Is the Sony a1 Worth it in 2023?
I've been shooting with the Sony a1 since its release date in January of 2021. Is the Sony a1 still worth it in 2023?
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Zero blackout viewfinder, 30 fps 12 bit RAW still shooting, Anti-distortion shutter, Flickr free electronic and mechanical shutter, 240fps viewfinder refresh rate, dual shutter max flash sync speed of 1/400 second, 120 AF/AE calculations per second, 759 phase detect AF points and 4K 120 fps filming. These features are some of the reasons why the a1 still is superior to the Sony a7iv and the Sony a7rv.
True, but once you have worked with the fully articulating tilt screen of the A7 R V, you don't want to go back. And the AI - based subject recognition of the A7 R V is really outstanding.
But the overheating man. And it feels like Sony has abandoned this camera after that last minor 8k update. If they had just allowed 8k ProRes raw I’d feel validated for spending 6500 on this camera but it already feels like it’s being lapped.
@@ddespair I fully agree. Sony's firmware upgrade practice is horrible and ignorant in the light of what we spend for the cameras.
@@Achim-gi7su I am thrilled with the new flip out screen on my new a7rv. And I have yet to mess with all the new AI focusing features on it. I have a wedding this weekend and I can wait to program the brides face and use it. It seems like they should be updating the A1 with these features. I would be pissed if I owned the A1 and seeing this on a lesser sony camera after spending almost 7k after taxes. But don't get me wrong the A1 has more to offer but it should have it all with the flip out screen at least from the a7iv
These features aren’t huge quality of life improvements for the price. The camera is already niche but the price compared the R5 doesn’t make sense tbh.
The A1 is certainly a fantastic camera, but it is now almost 3 years old and lacks some of Sony's latest technology. Here in Canada it costs, with tax, $9600. I am still enjoying my A7Riii, but want a better birds-in-flight camera so I am now waiting to see what the A9iii has to offer and at what price. It is rumoured to be out around the end of 2023. UPDATE: November 2023. Now that I have seen the reveal for the new A9iii with Global Shutter, it is still low-res and now costs virtually the same as the A1, I am now looking for a good used A1.
Thats 9600 Canadian Dollars :)) it's still arround 6800 euro
Thank you for the information. Very informative and honest..
3:08 I agree, lot's of reviews I watched on the A1 said the sensor is noisy but when I upgraded from the A7R IV to the A1, I quickly realised I don't need to use noise reduction anywhere near as often. To me the A7R IV does appear to have cleaner images below ISO 1000 compared to the A1 but it might just appear that way because of the extra resolution. Anyway it was an unexpected bonus to have better low light performance and it made my purchase of the A1 much more worth it!
Good morning, wonderful explanatory video, I had an A9II and I changed it to the Sony A1 for night photography, it is not the most recommended since it generates a lot of noise, and I regret it a bit. The truth is that the change was because it did not have the video features that Sony had A1 on the other hand I expected that for that price they would release a good update as they did with the sony a9II but it has not been like that, it is more the last one that I have installed gives me problems with a lens with the focus I hope they solve it thanks for your advice you have all the reason
I have the A1 and the A7R5. I mostly shoot action sports (soccer), some wildlife and landscape/nature. I prefer to use the electronic shutter. Generally I prefer the A1 due to the speed (it is more than simply the buffer but in fact all of the plumbing that clears out one shot and has the sensor ready for the next). I frequently shoot 20 fps with the electronic shutter. Also the 120 focus/exposure calculations a second. I have tried the A7R5 for soccer but it just can't keep up. Yes, you can get some shots but the A1 blows it away. And I do prefer the external dials on the right side of the A1. And the flip out screen is not an issue when I shoot sports as I nearly always am using the viewfinder. Do I like the flippy/tippy screen on the A7R5? Absolutely - when I am shooting landscape and have the camera on a tripod. And since the A7R5 is a less expensive camera I tend to use it when I am hiking, etc. I thought that the focus stacking on the A7R5 would be a big deal for me but I really haven't used it. I just do it the old fashion way. Ultimately I would like to see an updated A1. The articulating screen would be nice. I don't do video so the double dial on the A7R5, etc. is irrelevant to me. And an A1 with improved subject recognition (e.g. the A7R5 on steroids if it could do it 120 times per second) could be really cool. If Sonly does come out with an A1 Mark 2 I will very, very likely sell the A1 and A7R5 and go to a single A1.
