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Archive 2021A1 Reviews/Video thread
p.54 #1A1 Reviews/Video thread
I think the A1 will provide a great alternative to using a teleconverter, in my case with the 200-600mm. I have the 1.4x which I use on occasion and I have wondered about getting the 2x. APS-C mode will replace the 1.4x with the advantage that the AF is still using f/6.3 and so will hopefully keep the speed up. Also, it can be engaged at the flick of a switch. And in the rare case of wanting more reach, APS-C mode + the 1.4x is probably an excellent alternative to the 2x. I wouldn't expect the 2x with APS-C mode to be even remorely useful or the 2x in full-frame mode to be better than the 1.4x in APS-C mode.
So the cost of a 2x teleconverter can be deducted from the purchase cost, in my head anyway.
So the cost of a 2x teleconverter can be deducted from the purchase cost, in my head anyway.
Mar 08, 2021 at 12:05 PM
p.54 #2A1 Reviews/Video thread
Holger wrote:
I'll add my impressions:
* startup time is closer to 2s if you wait for all indicators to appear (I find it harder to measure the time when I can take the first picture...)
* I didn't really notice siginificant IBIS improvement, probably because it's offset by moving from 24 to 50 mpix (tried my Bigma and I barely got a tack sharp shot with 1/4s).
* battery usage is higher, maybe not exactly by the process of taking pictures, but general usage of the camera. So keeping it on, walking with it, checking EVF, checking LCD, etc... I'd say when I previously would expect 60-70% left, with A1 it's 50-something (I do have high quality EVF on though, which increases power consumption).
* colors are different and since I don't have a working RAW converter yet, I find it a bit hard to match my previous jpeg settings under artificial lighting
* mechanical shutter (though with EFCS only) is indeed nicer but I've already forgotten how it sounds
."startup time is closer to 2s if you wait for all indicators to appea"
You can shoot earlier already, imo. I only have one viewing option selected for EVF and LCD (histogram). Switching it on at my hip and bringing it to the eye, I can shoot right away with the 35GM. It takes another 1-2 s with the A9ii in comparison. Using the 35/1.2 it is a bit slower, too, as after powering up the lens elements go back and forth before the lens is ready.
I was able to get 1/3s - sometimes 0.5s with the GM without problems.
Mechanical shutter sound and duration is fantastic. Super quiet.
Camera was send back to Sony a few minutes ago. So sad.Hmm, so the time for all overlays to appear is still 1-2 seconds? Then how would you shoot before then? Does the camera focus before AF points appear in the screen?
Thank you for fantastic comments form both of you.
If it's 'close to a9ii' after downsizing I cannot expect too much more crop ability with my current lens (200-600). If I get 400/2.8 I can. But that's not in current plan. One last thing I'll be waiting to see is the BIF performance. With 120 calculations per second (vs 60 on A9?) I expect much better tracking ability for fast flying birds. Will see..Others answered it already. I never pay attention to the overlays and I have switched off all unnecessary stuff anyways, all I need is the histogram. For me time from on to shot is the important measure.
Edit:
Oversampling and lack of AA filter will help for detail. I didn't try that for the A1, but when using the A7riv + NR before downsizing to A9ii, the images still show more acuity and noise is less blotchy. The A1 is a bit better at high iso, too, so A1 should give you better crop ability unless you go to extreme isos.Sure, it will give some ability to crop, my be not as much as low ISO. I cancelled my pre-order because I didn't see enough for me to spend $6500 right away. But will watch more real world samples (interested only on wildlife) and comments and more trusted reviews. I might still get it especially if I can get some kind of discount before end of the year. I'm in no hurry.I think that is a wise decision. My wife has a business, so factoring in sales tax and tax deduction the A1 costs us about 3000-4000 Euro over the next few years. We earn money with it, so it pays itself off.
Having now used it, knowing advantages disadvantages of many systems now, I would never spend as much if I were just shooting for fun (but that's me, I am not into wildlife, don't need the 30 fps and AF capabilities). A used A7r3/4 or A9 would be sufficient.
