This topic is in the 2021 archive. You can read it and like its posts here. It is read only.
Archive 2021Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
p.2 #1Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
GMPhotography wrote:
I agree 5fps is way to fast as a minimum. My bet a firmware fix could address that fairly easy. I wonder if there is a workaround using different raw settings and little tricks like that.
That's the frame rate for the electronic shutter.
If you use the mechanical shutter, then you get other speeds:
Mechanical Shutter: Continuous shooting: Hi+: 10fps, Hi: 8fps, Mid: 6fps, Lo: 3fps
I agree 5fps is way to fast as a minimum. My bet a firmware fix could address that fairly easy. I wonder if there is a workaround using different raw settings and little tricks like that.
That's the frame rate for the electronic shutter.
If you use the mechanical shutter, then you get other speeds:
Mechanical Shutter: Continuous shooting: Hi+: 10fps, Hi: 8fps, Mid: 6fps, Lo: 3fps
Feb 19, 2021 at 12:34 PM
p.2 #2Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
octo wrote:
That's the frame rate for the electronic shutter.
If you use the mechanical shutter, then you get other speeds:
Mechanical Shutter: Continuous shooting: Hi+: 10fps, Hi: 8fps, Mid: 6fps, Lo: 3fps
Thank you for that! That definitely addresses the issue I thought I was going to have.
I'd still prefer to be able to choose my own numbers, though. Like, for example, Lo of 2 and Mid of 4. I don't know about other use cases, but that could still be very useful for underwater shooting (with strobes).
GMPhotography wrote
I agree 5fps is way to fast as a minimum. My bet a firmware fix could address that fairly easy. I wonder if there is a workaround using different raw settings and little tricks like that.If you use the mechanical shutter, then you get other speeds:
Mechanical Shutter: Continuous shooting: Hi+: 10fps, Hi: 8fps, Mid: 6fps, Lo: 3fps
Thank you for that! That definitely addresses the issue I thought I was going to have.
I'd still prefer to be able to choose my own numbers, though. Like, for example, Lo of 2 and Mid of 4. I don't know about other use cases, but that could still be very useful for underwater shooting (with strobes).
Feb 19, 2021 at 12:37 PM
TopPixel
Offline
Activity
[X]
Details
p.2 #3Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
GMPhotography wrote:
TopPixel wrote
This page indicates Sony did the CIPA battery life numbers of 530/430 images using a CF Express Type A card, which makes it impressive considering how power hungry CF Express Type B has been. Coupled with what Alex Phan previously indicated that the Sony Type A card is cool too the touch when left in the Alpha 1 being on but doing nothing, it looks like Sony did an excellent job on the CF Express implementation and power sleep states. This is vastly better than the poor job Canon did for CF Express on the R5 that causes it to be a power hog.https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2040/v1/en/contents/TP0002911135.html
Looks like the only real reason Sony has for the mechanical shutter on the Alpha 1 is for hot pixel mapping:
https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2040/v1/en/contents/TP0003027245.html
Whoah, there, buddy. T.M.I.
If you are using flash during a wedding ceremony, you are seriously doing things wrong and being a distraction. And HSS has already existed for when you need high shutter speeds with flash.
Feb 19, 2021 at 12:57 PM
p.2 #5Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
Anyone find anything about focus bracketing?
Feb 19, 2021 at 01:10 PM
p.2 #6Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
shadow9d9 wrote:
Anyone find anything about focus bracketing?
Nope.
Anyone find anything about focus bracketing?
Nope.
Feb 19, 2021 at 01:17 PM
p.2 #7Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
stuartv wrote:
So, how do you get 30fps? Is there a Hi+ setting that is not customizable?
I am disappointed that the lowest speed you can choose is 5fps. Like @arbitrage@, I would wish for it to be a free range of values.
Why? My main photography is underwater, with strobes. Different underwater strobes have different cycle times. And, of course, that depends on what power level you are shooting them at. But, when I want to shoot in Continuous Drive underwater, with the strobes firing on every frame, 2 or 3 fps is generally about the best I can hope for (for the...Show more →
Maybe use interval shooting at 1 fps, 1 sec delay, for a few frames each shutter release?
