#Alpha1 für #Trixie #Debian-Installer und Änderungen beim #Freeze

Die erste Nachricht des neuen Jahres hier auf #LinuxNews dreht sich um Debian und die Fortschritte bei der Vorbereitung der Veröffentlichung von Debian 13 »Trixie«. Am Wochenende erschien dazu die erste Alpha-Version des Debian-Installers (d-i) für Trixie.
Architekturen. ...

https://linuxnews.de/alpha-1-fuer-trixie-debian-installer-und-aenderungen-beim-freeze/

It's annoying the lengths I have to go to avoid smokers at a hospital. (Many, but not all, are hospital staff.)

People should know better, especially those who work in the field of medicine.

They don't understand that it's a huge accessibility issue for those of us with Mast Cell Disease and also Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. (And for others, like COPD, asthma, etc.)

#NEISvoid #MCAS #AATD #Alpha1 #Alpha1AntiTryptsinDeficiency

Sony Alpha 1 Teardown: The Inside of a Flagship Mirrorless Camera

#equipment #technology #a1 #alpha1 #camera #disassembled #disassembly #flagship #mirrorless #sony #sonya1 #sonyalpha1 #takenapart #teardown

The Sony Camera That Tumbled Down an Olympic Ski Slope Survived

#culture #news #2022olympics #2470mmf28gm #accident #alpha1 #beijingolympics #durability #mishap #nickdidlick #olympics #oops #sony #sonyalpha1 #survived #winterolympics

Photographer’s Camera Tumbles Down Ski Run at Winter Olympics

#culture #news #2022olympics #accident #alpha1 #beijing2022 #caughtoncamera #olympics #oops #sony #sonyalpha1 #weathersealing #winterolympics

ProGrade Versus Sony CFexpress Type A Cards: Is There a Difference?

ProGrade Digital just released the first CFexpress Type A cards that aren't made by Sony and while they aren't "cheap" by any stretch of the imagination, they are more affordable than Sony's offering. But does that discount come at a performance cost?

At the time of publication, CFexpress Type-A memory cards were only used by Sony in a few of its newer cameras like the Alpha 1. The format is much smaller than a CFexpress Type B card and while Type A cards will never be as fast, Sony chose them for its line of cameras because they have a secondary benefit: the small size lets them share a card slot that can also be used with legacy SD cards.

SD cards are actually bigger than CFexpress cards, which let Sony build a slot in both its cameras and its CFexpress card reader that lets the one slot pull double duty. For photographers, this means that Sony could support faster read and write speeds to get the most out of its new cameras while also not forcing photographers to pick up all-new media.

That choice is great because Sony's CFexpress Type A cards are -- at the time of publication -- $400 for 160GB of capacity, a considerable investment.

As you can see above, ProGrade elected to keep its two memory card reader slots separate.

While the format isn't widespread yet, ProGrade Digital believes it will become more popular in the future and as such has decided to join the party and just released its version of the media.

What's the Difference?

Performance-wise, both Sony and ProGrade promise the same read and write speeds and physically both devices look almost identical -- in fact, both cards note the country of origin as the same as well: Taiwan. The only real differences between them appear to be minor design choices on the back of the cards and a $70 price margin.

The only real way to repeatedly test and determine if there is a difference between these two cards is to run them each through speed tests. Theoretically, I could fire a burst of photos on camera with each card and time how long it takes to clear the buffer, but there is no reason to believe that the speed tests here would provide a different result especially since -- as I'll explain below -- I used two different card readers. Additionally, this method is much more repeatable and controlled.

For this test, I have both the Sony and ProGrade CFexpress cards as well as the official card readers from both companies: the Sony MRW-G2 and the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A and SD Reader. I ran both cards through both of the readers in order to both see if there was any benefit to using a card reader and card from the same manufacturer, but also to assure that there was no unfair advantage that would appear by using a Sony card on a Sony reader, for example. I did not think one would exist, but it's safer to be sure.

I ran speed tests using the BlackMagic Speed Test application on an Apple MacBook Pro multiple times. Both card readers were connected via USB-C cables into the reader and into the laptop -- I did not use the cable that converts the USB-C design to USB-A. Testing speeds on cards varies with each run that the card goes through and performance will vary slightly depending on individual cards and over time, but the screenshots below are good overall averages of what you can expect from the cards.

Sony Versus ProGrade via ProGrade Card Reader

First I want to show the results from running both cards through the ProGrade Digital combination CFexpress Type A and SD card reader:

ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Card Sony CFexpress Type A Card

As you can see, both cards fell short of the promised "up to" 800 MB/s read spends and 700 MB/s write speeds. The ProGrade Digital card averaged around 679 MB/s write speeds and around 785 MB/s read speeds with the ProGrade reader. The Sony card performed pretty similarly, averaging around 683 MB/s write speeds and around 780 MB/s read speeds through the ProGrade reader.