If it is ones hobby and important, just save for it...Show more →
Well said. I'm one of those guys can say my camera costs more than the car
. In my book I'm not 'spending' $6500. I'm renting one for a monthly price as I will be selling it some point. I just have to watch how much I can spend monthly for my only hobby.
Jemini wrote
Holger wrote
Jemini wrote
Holger wrote
j4nu wrote
Well said!I'll add my impressions:
* startup time is closer to 2s if you wait for all indicators to appear (I find it harder to measure the time when I can take the first picture...)
* I didn't really notice siginificant IBIS improvement, probably because it's offset by moving from 24 to 50 mpix (tried my Bigma and I barely got a tack sharp shot with 1/4s).
* battery usage is higher, maybe not exactly by the process of taking pictures, but general usage of the camera. So keeping it on, walking with it, checking EVF, checking LCD, etc... I'd say when I previously would expect 60-70% left, with A1 it's 50-something (I do have high quality EVF on though, which increases power consumption).
* colors are different and since I don't have a working RAW converter yet, I find it a bit hard to match my previous jpeg settings under artificial lighting
* mechanical shutter (though with EFCS only) is indeed nicer but I've already forgotten how it sounds
.You can shoot earlier already, imo. I only have one viewing option selected for EVF and LCD (histogram). Switching it on at my hip and bringing it to the eye, I can shoot right away with the 35GM. It takes another 1-2 s with the A9ii in comparison. Using the 35/1.2 it is a bit slower, too, as after powering up the lens elements go back and forth before the lens is ready.
I was able to get 1/3s - sometimes 0.5s with the GM without problems.
Mechanical shutter sound and duration is fantastic. Super quiet.
Camera was send back to Sony a few minutes ago. So sad.
Thank you for fantastic comments form both of you.
If it's 'close to a9ii' after downsizing I cannot expect too much more crop ability with my current lens (200-600). If I get 400/2.8 I can. But that's not in current plan. One last thing I'll be waiting to see is the BIF performance. With 120 calculations per second (vs 60 on A9?) I expect much better tracking ability for fast flying birds. Will see..
Edit:
Oversampling and lack of AA filter will help for detail. I didn't try that for the A1, but when using the A7riv + NR before downsizing to A9ii, the images still show more acuity and noise is less blotchy. The A1 is a bit better at high iso, too, so A1 should give you better crop ability unless you go to extreme isos.
Having now used it, knowing advantages disadvantages of many systems now, I would never spend as much if I were just shooting for fun (but that's me, I am not into wildlife, don't need the 30 fps and AF capabilities). A used A7r3/4 or A9 would be sufficient.
If it is ones hobby and important, just save for it...Show more →
Well said. I'm one of those guys can say my camera costs more than the car
. In my book I'm not 'spending' $6500. I'm renting one for a monthly price as I will be selling it some point. I just have to watch how much I can spend monthly for my only hobby. Mar 08, 2021 at 12:14 PM
p.54 #3A1 Reviews/Video thread
Numerous e-bird reports of large groupings of swallows started showing up over the weekend in my area. None where I was looking though. I was hoping to get some R5 swallow shooting over and done with this past weekend so next weekend could be A1 only. That didn't work out.
This bodes well for Friday when I will first get a chance to be out with the A1 (given it ships to me on time).
Let the testing begin!!
This bodes well for Friday when I will first get a chance to be out with the A1 (given it ships to me on time).
Let the testing begin!!
Mar 08, 2021 at 02:35 PM
p.54 #4A1 Reviews/Video thread
arbitrage wrote:
Numerous e-bird reports of large groupings of swallows started showing up over the weekend in my area. None where I was looking though. I was hoping to get some R5 swallow shooting over and done with this past weekend so next weekend could be A1 only. That didn't work out.
This bodes well for Friday when I will first get a chance to be out with the A1 (given it ships to me on time).
Let the testing begin!!
So jealous. I was first on my dealer's list and he told me Friday it should ship today. Today he told me they only got one in and it had to go to a Sony Pro. I would get the next one. Unfortunately he has no idea when that will be. It's the first time I ordered from a small dealer instead of B&H or Adorama because I know how the pandemic has hurt small businesses and wanted to be supportive. That decision has now left me with no camera to use as I sold my R5 and SL2/SL2-S.
