The Sony A1 was one of Sony’s best-kept secrets ever, and it’s a spectacular technical achievement. It’s a camera that offers everything all at once – huge resolution, incredible burst mode frame rates and, as if that wasn’t enough, 8K video.
Related articles
Amazing. Equally amazing, of course, is the price. This kind of technology doesn’t come cheap, but when a camera can pull off three huge feats at the same time, well, the price shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
But hang on. What does this mean for two other Sony Alpha pro cameras, both quite new recently updated: the Sony A9 Mark II and the Sony A7S Mark III?
We’re not going to drill down into every last specification, but the blunt fact is that the A1 offers a 50% faster continuous shooting speed than the A9 II, with a generous buffer capacity, the added convenience of lossless compressed raw files and a blackout-free EVF with twice the resolution. The A1 also has CFexpress Type A compatibility, more AF points and checks focus and AF at twice the speed – 120 times a second versus 60.
If these features appeared in a future Sony A9 Mark III we’d say that was a decent upgrade, but the fact is the A1 already has them, and it doesn’t just thrash the A9 II, it does it with twice the resolution and 8K video.
The Sony A7S Mark III is an amazing 4K video camera, but the A1 is equally amazing, matching the headline video specs of the A7S III but adding in 8K video too.
It’s true that 8K is not yet widely used, and that many videographers are very happy shooting 4K with no immediate plans to change. And Canon’s experience with the EOS R5 and its overheating issues has shown that 8K capture comes with some caveats.
But still, why get the 4K A7S III when you can get an 8K A1 with four times the resolution that you can also use for high-quality stills? We wouldn't expect the A1 to match the A7S III's low light performance, but that's one of the older camera's few advantages.
Does it come down to price?
We think it does. Remarkable as the Sony A1 might be, it costs 50% more than the Sony A9 II and the A7S III. If your speciality is video, or action/sports photography, it’s a pretty expensive step up and you may be paying for capabilities you don’t need.
And as for resolution, if that’s what you’re interested in the Sony A7R Mark IV has 61MP compared to the Sony A1’s 50MP, and it’s half the price. Don’t forget the A7R IV can also shoot 4K video (though it might not be your first choice for video) and can itself shoot at 10fps.
Sony has pulled off an amazing technical achievement with the A1. Its combination of resolution, 30fps continuous shooting and 8K video is extraordinary and would previously have needed three separate and specialised cameras.
HOWEVER, you have to need all of it for the outlay to make sense. Amateur photographers may lust after the A1’s ground-breaking combination of capabilities, but professionals are a hard-headed bunch who won’t invest in what they don’t need, and will often favor equipment that does what's necessary and no more, especially if it means saving money, or freeing up cash for lenses or other important items.
The Sony A1 might appear to make the Sony A9 II and Sony A7S III look redundant, but there’s a bit more to it than that. There’s also no escaping the price. This is a 50MP full frame camera that costs more than Fujifilm’s 100MP medium format GFX 100s. That’s a completely different camera, of course, but it does put the Sony A1’s pricing in perspective.
• Even taking all of this into account, the Sony A9 II and A7S III don't come out of this too well. They need big upgrades or big price drops, because at the moment they are two-thirds the price of the A1 without being two-thirds as good!
The U.S. dramatic competition title stars Clifton Collins, Jr., Molly Parker and Moises Arias.
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to Sundance drama Jockey.
The U.S. dramatic competition title stars Clifton Collins, Jr., Molly Parker and Moises Arias, and was the directorial debut for Clint Bentley.
The logline reads: "An aging jockey (Collins) hopes to win one last title for his longtime trainer (Parker), who has acquired what appears to be a championship horse. But the years — and injuries — have taken a toll on his body, throwing into question his ability to continue his lifelong passion. And the arrival of a young rookie rider (Arias), who claims to be his son and whom he takes under his wing, further complicates the path to fulfilling his dream."
Bentley directed from a script he co-wrote with Greg Kwedar. Logan Cormier and Colleen Hartnett also star.
Bentley, Kwedar and Nancy Schafer produced the film. Larry Kalas, Larry Kelly, Linda and Jon Halbert, Cheryl and Walt Penn, Genevieve and Mark Crozier executive produced with Cindy and John Greenwood, Ann Grimes, Jay Old, Benjamin Fuqua, Jordy Wax, and Collins Jr.
