Sony Alpha 1 Field Test
Sony’s full-frame mirrorless camera lineup includes a variety of models aimed at the unique needs of different users. The Sony a7R series provides the highest resolution, the Sony a7S series has the highest sensitivity and pixel-for-pixel 4K video and the Sony a9 offered the fastest autofocus and continuous frames-per-second shooting when it was introduced.
For my work, that meant I typically traveled with a7R series cameras for portraits and landscapes and an a9 for action. Switching between them was a reminder of the tradeoff between resolution and speed. Because of this, none of these cameras was a true “flagship” camera.
That’s the beauty of Sony Alpha 1. Its 50-megapixel sensor nearly matches a7R IV’s 61-megapixel resolution while at the same time offering extremely fast continuous shooting and, in my estimation, the best autofocus on the planet.
Resolution & Speed
With the Alpha 1, Sony shooters no longer need to choose between resolution and speed. The Sony a1 uses an all-new 50-megapixel Exmor RS backside-illuminated CMOS sensor capable of capturing fine detail yet with twice the readout speed of the previous best-in-class a9 II, virtually eliminating rolling shutter, so subjects like flapping wings won’t