Numerous e-bird reports of large groupings of swallows started showing up over the weekend in my area. None where I was looking though. I was hoping to get some R5 swallow shooting over and done with this past weekend so next weekend could be A1 only. That didn't work out.
This bodes well for Friday when I will first get a chance to be out with the A1 (given it ships to me on time).
Let the testing begin!!
So jealous. I was first on my dealer's list and he told me Friday it should ship today. Today he told me they only got one in and it had to go to a Sony Pro. I would get the next one. Unfortunately he has no idea when that will be. It's the first time I ordered from a small dealer instead of B&H or Adorama because I know how the pandemic has hurt small businesses and wanted to be supportive. That decision has now left me with no camera to use as I sold my R5 and SL2/SL2-S.
Mar 08, 2021 at 02:56 PM
p.54 #5A1 Reviews/Video thread
saxguy wrote:
So jealous. I was first on my dealer's list and he told me Friday it should ship today. Today he told me they only got one in and it had to go to a Sony Pro. I would get the next one. Unfortunately he has no idea when that will be. It's the first time I ordered from a small dealer instead of B&H or Adorama because I know how the pandemic has hurt small businesses and wanted to be supportive. That decision has now left me with no camera to use as I sold my R5 and SL2/SL2-S.
Same with me. My dealer if giving me the first one but due to too small a shipment and he gets them from another dealer, I have to wait for the 2nd shipment. No idea when that will be and I have sold both my other cameras so all I have is my Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra... Certainly better than nothing but I am not going out birding with it.
So jealous. I was first on my dealer's list and he told me Friday it should ship today. Today he told me they only got one in and it had to go to a Sony Pro. I would get the next one. Unfortunately he has no idea when that will be. It's the first time I ordered from a small dealer instead of B&H or Adorama because I know how the pandemic has hurt small businesses and wanted to be supportive. That decision has now left me with no camera to use as I sold my R5 and SL2/SL2-S.
Same with me. My dealer if giving me the first one but due to too small a shipment and he gets them from another dealer, I have to wait for the 2nd shipment. No idea when that will be and I have sold both my other cameras so all I have is my Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra... Certainly better than nothing but I am not going out birding with it.
Mar 08, 2021 at 03:09 PM
p.54 #6A1 Reviews/Video thread
Setup guide from Mark Galer
https://youtu.be/888iqbtcrcw
https://youtu.be/888iqbtcrcw
Mar 08, 2021 at 03:34 PM
p.54 #8A1 Reviews/Video thread
Just received my A1 late yesterday and I took some 8k footage of one of our resident eastern bluebirds, then drove over to our local eagle nest. My purpose was to check out how 8k footage can be "zoomed" by cropping in on the 8k footage in a 4k timeline.
The results look great and the 8k footage is easy to process on my 2017 iMac using Davinci Resolve. 8k does warm up the camera and chews on the battery. I may need to invest in a battery grip. Plus, having a battery grip removes the heating of the battery down away from the main body.
Here's my test footage:
The results look great and the 8k footage is easy to process on my 2017 iMac using Davinci Resolve. 8k does warm up the camera and chews on the battery. I may need to invest in a battery grip. Plus, having a battery grip removes the heating of the battery down away from the main body.
Here's my test footage:
Mar 09, 2021 at 04:22 AM
p.54 #9A1 Reviews/Video thread
Pius Sullivan wrote:
Would be nice to know what he's saying.
Thanks for posting this. Basically he said he is a Canon shooter but he started to shoot Sony mirrorless very early. It seems he said he shot or still shoots the canon R5. He said on paper the A1 was superior to the R5, he didn’t offer a real life comparison. He said the Sony bird eye af was very good even on small birds with complex facial colors in dark environment. He also said even high looked pretty good, especially for 50mp. He would try outdoor bird in flight when the weather gets better. He said zone AF reacts faster than wide AF.. he said iso performance between the a9ii and the a1 seemed to be similar under iso 5000 but a9 had finer grain above 5000. AF wise he said the bird eye af of the a1 provided even sharper pictures of the eyes even thought the A9ii was already very good. He would do a comparison between the a1 and r5.
