Sony A1 "flagship" Firmware Update

[PeterLoco]

Sony 

As an A1 owner your "Flagship" model is lacking many of the newer software features as some of your newer models. Please consider what message you are sending to your customer base by not adding newer features to your loyal customers that made investment into your system.

I am sure I am not allow in feeling this way.

Thank you  

[Jordan]

This is a concern for me as well. I got into the alpha 1 because it was marketed as 3 cameras in one. High resolution, high speed, excellent video. I absolutely love the camera and is remains to be no other camera I could replace it with. 

 

BUT… it kills my soul when I can’t use my 35mm GM for video because of focus breathing. The entry level a7iv has the software for focus breathing compensation and the reviews look superb. 

 

 

I’m hopeful that sony will come out with a massive update for the a1 and include the breathing comp. Once breathing comp is in the camera I can finally get rid of my sigma lenses and be 100% sony. 

 

 

For video it would also be sweet to have timecode, internal raw, and 8k out with hdmi so I can use it with my ninja v+.

[Angie]

This is a concern for me as well. I got into the alpha 1 because it was marketed as 3 cameras in one. High resolution, high speed, excellent video. I absolutely love the camera and is remains to be no other camera I could replace it with. 

BUT… it kills my soul when I can’t use my 35mm GM for video because of focus breathing. The entry level a7iv has the software for focus breathing compensation and the reviews look superb. 

I’m hopeful that sony will come out with a massive update for the a1 and include the breathing comp. Once breathing comp is in the camera I can finally get rid of my sigma lenses and be 100% sony. 

For video it would also be sweet to have timecode, internal raw, and 8k out with hdmi so I can use it with my ninja v+.

I’m one of Sony’s pro users. When I bought the a7 iv, I thought I was buying it to serve as a backup and handle a few discrete tasks where the fully articulated screen would be needed. But I expected my a1 to be my main camera body.

I am now shocked to see that even more updates are coming for the a7iv. But not the a1. It’s utterly bizarre, but for an increasing number of scenarios my a7iv is becoming my main camera body. Focus breathing compensation, for example, means that the a7iv has replaced the a1 as my primary video camera.

Now I see Sony is coming out with new cloud based services for the a7iv, the fx3, and a few others. But not the a1.

As a business person, I have to weigh the dollars I spend against the return on investment. The more I spend, the more return in investment I need to justify it. Buying the most expensive camera in the lineup to have it sit on my desk while one of the least expensive models in the lineup gets used often because it’s only the lower level camera gets the firmware updates just doesn’t seem like a smart business decision. Why buy a $6500 a1 if, more and more often, it cannot do what I need it to do and so I must turn to a less expensive alternative? As a businessperson, it makes far more sense to just buy the less expensive camera and save $4000. 

I love the Sony system. I’ve evangelized about it to my photographer friends. I have even convinced some of them to switch over to Sony themselves. So it is really saddening that now I find myself cautioning people to think twice before buying Sony’s top of the line camera due to its outdated software and lack of ongoing support. And, for me, I cannot see myself buying the high end products again. 

Please, Sony. Don’t abandon your best customers. 

Angie