Last week, Sony offered a mysterious announcement, displaying only the words, “The one never seen,” as well as a date, January 26th, 2021, 10 AM EST.
The title of the YouTube countdown reads, “New product announcement on January 26th, 2021.” And the caption simply states to “be ready for the announcement of the new Alpha.”
In other words:
We should have a new Sony Alpha mirrorless model – and our first compelling camera reveal of 2021 – before the week is out.
But what camera is this new Alpha, the “one never seen”? What model is Sony teasing?
Unfortunately, we have no official knowledge, and Sony will undoubtedly stay silent until 10 AM on January 26th. But the internet has been abuzz with speculation, and plenty of suggestions have been thrown around regarding the identity of the new camera, including:
- A Sony a9 III
- A Sony a7 IV
- A medium format camera
According to SonyAlphaRumors, the new kit is most likely the A9 III, which will potentially offer 8K/30p – hence the “one never seen” designation, because up until this point, Sony has restricted their Alpha models to 4K (with even the video-centric Sony a7S III maxing out at 4K/120p).
8K capabilities do come with significant resolution requirements. The Canon EOS R5, for instance, sits at 45 MP, and the Sony a9 III may overshoot this by a few megapixels (SonyAlphaRumors suggests a possible 50 MP sensor).
The Sony a9 and a9 II are action photography cameras through and through, offering blazing-fast autofocus and exceptional continuous shooting speeds, but at the cost of resolution. Both cameras sit at an “average” 24 megapixels, so a jump to 8K might even call for a doubling of the current resolution count.
Regardless, a 50-megapixel camera with professional-level action chops will certainly satisfy some photographers, assuming they can afford the (likely exorbitant) price.
So make sure you check out Sony’s announcement on January 26th at 10 EST. Whatever Sony unveils, it’s bound to be exciting – and only the start of a thrilling 2021!
Now over to you:
What do you think about Sony’s announcement? What camera will the company reveal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