So, how do you get 30fps? Is there a Hi+ setting that is not customizable?
I am disappointed that the lowest speed you can choose is 5fps. Like @arbitrage@, I would wish for it to be a free range of values.
Why? My main photography is underwater, with strobes. Different underwater strobes have different cycle times. And, of course, that depends on what power level you are shooting them at. But, when I want to shoot in Continuous Drive underwater, with the strobes firing on every frame, 2 or 3 fps is generally about the best I can hope for (for the...Show more →
Maybe use interval shooting at 1 fps, 1 sec delay, for a few frames each shutter release?
Feb 19, 2021 at 01:46 PM
p.2 #8Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
dclark wrote:
I am disappointed that the lowest speed you can choose is 5fps. Like @arbitrage@@, I would wish for it to be a free range of values.
Why? My main photography is underwater, with strobes. Different underwater strobes have different cycle times. And, of course, that depends on what power level you are shooting them at. But, when I want to shoot in Continuous Drive underwater, with the strobes firing on every frame, 2 or 3 fps is generally about the best I can hope for (for the strobes to be able to cycle quickly enough to keep up).
I can run my a7rIV on CD Lo and sometimes even Mid, if the strobe power level is low enough. It looks to me like I would not even be able to run the a1 in Lo reliably - only if my strobe power level is set pretty low.
That makes me
Maybe use interval shooting at 1 fps, 1 sec delay, for a few frames each shutter release?
That would be too slow to be really useful. I mean, I could just hit the shutter release once per second.
What I would get the most benefit from is being able to test my strobes to find out the fastest rate they can maintain. E.g. 2 or 3 fps or around there (based on the testing I HAVE done). Then set the Continuous Drive to be just that or slightly slower, so that I can have it firing as fast as possible while still having the strobes fire on every frame. And while I'm paying attention to other things, like keeping my subject in the frame, swimming, controlling my buoyancy, not crashing into the reef or wreck, not crashing into another diver, etc..
stuartv wrote
So, how do you get 30fps? Is there a Hi+ setting that is not customizable?I am disappointed that the lowest speed you can choose is 5fps. Like @arbitrage@@, I would wish for it to be a free range of values.
Why? My main photography is underwater, with strobes. Different underwater strobes have different cycle times. And, of course, that depends on what power level you are shooting them at. But, when I want to shoot in Continuous Drive underwater, with the strobes firing on every frame, 2 or 3 fps is generally about the best I can hope for (for the strobes to be able to cycle quickly enough to keep up).
I can run my a7rIV on CD Lo and sometimes even Mid, if the strobe power level is low enough. It looks to me like I would not even be able to run the a1 in Lo reliably - only if my strobe power level is set pretty low.
That makes me
That would be too slow to be really useful. I mean, I could just hit the shutter release once per second.
What I would get the most benefit from is being able to test my strobes to find out the fastest rate they can maintain. E.g. 2 or 3 fps or around there (based on the testing I HAVE done). Then set the Continuous Drive to be just that or slightly slower, so that I can have it firing as fast as possible while still having the strobes fire on every frame. And while I'm paying attention to other things, like keeping my subject in the frame, swimming, controlling my buoyancy, not crashing into the reef or wreck, not crashing into another diver, etc..
Feb 19, 2021 at 01:51 PM
p.2 #9Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
Am I the only one who finds Sony manuals aggravating?
I just spent some time figuring out the interactions between ES, EVF frame rate, EVF display quality and EVF magnification and eye point.
For some reason the Sony Help Guide is evasive and convoluted. They never seem to be able to just state what the frame rate is or what the quality is. They use terms like "standard", "high", etc, etc. Never how many fps, or how many MDots or pixels. Why not?
The interactions between settings are in sub-notes or foot notes and are incomplete. The user is required to search all over the manuals, guides and specs to try to put together the answers, often to no avail. For example page 427 has this beauty in a "Note": "The frame rate is restricted in the following situations" followed by 4 situations. There is no information on how the frame rate is restricted. One of the situations is using ES in continuous mode, which is how I shoot. I looked all over the document to see if I could find the restriction. Did not find anything. I assume it means that 240 fps is not possible (the curtains take ~1/220 sec to traverse the sensor) but is 120 ok? Seems like they could make a definitive statement someplace. Anybody find anything in the Help Guide or any Sony source on that?
