Camera
Sony a1 initial review
Image quality
Key takeaways:
- JPEGs retain very high levels of detail at both low and high ISOs
- Noise reduction strikes a slightly different balance compared to the a7R IV, opting to reduce more luminance noise at the slight cost of fine detail as light levels drop
- Colors are improved: richer yellows, less magenta-tainted blues, warmer greens
- Class-leading Raw dynamic range compared to professional action / sports cameras
- Almost class-leading dynamic range compared to high-resolution full-frame peers
- ISO invariant over two ranges: 100-400, 500-102,400
Studio test scene
Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.
Raw
In terms of Raw detail capture, the Sony a1 turns in a really impressive performance, easily on par with similar-resolution competitors across the scene. In fact, you have to look pretty closely to spot any extra detail extracted by the Sony a7R IV’s higher-resolution sensor. The Sony a1 can be prone to false-color artifacts though, just like the other options here, which will require a bit of work in post to remove.
Despite being built to have absolutely insane readout speed, which often comes at a noise cost, the Sony a1 performs similarly well to the Canon EOS R5 at higher ISO values, and comes in a bit behind the Nikon Z7 II and a little ahead of Panasonic’s Lumix DC-S1R. Compared to its pro-oriented peers, the a1 remains competitive, falling perhaps a tad bit behind the Canon EOS-1D X III and the Nikon D5, likely due to its increased pixel count.
JPEG
Moving on to JPEGs, we can see that the Sony a1 has fairly aggressive default sharpening, and looks like it’s been ‘turned up a notch’ compared to the Sony a7R IV. And, in spite of looking pretty similar to the Nikon Z7 II at first glance, the Sony holds on to fine detail much more effectively. Despite the high degree of sharpening, the a1 does not suffer from the overshoot at edges that you can see in images from the Nikon.
All of the options here output what we would call pleasing color, with the Sony exhibiting especially rich yellows. Compared to the Sony a7R IV, it looks like the a1 offers a number of improvements, from these richer yellows to far less magenta-tainted blues, warmer greens and slightly less muted caucasian skin tones (similar to what we saw with the Sony a7S III). Reds appear to have taken a slight dip in saturation and don’t appear as Canon-esque as they did with the a7R IV.
At higher ISO values, the Sony a1 unfortunately exhibits a fair bit of color bleed, with the Nikon putting up the strongest showing here by far. All cameras leave behind a degree of luminance noise, and honestly, all do a good job of holding on to low-contrast detail though the Canon and Nikon fall behind the other options here somewhat. Sony’s own a7R IV looks to hold on to just fractionally more detail at these settings than the a1, which becomes a little more apparent when all are viewed at a common size, but it does so at the expense of more luminance noise. With the a1, Sony chose to strike a slightly different balance, sacrificing a bit of fine detail for reduced luminance noise.
Compared to its professional peers, the a1 retains more detail at the highest ISOs than the Nikon D5 and Canon EOS-1D X III, no doubt helped by its resolution, but it does so at a slight cost of increased luminance noise and color blotches.
Raw Dynamic Range
The a1 is Sony’s third camera to utilize a full-frame stacked CMOS sensor. Its first, the a9, traded off low ISO dynamic range for sensor read speed, with the a9 II improving matters by a little over 1/2 EV at its base ISO. But as we’ll see below, the a1 brings an even greater improvement in low ISO dynamic range despite even faster sensor scan rates than either a9 model (or indeed any other consumer camera we’ve tested).
Our Exposure Latitude test does what you might be temped to do in bright light: reduce the exposure to capture additional highlights, then brighten the shadows. Even after a 6 EV push of an ISO 100 Raw file shot on the a1, noise levels remain modest in shadows, and are comparable to – albeit ever so slightly behind – the class-leading a7R IV:
Compared to its professional-oriented peers, the a1 turns in class-leading performance, with the lowest noise levels and greatest detail compared the Nikon D5, Sony’s own a9 II, and the Canon 1D X III. It’s worth noting that the Canon has similarly low noise levels in shadows after extreme pushes, but this is only made possible thanks to noise reduction in Raw which comes at the cost of detail. Switching the a1 to e-shutter mode shows only the slightest increase in noise in the deepest shadows: small enough that it’ll be irrelevant to most photographers.
