Groundbreaking Sony Alpha 1 Camera Marks a New Era in Professional Imaging in India

We all are well aware of Sony’s expertise in camera sensor technology and a wide range of various camera portfolios as well. Expanding the existing camera portfolio in the Indian market, the company today announced the arrival of the groundbreaking new full-frame mirrorless Alpha 1 camera. With a stunning combination of innovative new features, the technologically advanced camera, Alpha 1 combines high-resolution and high-speed performance at a level that has never been accomplished in the world of digital cameras. 

“We are constantly listening to our customers and striving to bring new innovations to the market that goes far beyond their expectations.” said Mukesh Srivastava, Business Head, Digital Imaging at Sony India. “Alpha 1 breaks through all existing boundaries, raising the bar for what creators can accomplish with a single camera allowing them to capture and create what they have never been able to before.”

Check out all the signatures you need to know about the new Sony Alpha 1 or α1.

New 50.1-megapixel (approx., effective) full-frame stacked Exmor R CMOS image sensor in combination with an upgraded BIONZ X imaging processing engine with eight times more processing power

The brand-new Alpha 1 comes with 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor RS™ image sensor. The newly developed image sensor is built with integral memory and paired with an upgraded BIONZ XR imaging processing engine, making it capable of shooting 50.1-megapixel images continuously.

Blackout- free continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second

Complimenting the camera’s ability to capture images at an unprecedented speed, the Alpha 1 viewfinder features the world’s first, up to 240 fps refresh rate, for a super-smooth display. The 9.44 million dot OLED Quad-XGA electronic viewfinder does not black out when an exposure is made and offers an uninterrupted view allowing seamless framing and tracking, even during continuous shooting. The Alpha 1 capture moments that would otherwise be lost, thanks to its high-speed performance. High speed readout from the 50.1-megapixel image sensor and a large buffer memory makes it possible to shoot up to 155 full-frame compressed RAW images or 165 full-frame JPEG images at up to 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter while maintaining full AF and AE tracking performance.

8K 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS video recording with 8.6K oversampling for extraordinary 8K 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS video recording with 8.6K oversampling for extraordinary detail and resolution, in addition to 4K 120p 10-bit 4:2:2 movie shooting capabilities

For the first time in an Alpha camera, the Alpha 1 offers 8K 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS recording with 8.6K oversampling for extraordinary resolution. The Alpha 1 is also capable of 4K 120p / 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 recording. Combined with Sony’s acclaimed autofocus technology, gradation and color reproduction performance, the Alpha 1 will help the user realize their creative vision with the finest detail. Its 8K footage can also be used for flexible 4K editing during post-production.

Improved Real-time Eye AF (autofocus) for humans and animals, and new Real-time Eye AF for birds, as well as Real-time Tracking that automatically maintains accurate focus

Sony’s advanced Real-time Eye AF improves detection performance by 30% over the previous system, thanks to the powerful image processing engine, BIONZ XR. It ensures accurate, reliable detection, even when the subject’s face looks away. In addition to improved Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals, the Alpha 1 employs high-level subject recognition technology to provide Real-time Eye AF for birds, a first in an Alpha series camera. The optimized algorithms ensure that tracking is maintained even if a sitting bird suddenly takes flight, or the framing suddenly changes.

The Alpha 1 also features AI-based Real-time Tracking that automatically maintains accurate focus. A subject recognition algorithm uses color, pattern (brightness), and subject distance (depth) data to process spatial information in real time at high speed.

S-Cinetone color matrix as seen in FX9 and FX6 to deliver expressive cinematic look. The S-Log3 gamma curve makes it possible to achieve 15+ stops of dynamic range.

The Alpha 1 features S-Cinetone, the same color matrix that produces the highly regarded FX9 and FX6 color and skin tones. It delivers natural mid-tones, plus soft colors and gorgeous highlights to meet a growing need for more expressive depth. The S-Log3 gamma curve makes it possible to achieve 15+ stops of dynamic range, while the S-Gamut3 and S-Gamut3 Cine color gamut settings make it easy to match Alpha 1 footage with video shot on VENICE cinema camera, FX9 and other professional cinema cameras.

5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation for a 5.5-step⁶ shutter speed advantage

A high-precision stabilisation unit and gyro sensors, plus optimised image stabilisation algorithms, helps achieve up to a 5.5-step shutter speed advantage, maximising the quality of the high-resolution images.

World’s first anti-flicker shooting with both mechanical and electronic shutter. Electronic shutter flash sync up to 1/200 sec. for the first time in the Alpha series. World’s fastest mechanical shutter flash sync up to 1/400 sec.

High-speed readout from the new image sensor has made it possible to reduce rolling shutter by up to 1.5 times when shooting stills, compared to the Alpha 9 II. It also offers silent anti-flicker continuous shooting with an electronic shutter for the first time⁵ in the world. The electronic shutter operates silently, without mechanical noise, and is vibration-free. Stress-free continuous shooting is now possible even when shooting in challenging lighting situations with florescent or other flicker-prone types of artificial lighting. For the first time in an Alpha camera, electronic shutter flash sync up to 1/200 sec is possible. The advantages of the electronic shutter can now come to life even when using flash for broadly expanded shooting versatility. The Alpha 1 boasts the world’s fastest flash sync speed⁵ of 1/400 sec. with mechanical shutter, making it even easier to capture dynamic action.

Professional workflow support with the industry’s fastest built-in Wi-Fi, SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, 1000BASE-T Ethernet and more

The Alpha 1 has been designed and configured to support photo and video journalists and sports shooters who need to deliver stills or movies as quickly as possible with advanced connectivity options. It offers several features for fast, reliable file transfers. Industry’s fastest¹³ built-in wireless LAN allows communication on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands with dual antennas to ensure reliable communications. 5 GHz includes 2×2 MIMO support (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac) offering 3.5 times faster wireless FTP transfer speed than the Alpha 9 II – a notable advantage for news and sports shooters who need to deliver with reliable speed. The Alpha 1 also has a built-in 1000BASE-T LAN connector for high-speed, stable data transfers, including remote shooting. FTPS (File Transfer over SSL/TLS) is supported, allowing SSL or TLS encryption for increased data security.

The Alpha 1 has two media slots that both support UHS-I and UHS-II SDXC/SDHC cards, as well as new CFexpress Type A cards for higher overall capacity and faster read/write speeds.

Coming to the pricing and availability, the Sony Alpha 1 costs Rs.5,59,990. It will be up for sale across India from 12th March through Sony Centers, Alpha Flagship Stores, and some major online and offline stores.