The camera powerhouse Sony has just introduced the Alpha 1 (A1), a super-fast, high-res 50MP camera, the most powerful mirrorless camera we've seen for professionals.

Able to shoot at 30 fps with no blackout, capable of 8K video, it's grabbing attention across the globe. And we should add that it is Sony's first camera to offer Lossless compress Raw and can capture HEIF for 10-bit compressed capture.

The Sony A1 will be available sometime in March, with no precise date announced yet.

With a hefty price tag ($6500 body only), this is a camera marketed toward professionals or the very (very) serious photographer willing to shell out for their equipment. Keep in mind that the Sony A9 II comes in at around $4,500, making it a big leap in price to the A1. But, as with most things, you'll get what you pay for. The A1 is full of goodies!

Basic Specs

It will have a 1.5x less rolling shutter, allowing flash sync up to 1/200 sec with the electronic shutter or 1/400 sec using the mechanical shutter.
It uses a stacked CMOS sensor and a pair of new Bionz XR processors, allowing silent, no-blackout images at up to 30 fps.
There are dual CFExpress Type A card slots that can accept SD cards.
The A1 can shoot 8K video up to 30p using the full width. (It uses all its horizontal pixels while capturing 8.6K footage then downsizing it to 8K for improved resolution.)
Its 8K footage can be captured in up to 10-bit 4:2:0 using the XAVC HS format. Using a similar heat-dissipating design as the a7S III, it can record 8K for up to 30 minutes.
As we said, it offers a 50MP full-frame sensor with 30fps burst shooting for the first time.

A Closer Look

The A1's new pair of Bionz XR processors is like to thrill sports photographers and high-resolution videographers. Along with the brand's stacked CMOS sensor, when using the electronic shutter, you can shoot JPEG photos at 30fps. It means that the Sony A1 can capture 400 JPEGs or 238 raw files in one sequence. That's pretty remarkable for a full-frame camera with its resolution!

This also means that the A1's autofocus is something to rival.

Its 759 AF points cover 93% of its sensor. In a first for Sony, it also gives Real-time Eye AF for birds - which is about time for Sony compared to other brands. But AF upgrades don't end there. Sony claims that the A1 can do 120 autofocus and auto-exposure calculations per second, double the amount possible for the Sony A9 II.

The A1's AIBS system (in-body image stabilization) remains the same as the Sony A9II - 5. 5 stops of comp.

The menu system is the same as the Sony A7S III, but that's not a bad thing.

Sony Video Specs

The A1's fabulous specs continue to the video capabilities, including some first-time specs for a Sony mirrorless camera.

We don't doubt that videographers will be thrilled. (We are!)

Expect an 8K/30p video capability using its sensor's full width, with Sony claiming it; you'll get 30 minutes' capability. That's a full ten-minutes more than Canon's EOS R5, which tops out at 8K/30p shooting time of 20 minutes. Plus, the A1's resolution is twice as much as the Sony A7S III, which maxed out at 4k resolution. The A1 uses a similar heat dissipation technology to the A7S III.

The Sony A1's 8K video is shot with 10-bit 4:2:0 bit depth and color sampling. It can shoot 4K in 10-bit 4:2:2 video internally, including slo-mo 120p.

But, there's more! It can output 16-bit raw video - overs its HDMI port, too. That leads us to its card slots.

As we said earlier, there are two CFExpress Type A slots (which also take UHS-II SD cards) and wireless transfer tech.

Sony says that the dual-band Wi-Fi supports FTP transfers that are 3.5x faster than the Sony A9 II. And, of course, there's also a built-in Ethernet connection.

Reliable and Usability

So, it's obvious that the A1 sounds lovely with lots of bells and whistles. But, reliability and enhanced body are critical when you're out in the field shooting.

The A1 has a magnesium alloy chassis, long battery life (thanks to a Z-battery (which you can extend using a grip), an improved dust removal feature, a close shutter function while on power-off to protect the image sensor, and it is dust and moisture resistant.

The reliable HDMI Type-A connector allows higher power to be supplied from an external source.

The touch-responsive menu means faster, more intuitive control with its Touch Focus and Touch Tracking on its 3.0 type 1.44 million-dot (approx.) LCD monitor.

Our Wrap-Up

We can't help but be excited about this camera. It promises to deliver what others haven't yet. While it's not cheap, we're hoping that the advanced technology eventually becomes available to lower-price points as it becomes cheaper.

Between its capabilities for both stills and video, its upgraded technology unavailable in other cameras, particularly the Sony A9 II, this camera promises to be phenomenal; we expect it will be one of the year's most exciting introductions for photographers.

Of course, the proof will be in the final product once it gets onto the market.