I am thinking to take the a1 with g master lenses, but I think its better to wait for the a1 m2
@@faresnimer69I'm going to skip the A1 and wait for the mk ii.
What about the video recording is it the best on the market?
I had a new A7III and a used A7RIII both good cameras, but missed yeah something...until I tried a A9 and I was sold... a 24mgp stacked/20fps/great tracking fast auto focus/love it...
Would you say it is good if I can buy a second hand A1 (less used) at the same price as a new A7 IV ??
Have you used the a7r5 ai autofocus? Is it really that good? If so how does it compare to the a92 autofocus system?
Hi Thanks for super fine video. I thinkung to get the A1 for video and hi resulutions pic. I now use the first A9 so I think it will be some better for video ans pic. the my A9. kind regards from Morten
The flippy screen you forgot the flippy screen Jerad. No flippy flippy on a1. They better put it on the mark II or else I’m rioting outside of Sony headquarters in Japan. Great review btw! 🎉
You ain’t gonna do Jack.
Do you need a A1 or want a A1
What kind of lenses for A1 for landscape, in studio shooting?
You couldn’t sniff the focusing speed in any R camera vs the A1. The stacked sensor is everything here.
I have the A7R3. Like to shoot "chiaroscuro" style images in studio (so lots of shadows) and I have been shooting bands performing in bars (so low light). I've been trying to decide if it's worth the cost to get the A1. I am concerned about spending all that money, only to have a refresh come out sooner rather than later. I mean, it's now 2024. Your thoughts on that?
The A1 also has a stacked sensor, the others, A7IV and the ARV do not have a stacked sensor.
I wanted to buy the A1 so bad but I decided to pickup the a7iv, the sigma 85m f1.4 dg dn, the canon prograf 1000 printer, and the atomos ninja V instead of the A1. Figured to get a better 85mm lens, and the pro 1000 printer makes me a ton of money. So after a year goes by i was thinking about picking up the A1 again and then the new A7rv comes out with that updated flip out screen. The flip out screen alone made me go with the A7rv cuz i do portraits. And i picked it up and the Tamron 35-150 f2-2.8. And what a great camera the new R5 is. I figured the R5 , a7iv, and my A9 will cover just about everything i could possibly do then get the a1. Now i have a bunch of great glass and a printer that expanded my business.
Question: with a top-of-the-line expensive camera like this, have they not figured out how to send the camera live view to your mobile/tablet (with accompanying camera setting editing) ?? DJI drones have been doing this for years on hugely less expensive products. There really is no excuse if this App camera control functionality isn't in the A1 !!
The A1 is only TWO years old. Not sure what features it needs to make it ' trendy" again, could you elaborate please ? Is it noisy compared to the A7s3? just wondering if you have a list of (let's say), bad issues with the A1 ?
I’ve given up on the Nikon Z6 (filmmakers kit… so I have the Ninja) because Apple is never gonna support it in FCPX (actually use the Sony profile since Nikon uses the Sony video chip) content to use it as my 2nd B-roll camera… So I’ve been binging thru the Sony options… from FX thru the As and I’m thinking this is the camera for me because I’ll be shooting in theater spaces with tungsten and/or LED as my only source of lighting… I just wonder if there is a price drop when the Next Alpha comes out… Agree with the lens comment! That’s why I bought into the Nikon Z system at first - I’ve got a bunch of quality Nikkor glass and I shoot off a Rhino slider so the manual focus is controlled by Arc II anyway… But the ProRes RAW workflow coming out of the Ninja is non-existent and I found myself fudging it by using the Sony profile and LUTs anyways… so Sony with some G Masters is making more sense. PLUS - more people shoot Sony so it’s going to be easier offloading camera work when I’m ready to really start shooting longer sessions!
Yes, it’s the alpha! Nothing tops the A1
Hopefully selling my R5 soon for the A1, I just feel its not right for me
I like the A-1 because I shoot sports.
