Sony a1

The Sony a1 is a full-frame mirrorless camera released in 2021. It pairs a 50.1 megapixel sensor with a 30 fps burst rate, a combination built for photographers who want resolution and speed in one body.

Those numbers suit wildlife, sports and event shooters who crop hard and work in quick bursts. The 8K video recording also makes it a plausible single body for mixed photo and video work.

It uses the Sony FE mount, so it sits within Sony's full-frame mirrorless lens system. At 737 g, it is a camera you will notice carrying on long days.

The 50.1 megapixel full-frame sensor is the heart of this camera. That resolution leaves room for aggressive cropping. The Dual Bionz XR processor handles image processing. Our optics score of 89 is exceptional, and the a1 sits in the top 1% of cameras in our database for Optics.

Speed is the other half of the story. The burst rate reaches up to 30 fps, a maximum figure rather than a sustained promise. The 1/32000 sec maximum shutter speed helps when you want wide apertures in bright light, and 759 autofocus points are available for the focusing system to draw on.

In-body stabilisation reduces camera shake, which helps handheld work at slower shutter speeds, though it cannot freeze a moving subject. The electronic viewfinder, with roughly 9.44 million dots, shows fine detail when you check focus manually.

The ISO range runs from 100 to 32000. The low base suits bright conditions, while the ceiling may matter in very dark venues.

8K is the headline video capability, and our Video score of 86 is very good. Maximum resolution and frame rate are its main strengths, and those 8K pixels leave room to crop or reframe footage in editing.

Frame rates reach 120 fps, which allows slow-motion playback at normal speed. The maximum resolution and the maximum frame rate are separate specifications, so confirm the combined modes you need before planning a shoot.

Audio recording is well covered, with LPCM options up to four channels at 48 kHz and 24 bit, alongside AAC-LC stereo.

The camera does not assemble a timelapse movie in-body, so sequence creation belongs in the edit after capture.

The 3-inch touchscreen has 1.44 million dots and flips out, so it supports framing from varied angles rather than a fixed rear position. Live view keeps the rear display available for composition, and our Features score of 83 is very good.

The body is weather sealed, which helps in dust and drizzle, though sealing is not the same as waterproofing. There is no built-in flash, but the camera supports an external unit when you need added light.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in. Live view is on hand for composition. There is no built-in GPS, so the camera itself does not tag images with location data.

Two card slots accept SD (UHS-II compatible) and CFexpress Type A media. That combination matters when 50 megapixel stills and 8K video generate large files, and a second slot adds flexible capacity on long shoots.

The NP-FZ100 battery is rated at 530 shots, a test figure rather than a promise for every situation. Endurance is the weaker part of this section, and it explains why our storage and battery score of 73 is good rather than higher. A spare battery is sensible for heavy days.

USB charging lets you top the battery up between shoots, which is useful on travel days or long assignments.