Next, we take a look at ISO invariance. Our ISO invariance test looks at images shot with the same exposure settings but different ISO settings. This lets us see how much electronic (read) noise is present, that can be overcome using amplification.
At first glance, the sensor in the a1 does not appear ISO invariant, but this is due to its dual gain design. In the crops above, the noise levels of the ISO 100 and 400 shots pushed +6 and +4 EV appear similar, while the noise levels of the ISO 800 and 6400 shots pushed +3 and 0 EV appear similar. The a1 essentially has two ISO invariant ranges, between 100 and 400, and 500 upward, as ISO 500 is the camera’s second ‘native’ ISO where each pixel switches to its high conversion gain mode for better low light performance.
This means that in dim conditions, you can use the shutter speed and aperture settings of a high ISO exposure, but keep the camera set to ISO 500. By the time you brighten up the shot in post, the image won’t be noticeably noisier than it would be if you had shot natively at a higher ISO, but you’ll have saved many stops of highlight information. Similarly, in brighter conditions where fast shutter speeds might require ISOs above 100 but below 500, you can use the exposure associated with the higher ISO, but keep the camera set to ISO 100 to retain highlights. Think sports or your kids running against the backdrop of a sunset where the action requires at least 1/500s shutter speed. You may easily be bumping up against ISO 400 and clipping those skies to white, but you needn’t do so if you retain the shutter speed and aperture associated with the higher ISO but then dial the ISO back to 100 to keep the highlights from clipping.
The fully electronic shutter mode again only shows a tiny increase in noise in the deepest shadows at the lowest ISOs, and any differences in performance disappear at ISOs above 200, where amplification overcomes any extra read noise accompanying e-shutter mode.
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The SL3 mirrorless model will be the first Leica to gain Camera to Cloud capabilities
Photo: Richard Butler |
Leica has announced it’s collaborating with Adobe to add the Camera to Cloud Frame.io upload feature to its “portfolio.”
The rollout will begin with the SL3 model, as discussed at the Adobe MAX event last week.
Interestingly the company specifies that the feature will be coming to its “mirrorless system cameras” which would exclude both the D-Lux8 and Q3 compacts. However, we’d be surprised if the Q3 models don’t eventually gain the feature, given how similar their underlying firmware and processors are to the SL3. The implication appears to be that M models could gain the feature, though.
Camera to Cloud, first offered by Fujifilm, has more recently been adopted by Panasonic, with which Leica has a technology development collaboration.
Notably, Leica was the first camera maker to offer one of the other much-discussed features at Adobe MAX: the ability to embed Content Authentication Initiative-compliant ‘Content Credentials.’
Leica Camera AG collaborates with Adobe to Bring Frame.io’s Camera to Cloud Capabilities to its Portfolio
Wetzlar/Miami, October 2024. At Adobe MAX – the world’s largest creativity conference – Adobe and Leica Camera AG announced the integration of Adobe’s Frame.io Camera to Cloud technology into selected Leica mirrorless system cameras, starting with the SL3 camera in 2025. Frame.io’s Camera to Cloud platform is the fastest and most secure way to get media from the set to the people who need to work with it.
Nico Köhler, Head of Product Experience at Leica Camera: “Collaborating with our partners from Adobe again, marks a significant milestone in the continuous pursuit of innovation at Leica, providing photographers and videographers with seamless workflow solutions. The inclusion of Frame.io Camera to Cloud in the Leica SL3 enhances this commitment for offering increased speed and flexibility that empowers professionals in both photography and videography.”
Thanks to the Frame.io integration, Leica users will be able to deliver assets to social media within minutes, provide same-day delivery of photos and videos for events, and enable real- time collaboration and efficient approval processes with clients. The integration of Frame.io Camera to Cloud will be provided via Firmware Update with the Leica FOTOS App or on the Leica Corporate Website in 2025.
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The Lowepro Photo Sport 300 AW II alongside the Panasonic GH7 with 12-60mm F2.8-4 and Olympus 40-150mm F2.8 Pro for scale.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
We don’t usually test a product for a decade before reviewing it, but in the case of the Lowepro Photo Sport 300 AW II camera pack, I’m going to do precisely that. Why? Because this is a piece of gear I genuinely love. Over the past ten years, I’ve probably used it as much as any other product I own, except for my mobile phone.
I’ve auditioned many camera packs: I’ve bought some, borrowed some, tried packs that came through the DPReview offices and built my own DIY solutions. None worked as well for me as the Photo Sport 300 AW II.