Oh yes! Stil the best camera on the market :)
definetly worth it! i sold my sony a1 months ago and i regret it. i got now the fx3 and fx30. but the sony a1 was different. 8k 10bit video ...
Yeah, the a1 is something special even after how many other cameras have come since.
I currently have A1, A7RIV, A7SIII so I am well covered for all types of subjects I shoot around the world. The A7RV is nice, but I dont really need it over my A7RIV for image quality. I would only spend $6500 again if the A1 ver. 2 has some unbelievable performance advantage over the current A1. FYI, I have owned Sony A6500, A7RII, A7RIII, A7III, A9 and currently A1, A7RIV, A7SIII. Cheers and best to you, thanks.
Would you say the A1 would be better than the new Leica Q3 for wedding and general photography?
Certainly. The Leica Q3 is amazing but you can't shoot a wedding with only a 28mm lens.
Hi Jerad, can you clarify if the A1 records 4k 120fps without crop? I've used the A1 and A7iv and I prefer the A1. I'm finding I need slow motion without crop for work and don't want to swap lenses
It crops 10%
The A1 has a Stacked Sensor, which is very usefull for people and sports. The A7-Series is no alternative.
wonder why the A9 III it is more expemsive than the A1 at least in the UK
And there I am still shooting with my ( trusty ) A900 in 2024 😊
I struggle to find any better camera. Hoped for it to get A1 II in 2024 but not sure if gonna wait that long. The shutter speed in video is also massive compared to the wobbly a7Rv and a7iv.
Coming from an A7iii and wanting to upgrade for bif, hope that the A1ii will be released soon otherwise I'm thinking of the Z8 or the Canon R5.
@@hans6304 I think you might get the new A9III. I might get this one as it might get the new Sony tech that was first shown on Xperia 1v, 2-layer transistor. With being stacked, this might mean it'll surpass A7SIII in low light at around 29-33MP. Also the rumored 4K@240fps, 1080p@480-960fps is quite crazy. A9III will be released this year, maybe October or something according to Andrea from SonyAlphaRumors.
I have an A7siii and have been struggling between the A1 and A7RV but know as soon as I buy an A1 the mark ii will be announced 😂
If you can find a slightly used a1 that might be the best deal. There are not any rumors of an a1 MKII coming this year.
Sometimes the A1 goes on sale for $500 off the $6,500 asking price. Even with an assumed Mark II coming out, the current A1 (Mark 1) is a beast of a camera!
Update, since my last post, I bought an FX3 and had a couple - in studio - video shoots… the A1 overheats on longer shoots (30 minutes) while the FX3 is just ‘faaaan!” Very annoying that my pricey camera can’t keep up with the FX3 at only $4K 🤨
The A7 R V has an autofocus that is just excellent and the AI - based subject recognition e. g. for wildlife is something that the A1 just doesn't have. The low light performance is also much improved over the A7 R IV and the white balance of the A7 R V seems superior to the A1 as far as reports document that I have seen. And the new fully articulating screen is probably the most versatile of all full frame mirrorless cameras. The only aspect where the A1 seems superior to me when it comes to my specific use cases is the rolling shutter of the 60 MP sensor in the A7 R V and 4k 120p at 10 bit 4:2:2 which the A7 R V doesn't have. Otherwise it's just such a great camera and for a much lower price than the A1.
Wrong… go shoot the R5 side by side the A1. You won’t touch the in focus shots the A1 brings to the table.
You've completely forgotten the measly 10fps of the A7RV compared to 30fps of the A1.
A1 still the best of the best in 2023 period
Agreed
It’s not a question of the best camera in 2023, it’s a question of would you invest in buying this camera in 2023, and the answer is no. Sony has straight up ignored this camera. Even at it’s now reduced price it would not be a good buy. Unless they magically release a firmware update tomorrow that allows for something beyond a 4k raw video output, I’m going to say I regret springing for this camera.
Is it still worth it. Absolutely. Why would it not be worth buying? I would have liked to see it at 100 mega pixel instead of 50 but beyond that it is a kick ass camera. Any Sony Camera will be a good camera and there are plenty to choose according to your financial situation.