ICM Partners negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers, with international sales handled by Films Boutique.
January 2021 has been full of important news, but it’s been a bit lousy when it comes to deals. Still, we’ve done our part in scouring all of the major retailers for discounts on products we care about (and we think you care about, too). There aren’t many brand-new deals to be found in this week’s dispatch, but go ahead and take a look if you haven’t been following them closely.
If you feel caught up on deals, here’s a reminder that you can hang out here to have a quiet moment from all of the ongoing GameStop and AMC stock drama. Then again, if this is the first time you’re hearing about all of that and want to hear more, check out my colleague Liz Lopatto’s Big Picture video that’s all about it.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones are $278, and well worth it
Once in a blue moon, Sony’s latest flagship wireless headphones with active noise cancellation and excellent sound see a deep discount. That’s happening now, actually, and you can save $72 on the WH-1000XM4 — headphones I’d spring for immediately if I wasn’t still well-served by their predecessor. This model is considerably better, though, with support for simultaneous Bluetooth connections, and it has an automatic pause function when you remove them.
I’ve listed a few links below, but this deal is also happening at Adorama, where you can get the headphones with a 20,800mAh power bank for no extra cost.
Sony’s latest wireless headphones include better noise cancellation, plus the ability to pair two devices concurrently via Bluetooth. This matches the lowest price.
For something far less expensive (and really, not all that different), Razer’s Opus wireless, noise-canceling headphones are $140 at Amazon. They’re normally $200. For this price, it’s a good deal considering these over-ear cans can automatically play and pause music when you put them on, and they have active noise cancellation and USB-C charging.
The Sony A1 was one of Sony’s best-kept secrets ever, and it’s a spectacular technical achievement. It’s a camera that offers everything all at once – huge resolution, incredible burst mode frame rates and, as if that wasn’t enough, 8K video.
Related articles
Amazing. Equally amazing, of course, is the price. This kind of technology doesn’t come cheap, but when a camera can pull off three huge feats at the same time, well, the price shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
But hang on. What does this mean for two other Sony Alpha pro cameras, both quite new recently updated: the Sony A9 Mark II and the Sony A7S Mark III?
We’re not going to drill down into every last specification, but the blunt fact is that the A1 offers a 50% faster continuous shooting speed than the A9 II, with a generous buffer capacity, the added convenience of lossless compressed raw files and a blackout-free EVF with twice the resolution. The A1 also has CFexpress Type A compatibility, more AF points and checks focus and AF at twice the speed – 120 times a second versus 60.
If these features appeared in a future Sony A9 Mark III we’d say that was a decent upgrade, but the fact is the A1 already has them, and it doesn’t just thrash the A9 II, it does it with twice the resolution and 8K video.
The Sony A7S Mark III is an amazing 4K video camera, but the A1 is equally amazing, matching the headline video specs of the A7S III but adding in 8K video too.
It’s true that 8K is not yet widely used, and that many videographers are very happy shooting 4K with no immediate plans to change. And Canon’s experience with the EOS R5 and its overheating issues has shown that 8K capture comes with some caveats.
But still, why get the 4K A7S III when you can get an 8K A1 with four times the resolution that you can also use for high-quality stills? We wouldn't expect the A1 to match the A7S III's low light performance, but that's one of the older camera's few advantages.
Does it come down to price?
We think it does. Remarkable as the Sony A1 might be, it costs 50% more than the Sony A9 II and the A7S III. If your speciality is video, or action/sports photography, it’s a pretty expensive step up and you may be paying for capabilities you don’t need.
And as for resolution, if that’s what you’re interested in the Sony A7R Mark IV has 61MP compared to the Sony A1’s 50MP, and it’s half the price. Don’t forget the A7R IV can also shoot 4K video (though it might not be your first choice for video) and can itself shoot at 10fps.
Sony has pulled off an amazing technical achievement with the A1. Its combination of resolution, 30fps continuous shooting and 8K video is extraordinary and would previously have needed three separate and specialised cameras.
