Coast to Cooper Creek with the Sony α1
Sometimes the stars align, and that happened for me when I reviewed the $10,000 Sony α1.
Sometimes the stars align, and that happened for me when I reviewed the $10,000 Sony α1 just as I was about to drive from South East Queensland’s coast to Cooper Creek in Queensland’s Outback.
The diversity offered by this trip provided ample opportunities to test both the wide angle 16-35mm f/2.8GM lens on the varied ocean and landscapes, and the telephoto 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6GM on the variety of wildlife across southern Queensland.
Sony’s α1 offers an incredible, 50MP sensor, which made my mouth water for some astrophotography. Despite the sensor, and resultant file, size, the α1 is also capable of shooting at up to 30 frames per second (fps), making it an incredibly capable sports and wildlife camera as well.
I headed out to push the α1 to the limits. The weather seemed determined to help me in this quest, providing thick cloud and rain along the coast, and skies that only finally cleared once the moon had waxed to more than half in the Outback. But the α1 proved a worthy opponent for these challenges, effortlessly supporting my efforts. I’ll begin by diving into the telephoto and wildlife side of things, since that is where my major passion lies.
Minjerribah, or North Stradbroke Island, is where my adventure began. Blessed with terrestrial and marine wildlife, as well as an abundance of birds, “Straddie” as the locals call it seemed the perfect place to start. I despaired, as I stood watching Australian Humpback Dolphins from the jetty at Amity Point as the cloud and light rain rolled across, but the α1 leapt to action in my hands, making the best of the light and capturing exquisite detail as the dolphins surfaced.
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.
As the day began to clear, I was keen to push the α1 further still, and headed up to Point Lookout where Eastern Ospreys love to hunt along the South Gorge. Here I wasn’t disappointed by the birds, the camera, or the surprisingly light 100-400mm lens, which combined to provide stunningly crisp shots such as the one below.
The terrestrial wildlife, such as this eastern grey kangaroo, were quite happy to sit and pose during the early light of the following morning, showing off the sharpness and colour that the combination of the α1 and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6GM can produce.
After saying a sad farewell to Straddie, I headed up through the Lockyer Valley towards the Outback. Here I happened upon this hilarious camel, and had a great time testing the camera’s 30fps ability to capture its chewing motions.
Although Outback Queensland is renowned for its vast, stark landscapes, I wanted to test the telephoto out there as well. Young emus running towards the road, as they are prone to do, provided me with several opportunities for this, with stunning results. As an action or wildlife camera, Sony’s α1 is an absolute champion.
As can be seen, the Sony α1 works beautifully together with the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6GM for telephoto shots. But, the story doesn’t end there, and I wanted to test its capability for landscapes.
Queensland’s Outback lends itself perfectly to landscape photography, with its stark environment and deep colours. Climbing a sandhill near Cooper Creek I was presented with this glorious view that highlighted the windswept sand and surrounding region. Sony’s α1 captured the colours and textures effortlessly, and was light enough to carry to the top without breaking a sweat.
As mentioned previously, I was very keen to test the α1’s big 50Mp sensor with some astrophotography, but the clouds chose not to co-operate until the moon had waxed beyond half. Determined to try nonetheless, I headed out to Baldy Top near Quilpie where I was delighted not only by the lack of sensor noise, but also by the way the camera captured the light off the red sand.
This was the first time I’d used one of Sony’s cameras, and also my first time using a mirrorless camera. I was delighted by its light weight, and how intuitive it was to shoot in manual mode with all of the necessary dials easily accessible. The α1 doesn’t include a built-in flash, so I was unable to test it beyond long exposures for night photography.
The downside of this camera, for some, includes the large array of menu items, and the big five-figure cost. Of course, these things go together, and many serious photographers may appreciate some of the more deeply buried menu items.
I would highly recommend Sony’s α1 as an ideal companion for a serious photographer prepared to spend that cash. Whether you’re aiming to capture crisp, sharp action shots, or the deep colours of the Outback, this surprisingly light camera works with the photographer to make the best of the light that is available, and the opportunities that present themselves.
Official price: $10,499 – shop around for a better deal.