While it appears the ProGrade Digital card read data a bit faster than the Sony and the Sony wrote data a bit faster than the ProGrade, the difference here is within a tolerable margin of error of around 5 MB/s, which means that there is effectively no difference in performance between these cards with the ProGrade reader.

Sony Versus ProGrade via Sony Card Reader

Next, I ran both cards through the Sony combination CFexpress and SD card reader:

ProGrade CFexpress Type A Card Sony CFexpress Type A Card

The Prograde CFexpress card averaged around 654 MB/s write speeds and 730 MB/s read speeds when tested through the Sony reader. The Sony card averaged around 651 MB/s write speeds and 731 MB/s read speeds through the Sony reader. The results here are much closer than when the cards were compared through the ProGrade card reader and are absolutely within the expected margin of error.

As far as I am concerned, this confirms that the cards should effectively perform identically across mediums and cameras.

Curiously, both the ProGrade card and the Sony card performed worse through Sony's reader than through ProGrade's reader by a factor of nearly 20 MB/s in both read and write, which is more than I feel comfortable attributing to just a margin of error. I am not familiar with the inner workings of card readers and what might make one perform better than the other, but in my testing, ProGrade does take the win here as far as media readers.

Hunt the Best Price, Not the Brand

If you were afraid that the $70 discount in price between the Sony and the ProGrade cards would result in worse performance for ProGrade, I have good news: both cards should perform pretty much exactly the same.

One thing worth noting though is that as far as card readers go, ProGrade Digital's CFexpress Type A and SD card combo reader appears to be a bit better than the Sony MRW-G2 CFexpress Type A reader. Sony's reader is also $120, while ProGrade's is $80. So while I can comfortably recommend you can buy either the Sony or ProGrade card (whichever is on sale) and get the same performance, it appears the ProGrade card reader will give you better performance, albeit just a little.

That said, ProGrade's reader is made of mostly plastic while Sony's is an all-metal housing. I haven't ever encountered a situation where I needed my card reader to be tough as nails, but if that's important to you, Sony is likely the better choice even if it's just a hair slower.

#comparisons #equipment #reviews #alpha1 #cardreader #cfexpress #cfexpresstypea #comparison #memorycard #memorycards #prograde #progradedigital #review #sdcard #sony #storage

A Review of the Sony Alpha 1 for Wedding Photography

Ever since the a9 in 2017, Sony has dominated the spec charts. As with all camera brands, different product lines had different strengths -- speed, resolution, video. In 2021 however, Sony dropped a surprise with the Alpha 1, which combines the best of everything that came before it.

Does it deliver on the hype? This review covers everything about using the Alpha 1 for wedding photography.

For context, I've previously shot systems based on the Canon 5D Mark III, Nikon D750, Fuji X-T2, and most recently the Sony a9 and a9 II.

Build

There's nothing new here -- it's the same as other 4th gen bodies (a9 II, a7R IV, a7S III). That's a good thing though, as the squishy buttons, deep grip, firm clicks and general ruggedness feel great.

As someone with large hands, I still find the body too short and need to add a base plate - there are excellent options from Honglai or Meike. The Sony grip (VG-C4EM) also works well, albeit being absurdly overpriced.

The EVF in the Alpha 1 is fantastic. It's advertised as 9.4 million dots, but as you pump the refresh rate (60, 120, or 240fps), the resolution will drop. The 5.76M/120fps option is a great balance for weddings. The EVF is noticeably larger than previous Alpha cameras (in either 60 or 120fps modes) and is a joy to use. Anyone who prefers an OVF after this will never be convinced.

The other screen on this camera is absolute trash -- the 1.44M LCD. The size and resolution are the lowest of any camera you could compare to. It would be acceptable on a budget camera but is inexcusable on the flagship. I am glad they avoided a flip screen, which wastes precious time.

Handling

All previous Sony cameras had abysmal start-up and response times -- the Alpha 1 fixes all of that. Flicking through menus or adjusting exposure now feels instant. This is the most appreciated upgrade in real-world use. Sure it's now merely as responsive as any DSLR from the last 15 years, but better late than never.

The Alpha 1 includes the new menu design first found on the a7S III. Professional whiners on the internet have loved to complain about Sony menus for years - in truth, the old menu was fine. The new menu is fine with different colors. On any modern camera, there is little need to use menus after setting it up the first time, and the Alpha 1 is no different.

There are some brilliant new software tweaks :

• Tracking + Face Detection can now be enabled simultaneously, via toggle or hold. I would love to be able to include AF-ON with this custom button option as well.
• Portrait images remain in portrait when viewed at 100%. Previously they were shown horizontally which was infuriating.
• Alternating between human + animal eye-AF is now 1 press instead of 3.
• The video record button can be customized, effectively giving stills shooters an extra button.
• When shooting with flash, live-view can reflect your exposure or show the ambient light. You can also enable a micro-preview of the image after releasing the shutter which is incredibly useful.
• You can now soft-format your memory cards - this is HUGE. If you ever made a mistake before, your files were GONE. Not something you want to explain to newlywed couples.