HOWEVER, you have to need all of it for the outlay to make sense. Amateur photographers may lust after the A1’s ground-breaking combination of capabilities, but professionals are a hard-headed bunch who won’t invest in what they don’t need, and will often favor equipment that does what's necessary and no more, especially if it means saving money, or freeing up cash for lenses or other important items.
The Sony A1 might appear to make the Sony A9 II and Sony A7S III look redundant, but there’s a bit more to it than that. There’s also no escaping the price. This is a 50MP full frame camera that costs more than Fujifilm’s 100MP medium format GFX 100s. That’s a completely different camera, of course, but it does put the Sony A1’s pricing in perspective.
• Even taking all of this into account, the Sony A9 II and A7S III don't come out of this too well. They need big upgrades or big price drops, because at the moment they are two-thirds the price of the A1 without being two-thirds as good!
Sony Pictures Classics has picked up Clint Bentley’s Jockey on the second night of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, acquiring all worldwide rights to the film.
Set to premiere on Sunday, Jan. 31 in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section, Bentley’s film follows an aging jockey (Clifton Collins, Jr.) who hopes to win one last title for his longtime trainer (Molly Parker), who has come to possess what seems to be a championship horse. However, the years and injuries have taken a toll on his body, throwing into question the jockey’s ability to continue his lifelong passion. The arrival of a rookie rider (Moises Arias), who claims to be his son further complicates the jockey’s plans to fulfilling his dream.
“Filmmakers Clint Bentley (a formidable directing debut), co-writer Greg Kwedar and producer Nancy Schafer have made such a good movie, that is engaging, satisfying, visual, and precise cinematic storytelling,” Sony Pictures Classics said in a statement. “Anchored by a truly amazing performance by Clifton Collins Jr., an actor we have admired in so many roles for over 2 decades (from Capote to Westworld), ably supported by Molly Parker and Moses Arias, JOCKEY is about what happens to a professional at the end of a career with the background of horse racing, a subject of interest to audiences worldwide. We are excited to bring the movie to a wide audience this year.”
Jockey is produced by Bentley, Kwedar and Nancy Schafer and executive produced by Larry Kalas, Larry Kelly, Linda & Jon Halbert, Cheryl & Walt Penn, Genevieve & Mark Crozier, Cindy & John Greenwood, Ann Grimes & Jay Old, Benjamin Fuqua, Jordy Wax, and Collins Jr. Additional actors are Logan Cormier and Colleen Hartnett
“We’re overjoyed Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing JOCKEY. Growing up, watching movies with their logo made us the filmmakers we are today,” said Bentley and Kwedar. “We were so taken by SPC’s passion and vision and our shared love for Clifton Collins Jr. It’s surreal for our movie to be in the family of so many incredible films and filmmakers. This movie was made with so much love, in the vibrant, itinerant world behind the racetrack. It’s an honor to partner with Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and their team who take such care in how they release films.”
Sony Pictures Classics negotiated the deal with ICM Partners, on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales were handled by Films Boutique.
Sony’s non-surprising Alpha 1 announcement this week seems to have set a few Nikon shooters into panic again. More disinformation and clickbait headlines are also proliferating. The common theme seems to be “Nikon can’t/won’t keep up and will fail.”
Relax. Take a deep breath. Stop believing everyone else’s (sometimes uninformed) opinion without question.
At this point I’m aware of quite a bit of future Nikon product being developed. I’m not going to go into very specific details. Assuming my (multiple) sources aren’t pulling my leg for what would seem to be illogical reasons, Nikon will have some moments in the sun soon, too. And the Z transition will continue.
Why did I write “non-surprising” in the first sentence? Because Sony Imaging did exactly what they said they would do: try to bring speed, pixels, and low-light into some form of conjunction in a product. I’d grade them an A, B, and C, respectively in that. Speed is without question here. The stacked sensor design and dual BIONZ is a lot of horsepower that we’ve not seen working together before, and the A1 is basically as good as it gets right now in terms of internal bandwidth (speed). Thus, the A grade there.
Pixels are a trickier thing. For 8K you need to be at a minimum of 33MP to do full sampling. For some esoteric reasons (getting to the 16:10 crop some want, for example), you may want to provide at least 42MP. Being able to oversample provides a few additional benefits. I’d judge 45-50MP to be where the gang will all congregate, and Sony’s right there. B grade for getting there early.
