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Sony Alpha 1 · Photo source
Sony · Alpha
Alpha 1
A 50.1 MP full-frame mirrorless camera combining a stacked sensor, 30 fps electronic bursts and 8K 30p video.
- Type
- Mirrorless
- Sensor
- Full frame
- Megapixels
- 50.1
- Lens
- Sony E-mount
- Video
- 7680 × 4320 at 30 fps
- Body weight
- 652 g
What reviewers say
Reviewers praised detailed stills, tracking, the excellent viewfinder and unusual versatility across photography and video. Both questioned the small, limited rear screen and high price. PhotographyBlog reported reliable extended video recording; Digital Camera World needed the higher temperature setting to avoid early 8K shutdown and found walking stabilisation less effective than a gimbal.
Product links
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specImage and sensor
- Camera type
- Mirrorless
- Sensor format
- Full frame
- Sensor type
- Stacked Exmor RS CMOS with integral memory
- Sensor dimensions
- 35.9 × 24 mm
- Effective resolution
- 50.1 MP
- Largest image
- 8640 × 5760
- RAW recording
- Yes
- Standard ISO range
- 100–32000
- Sensor detail
- Approximately 50.5 million total pixels. Pixel Shift Multi Shooting combines four or 16 frames using Imaging Edge; 16-frame output is 17280 × 11520 and requires a suitable static scene.
- Image formats
- JPEG, HEIF and Sony ARW 4.0 RAW; compressed, lossless-compressed and uncompressed RAW.
- ISO detail
- Standard still and movie ISO 100–32000; stills expand to ISO 50–102400.
- Image processor
- BIONZ XR.
Lens and shooting
- Lens mount
- Sony E-mount
- Stabilisation
- Sensor shift
- Maximum continuous burst
- 30 fps
- Autofocus
- 759 full-frame phase-detection points covering approximately 92% of the image area, plus 425 contrast points; sensitivity EV −4 to 20 with an F2 lens at ISO 100. Launch recognition includes human, animal and bird Eye AF.
- Burst detail
- Up to 30 fps electronic Hi+ with compressed RAW/JPEG and AF/AE tracking under compatible-lens and maker conditions; in AF-C, shutter speed must be 1/250 second or faster. Uncompressed or lossless-compressed RAW tops out at 20 fps; mechanical bursts up to 10 fps. Launch buffer claim at 30 fps is 155 compressed RAW or 165 JPEG frames using CFexpress Type A under Sony test conditions.
- Stabilisation detail
- Five-axis sensor shift; 5.5-stop CIPA pitch/yaw claim with Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and long-exposure noise reduction off. Active movie stabilisation supported.
Video
- Highest video resolution
- 7680 × 4320 at 30 fps
- Video detail
- Internal 7680 × 4320 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS with 8.6K oversampling; lower-resolution 4K up to 120p with approximately 10% crop and 10-bit 4:2:2 support. S-Log3 and S-Cinetone; Super 35mm 4K uses 5.8K oversampling. External HDMI RAW is separate from internal recording.
Screen and viewfinder
- Viewfinder
- Electronic
- Screen size
- 3″
- Screen dots
- 1,440,000
- Touchscreen
- Yes
- Tilting screen
- Yes
- Display detail
- Rear TFT LCD tilts approximately 107° upwards and 41° downwards.
- Viewfinder detail
- 0.64-inch Quad-XGA OLED with 9437184 dots, 100% coverage and approximately 0.90× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity. Up to 240 fps display reduces resolution and field of view.
Connections and design
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Battery life (maker's claim)
- 530 photographs
- Body weight
- 652 g
- Release detail
- Sony's UK press centre specifies European availability in March 2021; no day inferred. Exact technical figures use Sony Japan because both UK specification URL forms were inaccessible during research.
- Recording media
- Both slots accept CFexpress Type A or UHS-I/UHS-II SD.
- Ports
- USB Type-C at 10 Gbps, Multi/Micro USB, full-size HDMI, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, sync terminal, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe.
- Wireless connections
- Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC.
- Battery life detail
- NP-FZ100; CIPA approximately 530 photographs with LCD or 430 with viewfinder; USB Type-C Power Delivery charging and power supported.
- Dimensions
- Approximately 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 69.7 mm.
- Weight detail
- Approximately 652 g body only or 737 g with battery and memory card, excluding lens.
- In the box
- NP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap, eyepiece cup and USB-A to USB-C cable, according to Sony Japan.