Regardless, here is what I have deciphered. It's interesting to note that the low res EVF in the A1 is higher res than high res in the A9 (3.67M dots, 960x1280).
Edited on Mar 18, 2021 at 02:57 PM · View previous versions
I just spent some time figuring out the interactions between ES, EVF frame rate, EVF display quality and EVF magnification and eye point.
For some reason the Sony Help Guide is evasive and convoluted. They never seem to be able to just state what the frame rate is or what the quality is. They use terms like "standard", "high", etc, etc. Never how many fps, or how many MDots or pixels. Why not?
The interactions between settings are in sub-notes or foot notes and are incomplete. The user is required to search all over the manuals, guides and specs to try to put together the answers, often to no avail. For example page 427 has this beauty in a "Note": "The frame rate is restricted in the following situations" followed by 4 situations. There is no information on how the frame rate is restricted. One of the situations is using ES in continuous mode, which is how I shoot. I looked all over the document to see if I could find the restriction. Did not find anything. I assume it means that 240 fps is not possible (the curtains take ~1/220 sec to traverse the sensor) but is 120 ok? Seems like they could make a definitive statement someplace. Anybody find anything in the Help Guide or any Sony source on that?
Regardless, here is what I have deciphered. It's interesting to note that the low res EVF in the A1 is higher res than high res in the A9 (3.67M dots, 960x1280).
Edited on Mar 18, 2021 at 02:57 PM · View previous versions
Feb 19, 2021 at 10:47 PM
p.2 #10Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
dclark wrote:
Am I the only one who finds Sony manuals aggravating?
I just spent some time figuring out the interactions between ES, EVF frame rate, EVF display quality and EVF magnification and eye point.
For some reason the Sony Help Guide is evasive and convoluted. They never seem to be able to just state what the frame rate is or what the quality is. They use terms like "standard", "high", etc, etc. Never how many fps, or how many MDots or pixels. Why not?
The interactions between settings are in sub-notes or foot notes and are incomplete. The user is required to...Show more →
I can add a little bit extra out of the DPR preview article:
If you want faster 120 fps or 240 fps refresh rates, the former will drop the resolution a little bit, and the latter will do so and will also place small black bars around the edges of the display (this is also available in a 'Zoom Out' option for glasses-wearers, as it increases the eyepoint to 33mm).
I know somewhere in the early days of reading about the A1 that it was mentioned that the resolution drop was to 5.7M dots as your table indicated. So yeah this is better than the A9 as the A9 drops even down from 3.67M dots in the faster modes (I don't know to what exactly).
So the eye point is 33mm in the zoomed out mode that happens at 30FPS and happens at 120/240hz but of course 240hz doesn't happen with 30FPS...
Jordan in the DPReview TV YT vid thinks the EVF is running at 60hz in High Quality Mode.
The DPR A1 Review adds this tidbit: "if you have AF-C enabled, the resolution will drop while focusing, even with the 60 fps refresh rate and the display setting set to 'high.'"...so that seems to say you can never get 9.44M dots in AF-C...sort of expected I think given Sony's track record with EVF quality drop in the past.
One last tidbit from the DPR A1 Review: "There are a series of viewfinder options letting you prioritize resolution or speed (you can't have both). For instance, it drops somewhat in resolution in 120 fps mode, and Sony says the finder drops to using a 1600 x 1200 pixel region in its fastest 240 fps mode, which sees the magnification drop to nearer 0.7x.
One of the viewfinder's other modes is a 'Low Frame Rate Limit' option that allows you to maintain a 60 fps refresh rate even when you're expecting to shoot at shutter speeds lower than 1/60 sec. This gives a fast-enough refresh when you're trying to follow your subject then slows back down to your chosen shutter speed (and blacks-out the finder) when you take your shot."
I don't think all of that really added to what you already found (other than the 0.7x/33mm stuff) but does confirm a few things you already had correct.
Yes I agree, the Sony manual is next to useless....the Help Guide is okay but still I doesn't give clear understanding of all the caveats and how the interact with each other based on FPS, ES, EVF etc.
