Sony A1 & Sony 200-600 First Impressions Part 2 - Alpha One 

I find this channel more useful and trustworthy than those with a million subscribers. Thank you sir.

Thanks Mark, I ordered the a1 the day it was announced and for me, it has been a game changer. Now I need to save for the 600 f4.

Another great video. Can not wait for you to do your set up guide!!!!!

Many thanks Mark. The only review I was waiting for (but I bought the A1 anyway). Using the same combo and I'm impressed too. All I need now is your talent!

Fantastic video Mark!!! I just got a used a9 in New condition and I love it! The a9 with the 200-600 fits my budget for now! I may look at getting the a1 in a few years!!! For now I am loving my a9!!!!!!

Another excellent update on this amazing camera. Your honesty, openness and enthusiasm is great to see. Thank you.

Thanks Mark. Looking forward your setup video when you return to Fl. I use a small piece of electrical tape on the left 1/3 of the eye sensor and this solved my blackout problem. It works like it is supposed to during my wildlife shooting.

Wonderful to learn about sony a1. The ease in your hands shows how light-weighted this set up is. With sony camera and lens, i would request you to make more birding videos.

This is my current setup. I love this combination more and more as I learn how to use both the a1 and the FE 200-600. Thanks for your videos!

Nice Review. Thanks for your letting me be a part of your wonderful workshop this month on the 15th and 16th. Those Eagles are crazy.

Greetings from Africa Mark. Great video.... I joined the SKIN Club (Spend the Kids Inheritance Now) held my breath, and managed to get 2x A1's, because I always shoot two rigs in the field. As the menu's are quite different, I did this to standardise, so I don't have to spend time thinking about how to change a setting in the heat of the action. I am now shooting A1 / 100mm-400mm+1.4xTC and A1 / 600mm f4+1.4xTC... That gives me an instant choice of focal range 140mm through to 840mm, and my AEL buttons are configured to the APS-C / Super 35 crop, so at the touch of a button, I have 1,260 mm still @ 21 Megapix, and still more to crop if I need it, and it really paid off this last week that we were in the bush... Loving this body.... Keep up the great work . Warm regards, Tim.

Hey Mark! You inspired me and today I purchased a Sony A7R IVa with the 200-600. Im only 22 years old and im amateur and don't have endless money so it was a very serious purchase for me. I know you said the A9 was a better setup for the price, but I tested the A7R IV with the 600mm and it was amazing and I was happy with the focusing. Also I got a 2021 manufactured 1 so im sure it wont have any problems.

It's really amazing to see what the latest AF technology can do. I can only talk about the R5, but it really changed the way I shoot (in a good way).

Thanks for posting Mark. Would really appreciate an overview of your set up on the A1.

Good to have you back Mark. Great video, always looking for what makes a great camera, sounds like you have found a real gem.

Happy to have you back!

Thanks Mark for the video. I am as well using the A1 and I absolutely love it. I can't explain it completely but it just seems to do what a camera is supposed to do and it does it quickly, efficiently, and very well. I've used four other Sony bodies and this is by far my favorite

As usual, a superb review of a remarkable camera - thank, Mark!

Thanks for the review Mark. And yes, I am saving for it. Loved your shots.

Hi Mark, I was in Washington and met you there. I did have an issue with the EVF going dark on me and I have missed shots due to that and had no idea why it was happening. Thank you so much for giving clarity that it's an issue with the sensor. Thank you, Christina

Great info Mark, part 1 and part 2. Really enjoy your storytelling and probably even more with your new favorite camera. I’m a little past novice and shooting manual mode almost always now with a used D500 and AF-S 80-400 VR. It’ll be a while before I look to upgrade, but I enjoy learning and seeing the great results people are getting with the latest equipment. Really hard to comprehend the days of film...and not that long ago by my calendar!!

Nice video Marc and already looking forward in one of your future videos that shows us how _you_ setup this beast 👍🏻

Thanks so much Mark. I appreciate your review and seeing you again!

Thank you for the explanation of the EVF blackout issue. I ran into that problem while out on the ocean whale watching in Monterey Bay with the A1 and 200-600. It was a bright, cold, windy day so I ditched my baseball cap for a warm knit cap. I shoot with both eyes open and pull the camera slightly away from my face to scan the horizon for the next breach. That would explain the EVF issue. I wonder if an extended eye piece might help to protect the sensor from direct sunlight? Thank you for the setup videos.

Hey 👋, I just saw u there today at sunset(Saturday 22) I was the kid in the black coat btw! Amazing pictures

Thanks for the update. Will you be posting a video on your recommended settings for the A1?

Great video, the explanation of the AF system is the same as what I have observed. I think you are spot on Mark or really really close!.

