new high-performance OLED viewfinder that outperforms all other current products with 9.44 million pixels. Two media slots support UHS-I and UHS-II SDXC/SDHC cards as well as new CFexpress Type A cards to take advantage of higher overall capacity and faster read/write speeds. In the menu area, there have been user-friendly adjustments, such as the separation between photo and video, as well as 17 user-specific buttons. The menu can also be controlled via the touch function. The battery is from the Z series and allows up to 530 pictures per charge. The Alpha One is also perfectly protected in bad weather: the double sliding cover and locking mechanism prevent water from entering the media slots. The lens lock and padding on the mount provide additional protection. The Sony Alpha One has been designed above all for speed and perfect transfers: versatile FTP connection options, FTP transfer of photo and video files and remote (tethering) shooting functions help to provide lossless transfer.

Compact overview

  • 50.1MP Exmor RS CMOS full-frame sensor
  • 30 frames per second continuous shooting
  • Real-time AF with update rate of 120x per second with 759 AF points (92% of the sensor)
  • ISO 100 - 204,800
  • 9.44 million dot EVF with refresh rate of 240fps
  • Dual drive mechanical shutter with 1/400 second synchronization
  • 8K 30p and 4K 120p 10 bit video
  • 5 axis IBIS
  • Dual CFexpress Type A SD cards

Conclusion on the new Sony Alpha One

The new Sony Alpha One impresses with its outstanding 8K video quality and speed. It is particularly suitable for sports photography, as its high resolution and very fast and precise autofocus make for breathtaking shots.

Although it is nowhere near the level of an Alpha 7s III in low light, the ISO performance is surprisingly good, especially in view of the high resolution of the full-frame sensor.

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