The Sony Alpha 1 is the most “ pro ” camera of the mirrorless era



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The Sony Alpha 1 is without a doubt impressive. It is the culmination of years of technological advancement across multiple camera lines that have converged into a single, incredibly powerful capture device. It’s also a throwback to the idea that the best camera a business can make isn’t for the masses.

The weather was, the most advanced camera a business could develop was not the one that would suit everyone. In the age of DSLRs, the Canon 1D and Nikon D1 camera lines (and other single-digit D-series cameras) were cameras that showed the best of what could be done. of technology to support the most upscale and demanding professionals. And for the most part, that meant sports, wildlife photographers, journalists, and some studio photographers who preferred the larger, more boxer form factor. It also meant at the same time that they weren’t the cameras of many professional photographers.

In Canon’s case, that’s what the 5D series was for. It filled that gap.

You probably don’t need these cameras either: they’re not for you.

These top tier devices performed so well that they would be priced far higher than the average person and even many professional shooters. It was not uncommon to expect to pay between $ 6,000 and $ 10,000 for one of these cameras. It was the norm. And that didn’t matter because what these cameras were good at wasn’t for almost everyone. The average photographer didn’t need more than 10 frames per second and a rugged seal from these DSLRs, for example (and arguably most still don’t).

However, as the market has become increasingly compressed and the only camera segment that has remained somewhat constant is that of the high-end interchangeable lens body, mirrorless body makers have generally shied away from blow the doors of high priced cameras in instead of trying to maintain or even increase sales volume.

While most stand-alone camera sales collapsed, the market for interchangeable lenses, driven by professional-grade bodies, has stabilized. via Statista.com

Mirrorless cameras are the only cameras capable of achieving decently high volume and a higher average price. Naturally, this is what a business looking for its bottom line is going to want to target.

While the Sony a9 and a9 II both evoke the idea of ​​a professional-level mirrorless camera, the Alpha 1 is the first mirrorless camera to really stand out: it’s a professional camera and even not a camera for most professionals. It’s as niche as it gets, and most of those who watched the live stream today won’t buy it because they absolutely don’t need what it can do.

Two years ago, advertising photographer Blair Bunting wrote a contentious article asking why cameras weren’t more expensive. It ended with this paragraph:

What wonders could we be granted if we were willing to pay for technological creativity that would enhance our creativity as we know it? We who see ourselves as real professionals must demand real professional cameras with all the sounds and whistles. Using prosumer gear can work for vloggers and Instagram “influencers,” where less resolution is needed (and can actually be beneficial). However, isn’t it time to see a flagship platform that elevated art, inspired us, and opened our eyes like legends of the past once did?

Many in the comments were understandably offended by what he said here. However, Sony did exactly what Bunting asked for. The company made this truly professional camera with all the bells and whistles that would actually hurt the productivity of many vloggers and influencers and even many working professionals because it is just too much camera. It may hurt to hear it, but it is not a camera for the majority of us.

The Sony Alpha 1 is a return to a real “pyramid” structure of devices. At the very top is the top-of-the-line, the most expensive and powerful device a company can make, and only a few thousand people around the world need. Below are the a7R IV and a9 II: cameras incredible in what they can achieve and still far surpassing what many successful photographers will need. Below, the A7 III and the A7c, and so on at the bottom of the pyramid.

The Alpha 1 is designed to show us what is best for consumers to have confidence in a brand and who are looking for the product further down the pyramid that is best for them. It really doesn’t make sense to sell the high-end camera to the masses like Canon and Nikon currently do, so I would expect both to come out with mirrorless cameras that go beyond what everyone else does. two the EOS R5 and the Z7 II. If we don’t have a camera like the Alpha 1, we don’t see what’s possible. The next big innovation from Canon or Nikon comes only from the fact that each of these companies keeps pushing each other. We have the Sony Alpha 1 because the EOS R5 exists, and so on, and so on.

So for those who are complaining that the Sony Alpha 1 is overpriced, I’m sorry: it isn’t. Its price is exactly where it needs to be, and if you think that’s too much to ask for, it’s not for you.

And it’s okay.



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