Let’s agree up front that there’s no such thing as a perfect camera pack, but I’ll explain why this pack has traveled everywhere with me for ten years. This long-term review is based on my own experience using the Photo Sport 300 AW II for a decade.
Lowepro Photo Sport 300 AW II overview
The Photo Sport 300 AW II backpack is part of Lowepro’s ‘Photo Sport’ line, aimed at hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and it looks more like an outdoor pack than a camera pack.
A configurable camera cube sits at the bottom of the pack, accessed through a side panel. It provides adequate space for most full-frame mirrorless cameras, like a Sony a7, Nikon Z6, or Canon R6, with a lens attached, along with a second lens.
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The configurable camera cube has enough space for most full-frame (or similarly sized) mirrorless cameras and a second lens as long as it’s not a big telephoto. Don’t plan on putting a Nikon Z9 or Canon R1 in it, though.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
The upper section of the pack is top-loading and closes with a drawstring, similar to many climbing packs. The top flap includes an integrated storage compartment, and the side has a pocket for carrying a water bottle or a small tripod.
There’s also a 2-liter compartment for a water reservoir. A small compartment on the bottom hides a very capable rain cover, so it’s always with you.
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The upper section of the pack closes with a drawstring, similar to some climbing packs. You can stuff a lot of gear inside as long as you don’t mind the pack getting a little bit taller.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
The back panel is pretty minimalist. It doesn’t have a mesh design for ventilation, which I know many people like, but I prefer the simpler design. I’ve never found it too hot, even in the Amazon jungle. After years of hiking with it, I’ve worn through the fabric right down to the padding, but it still works great.
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The back panel has a minimalist design, but I find it still breaths well and keeps the pack compact. At the bottom, you can see where I’ve worn through the fabric after years of daily use.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
Lowepro no longer makes this exact model; its successor, the Photo Sport Outdoor Backpack BP 24L AW III, has a similar design and should perform similarly. You can read our full review of the Photo Sport 24L AW III to learn more about it.
Buy the Photo Sport Outdoor Backpack 24L AW III:
What I like
For me, the Photo Sport 300 AW II is a Goldilocks product: it provides just the right balance between camera storage and space for other gear.
I keep using it for three primary reasons: lifestyle, durability and flexibility.
Lifestyle
The Photo Sport 300 AW II works so well for me because it’s a good match for my lifestyle, and that’s a good guiding principle for any camera pack. I often travel with a combination of camera and non-camera gear, and I generally pack pretty light.
I’ve become more efficient with gear over the years, and despite anxiety about not having every possible focal length in my bag, I’ve learned to work with a single body and just one or two lenses most of the time. If I need something extra, I put it in a padded case in the top of the pack.
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I live in the Pacific Northwest, so my lifestyle often includes rain. Thanks to a hidden compartment in the base of the pack, the very effective rain cover is always with me.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
The side panel access makes getting to my cameras quick and easy. I realize this is a polarizing aspect of camera pack design, but this design works for me on this pack. I would choose something other than side access on a pack meant to carry multiple bodies and lenses, but on this pack, it works very naturally for me.
Durability
This pack is tough as hell and never failed me despite being subjected to a lot of abuse. It’s been used almost every day for ten years, and it still feels like it has years left in it.
It’s been dragged through taiga forests in the sub-arctic and the mud of tropical jungles. It’s been stuffed into cargo bins on buses, tied to the roofs of minivans going over mountain passes in snowstorms, traveled around the Amazon in open canoes, bungied to the backs of motorcycles and tied to tuk-tuks. It has the dirt and grime to prove it.
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My pack has the dirt and grime to prove it’s been used and abused. It’s a far cry from the bright blue color it had when I bought it.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
In short, this is a bag I trust.
It’s showing some wear and tear. A couple of fabric spots in the pack’s interior are a bit frayed, and the bottom of the water bottle pocket has small holes from being scraped on the ground too many times. But everywhere it really matters – the straps, zippers, and any critical points of attachment – it’s stitched to last and as solid as the day I bought it.
Flexibility
The Photo Sport 300 AW II is relatively compact when needed, but the main compartment holds a larger volume than you would expect as a result of its similarity to a climbing pack. However, I’ve never had trouble fitting it under an airplane seat (as long as I haven’t stuffed it too full).
