Sony Announces Their Newest Camera - The Flagship Sony A1

On January 26th, Sony announced their new Alpha Series Camera, the A1. This camera packs a huge punch, boasting a 50MP sensor that can shoot up to 30 FPS. With that comes 8K video up to 30fps and 4K up to 120fps!! All of this is packed into a hybrid body and priced at a cool $6,500. There's only one problem. This might be too little, too late. Let's talk about it!

Comparison with the Canon R5

This camera release is being reviewed from a videographer's perspective. With that being said, the Sony A1 has some awesome specs that are similar to the Canon R5.  Both cameras shoot 8K30p and 4K120p. The Sony A1 claims to have 15 stops of Dynamic Range where the Canon R5 claims to have 14.6. The A1 also has the ability to record 16-bit RAW video via an external recorder. On the contrary, the R5 can shoot 12-bit RAW internally. The real kicker here is the price point. The A1 comes in at a hefty $6,500 whereas the R5 is $3,800. For those of us bad at math, that equates to a $2,700 difference.

Canon EOS R5

Let's Talk Video

As an experienced videographer and former Sony user, The XAVC codec is a BEAR to run on a lot of machines. More often than not, the files require a proxy to be made which takes a lot of time. Losing time is the same as losing money, and I'm not ok with that. If you're looking at this camera for video, you should move on. There are much better buys for less money if video work is your focus. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K is $1,995, the Red Komodo is $5,995, and the Canon C70 is $5,499. In my opinion, all of those would be much better suited for someone who is trying to shoot video or is more focused on video.

The Camera's True Strength

Now, If you're someone who does mostly photography and you've been considering a 1DXiii level camera, hold on to your belt loops! As mentioned before this camera shoots 50MP. 5-0! That is crazy!! The A1 also has the world's fastest flash sync of 1/400 sec.  This makes it a dream to work with sports and action photographers. As mentioned in the video above, this camera seems to be focused mostly on photographers and that's quite alright. If you are considering getting this camera to shoot mostly video, it might be better to go in a different direction. Let us know what you think about the Sony A1. Is it a camera you might want to buy? What are the specs you look for in your next camera? Let us know in the comments down below.