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Sony A1

You are here: Home / Sony Alpha Mirrorless Cameras / Sony A1

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. I may also earn from links to other online retailers at no extra cost to you.

Last updated: February 19, 2021 by Timothy Mayo

Welcome to my Sony A1 (ILCE-1) resource page. Here you will find the latest firmware version for the A1, user guides, FAQs, product images and my accessories guide.

Sony A1 Front
Latest FirmwareManualAccessoriesPrice Check & Buyer Reviews
Version 1.0PDF / OnlineAccessoriesAmazon | B&H

Sony a1 Forum & Facebook Group

If you are looking for further help and advice on the a1 or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our new Sony A1 Forum. If you prefer Facebook then I’ve also setup the Sony A1 Shooters Group.

Sony A1 Guides

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony A1 Lenses Guide

Sony A1 Lenses Guide – Which Lenses Support 30 FPS?

Sony a1 reviews

Sony A1 – Early Review Round-up

Sony A1 Manual

Sony A1 User Manual + Online Help

Sony A1 Overview

The Sony a1 was announced in January 2021 and took over the title of Sony’s flagship camera from the Sony a9II. It is Sony’s most expensive camera to-date.

With a 50.1 megapixel stacked sensor and 8k video, the Sony a1 has been designed to do it all and without compromise.

It’s the ultimate hybrid shooter, and without doubt a flagship camera in the truest sense.

Here are some of the things that the a1 shares in common with the a9II:

  • Body design
  • NP-FZ100 battery
  • 5-axis stabilization with 5.5Ev of compensation (CIPA)
  • 1,440,000 dots LCD with adjustable angle (up 107 degrees, down 41 degrees)
  • Multi Interface Shoe (MI Shoe) with a Digital audio interface

And here are the new features that the a1 gains:

  • New 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS image sensor in combination with an upgraded BIONZ XR™ imaging processing engine with eight times more processing power
  • Blackout free continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second
  • Fast sensor readout enables up to 120 AF/AE calculations per second, double the speed of the Alpha 9 II, even during 30fps continuous shooting
  • Bright and large 0.64-type 9.44 million-dot (approx.) OLED Quad-XGA electronic viewfinder with the world’s first refresh rate of 240 fps
  • World’s first anti-flicker shooting with both mechanical and electronic shutter
  • Electronic shutter flash sync up to 1/200 sec.
  • World’s fastest mechanical shutter flash sync up to 1/400 sec.
  • 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
  • Improved Real-time Eye AF (autofocus) for humans and animals, and new Real-time Eye AF for birds
  • S-Cinetone color matrix as seen in FX9 and FX6 to deliver expressive cinematic look
  • Wi-Fi, SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, 1000BASE-T Ethernet and more

Please visit my Sony A1 vs A9 II Comparison for a complete in-depth guide to the differences between these two amazing cameras.

The a1 can quite easily replace three camera bodies (a9II, a7R IV, a7S III) with one, and I know of many shooters already planning to do just this. The a1 is the ultimate hybrid camera at this moment in time.

I own both the a9 and a7R IV myself, and I have to admit to being very tempted to trade them in for the a1. But I will wait for some real-world reviews before I take the plunge!

Sony A1 Key Specs

  • 50.1 megapixel 35mm full-frame stacked sensor
  • ISO 100-32000, Expanded ISO 50 to ISO 102400
  • 30 fps blackout free continuous shooting with the electronic shutter
  • 10 fps continuous shooting with the mechanical shutter
  • 759-point phase-detection and 425-point contrast detection AF points
  • 5.5-stop (CIPA rated) 5-axis image stabilization
  • Dual memory card slots (UHS-II + CFexpress Type A)
  • 9.44 million dot OLED viewfinder
  • 1.44M-dot rear touchscreen LCD
  • 8k video at 30fps, 4k up to 120fps.
  • SuperSpeed USB 10-Gbps (USB 3.2) Type-C connector
  • Support for voice memos
  • 737 g / 26 oz with battery and memory card

You can find the full Sony a1 details and specifications over on Sony’s a1 product page.

Sony A1 FAQs

When was the Sony a1 announced?

The Sony a1 was announced on January 26th, 2021 with first shipments beginning in March 2021.

What lenses support 30 FPS?

You can find a full list of lenses that support 30 FPS in my Sony A1 Lenses Guide.

What memory cards does the Sony a1 support?

Both memory card slots support SD memory cards, SDHC memory cards (UHS-I/II compliant), SDXC memory cards (UHS-I/II compliant) and CFexpress Type A memory cards.

What battery does the Sony a1 use?

Sony NP-FZ100 battery.

Is the Sony a1 a full-frame camera?

Yes. The Sony a1 is a full-frame 35-mm camera.

Is the Sony a1 waterproof?

Sony only claim that the a1 is dust and moisture resistant, they don’t claim that it is fully waterproof and you should therefore take care if using the a1 in wet weather.

How many megapixels is the Sony a1?

50.1 megapixels

Does the Sony a1 support pixel shift?

Yes. The Sony a1 does support pixel shift. You have the choice of shooting four frames or sixteen. In both cases the files need to be combined using Sony’s Imaging Edge desktop software to create photos with up to 199 million pixels.

How much does the Sony a1 weigh?

737 g / 26 oz with battery and memory card

What is the a1 mechanical shutter fps?

The maximum fps (frames per second) for the mechanical shutter of the a1 is 10 fps.

What is the a1 electronic shutter fps?

The maximum fps (frames per second) for the electronic shutter of the a1 is 30 fps, but only when shooting in compressed raw or JPEG format. Uncompressed RAW and lossless RAW reduce the frame rate to 20 FPS.

Sony A1 Product Images

  • Sony a1 top
  • Sony a1 front
  • Sony a1 tilt lcd
  • Sony a1 right side
  • Sony a1 terminal port
  • Sony a1 rear

Pre-order the Sony A1

At: Amazon | B&H Photo | Adorama | Focus Camera | Wex Photo UK

Sony Alpha Forum

About Timothy Mayo

I love shooting wildlife the most but will happily point my camera at pretty much anything. I started Alpha Shooters in 2017 to share my own photographic journey and experiences shooting with Sony Alpha. The site has since evolved into a popular community and resource. You can also find out more about my story here or follow me on Instagram if you wish. I also have a YouTube Channel but haven't published much content over the past year due to spending more time changing smelly nappies and also launching our community forums. However, I do plan to get back to creating content for YouTube in 2021!

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