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Sony Alpha 1, 8K top model with record margins
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    Specs

    • 50.1MP CMOS FF sensor with integrated memory and some simple processing
    • Two BIONZ XR main LSI, as Sony no longer can afford special LSI for top models
    • 759 AF points
    • AF tracking in up to 4K120 modes, algorithms are still lot to be desired for video, fall short of Canon
    • 9.44million dots EVF
    • 8K30P video, more marketing similar to Canon, some modes do not work with it, processing simplified
    • 30 min limit or early heat shutoff in 8K
    • S-Log support
    • 30fps stills for CFExpress cards
    • In AF-C mode only few lenses will work with >20fps and none of third party ones (they are limited to 16fps)
    • 15 stops DR (marketing DR, unknown how measured)
    • APS-C work with 21mp crop
    • Sensor reading speed is 1.5x of previous models
    • 16 shorts pixel shift mode makes 200mp results
    • Supports 10bit HEIF stills
    • Active mode electronic image stabilization supported
    • $6500 for body at

    Description and specs: https://www.sony.com/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-1

    Full size samples: https://www.sony.net/Products/di_photo-gallery/camera/ILCE-1/

    8K video:

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  • 87 Replies sorted by
  • This is a killer one! Wow.

    grate DR grate resolution. They sure know how to make sensors.

    MOVIE RECORDING SYSTEM (XAVC HS 8K)

    7680 x 4320 (4:2:0, 10bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 30p (400 Mbps / 200 Mbps), 24p (400 Mbps / 200 Mbps), 7680 x 4320 (4:2:0, 10bit, PAL) (Approx.): 25p (400 Mbps / 200 Mbps)

    MOVIE RECORDING SYSTEM (XAVC HS 4K)

    3840 x 2160 (4:2:0, 10 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 120p (200 Mbps), 60p (150 Mbps / 75 Mbps / 45 Mbps), 24p (100 Mbps / 50 Mbps / 30 Mbps); 3840 x 2160 (4:2:0, 10 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 100p (200 Mbps), 50p (150 Mbps / 75 Mbps / 45 Mbps); 3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 120p (280 Mbps), 60p (200 Mbps / 100 Mbps), 24p (100 Mbps / 50 Mbps); 3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 100p (280 Mbps), 50p (200 Mbps / 100 Mbps)

    MOVIE RECORDING SYSTEM (XAVC S 4K)

    3840 x 2160 (4:2:0, 8 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 120p (200 Mbps), 60p (150 Mbps), 30p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 24p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps); 3840 x 2160 (4:2:0, 8 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 100p (200 Mbps), 50p (150 Mbps), 25p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps); 3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 120p (280 Mbps), 60p (200 Mbps), 30p (140 Mbps), 24p (100 Mbps); 3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 100p (280 Mbps), 50p (200 Mbps), 25p (140 Mbps)

    MOVIE RECORDING SYSTEM (XAVC S HD)

    1920 x 1080 (4:2:0, 8 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 120p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 60p (50 Mbps / 25 Mbps), 30p (50 Mbps / 16 Mbps), 24p (50 Mbps); 1920 x 1080 (4:2:0, 8 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 100p (100 Mbps / 60 Mbps), 50p (50 Mbps / 25 Mbps), 25p (50 Mbps / 16 Mbps); 1920 x 1080 (4:2:2, 10 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 60p (50 Mbps), 30p (50 Mbps), 24p (50 Mbps); 1920 x 1080 (4:2:2, 10 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 50p (50 Mbps), 25p (50 Mbps)

    MOVIE RECORDING SYSTEM (XAVC S-I 4K)

    3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 60p (600 Mbps), 30p (300 Mbps), 24p (240 Mbps); 3840 x 2160 (4:2:2, 10 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 50p (500 Mbps), 25p (250 Mbps)

    MOVIE RECORDING SYSTEM (XAVC S-I HD)

    1920 x 1080 (4:2:2, 10 bit, NTSC) (Approx.): 60p (222 Mbps), 30p (111 Mbps), 24p (89 Mbps); 1920 x 1080 (4:2:2, 10 bit, PAL) (Approx.): 50p (185 Mbps), 25p (93 Mbps)

    Slow & quick motion (shooting frame rate)

    NTSC mode: 1fps, 2fps, 4fps, 8fps, 15fps, 30fps, 60fps, 120fps, 240fps, PAL mode: 1fps, 2fps, 3fps, 6fps, 12fps, 25fps, 50fps, 100fps, 200fps

    Movie Functions

    Audio Level Display, Audio Rec Level, PAL/NTSC Selector, Proxy Recording (1280 x 720 [6 Mbps], 1920 x 1080 [9 Mbps], 1920 x 1080 [16 Mbps]), TC/UB, Auto Slow Shutter, Gamma Disp. Assist, RAW Output(HDMI)