There’s a compartment for a water reservoir, but I’ve found it works equally well for a 13-14″ laptop computer, and I currently use it to carry a 14″ MacBook Pro.
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The hydration compartment works equally well for carrying a water reservoir or a laptop computer. My 14″ MacBook Pro slides right in, though I have to spread the straps a bit to do it.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
In those rare cases where I don’t want to carry camera gear (hey, it happens), I like that I can squish the padded cube to take up less space, allowing me to use it as a regular daypack.
Finally, this pack doesn’t scream ‘camera bag’! Most people will likely think it’s a daypack rather than a camera pack, making it easier to blend in. Those in the know will recognize the Lowepro name if they see it, but the logo is pretty small and subtle.
Things I’d like to see improved
I like the Photo Sport 300 AW II a lot, but there are a few things I’d like to see improved.
I often use the side pocket to carry a compact tripod, like the Peak Design Travel Tripod. However, the side strap that secures the tripod’s top is too high for many travel tripods. As a result, I also use the strap from the top panel to help secure the tripod, but it’s an imperfect solution.
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I often carry a travel tripod in the side pocket, but the blue strap that secures the top is just a little bit too high to reliably hold it in place.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
I wish the hip bet were removable. I use the hip belt for hiking, but the pack is so versatile that I also use it for travel, where I don’t want the hip belt hanging off my back while riding trains or walking through a foreign city.
Finally, I wish the camera cube was removable when not carrying photo gear. Fortunately, Lowepro also figured this out: the cube is removable in later versions of the pack I’ve seen, which seems to have carried through to the newer model(s).
The final word
Finding the right camera pack is one of the most elusive things in photography – more difficult than finding the right camera, in my opinion. That explains why so many photographers have a closet full of them. I’m thrilled to have found one that works so well for me.
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Most people won’t recognize the Photo Sport 300 AW II as a camera backpack. Those in the know will recognize the Lowepro logo, but it’s relatively small.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
Despite my affinity for the Photo Sport 300 AW II, I’ll be the first to tell you it’s not the best bag for every situation. If I’m on a shoot that requires multiple bodies and lenses or a bunch of video gear, I’ll use an appropriate pack. But the Photo Sport 300 AW II is my daily driver for most activities, even ones that don’t involve photography.
Lowepro no longer sells this exact model, but the Photo Sport Outdoor Backpack 24L AW III that replaces it is very similar, albeit slightly smaller. I suspect most of my observations about the Photo Sport 300 AW II would also apply to it.
You’ve heard from me, so now I want to hear from you. In the comments section below, tell me what your favorite camera pack is and why you love it!
Buy the Photo Sport Outdoor Backpack 24L AW III:
| Images: Logitech, Apple, SmallRig |
Hello everyone! It’s been a busy week here at DPReview, and the same has apparently been true for accessory makers. Today we’ll be looking at some stylish accessories for Fujifilm’s new entry-level camera, some computer accessories that may make editing easier, another digital photo frame, and more. First, though, let’s see what’s on sale.
A Couple of Canons
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The Canon EOS R7, which won our Silver award last year, is currently $200 off. It’s also worth noting that the main thing that kept it from getting Gold was the lack of RF-mount lenses that made sense for an APS-C camera, but that situation has been someone improved now that Sigma has released several of its F2.8 ‘Contemporary’ zoom lenses for the system.
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| Photo: Dale Baskin |
If you’re looking for a full-frame option, the gold-winning EOS R6 Mark II is also currently on sale at $500 MSRP.
Vintage-looking clothes for a brand-new camera
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The case looks especially good with the black X-M5, though unfortunately, that model isn’t shipping until April.
Image: SmallRig |
Fujifilm’s new X-M5 hasn’t even hit store shelves yet, but SmallRig has already announced new accessories for it. There are the usual suspects, like an L-shaped handle that adds more grip and a thumb grip accessory, but there are also some more stylish options meant to match the camera’s retro aesthetic. Perhaps the most classic is the half leather case that’s meant to evoke classic rangefinders and which comes with a new braided wrist strap. The latter can, of course, be used with pretty much any camera and SmallRig is selling it standalone as well.
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There’s probably a bit of irony in using such retro-styled accessories on a vlogging-focused camera with no viewfinder, but it’s hard to deny how stylish they are.
