Sony’s new A1 camera has monstrous specs and a $6500 price tag

I’m not much of a photographer. In fact, despite how impressive mobile phone cameras are becoming at allowing you to take the perfect shot, most of what I capture remains blurred, out of focus, and not nearly as pretty as it’s supposed to be. But the right camera in the hands of a true artist really does allow for some impressive photos. And impressive photos is what this new Sony Alpha 1 is all about.

Mobile phones may be catching up to traditional cameras in many ways, but this new beast from Sony proves that for true image clarity, there is still a massive difference between the two. In what the company claims is the world’s most advanced mirrorless camera yet, the Alpha 1 features a 50.1-megapixel full-frame sensor, is capable of continuous photo shooting at 30 images per second, and can record 8K video at 30fps. And yes, while admittedly that does sound impressive, the autofocus and autoexposure increases the appeal with a feature that allows the A1 to make up to 120 calculations per second and features an OLED electronic viewfinder with a refresh rate of 240Hz, a world first.  

The A1 also has the ability to shoot up to 155 full-frame compressed RAW images or 165 full-frame JPEG images at up to 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter while maintaining full AF and AE tracking performance. It’s a camera that is perfect for those sport or high action shots, capturing every moment in high definition. Or in my hands, getting the perfect-looking blurry shots that are still out of focus.

It’s definitely an impressive camera with the type of flash sync speeds (1/400 sec) and shutter speeds (1/200 sec) that I cannot even comprehend. But if you want the very best you have to pay for it and at a cost of $6500 (R100 000), it’s safe to say that this premium camera is aimed strictly at professionals. Sony is certainly flexing their muscles in the camera department with this new A1, but Fujifilm also has some tech of its own that it’s bringing to the party.

Last Updated: January 29, 2021