    Picture Profile

    Yes (Off / PP1-PP11) Parameters: Black level, Gamma (Movie, Still, S-Cinetone, Cine1-4, ITU709, ITU709 (800%), S-Log2, S-Log3, HLG, HLG1-3), Black Gamma, Knee, Color Mode, Saturation, Color Phase, Color Depth, Detail, Copy, Reset

  • 8k 4:2:0 10 bit up to 30fps (max 400mps)

    4k 4:2:2 10 bit up to 120fps (max 600mps)

    FHD 4:2:2 10 bit up to 240fps (max 200mps)

    no recording limit

    no wallet limit (new alfa can make holes on wallet beware)

  • Long time I don't see such awful skin tones.

    the dancer's face switches from yellow to pink/red never nailing a proper natural skin colour.

    Dynamic range is quite poor too, with black dark areas in exteriors.

    Maybe it's just bad post production..

    No idea who can get excited by this demo.

  • @jazzroy

    It's funny course I very much like the colors, tones and details. Maybe our eyes have a different perception. :)

  • "4k 4:2:2 10 bit up to 120fps (max 600mps)

    FHD 4:2:2 10 bit up to 240fps (max 200mps)

    no recording limit"

    Exactly the same as the a7s iii. So, if you understand why 8K is useless and are interested in video, this new camera adds little in video capability to the a7s iii, and will have much worse low-light performance (much smaller pixels).

  • 8k mode, 30 min limit.

  • $6500

    Hmmmm....

  • @paglez where do you see 30 minute limit?
    "No recording time limit allows for unlimited clip lengths and the camera's physical design features an improved heat-dissipating structure to promote longer possible recording times; longer than 30 minutes for 8K 30p or 4K 60p videos, or recordings done at 10-bit 4:2:0." (from BHPhoto...)

  • Is there a single adapter that will allow me to use my Minolta glass on this cam?
    Nevermind I see metabones will take all my cash.

  • the limit is due to "overheating" but thats something we have to see! maybe is a marketing low kick to canon 30 minute limit

  • 1.6 lbs hurrrr hurrrrr
    Also no true 24p just 23.976? Maybe a firmware thing.

  • 4.3K 16-Bit Raw Video Output, S-Cinetone

  • Unlimited: on web it says unlimited, in video it say 30 minutes

    at 14:08

  • Every footage i see, comes with heavy noise on shadows, beware of such high resolution if not propper prossesed.

  • @eno everyone sees things differently (I notice different colour perception between my left and right eyes), but here it is a matter of RGB values: three fram grabs, same environment, same actress, three skin colours ranging from yellow to pink, and none of them seems natural to me. And regarding the dynamic range: two daylight shots with almost black areas, for sure not the best way to showcase it!

    skin.jpg
    2559 x 1079 - 458K
    DR.jpg
    2559 x 1079 - 558K
  • @Jazzroy. Lack of uniformity

  • She looks like a winner - Shout out to Curtis Morgan & his team

  • Sony advertises this camera that can do “everything”, BUT:

    • It features a small and uncomfortable body that feels even more uncomfortable with bigger lenses,
    • It has small, very poor and low resolution LCD like in 2008,
    • It doesn't over RAW 8K video neither internally or externally,
    • The internal 8K video is 4:2:0 only,
    • Although A1 features downsampling from 8,6K to 8K, Sony didn't offer oversampled 4K (without APSC crop) and FHD (although it could have been easier to process and record vs the 8K, and infinity more useful for videographers). This is a big minus IMO and truly not as advertised: the camera that can do “everything”. Apparently it can't do what most videographers what, very good oversampled 4K and FHD without a crop.

    IMO those are some serious limitations especially for the 6500$/7300eu very high price tag.

    I could have accepted those compromises in a camera under 4000$, but at 6500$ definitely NOT!

  • @Eno

    The internal 8K video is 4:2:0 only

    This one has some point due to resolution and fact that we have Bayer sensor here.

  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev

    "This one has some point due to resolution and fact that we have Bayer sensor here."

    The A7S3 also features an almost pixel per pixel 4K Bayer sensor and it still offers 4:4:2 chroma sampling. It doesn't matter if it is a pixel per pixel output from a Bayer sensor course the information is demoisaiced thus it has full RGB chroma sampling before encoding, so it can be outputted even in 4:4:4 if the processor or the top management allows it. :)

  • @Eno

    Actually LSI most probably never make 422 or 444, as it all it needs is YCbCr and this is that being made, with Cb and Cr planes being kept at the resolution matching the actual sensor color resolution.

    It is lot of optimizations of photo and video LSI chips, this one significantly saves energy.