The fact that there aren't even 10x more followers is simply because too many people are still being seduced by dazzlers. Your work is simply honest&great, again and again.

Thanks Mark for that excellent and unbiased review! 👍👍📷📷

Can you please talk about the 200-600 lens? Great video as always, greetings from Costa Rica!

Thanks so much for these 2 videos Mark. I have been looking at moving from Nikon. These types of raw videos help us little guys to make better informed decisions.

FANTASTIC VIDEO!!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!! I DREAM to have this camera in my hands.... I have been a SONY user since the first mirrorless camera A7R1 and have been delighted with this new changes that mirrorless can offer. Now this A! seems aoutstanding in every way!!!!! Thanks for making this videos and blessings to you!!!!!

Thank you for the input. You sold me on a used A9 for now, but in some years this looks like a dream camera for me.

Hey Mark, great video as always! I’d love to pick-up an A1 but hard to justify the cost when it’s just a hobby. On another note, welcome to WA! We’ve had great weather up until this weekend... Sorry about that. If you ever head towards Bellevue and feel like grabbing a beer, hmu. I owe you several for all the great advice you’ve given with these videos. All the best, cheers!

Those series of shots of the eagle swooping towards you is just short of remarkable. Sony has done some amazing magic with their latest mirrorless and even though my Z body is slowly catching up, it’s still far behind in the field. Great demo Mark👍, sadly I can only watch in envy😔

Thanks for taking the time to update us on your switch to Sony. This eye-track technology seems to be a real game changer for serious bird photographers. I wonder how the A1 will impact the rest of the Sony lineup. I'd love to see this level of eye-track filter down to an RX10 Mk5 for those of us who just don't see our budgets or backs up to hefting a 600mm f4 lens. Maybe with a full articulated screen, Sony. Like the rest of your work, your eagle photos are outstanding and I look forward to your next video.

As always Great Video Mark. I recently switched to Sony A1 from my D850 and its been awesome...

I broke-down and picked up an a1. Pretty much killed me financially. But along with the 200-600, it pretty much makes birding feel trivially easy lol. But hey, now I’m challenged to do even better shots, instead of struggling with the equipment. The a1 really is a stellar camera. Words can’t even describe…

I just got my A1 yesterday. Today is setup day except for my CF Express Type A cards, which don't arrive until Wednesday.

Thanks for that Mark. Very useful and much appreciated.

Mark, nice to see you in the PNW! I have a friend considering the a1 and he wears glasses. I don’t wear glasses to shoot so I cannot give any comment as to whether the blackout issue is worse with glasses on as it might give a chance for more light to hit the sensor. I do the tape thing with mine, but I do find I need to keep my eye pressed up against the cup or I still get a bit of blackout once in awhile. Thanks!

Very impressive! I wish the book was on Eagles, but in time!

Great feedback and impressions. I am very happy with mine too. Only issue is the EVF. I have never had this issue on my other sony's body (a7rii, a7riii, a7riv, a9, a7iii...). I hope a firmware can fix that to make it perfect. Some complain also about IBIS but i have not had this issue while using my camera.

Another amazing video that I've been waiting for so long!!! I'm looking forward to receive my A1 in a few days. Will there be a video with your camera setup coming soon?

Thanks Mark, I switched from nikon to Sony for the very same reasons you did. No confidence in the auto foucus!! My first Sony rental and eagle fly by all were in focus, was a fun week of shooting. Then back to my Nikon gear in a month I gladly bought the A9ii. Yay, a trip to McNeil River in Ak, 90% of in focus shots! Thanks to your set up guide,, the camera arrived, 2 days before. You have been a great help, will you be doing an A1 setup video anytime soon! Hope to see you in a claa soon. Thanks again Mark your work is amazing!!

I agree with you. Sony A1 has the best focusing system.When it lock on a flying bird it never miss it.

Not surprised by the content of your video Mark as I love the A1 and great to hear you endorse it with such enthusiasm as I have great respect for your skills and opinions on wildlife photography with the Sony gear. The EVF issue is frustrating but I appear to have solved it by switching the EVF to manual ( always on ) and turning the monitor on/off with a custom button when I need it , has not failed me since and I have tried to replicate the problem in bright sunlight. Are you going to do a set up video like you did with the A9ii and A7Riv ?

Great video Mark I will be reviewing my copy in the next couple of weeks having had it for nearly 3 months ! I can confirm everything you have said in the video, the best camera I have ever used for my wildlife photography here in the UK ! Difficult to find fault! We have not had enough sunshine here in the UK to effect the EVF !! (seriously actually missed that one, good tip will look out for that!) You didn't mention the good news for Nikon & Canon users it has forced those companies to produce mirrorless flagship cameras the Nikon Z9 with the same A1 sensor is coming ! And the Cannon R3 should be even better than the A1. Well that's the rumours anyway If you can afford to wait ! Exciting fun times in wildlife photography, just feel privileged to own the best wildlife camera in the world at the moment . Awesome !