Would be nice to know what he's saying.
Thanks for posting this. Basically he said he is a Canon shooter but he started to shoot Sony mirrorless very early. It seems he said he shot or still shoots the canon R5. He said on paper the A1 was superior to the R5, he didn’t offer a real life comparison. He said the Sony bird eye af was very good even on small birds with complex facial colors in dark environment. He also said even high looked pretty good, especially for 50mp. He would try outdoor bird in flight when the weather gets better. He said zone AF reacts faster than wide AF.. he said iso performance between the a9ii and the a1 seemed to be similar under iso 5000 but a9 had finer grain above 5000. AF wise he said the bird eye af of the a1 provided even sharper pictures of the eyes even thought the A9ii was already very good. He would do a comparison between the a1 and r5.
Mar 09, 2021 at 04:56 AM
p.54 #10A1 Reviews/Video thread
Capture One 21, version 14.1 is now live with support for Sony Alpha 1: 
Release Notes for 14.1
Do note that Lossless RAW is not yet supported.
Release Notes for 14.1
Do note that Lossless RAW is not yet supported.
Mar 09, 2021 at 06:13 AM
p.54 #12A1 Reviews/Video thread
Douglas Liu wrote:
Would be nice to know what he's saying.Thanks for posting this. Basically he said he is a Canon shooter but he started to shoot Sony mirrorless very early. It seems he said he shot or still shoots the canon R5. He said on paper the A1 was superior to the R5, he didn’t offer a real life comparison. He said the Sony bird eye af was very good even on small birds with complex facial colors in dark environment. He also said even high looked pretty good, especially for 50mp. He would try outdoor bird in flight when the weather gets better. He said zone AF...Show more →
Thanks for the translation, much appropriated.
Pius
Pius Sullivan wrote
Would be nice to know what he's saying.
Thanks for the translation, much appropriated.
Pius
Mar 09, 2021 at 06:16 AM
p.54 #13A1 Reviews/Video thread
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
Mar 09, 2021 at 01:40 PM
p.54 #14A1 Reviews/Video thread
arbitrage wrote:
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
That was impressive to read. Since the a1's initial announcements I'd been wondering "what's the catch?" for such a supposedly high-resolution and high-speed sensor. But there isn't one. Magnificent. With the a9 we had come to expect a tolerable but real drawback in DR and noise performance on a high-speed/stacked sensor (compared to a direct non-stacked competitor of the same resolution, such as the a7iii)... but the disadvantage basically just isn't really there any more.
Of course, it's also true that no new sensors are breaking new records in DR and in low-light performance, too... I think the tech has hit a brick wall on those metrics. Around the time of the A7Rii, sensor tech essentially peaked with only very minor changes since, and those minor changes, too, seem to have run out. Anyone who wants more will have to go to medium format. I think sensor performance at a given sensor size has peaked and we won't see any improvement from now on. Speed improvements, sure, but not DR and low-light performance. The full-frame sensor is a matured technology. We've had our miracles. Done.
But again, it's remarkable that the a1's hotrodded sensor comes with no downsides. Did not expect that.
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
That was impressive to read. Since the a1's initial announcements I'd been wondering "what's the catch?" for such a supposedly high-resolution and high-speed sensor. But there isn't one. Magnificent. With the a9 we had come to expect a tolerable but real drawback in DR and noise performance on a high-speed/stacked sensor (compared to a direct non-stacked competitor of the same resolution, such as the a7iii)... but the disadvantage basically just isn't really there any more.
Of course, it's also true that no new sensors are breaking new records in DR and in low-light performance, too... I think the tech has hit a brick wall on those metrics. Around the time of the A7Rii, sensor tech essentially peaked with only very minor changes since, and those minor changes, too, seem to have run out. Anyone who wants more will have to go to medium format. I think sensor performance at a given sensor size has peaked and we won't see any improvement from now on. Speed improvements, sure, but not DR and low-light performance. The full-frame sensor is a matured technology. We've had our miracles. Done.
But again, it's remarkable that the a1's hotrodded sensor comes with no downsides. Did not expect that.