Sony disguises a few things in their low-light claims. What a lot of folks aren’t noticing is that Sony took a small step back, with ISO 32000 being the top value before the camera resorts to multiplication. The 15-stop DR claim is once again akin to an engineering DR claim (and unspecified as to SNR). One of their claims is that the Medium size images—which would be binned or otherwise downsampled—are “clean.” Sure. So is a Z7 II Medium image. I’m not grading this aspect above average; so C. (I might change my mind after reviewing the camera, but the low light claims in Sony’s marketing don’t seem to suggest clear improvement.)
To me, the big news with the A1 is the combination of pixels with no EVF blackout, the expanded flash sync, and the communication capabilities (particularly in conjunction with the Xperia Pro phone). Personally, I would have preferred to see a beefier body, a better LCD panel, and more crop choices. But no doubt the Sony A1 is a high-end body, and currently the mirrorless “leader” in that respect when all is taken in together. A bar has been set.
So the question those of you reading this have is whether Nikon will get over that bar or not (Canon shooters have the same question, though the R5 is closer to the bar than the Z7 II). In the interest of answering that question for you, I’ll try to answer some of the sub-questions that arise based upon what I hear out of Tokyo:
Will a higher-end Nikon Z arrive in 2021?
Yes. I’m not entirely sure as to the timing. My suspicion is that the idea has been to launch this camera in late spring after the yearly results, or perhaps early summer. The pandemic, the supply chain issues, the chore of moving all production to Thailand, the lure of being ready for the Olympics, as well as other things—including Sony’s launch of the A1—probably all come into play.
I think not. What I’m hearing is that Nikon has put significant resources into improving their sensors at the 20MP, 24MP, and 45MP points for the next few cameras they’ll announce. More pixels will come later, and it may be more than you expect.
Will it shoot faster than a Z7 II?
Yes.
Will it have pixel-shift?
I don’t know. This is something Nikon needs to catch up with (as does Canon).
Will it have a different body?
Yes.
Will it have more control, more performance?
Yes.
Will it have a better EVF?
I don’t know. Better EVFs are available to Nikon, so I’d be surprised if they didn’t make an improvement.
Will it match Sony’s smartphone connection?
No. Sony has an advantage there in controlling both camera and phone.
SnapBridge and the other Nikon connectivity has been improved over time and will continue on that path with this new model, but I believe Nikon’s still missing something obvious, particularly for high-end cameras that might appeal to PJ’s, sports shooters, and other professionals. The missing element could be fixed with the right app and camera support, and amplified with a few key image review changes.
Will it cost more?
Absolutely. The camera I’m (not, wink wink) describing here will become the new high-end of the Nikon Z lineup.
No, not exactly. Nikon’s targets are a little different than Sony’s. But I’m comfortable in saying I think that the camera as it has been described to me would be entirely satisfying to the Nikon faithful. In one way, it might be seen as better.
That’s about all I can say without revealing details that might point to my sources for the information.
I’ve also heard details on three other Z bodies in prototype at this point. One of those will definitely be of interest to you. One probably wouldn’t be of much interest to this site’s current readers. Moreover, I’ve now heard details on six new Z-mount lenses that haven’t shown up on the Road Map yet. I think we’ll also see the missing screw-mount lens adapter, too. I know that Nikon has heard the screams on that.
So let’s dispense with the “Nikon isn’t trying” nonsense. As far as I can tell, they’re in hurry-up mode and juggling more new stuff than they usually do for any given time period in recent history. One decision they seem to be exploring would really surprise most of you readers and would pretty much blow up the notion that they’re on the outs and can’t invest in their future; you wouldn’t make that sort of decision if you thought you couldn’t compete.
So, I’m not bearish on Nikon. I’m somewhat bullish.
Great job Sony. The A1 has introduced competition that will drive cameras forward and make them the tools we all want. The A1 sets a bar that I hope Canon, Nikon, and Sony all try to clear and best in the coming years.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
About the author: Thom Hogan is a writer and photographer who operates specialty Web sites for Nikon film SLRs (filmbodies.com), Canon and Nikon DSLRs (dslrbodies.com), mirrorless cameras (sansmirror.com), and Nikon Z System cameras (zsystemuser.com). Thom’s photographic specialties are wildlife, sports, and general nature. You can follow him on Twitter @bythom. This article was also published here.
