Sony A1 vs Sony A7R IV: Noise, Pattern Noise and Just How Poor the Analysis Tends to Be
Related: Contrast and Phase Detect Autofocus, digital artifacts, focusing, noise, pattern noise, PDAF banding and striping noise, Sony, Sony A1, Sony A7R, Sony A7R II, Sony A7R III, Sony A7R IV, Sony mirrorless, striping pattern noise
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There is some analysis out there on the noise in the Sony A1, mechanical shutter vs electronic shutter, blah blah blah.
The truth is that noise as analyzed “rigorously” is dumb as it comes. Because pattern noise is a much more concerning issue than some 0.2 stop difference in sensors.
That’s why my #1 concern with the Sony A1 in terms of image quality is not some masturbation over fractional-stop noise differences*, but whether the Sony A1 has pattern noise anything at all like the troubled Sony A9, or well-controlled noise like the Sony A7R IV.
Because if you want a single Sony camera body suitable for sports/wildlife and landscape, it remains to be seen whether it has PDAF banding issues or not. If the Sony A1 turns out to have PDAF banding issues, then it is a non-starter for landscape.
* Unless you are already an expert at maxing out ETTR exposure to within 1/3 stop (AE won’t get you there)—and even then—of what relevance is a 0.1 or 0.2 stop noise difference?
