The Alpha 1 gains the S-Cinetone gamma found in Sony Cine Line of cameras making it useful if I were ever shooting alongside one of the big boys (with my long-lamented internal ND’s). Of course this continues in the Alpha 1 and I definitely see myself shooting Super35 4K 120fps. The versatility of shooting either full frame or Super35 video is an important component of my a7s III. And that 8K video works in all available picture profiles. And Sony gave us a press demo subsequent to the public product announcement, showing some very sharp still grabs from 8K video. I would see 8K in very much the same way. I remember when we were talking about 4K as something with no delivery mechanism but useful for reframing. Because of this lower data rate, though, 8K can be recorded to SDXC cards rather than the pricey Sony CFexpress A media. Now mind you, that 8K is recorded in H.265 with 10-bit depth but 4:2:0 sampling in long GOP. The 8K is downsampled from the 8.6K sensor so no pixel binning or line skipping. The Alpha 1 represents Sony’s first foray into 8K in mirrorless cameras. Like the a7s III, it has a 41-degree FOV which can be widened to 33-degrees for us eyeglass wearers. This is particularly important in tracking subjects, whether still or video. The a7s III was already, up to that point, Sony’s highest resolution OLED VF, but now the refresh rate is increased to 240fps. It has the same hybrid AF as the a7s III with touch tracking and even an improved viewfinder. That combines with the new BionzXR processor, the identical processor developed for the a7s III, for even faster readouts Sony estimates over 2x less rolling shutter. The Alpha 1 builds upon the new ExmorRS back illuminated sensor by updating to 50 megapixels as well as adopting the stacked sensor design found in the A9 series. The a7s III will still go to Africa with me because two bodies are essential even when packing light - changing lenses in dusty environments is a no no and you can’t ask a hungry cheetah to wait for a lens change - and amazing sunrises and sunsets won’t see too much of a 12mp disadvantage.īut the Sony Alpha 1 combines so much of the a7s III with a highly credible wildlife capable still camera that it very well could even replace the a7s III for much of my now less-intensive video work. The Canon R5 approached those specs but then there was the heating issue and the concerns over my existing investment in E mount glass. But I wanted that elusive combination of video capabilities plus high resolution and bird in flight or cheetah on the chase tracking capabilities. I had intended to rent a Sony a9 or a9II for the trip, as I did for my last Africa adventure in September 2019. I’m also returning to my still-photography days and while the low light capabilities of the a7s III were phenomenal, I remain somewhat troubled by the 12mp resolution for some summer travel to Africa I’ve planned (COVID willing). Interviews, some run and gun, nature shots, web-destined shots-with the addition of a PolarPro variable ND for outdoor SLog shooting, I can make it work. It took a while to adjust to mirrorless video shooting coming from a few decades of dedicated video cameras, but it works for my purposes now. Last summer I sold my last remaining video camera, a Sony FS7 II, and upon release purchased a Sony a7s III with a Ninja V recorder and a very fast OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD. With the combination of COVID shutdown effects and the residuals of an automobile accident (hit in a crosswalk by an elderly driver-BMW 535 won that encounter), my video shooting was curtailed. So now I write from the perspective of why I think this camera was worth $6500 to me and how it is positioned amidst the plethora of still and video choices available to creators today.
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