These show that Sony is really paying attention to their existing users. You love to see it.

Autofocus

The Alpha 1 is an AF beast. The Alpha 1 laughs in the face of any AF challenge you dare throw at it.

The a9 and a9 II were already superb, the Alpha 1 dials it up another notch. It's quick to lock onto subjects in any lighting. It holds onto eyes/faces more smoothly than before. Sony's real-time tracking is the standard to which all cameras must be compared. It's no longer about how many photos you get in focus, but how easy it is to capture and what that frees you up to create.

It's not quite perfect. I still hope for

1. Automatic swapping between human and animal eye-AF. For now, even an icon showing which mode is engaged would be helpful.

2. An option to switch faces/eyes while AF is active. In rare cases the camera will stick on an eye even as it becomes the distant eye.

Image Quality

The Alpha 1 shoots 50MP files at 30FPS in pure silence with no rolling shutter. That is INSANE. The files are gorgeous. The detail is incredible. There have been many high-res bodies before the Alpha 1, but none can shoot in silence like the Alpha 1 can. The shadows pull up far cleaner than the a9 series. I'm comfortable shooting up to around ISO 12,800.

Many wedding photographers shy away from high-resolution bodies for workflow concerns. I use Capture One to edit, which has zero lag when editing either 24 or 50MP files. I did find it helpful to crank the sharpness setting in the picture profile. This has no effect on the raws, but makes it easier to see your point of focus instantly on the LCD or in PhotoMechanic. It's also welcome to see Sony now including a full-size preview within ARW files - previously I had to shoot raw + jpeg to cull.

As someone who used 18-24MP cameras my entire career, shooting at 50MP is more demanding though. You will need faster shutter speeds and sharp glass. 50MP is unforgiving.

There is now the option to shoot lossless compressed raws. I was initially excited for this, but I still shoot lossy to minimize file size (there is a ~10% penalty for shooting lossless).

Video

I am told this camera shoots video.

Perks for Wedding Shooters

There is a long list of reasons that help this camera shine at weddings -

• Pure silence, under any lighting conditions.
• Anti-flicker with the electronic shutter.
• Flash sync with the electronic shutter.
• 1/400th flash sync on mechanical shutter.
• 50MP provides ample room to crop for perfect compositions.
• Can adjust from 5-30fps with ease.
• Can shoot dual SD cards, far cheaper than CFE-A or XQD.
• Access to the stellar lineup of E-mount glass, especially the GM primes.

Individually these features are nice, but the combination drives home the comfort of using the Alpha 1. It's great not switching modes when attaching a flash or enabling anti-flicker. Using one media type simplifies workflow. Having room to crop gives flexibility to prime shooters like me. Every step of the way the Alpha 1 is helping you out rather than holding you back.

Feeding the Alpha 1

With great power comes a hungry appetite. To keep the Alpha 1 happy, you need to be well-stocked.

1. Battery life is worse than the a9 series. I use the LCD heavily and get 2-3 hours, using 6-8 in total per 10-hour wedding for two bodies. Using the battery grip is more efficient, as you can run your first battery to 0%. I often change in anticipation if about to start a ceremony or set of speeches, even if I have 20-30% remaining.

2. Lossy compressed RAW files are 50-60MB each. I could narrowly manage with 128GB cards, which means I now use 256GB cards. I never want to hold back on a moment for fear of a full card. I strongly recommend UHS-ii cards with a write speed of at least 130MB/s, preferably 250-300MB/s. The Alpha 1 can take CFE-A cards, but these are stupidly low capacity, expensive and unnecessary.

3. The file sizes will take a hit on your storage and backup costs. The price of the camera is the cost of admission, there are several incidentals to keep in mind by running an Alpha 1 system.

Sample Photos

How It Compares

There is no comparison to this camera. Other bodies can match individual specs, but nothing can combine them all in one body. It is costly, but it delivers everything it promises.

Do you need this over an a9, or a9 II? Definitely not. Would an a7R IV offer more resolution? Of course.

Outside of Sony, the Canon R5 would be the closest rival. While it sports a 45MP sensor, it loses out in other areas -- silent shooting, mixed media, flash sync, shutter speed, framerate, battery life, an incomplete (and heavy and expensive) RF lens lineup.

Nikon? You've got to be kidding.

I doubt many are buying the Alpha 1 because they need to. You buy it because you're passionate about producing the best photos you can. You buy it because you appreciate the experience of a camera that never holds you back. Most of all, you buy it for the overkill, the ludicrous power, the ridiculous excess that only the Alpha 1 can provide.

Because you can.

About the author : Ben Howland is a wedding photographer based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of Howland's work on his website, Facebook, and Instagram. This article was also published here.

#miscellaneous #alpha1 #benhowland #camera #mirrorlesscamera #review #sony #sonyalpha1 #wedding #weddingphotographer #weddingphotography