We haven't seen a new small-body Sony phone since 2018's Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact, despite the protestations of fans who want a device that's easy to use in one hand.
Since then rumors of a Sony Xperia Compact handset have abounded, with each new generation of Xperia phones expected to have a mini sibling - and each new wave coming without said device.
At this point all hope is nearly lost of seeing this Sony Xperia Compact device, but that hasn't stopped people speculating, and lots of tech fans are expecting to see it land alongside the Sony Xperia 1 III line in mid-2021.
While we've been through this before - there was no compact Xperia 1 II, or Xperia 1, or Xperia XZ3 - that hasn't stopped some leakers getting excited by the prospect of the phone.
We've collected all the leaks below, so you can see what people are saying about the Sony Xperia Compact, and we'll keep this article updated as new credible information comes in.
And no, this isn't an article about the Sony Xperia 5 - while that and the Xperia 5 II are certainly smaller than their 1-series equivalents, they're still not small enough to count as 'compact'.
Cut to the chase
What is it? A small flagship phone from Sony.
When is it out? We've no idea - possibly never.
How much will it cost? Speculation ranges from budget to premium prices.
Sony Xperia Compact release date and price
Sony Xperia 5 II(Image credit: TechRadar)
We've been hearing rumors of a Sony Xperia Compact phone since 2018 - every year the prospect rears its head, only to ultimately not pan out. As such, we can't say with even a shred of certainty that it'll come out any time.
The most recent leaks suggest it could land alongside the Sony Xperia 1 III, likely to be announced in February or March 2021 and released in the months after, but that seems mostly like a guess.
We don't know a rough price either, as some leaks make the phone sound like a flagship, just with a smaller screen, while other leaks portray the phone as a budget device with weak specs, so it's hard to know right now.
News, rumors and leaks
Multiple Sony Xperia Compact rumors point to it having a 5.5-inch screen, broken up by a 'teardrop' notch. The source linked above also suggests it'll have a Snapdragon 700-series chipset, and another says it'll only have two rear cameras, which makes the phone sound pretty mid-range.
That latter leak was joined by unofficial renders:
#SONY is finally about resurrect the #XPERIA "Compact" Series! Here comes your very first look at the first "Compact" XPERIA phone since the #XPERIAXZ2! #VoiceCommunity #OnlyOnVoice@VoiceHQ⭕️Exclusive 👉🏻 https://t.co/YFuvPA4sNA pic.twitter.com/LIcfrqY8p2January 24, 2021
These images show a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, as most Sony phones have, as well as the small body, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 21:9 aspect ratio.
One rumor explicitly links the upcoming mini Sony phone to the Xperia 1 III line, calling the phone the Sony Xperia 1 III Compact, and saying that it will land alongside a Premium-suffix counterpart.
Those are all the rumors we've heard for the Sony Xperia Compact that didn't turn out to be for an Xperia 5-series smartphone, but as we hear more we'll add them here.
Strangely, there's a sort-of Sony Xperia Compact in the form of the Sony Xperia Ace, launched in 2019 in Japan with a 5-inch screen, but neither that phone, nor any counterpart, has made its way west. That does suggest the brand hasn't totally given up on small smartphones though.
What we want to see
Here are some things we want to see in the Sony Xperia Compact, including possible features and ways it could stand out from other phones.
1. Value for money
Sony Xperia 1 II(Image credit: TechRadar)
Whether you're a Sony phone fan or not, it's hard to disagree that the brand's handsets are pretty expensive. A high-end mini handset from the company would compete with only one compact phone on the market right now - the iPhone 12 mini, which itself is rather pricey too.
So if Sony offered its Xperia Compact for a low price, it would be hugely competitive, being both a tempting Sony phone and the best-value small-screen device on the market.
That doesn't mean we want Sony to skimp on features, just find ways to offer them at low prices.
2. Good rear cameras
Sony phones don't often grace our best camera phones list, but the snappers aren't terrible either. However for the Xperia Compact to have a small body, it would need to drop some internals and features - which likely includes some rear cameras.