Hi Mark. Thanks for the informative video. While waiting for your setup guide, do you think I can use your a9 setup for now? I know the menu is completely different, but are your a1 settings actually much different than the a9?

Oh, man. I bought another A9ii so I would have a backup. The A1 had just hit the market and I thought it was expensive and a data pig. I was completely satisfied with the A9 but now I'm really wondering if I made the right decision. The animal eye focus is what is really getting me. Your eagle sequence is incredible.

Thanks.. Great ‘’the sony one’’ feedback. I think many of your fans, including myself, would like to hear a comparison between a9 and a1. A few months ago a9 was the best of the best… Is a9 still the best or… If not what are we gaining by shifting to Sony alpha one..

I don't care what brand Mark uses; it's just fun listening to him eating my lunch at the office. He can probably use a pinhole box camera to get awesome shots of those bees then talk 30 mins to teach and entertain us.

Thank you, Mark. I feel 100 percent the same....for the first time shooting eagles for 7 days....I’m not checking for sharpness....it is amazing. Thank you for your time. Terry Bartick

Mark, I'm REALLY trying to hold out until Nikon comes out with it's new mirrorless, but your reviews of the Sony make it harder and harder. Thumbs up.

Not much said about the 200-600 lens. Image quality is what I wanted to hear more about. Sounds like the camera is awesome.

Hi Mark Have you experienced any autofocus issues when using the 600 f4 + 1,4 tele with the a1? And thank you very much for another great video as always.

Great review. I was sold within the first 1:20. Guess I have to go watch 1st video now.

Hey Mark! Thanks once again for your interesting videos. The shots of the eagle are stunning! If I may ask a question: What are your settings on the A1 / do you still use Zone as you did with the A9 or did you switch/use tracking? Thanks and have a great day! Greetings from Switzerland

Another big issue with the EVF being on all the time is that it will have a significant impact on battery life. (Although not a big deal compared to getting screen burn there!)

Another solution for the EVF is pick up a larger rubber eye cup. They are super cheap and all over Amazon. That did it for me. I had a problem with the 70-200 locking up the camera. Had a friend send me his configuration and loaded that and it fixed the problem.

Top quality, highly professional review as always thanks Mark

Of course the bees are buzzing all around you; you're sitting in the middle of their food buffet. That was an excellent review of the A1, I'm already looking for a way to buy one.

Another great informative video.Cant wait for the A11 set up guide!

That's so weird about the EVF issue, I've been using older Sony cameras and never had an issue like that in direct sunlight (or in any instance). I wonder why they would have issues with the EVF now, especially with their flagship camera. If it's as common as it's sounding like it is, they need to make a fix for it and make it right for their customers.

Once again a great video, Mark, you are absolutely the best among the bird gear reviewers as well as the best narrator! I am in the process of switching from the D850, after it developed problems with its viewfinder/mirror optics. I had the A1/200-600 on order before changing my mind and deciding to rent the Canon R5 /100-500 to see if I could save $3K. I took the latter combo to Costa Rica and found it to be a solid replacement for the D850 but not on par with your A1/200-600 experience. A little off topic, comparing he D850 and the R5, the sensors’ dynamic range, light sensitivity and noise levels were about the same, as was the IS. I liked D850's colors better. I liked R5's customizability a lot. R5’s “animal” eye AF was only good for birds, cats, dogs and people. It did not work with horses and similar animals. My BIF yields with the R5 were relatively poor, unless I had prefocused on the bird before it took off. I disliked using R5’s electronic shutter because it was impossible to know and control the number of photos in a burst, as there was no visual or audio feedback or preset limit. The R5 had great difficulties with AF in low light although the manual AF was excellent and actually very usable. R5 also seized several times, even when not shooting video. I liked the R5's compressed raw format (CR3), which was half the size of NEF without an apparent tradeoff. I loved Canon’s 100-500 lens, which was about twice faster to focus than Nikon's 200-500 and significantly sharper, in addition to being nearly 2 lbs lighter and having a much higher magnification for great macros. I liked its versatility, a range usable for both macros and some landscapes. I didn't like that it did not have locks at the full tele and wide ends. Canon’s 1.4x extender was optically usable in good light, although I disliked not being able to collapse the lens with the extender mounted. Unfortunately, based on this video my conclusion is that spending an additional $3k for the A1 is unavoidable. I do wish Sony had a 100-500 lens, or even a 50-500 with a similar aperture and magnification as Canon's 100-500.