When you look at Nikon, Canon, and Sony for a flagship camera, do you feel the A1 is still your choice?
I'm not sure. I haven't compared the latest from each. I still believe Sony holds the top spot. The a1 is tough and bulletproof. I wouldn't feel confident shooting with anything else.
@@ditchautohi Jerad, have you tried shooting with the Canon R5? The R5ii and R1 is rumored to be announced soon.
Just wait for the Canon R5 Mk2.
seen a lot of Sony a1 owners using third party lenses never understood these type of people. sony a1 II 8k60fps / 61.1MP 30fps ai auto focus all new features bang!
Yes!
Great video. By the way, there is no reason to add the word “point” to the word price. It’s a silly new way to say price. Price suffices.
My a7rv shoots amazing photos but when i shoot with same settings and lens on a1. The image is really saturated.
Interesting. I haven’t noticed any color differences. Are you referring to JPEG images?
Die A1 bekommt im März 24 ein grosses Firmware Update. Ja sie ist die beste Sony Kamera.
A7m5
Well, I hit try Overheating Wall (too!) on a studio shoot (cool enough for everyone to wear a sweater) trying Gerald Undone’s suggestion to shoot 8K - internal - to output 4K for Ninja ProRes raw with better quality… no go! Camera shutdown after a few minutes! 😡 Now, it may be that we tried shooting 8K using the internal battery so we switched to an external V-Mount… same problem 🤬 on this brand new camera bought in July 2023 and never used before (other than some minor test stills) Was it residue heat from the internal - yes Sony - battery? All I know is we switched back to 4K w/o the Ninja and got our shots… but really, REALLY pissed to lay out $6K for a camera that needs to be packed in an ice bag for video!?! But hasn’t Sony admitted to the issue (like Nikon finally added the 2nd SSD for their Z-monstrosities) by Sony adding a fan for the FX3!
Knowing its performance, headline made me laugh. gj
This camera will continue to be worth it in the next 5-10 years provided that you make a living with photography.
For me not at all ... i wasted so much money on that camera and it simply does not work. I have major problems with hss flashes so in the studio or on basically all photoshoots with flashes, it failes completely because i need hss and i do not have the time to screw on and off nd filters all the time. For video, i can barely use it as a b cam because it overheats too much, last year in the summer it overheated in 8k and 4k so fast i could barely do my interview job. I wanted the A1 to work because the specs are exactly what i want and need, a nice high resolution b cam, and a great photo cam ... it failed completely for me
Sony a7rv and Sony a7iv aren’t the best options for main video shooters. A7siii or fx3 is a much better choice. Also a7rv 4k 60 has pixel binning and a crop. Rolling shutter with 8k.
No there is a Sony A1 ii coming out
A1 R3 D9 are PRO cameras. They are made for serious PRO work NFL sidelines NBA games 200 pound men running into them. Nat geo on safari in Antarctica freezing Shooting surfers by that salt water. Lessers cameras can’t take the punishment. And that is what some photographers forget some people still uses cameras in extreme conditions take a lesser tiered camera to a NASCAR event event in the heat for hours shooting
The a1 has enough features that I need compared to the a7iv and it is better in low light compared to the a7rv and the a7iv
2024 Sony a1 2 coming out soon
I hope so.
I just want the next A1 2nd generation camera. I may not use all the features, but it's like buying a lambo over a Vet..
Bought a used A1 in 2023 for a couple hundred more than an A7RV. Probably wouldn’t buy a new one.
am I the poor one on commend section or everyone on the commend section is rich?
Still worth 'it'? Still worth what exactly? Most Sony cameras are still worth using, the a mounts included. But is the a1 worth a staggering 6 or 7.000 dollars? No.
Not worth it at all does not last. I updated my Sony A1 and it does not work at all. It’s been sent to precision photo by Sony and it is costing $1800 to fix this because it is out of the 1 year warranty. I would highly recommend not updating this camera. Multiple people are experiencing this problem after 18 months of having their a1
That’s crazy. I have not heard of this issue and I have not experienced it either. I use my a1 almost daily and have owned it since the day the a1 became available.
@@ditchauto we’re you able to successfully update with the new firmware?