Sony A1 first verdict: Canon's AF is better, "30fps failure", standard 8K lasts 16 mins

Sony A1 first verdict: Canon's AF is better, "30fps failure", standard 8K lasts 16 mins
(Image credit: YouTube: Tony & Chelsea Northrup)

The first verdict of the Sony A1 is in – and the big takeaways are that the autofocus isn't as good as Canon's, and the camera doesn't always live up to its promises of 30fps burst shooting and 30 minutes of 8K video. 

The Sony A1 was announced with plenty of pomp in January, with specs that on paper looked to outclass the mighty Canon EOS R5. However, paper and practice are two different things – and the first hands-on test of the new camera paints a much more grounded picture.

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James Artaius
Editor

James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.