Sony a1 vs Arri vs Red

How does the Sony a1 compete with cinema cameras like the Arri Alexa Mini LF and the Red Komodo? That's what I wanted to know when I was buying my Sony a1. I discovered that the subtle changes that Sony made to the video side of their flagship made a big difference in bridging that gap, sending it ahead of some established Hollywood cameras and into the competition.

This is an in-depth look at the features, stats, dynamic range tests, and sample footage of the Red, Arri, ZCAM E2, and Sony. There are a lot of stats, a lot of observations, and a lot of opinions here— so lots for folks to pick at. And that’s what the Comment sections is for! just remember to be kind and polite— we’re all working artists here, it’s hard to condense information without throwing some nuance out, and probably no one is a scientist is Sony, Arri, or Red.  And I KNOW there will be some who say, “well X Camera can do the same thing” to which I say... you’re probably right. We’ve been gifted with magnificent machines. These are my observations of one camera, not a criticism of other cameras.

If you want to skip around, use the Index!
Index:
Intro: 0:00
Why the Sony a1 is Different: 0:42
Intro to Specs: 2:12
Sony vs Red Specs: 3:08
Sony vs Arri Specs: 7:23
ZCAM E2 Specs: 11:25
Sony vs ZCAM sample footage exterior: 12:45
Sony vs ZCAM studio examples: 13:45
Full frame vs cropped sensors: 15:04
Sony a1 Personal Review: 16:39
SLOG 3 Performance: 18:30
The magic in 8K: 20:20
RAW issues: 21:20
Why RAW doesn't outperform h.265/264 by much: 27:16
Missing cinema camera features? 29:30
Dynamic Range of other competitors: 33:39
Conclusion: 34:36

Special thanks to:
CineD (cined)
Stefan Mitterwallner (@stefanmitterwallner9614)
The Buff Nerds (thebuffnerds)

www.hurricaneimagesinc.com