Pros and cons
Pros
- High-resolution stills and 8K video
- Up to 30 fps electronic bursts with AF/AE tracking
- Both slots accept CFexpress Type A or UHS-II SD
Cons
- Uncompressed and lossless RAW limit bursts to 20 fps
- Rear screen cannot open sideways
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Sensor | Megapixels | Lens | Video | Body weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirrorless | Full frame | 24.1 | Canon RF | 6000 × 3164 at 59.94 fps | 822 g | Nov 2021 | |
| Mirrorless | Full frame | 45.7 | Nikon Z mount | 8256 × 4644 at 59.94 fps | 1160 g | Dec 2021 | |
| Mirrorless | Full frame | 45 | Canon RF | 8192 × 4320 at 29.97 fps | 650 g | Jul 2020 |
Sources
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/spec.html
- sony.co.uk/presscentre/groundbreaking-alpha-1-camera-marks-a-new-era-in-profess…
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1
- sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/202101/21-0127
- pur.store.sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/ILCE-1_purchase
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/feature_1.html
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/feature_2.html
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/feature_3.html
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/feature_4.html
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/feature_5.html
- sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCE-1/feature_6.html
- sony.jp/webapi/image/product_relate.php
- sony.jp/webapi/image/product_relate.php
- sony.jp/webapi/image/product_relate.php
- sony.mediaroom.com/2021-01-26-Groundbreaking-Sony-Alpha-1-Camera-Marks-a-New-Er…
- alphauniverse.com/stories/sony-announces-the-alpha-1
- sony-cinematography.com/articles/sony-announces-the-alpha-1---groundbreaking-ca…
- sony.co.uk/interchangeable-lens-cameras/products/ilce-1
- sony.co.uk/electronics/support/e-mount-body-ilce-1-series/ilce-1
- helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2420/v1/en/index.html
- helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2040/v1/en/index.html
- sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/5060/ab6f5133ad466ceae306503dcd8f91cd/…
- helpguide.sony.net/di-app/ca/v1/en/index.html
- sony.co.uk/interchangeable-lens-cameras/products/ilce-1/feature1
- sony.co.uk/interchangeable-lens-cameras/products/ilce-1/feature2
- sony.co.uk/interchangeable-lens-cameras/products/ilce-1/feature3
- sony.co.uk/interchangeable-lens-cameras/products/ilce-1/feature4
- sony.co.uk/interchangeable-lens-cameras/products/ilce-1/feature5
- sony.co.uk/interchangeable-lens-cameras/products/ilce-1/feature7
Photo: sony.jp
- Sony Alpha 1: Front and rear with optional VG-C4EM vertical grip: sony.jp/products/picture/original_ILCE-1_VerticalGrip.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Front body detail with shutter closed: sony.jp/products/picture/original_ILCE-1_ShutterClose.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Drive and focus mode dials close-up: sony.jp/products/picture/original_ILCE-1_DriveDial.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Exposure mode dial close-up: sony.jp/products/picture/original_ILCE-1_ModeDial.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Camera with optional flash and telephoto lens: sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/202101/21-0127/images/img_005.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Body from grip side: sony.jp/products/picture/ILCE-1_rightside.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Body terminal side with covers closed: sony.jp/products/picture/ILCE-1_leftside.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Body from above: sony.jp/products/picture/ILCE-1_top.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Rear body with screen tilted: sony.jp/products/picture/ILCE-1_tilt.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Rear camera with HDMI and USB cables and cable protector: sony.scene7.com/is/image/sonyglobalsolutions/11_Feature4_4-1_Column
- Sony Alpha 1: Body from front with shutter closed: sony.scene7.com/is/image/sonyglobalsolutions/12_Feature5_5-2_Column
- Sony Alpha 1: USB sockets close-up: sony.scene7.com/is/image/sonyglobalsolutions/12_Feature5_7-6_USB
- Sony Alpha 1: Visible-light and infrared white-balance sensor close-up: sony.scene7.com/is/image/sonyglobalsolutions/12_Feature5_7-3_IR
- Sony Alpha 1: Full-size HDMI socket close-up: sony.scene7.com/is/image/sonyglobalsolutions/12_Feature5_7-2_HDMI
- Sony Alpha 1: Body from rear: alphauniverseglobal.media.zestyio.com/Alpha-Universe-Alpha-1-rear.jpg
- Sony Alpha 1: Camera rig connected to optional Xperia PRO via HDMI: alphauniverseglobal.media.zestyio.com/Alpha-Universe-Alpha-1-rear_SEL2470GM_Xpe…
- Sony Alpha 1: Body from angle showing open terminals: alphauniverseglobal.media.zestyio.com/Alpha-Universe-Alpha-1-rear_terminal.jpeg
- Sony Alpha 1: Camera from front with optional FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM lens: alphauniverseglobal.media.zestyio.com/Alpha-Universe-Sony-Alpha-1-hero.SylDg3ak…
- Sony Alpha 1 with optional FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM lens, front three-quarter view: Sony AU & NZ official Alpha 1 press album, exact published original 51099067358; optional mounted configuration labelled; complete supplied canvas and background retained; no masking or trimming.
- Sony Alpha 1 from rear with optional lens and CFexpress Type A and SD cards at open card slots: Sony AU & NZ official Alpha 1 press album, exact published original 51099069558; optional mounted configuration labelled; complete supplied canvas and background retained; no masking or trimming.
- Sony Alpha 1 with optional FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM lens and HVL-F60RM flash: Sony AU & NZ official Alpha 1 press album, exact published original 51098605394; optional mounted configuration labelled; complete supplied canvas and background retained; no masking or trimming.
