Sony announces A1 camera and includes a shot of Nauticam housing in video

[Hoag]

On 26 January 2021, Sony announced the new A1 camera. This camera looks like it can do it all:
50MP sensor
30fps in RAW (No Black out)
Autofocus and Exposure calculated 120 times per second
Real-time AF tracking, Real-time Eye-AF (humans, animals, birds)
15+ stop dynamic range
Up to 8k video

The list of features is seemingly endless.

The cool part of the announcement though isn't even mentioned, but comes at the 20:52 point of the announcement video, as Sony Pro Photographer Paul Nicklen appears to put an A1 into a Nauticam Housing and then takes it underwater. (Tiger Beach???)

So, Sony announces a new flagship camera that can be yours for just $6500USD, $8500CAD or 7300€ and Nauticam already has what I would guess is a functioning prototype for it.

Cool!

 

[scrane]

Imagine flooding a $6,500.00 camera!

 

[Hoag]

Imagine flooding a $6,500.00 camera!

That was one of the first things I thought of when I saw the underwater footage.

 

[coldwaterglutton]

I'm not a camera guy, but after seeing that video:

 

[M_Heyns]

Looks like the A7SIII housing fits.

 

[Barmaglot]

With lenses, housing and ports, that's easily a $20k rig. Thanks, but no thanks. However, I am holding out some hope that all this new sensor technology that's been going into full frame cameras lately will, at some point, make it into the A6xxx APS-C line - it's been coasting on basically the same sensor, with minor improvements, since A6000 came out seven years ago. I mean, I'd like to replace my A6300 with an A6600 for the larger battery, better AF and IBIS, but I can't justify dropping over $2k on a new body, housing and ports (assuming SeaFrogs; much more in case of Nauticam et al) on these features alone. However, an APS-C body with an all-new sensor and 1/500s flash sync would be a much more compelling proposition.

 

[BFRedrocks]

With lenses, housing and ports, that's easily a $20k rig. Thanks, but no thanks. However, I am holding out some hope that all this new sensor technology that's been going into full frame cameras lately will, at some point, make it into the A6xxx APS-C line - it's been coasting on basically the same sensor, with minor improvements, since A6000 came out seven years ago. I mean, I'd like to replace my A6300 with an A6600 for the larger battery, better AF and IBIS, but I can't justify dropping over $2k on a new body, housing and ports (assuming SeaFrogs; much more in case of Nauticam et al) on these features alone. However, an APS-C body with an all-new sensor and 1/500s flash sync would be a much more compelling proposition.

Yeah, same here. I was super close to swapping out my a6500 and Nauticam housing for the a7rIV as I have mostly N100 ports anyway, but even that was like $5,500 and just really hard to justify for 1 or 2 big dive trips a year.

 

[rhwestfall]

quietly hums to himself the Barenaked Ladies song..... "If I Had A Million Dollars"..

 

[Kari Hyttinen]

Looks like the A7SIII housing fits.

Yes, it fits! Of course you have to map the video record button to something else and of course the wheel on top on the left hand side cannot be used. But most of the necessary functions seem to be accessible. I might take it to water next week....if I dare...