Even though Sony likely can't put a full three-camera main/telephoto/ultra-wide combo on its Compact phone, we'd hope photography power is still retained as much as possible, whether that's from improved processing power or using great sensors.
3. Top battery life
Since a compact phone would have a small screen, it's likely battery life would be stellar - big screens often drain charge faster.
As a result, it's likely the Sony Xperia Compact will have top battery life, but we hope it still has a big battery, so the phone could last for two days or more.
The new Sony A1 is the McLaren supercar of mirrorless cameras – and while it's the closest thing we've seen to a 'no compromise' hybrid, as Sony describes it, it's also unlikely to reach those mythical heights in reality.
On paper, there's no doubt that the Sony A1 (also known as the Alpha 1) is a landmark camera and probably the most complete mirrorless camera we've ever seen. It's effectively three pro cameras in one – you get the 30fps speed of sports camera, the 50MP resolution of a landscape camera, and the 8K skills of a video camera.
(Image credit: Sony)
Impressively, it isn't the size of a bowling ball either – despite all this tech, the Sony A1 is basically the size of a Sony A7S III and is significantly smaller than a DSLR like the Canon 1DX Mark III.
But Sony hasn't wiped out its entire Alpha line with one perfect camera either. Whether it's due to the laws of physics or intangibles like personal taste, the 'no compromise' camera still isn't really possible. Other Alphas, like the A7S III, still do things that the Sony A1 can't match.
At $6,500 / £6,500 / AU$10,499, another side effect of making a 'kitchen sink' flagship, the Sony A1 is also beyond the reach of nearly everyone.
But even if it can't break the rule that every camera is a compromise, the A1 is does smash through boundaries that make it the least compromising camera we've seen so far for hybrid stills and video shooters.
Boundary breaker
Whatever level of photographer you are, choosing the right camera involves balancing your needs in five main areas – speed, resolution, video, size and price.
The interplay of all these factors has produced all the camera sub-categories we see today. High-resolution cameras have usually been too slow for sports photographers, pro video cameras have needed larger bodies for heat dissipation, and compacts have fast but small sensors.
Recently, we've started to see pro hybrid cameras – ones that are as comfortable shooting video as they are stills – really blur these lines. But the Sony A1 takes a giant eraser and does away with them almost entirely.
(Image credit: Sony)
The reason the A1 can do this is its combination of a new 50.1MP stacked BSI sensor and upgraded Bionz XR processor. That stacked sensor contains memory on the chip itself, which allows it to achieve lightning fast readout speeds for a full-frame sensor. In other words, the A1 can scan all of that sensor data much quicker than before.
In reality, this means the A1 can do previously unheard of things like shoot 50MP images (albeit compressed ones) at 30fps with autofocus tracking – that's 1,500 megapixels of image data per second. An amazing feat, even in pro camera land.
You could say this is something of an Apple M1 chip moment for cameras – just like Apple has used its custom silicon to take its MacBooks to new heights, Sony has built a next-gen Alpha around its in-house Exmor-Bionz engine.
But that doesn't mean the Sony A1 is necessarily 'no compromise' camera. For a start, unlike the Apple MacBook Air, this camera tech is only available in an ultra high-end flagship. And beyond price, there are other factors – some of them down to the intangibles that make cameras such personal tools – that ensure the A1 won't be a compromise-free experience for everyone, particularly videographers.
Room for specialists
The most obvious example of this is the existence of the Sony A7S III. That camera sits top of our list of best 4K cameras and mainly because it has 12.1MP full-frame sensor.
That resolution, which is the same as an iPhone 12 Pro, may sound incredibly low, but it's the reason why the A7S III is so good in low-light situations and is revered by videographers. Its sensor has huge pixels, and that's something the Alpha 1 can't match even with tricks like its Super 35 mode, which effectively takes an APS-C crop from the center of its larger full-frame sensor.
The Sony A7S III will remain popular with videographers.(Image credit: Sony)
So which is the best camera for 4K video, the Sony A1 or the A7S III? Ben Pilling (Technical Marketing Manager for Sony Imaging in Europe), said: "It depends what your requirements are. What you find with the Alpha 1 is that for 4K video you will have great options – you have the full-frame 4K up to 120p, or you have that Super 35mm mode. That mode is oversampled footage, so you can get amazing detail, as well as having that 4K full-frame mode," he said.