EDIT: I believe you can still use 240 in AF-C. I think it would be pretty useless otherwise.
EDIT2: Also note the footnote on Sony.com Features page for the 240Hz option says "Electronic shutter mode with “Hi+” finder frame rate. Display updating will be slower at slow shutter speeds"
Edited on Feb 20, 2021 at 08:48 AM · View previous versions
Am I the only one who finds Sony manuals aggravating?
I just spent some time figuring out the interactions between ES, EVF frame rate, EVF display quality and EVF magnification and eye point.
For some reason the Sony Help Guide is evasive and convoluted. They never seem to be able to just state what the frame rate is or what the quality is. They use terms like "standard", "high", etc, etc. Never how many fps, or how many MDots or pixels. Why not?
The interactions between settings are in sub-notes or foot notes and are incomplete. The user is required to...Show more →
I can add a little bit extra out of the DPR preview article:
If you want faster 120 fps or 240 fps refresh rates, the former will drop the resolution a little bit, and the latter will do so and will also place small black bars around the edges of the display (this is also available in a 'Zoom Out' option for glasses-wearers, as it increases the eyepoint to 33mm).
I know somewhere in the early days of reading about the A1 that it was mentioned that the resolution drop was to 5.7M dots as your table indicated. So yeah this is better than the A9 as the A9 drops even down from 3.67M dots in the faster modes (I don't know to what exactly).
So the eye point is 33mm in the zoomed out mode that happens at 30FPS and happens at 120/240hz but of course 240hz doesn't happen with 30FPS...
Jordan in the DPReview TV YT vid thinks the EVF is running at 60hz in High Quality Mode.
The DPR A1 Review adds this tidbit: "if you have AF-C enabled, the resolution will drop while focusing, even with the 60 fps refresh rate and the display setting set to 'high.'"...so that seems to say you can never get 9.44M dots in AF-C...sort of expected I think given Sony's track record with EVF quality drop in the past.
One last tidbit from the DPR A1 Review: "There are a series of viewfinder options letting you prioritize resolution or speed (you can't have both). For instance, it drops somewhat in resolution in 120 fps mode, and Sony says the finder drops to using a 1600 x 1200 pixel region in its fastest 240 fps mode, which sees the magnification drop to nearer 0.7x.
One of the viewfinder's other modes is a 'Low Frame Rate Limit' option that allows you to maintain a 60 fps refresh rate even when you're expecting to shoot at shutter speeds lower than 1/60 sec. This gives a fast-enough refresh when you're trying to follow your subject then slows back down to your chosen shutter speed (and blacks-out the finder) when you take your shot."
I don't think all of that really added to what you already found (other than the 0.7x/33mm stuff) but does confirm a few things you already had correct.
Yes I agree, the Sony manual is next to useless....the Help Guide is okay but still I doesn't give clear understanding of all the caveats and how the interact with each other based on FPS, ES, EVF etc.
EDIT: I believe you can still use 240 in AF-C. I think it would be pretty useless otherwise.
EDIT2: Also note the footnote on Sony.com Features page for the 240Hz option says "Electronic shutter mode with “Hi+” finder frame rate. Display updating will be slower at slow shutter speeds"
Edited on Feb 20, 2021 at 08:48 AM · View previous versions
Feb 20, 2021 at 07:40 AM
p.2 #11Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
knshshnk wrote:
they now allow you to backup from one card to another, really handy hope it comes to other models
that way one can keep use a very large but cheaper card and transfer stuff for another layer of redundancy
https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2040/v1/en/contents/TP0002919995.html
The copy feature has been available in every Sony camera I’ve owned. Although I’ve only owned A9 and newer.
Feb 20, 2021 at 08:24 AM
p.2 #12Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
From a1 manual:
“The subject is not displayed in real time on the monitor or viewfinder when [Shutter Type] is set to [Mechanical Shutter] or when shooting in [Continuous Shooting: Hi+] mode”
So, frame insertion during 30FPS? Am I reading that right?