Image: SmallRig |
There’s also a ‘Retro Cage,’ which is made to look like aged bronze and features gold-colored accents. It also includes a wooden hand grip section. Outside of the looks, it’s a pretty standard cage, adding several mounting points to the camera for those who are serious about rigging it up for video use. The cage and the L-mount kits also include a fuzzy windscreen that clips onto the hot shoe mount, which should help cut down on the amount of wind noise picked up by the X-M5’s three microphones.
An ultra-portable editing tool
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| Image: Apple |
It’s no secret that a lot of photographers love editing photos on an iPad using an Apple Pencil, especially now that it’s super easy to connect a camera to it via the near-universal USB-C. And for those looking for the utmost in portability, there’s good news: Apple just updated the iPad Mini, adding the A17 Pro processor from the iPhone 15 Pro and making it compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, which has haptic feedback and squeeze control.
From a technical perspective, the Mini is less capable than the latest iPad Air, which packs an M2 chip, which is itself slower than the M4 powering iPad Pro. The latter also has a much better screen than the Mini; the Pro’s 120Hz ‘tandem OLED’ display can reach brightnesses of up to 1,600 nits when viewing or editing HDR content, while the Mini’s 60Hz LCD screen caps out at 500 nits.
None of that is to say that the Mini isn’t capable, just that there are trade-offs to its smaller size and lower price – the A17 Pro is still a plenty-powerful chip for most editing tasks.* But if portability is your number one priority, it’s hard to beat the iPad Mini.
* All the image editing for this article was done using Photoshop on an iPad with a much older A14 chip.
A desktop editing tool
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We got to try out the MX Creative Console at Adobe Max, and found that it could be very useful in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Photo: Mitchell Clark |
If you prefer to do your photo editing on a computer, it may be worth checking out Logitech’s new MX Creative Console accessory. There are two parts to it: a bank of buttons that are actually tiny displays, and a jog wheel surrounded by a scroll wheel and four programmable buttons. On the software side, the console connects to programs like Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop and Capture One.
You can fill the bank of buttons with various functions, like selecting certain parameters or tools, which you can then control with the wheel. You can also use the wheel to zoom in or scroll through your library. All of it is customizable, too, and you can have several pages of buttons for each application, which you move through using two arrow keys on the console.
The bank of buttons connects to your computer via USB-C, while the wheel uses Bluetooth. The company says it can run for up to six months off two AA batteries.
App support for the Creative Console is currently relatively limited: it doesn’t natively tie in to the Affinity creative apps, or Apple’s Final Cut Pro. There are ways around that – you can bind keyboard shortcuts to the console’s keys – but the experience won’t be as smooth as it is in the natively-supported Photoshop, Lightroom, or Capture One. Logitech says companies are absolutely welcome to create integrations, but it’s always worth buying hardware for what it can do now rather than what it may be able to do in the future.
Another new digital photo frame
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| Image: Skylight |
Earlier this month we covered Lexar’s new digital photo frame brand, and this week we’re hearing about another new digital photo frame. This one is from the brand Skylight, which has upgraded its Frame display to up the resolution, add swappable face plates, and provide more storage.
The Frame 2 has a 25.4cm (10″) 1920 x 1200 anti-glare display with auto-adjusting brightness. It comes with 16GB of storage, which the company says can hold up to 16,000 photos. The Frame’s frame is held on by magnets, making it easy to remove if you want to change up how it looks. The company says there’s eight colors available across four styles.
The Frame 2 costs $169 with the ‘Classic’ or ‘Cover’ frame, or $199 for the variant with the ‘Wood’ or ‘Shadow Box’ frame. Of course, you can always swap the frame out later; the Classic and Cover frames are available for $15 each, and the Wood and Shadow Box ones are $30 each.
A new action cam cometh
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| Image: Insta360 |
Action cams, like drones, are often used as an accessory supplementing a main camera; after all, nobody wants to strap their EOS R7 to the front of a bike or a surfboard. Insta360 is teasing what appears to be a new generation of its flagship Ace Pro action camera, with an announcement set to come on October 22nd.
If you were considering the new GoPro Hero13 Black or DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, it may be worth waiting until then to see what Insta360 is bringing to the market – the company certainly seems to think it has the leg up, with its marketing tagline of ‘the real pro’ seeming to act as a not-so-subtle dig at both cameras.
Click here to see last week’s roundup
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