But he also added: "In terms of low light capability, of course the Sony A7S III has amazing high ISO capability with those very large pixels. In terms of full-frame mode you may see a slightly better image coming out of the A7S III compared to the Alpha 1, but of course the Alpha 1 is still going to deliver a stunning image. It depends on the needs and uses of the shooter."
In other words, while the margins of difference between specialist cameras and generalist hybrids like the Sony A1 are getting finer, there will still be compromises for some video shooters on the A1, compared to other models.
Split on screens
The small compromises aren't just with technical factors like resolution or a lack of built-in ND filters either. Opinion remains fairly evenly split on other details, like which type of camera screen is best.
The recent trend for hybrid cameras is fully-articulated screens that flip around to face the direction you're shooting. But many stills photographers prefer tilting displays, because these let you shoot from low angles with the screen in line with the lens (rather than off to the side, like on articulated screens).
So what screen has the Sony A1 gone for? Unusually for an otherwise forward-thinking flagship camera, it's got a retro, tilting 1.44-million dot screen. And that's almost certainly because it's been mainly designed for stills photographers, like those who are hoping to shoot at this year's Olympics.
(Image credit: Sony)
As Ben Pilling from Sony explained: "We get very mixed feedback from users on vari-angle displays. Some people love it, a lot of video shooters love it coming out to the side, but we also find that a lot of users say that they like to have their composition in line with the optical axis."
"Of course, it's something we will consider for future products and for other products as well, but for this model it was decided that having it in line with the optical axis would work best," he added.
While hybrid cameras have come a long way, the A1 still doesn't completely negate the need for dedicated mirrorless video cameras. For pros, it doesn't have things like full-size XLR connections or built-in ND filters. And for many other shooters, the file sizes and price will likely make it workflow-inhibiting or too much camera for their needs.
A pure digital camera
Still, despite not being 'The One' (as Sony describes the A1) for every type of hybrid shooter, the Sony A1 certainly is uncompromising in new and exciting new ways.
Its electronic shutter, for example, is now so good that Sony could probably have got away without including a traditional mechanical one at all. Electronic shutters let you shoot silently (which is great for wildlife photographers) and achieve super-fast burst speeds like the A1's headline 30fps figure. But until now, they've also come with compromises, like warping or banding when shooting artificial lights.
The A1's electronic shutter, though, promises to do away with those issues. It automatically eliminates flicker and lets you dial in specific shutter speeds to eliminate banding. It's also now so fast that it can sync with flashes, a job that was usually the preserve of mechanical shutters.
(Image credit: Sony)
With an on-camera flash, the A1 can achieve flash sync speeds of 1/200s (similar to most other cameras' mechanical shutters) and even its mechanical shutter has been retooled to hit flash syncing speeds of up to 1/400s.
This is interesting because the Sony A1 is taking pro cameras a step towards a purely digital shooting experience, without any moving parts. Its incredible electronic viewfinder is another factor in this trend – with an amazing 9.44-million dot resolution and a world-first 240fps refresh rate, it could convert more DSLR owners.
Many pro sports photographers have stuck with DSLR cameras rather than mirrorless ones because of viewfinder lag, which you don't get with optical 'finders that let you view scenes at the speed of light. But it'll be interesting to see how many are potentially converted by the Sony A1.
One upmanship
There's no doubt that the Sony A1 is a landmark launch and probably the most powerful mirrorless camera we've ever seen. With those burst shooting powers, next-gen autofocus tricks and video skills, the main downside is how few excuses we'll have left for missing shots or taking bad photos.
(Image credit: Sony)
But it's also not quite the mythical 'no compromise' model that Sony's 'The One' marketing might suggest – there are unquestionably still benefits to specialist cameras like the Sony A7S III, and the price tag will be a sticking point for most of us, short of selling the family pet.
In fact, you could argue that the Canon EOS R5 now looks like excellent value at a mere $3,899 / £4,199 / AU$6,899, given the potential for diminishing returns on some of the A1's technology. Still, we're certainly looking forward to seeing 'The One's' innovations trickle down into cameras that most of us can actually afford.
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