Please do a video about how you set up your A-1 for birds/action photography. You did one about the A7R4 and it was extremely helpful. Love your videos. Probably see you shooting eagles this week as I will be going to where you shoot on Wednesday. Hope to run into you.

I ordered a1 because of your real world reviews. 🙈. Greetings to Sony. - That non original Arca Swiss handle on the lens, where can I get it?

I'm happy you are enjoying your new camera Mark! It means loads of new fantastic videos are on the way for us to watch and enjoy! BTW Mark Galer has mentioned in his A1 review that if you put the priority to release instead of AF or balanced emphasize it makes no difference and almost all of your results will be in focus!

Hi Mark, what do you use to carry your camera around ? a regular neck strap or a harnas ? going for 5 mile walks i am looking for a sollution. A1 plus my new 200-600mm

I've been very happy with the A1, my only issue is the frame rate dial as I wish they would let you control that view the menu like on the A7 series.

waited so long for this. happy now :)

The a1 is the first camera that I needed to tape up to work. And also the most expensive. So much good stuff about this camera, sad it has so many problems as well.

Mark smith thanks for the info I am your fan you explain it so nicely I really likes it all your info thank you for all

I'm on my way to getting one of these as well. Although my D850 with the 500 PF still holds ground. My question is the shutter speed changing instantly to suit the situation by thumb. Say for Example I'm at 3000s for humming birds. Oh snap he/she landed....bang 350s immediately to drop the auto ISO into gold. What am I looking at for the a1 in this perspective? You can see where I'm going with this in post noise editing, the changing variables from a bird flying to another bird sitting and maximizing what's available in manual setting changes very quickly.

I like a1 very much for auto focus

Great information!!! I just bought a1 recently.

Great video as always.I have been disappointed with my copy of the Sony 200-600 on the A9 - images are soft.Maybe user error or a bad copy .Not sure

I think you secretly have a A1-supermark edition, that pun wasn't really intended ;). Nailing focus 100% is such a revelation when time is so precocious. How does it respond to fleeting insects Mark? thank you for sharing your excited energies.

For bird non-video photography, what ways is the A1 better than the A9 and A9ll?

Are you going to do a settings setup on the a1 like you did with the a9II? This would be very helpful. Thanks

BTW this channel and you are so bloody awesome.

Keep up the great work my friend! God Bless!

I like your review as they are backed with a lot of great photos

As someone who own your setup here I would love to know the autofocus settings you use

hi Mark i did not scroll every message to check if somebody already ask these questions , do you shoot mostly on tripod? did ever happen to you to use the A1 sony , outside of your work/ hobby enviroment such as birds, instead use the camera for casual subject or evene treet photography? if so how did you feel the ergonomics most importantly.. and the IBIS? do you ever shoot wide lenson sony A1( for ex 16-35 GM) ? how well did perform the AF on this one? your work is outstanding!

Mark, If the A1 has the best AF you have used, what comes in second?

Beautiful and amazing captures...!!!!

I have the same issue with the A7RIV and the light sensor. It doesn't always happen but I have missed shots because of it. Great to see you enjoying the A1, I would love to try one out soon as I don't bother shooting with electronic shutter and would love to try the 20-30 FPS.

I bought the A9II and FE 600 GM based on your previous video. is the A1 so much better that you would advise adding the A1 or selling my A9?

Nice and informative video !! Just a little wabbling and breathing. I'm curious about what camera you used in this video.

I love your long-sleeve shirt, mind telling me what brand made it? Haha. Gr8 video!

Ooo yea just what I needed today thanks again.

Great job Mark. See you next week! :)

Would you rather take just your A1, or have your A9 and A7siii? I happen to own the last two for wildlife work, and have been heavily considering picking up the A1 due to features like it's S35 4k slow motion

Mark, any idea if the EVF blackout issue has been resolved by the recent firmware update? I have also heard a couple of experienced photographers complaining about the graininess of the RAW (not jpeg) images with this camera. Did you experience this issue at all?

Do find the a1's AF performance to be better than the a9 II's?

Great video as always Mark. You are uniquely qualified to answer my question. I upgraded from the 7iii to the Riv last year and use the 200-600G. That upgrade has been amazing and love my Riv. I’ve been saving (and saving and saving) to eventually get the 600GM. I know it’s almost always better to get the glass first and that is what I would advise someone to do but in this case is the A1 that much better than the Riv that it would outweigh conventional wisdom?

Personally I prefer the D500 w/the Nikkor 200-500 F5.6 good stuff.

Thank you for the nice video Mark! May I ask what lens did you use to shoot this video? I've noticed some quite frequent focus breathing. Was it the 35gm?

Informed and informal as always. Learn so much from your tutorials . I know it would be a ton of work but could you consider doing something for total novice on video. Would like to do some but not got the nerve yet!