Also, unrelated post about a1 sensor specs that some of you may find interesting. It’s Greek to me =) :
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2021/02/isscc-2021-sony-501mp-full-frame-sensor.html?m=1
Edited on Feb 20, 2021 at 09:44 AM · View previous versions
“The subject is not displayed in real time on the monitor or viewfinder when [Shutter Type] is set to [Mechanical Shutter] or when shooting in [Continuous Shooting: Hi+] mode”
So, frame insertion during 30FPS? Am I reading that right?
Also, unrelated post about a1 sensor specs that some of you may find interesting. It’s Greek to me =) :
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2021/02/isscc-2021-sony-501mp-full-frame-sensor.html?m=1
Edited on Feb 20, 2021 at 09:44 AM · View previous versions
Feb 20, 2021 at 09:16 AM
p.2 #13Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
ShootPDX wrote:
From a1 manual:
So, frame insertion during 30FPS? Am I reading that right?
No, only in mechanical shutter which maxes out at 10 fps. Electronic shutter is real-time.
From a1 manual:
Earlier quote
“The subject is not displayed in real time on the monitor or viewfinder when [Shutter Type] is set to [Mechanical Shutter] or when shooting in [Continuous Shooting: Hi+] mode”No, only in mechanical shutter which maxes out at 10 fps. Electronic shutter is real-time.
Feb 20, 2021 at 09:24 AM
p.2 #14Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
I don't know whether this has been posted already. Some more information about the sensor:
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2021/02/isscc-2021-sony-501mp-full-frame-sensor.html
According to this the readout is 1/250 (4ms) and it is capable of taking 44fps 14bit!
Edit: First posted by ShootPDX above
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2021/02/isscc-2021-sony-501mp-full-frame-sensor.html
According to this the readout is 1/250 (4ms) and it is capable of taking 44fps 14bit!
Edit: First posted by ShootPDX above
Feb 20, 2021 at 09:32 AM
p.2 #15Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
If it was only in mechanical at Hi+, wouldn’t it say “and” instead of “or”?
We know mechanical is never real time, whether continuous low med or hi, so not sure why they would qualify Mechanical with Continuous: Hi+...
As someone pointed out on Facebook Sony may just mean that there is a slight latency, maybe due to high MP and reduced EVF hz.
smhoer wrote:
So, frame insertion during 30FPS? Am I reading that right?No, only in mechanical shutter which maxes out at 10 fps. Electronic shutter is real-time.
Edited on Feb 20, 2021 at 09:54 AM · View previous versions
We know mechanical is never real time, whether continuous low med or hi, so not sure why they would qualify Mechanical with Continuous: Hi+...
As someone pointed out on Facebook Sony may just mean that there is a slight latency, maybe due to high MP and reduced EVF hz.
smhoer wrote:
ShootPDX wrote
From a1 manual:Earlier quote
“The subject is not displayed in real time on the monitor or viewfinder when [Shutter Type] is set to [Mechanical Shutter] or when shooting in [Continuous Shooting: Hi+] mode”Edited on Feb 20, 2021 at 09:54 AM · View previous versions
Feb 20, 2021 at 09:47 AM
p.2 #16Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
I actually think I posted it at the same time as you, mine was an edit to older post!
baltmin wrote:
I don't know whether this has been posted already. Some more information about the sensor:
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2021/02/isscc-2021-sony-501mp-full-frame-sensor.html
According to this the readout is 1/250 (4ms) and it is capable of taking 44fps 14bit!
Edit: First posted by ShootPDX above
baltmin wrote:
I don't know whether this has been posted already. Some more information about the sensor:
http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2021/02/isscc-2021-sony-501mp-full-frame-sensor.html
According to this the readout is 1/250 (4ms) and it is capable of taking 44fps 14bit!
Edit: First posted by ShootPDX above
Feb 20, 2021 at 09:49 AM
p.2 #17Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
As far as I can read, the A1 never dips down to that 12-bit nonsense, which is a relief. Yep, we need to be in 14-bit lossy compressed RAW to order to get 30 fps, but that is about it. 
Feb 20, 2021 at 10:49 AM
p.2 #18Sony Alpha 1 Manual is available
https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2040/v1/en/contents/TP0003057070.html
RAW files over Imaging Edge Mobile
RAW files over Imaging Edge Mobile
Feb 23, 2021 at 10:16 AM