Mar 09, 2021 at 04:50 PM
p.54 #15A1 Reviews/Video thread
arbitrage wrote:
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
If I'm reading the graphs correctly, it looks like it's better to jump from 100 ISO to 500 ISO and skip 200 and 400. Or am I misinterpreting something?
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
If I'm reading the graphs correctly, it looks like it's better to jump from 100 ISO to 500 ISO and skip 200 and 400. Or am I misinterpreting something?
Mar 09, 2021 at 05:05 PM
p.54 #16A1 Reviews/Video thread
arbitrage wrote:
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
If I'm reading the graphs correctly, it looks like it's better to jump from 100 ISO to 500 ISO and skip 200 and 400. Or am I misinterpreting something?
I think 200 was about the same as 500 but anything above that (I think 250 up to 500) 500 is the better choice due to dual gain.
EDIT: According to DPReview's Sensor Analysis, it is better to go from 100 to 500 directly.
Edited on Mar 10, 2021 at 08:33 AM · View previous versions
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
If I'm reading the graphs correctly, it looks like it's better to jump from 100 ISO to 500 ISO and skip 200 and 400. Or am I misinterpreting something?
I think 200 was about the same as 500 but anything above that (I think 250 up to 500) 500 is the better choice due to dual gain.
EDIT: According to DPReview's Sensor Analysis, it is better to go from 100 to 500 directly.
Edited on Mar 10, 2021 at 08:33 AM · View previous versions
Mar 09, 2021 at 05:41 PM
p.54 #17A1 Reviews/Video thread
saxguy wrote:
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-rangeIf I'm reading the graphs correctly, it looks like it's better to jump from 100 ISO to 500 ISO and skip 200 and 400. Or am I misinterpreting something?
Basically shoot at ISO 100 if you nail your exposure and aren't needing to correct in post or else shoot at ISO 500 and above.
arbitrage wrote
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
Basically shoot at ISO 100 if you nail your exposure and aren't needing to correct in post or else shoot at ISO 500 and above.
Mar 09, 2021 at 06:38 PM
p.54 #18A1 Reviews/Video thread
arbitrage wrote:
Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-rangeIf I'm reading the graphs correctly, it looks like it's better to jump from 100 ISO to 500 ISO and skip 200 and 400. Or am I misinterpreting something?Basically shoot at ISO 100 if you nail your exposure and aren't needing to correct in post or else shoot at ISO 500 and above.
I don't think this is correct. It isn't a question of nailing exposure. Instead it is a question of whether you need ISO 500 or higher, or lower. So:
Shoot at 100 instead of 100-400. Shoot at 500 instead of anything higher.
Either way, expose to preserve highlights. Raise exposure in post.
saxguy wrote
arbitrage wrote
DPR has updated their article on the sensor performance of the A1. It seems to hang with the best out there.Of note is that ES only sees a small 0.2EV drop in DR. Essentially meaningless.
Compressed Lossy RAW shows 0.11EV drop (which they say is within their margin of error).
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3758795272/analysis-new-sony-a1-offers-high-speed-high-resolution-and-class-leading-dynamic-range
I don't think this is correct. It isn't a question of nailing exposure. Instead it is a question of whether you need ISO 500 or higher, or lower. So:
Shoot at 100 instead of 100-400. Shoot at 500 instead of anything higher.
Either way, expose to preserve highlights. Raise exposure in post.
Mar 09, 2021 at 08:35 PM
p.54 #19A1 Reviews/Video thread
Just for fun... A1 with the 200-600 + 1.4x TC. Converted from raw to 16-bit tiff, then brought into PS for cropping, NR and sharpening (ISO 3,200).
Mar 09, 2021 at 09:19 PM
p.54 #20A1 Reviews/Video thread
Took some video with my phone while in the blind today, using zone and wide with BEAF. And yes, that is lint on my sensor from the 1st lens change I ever did on the camera. Didn't have my rocket blower with me in the blind so I had to live it (boy did that bug me) 
I'm not that smooth trying to video and keep the bird in the frame but I was happy with the BEAF results.
I'm not that smooth trying to video and keep the bird in the frame but I was happy with the BEAF results.
Mar 09, 2021 at 09:35 PM