Sony triumphs with seven awards at the EISA Awards 2021

Sony Triumphs with Seven EISA Awards for 2021, Including Highly Competitive "Camera of the Year" Category for Alpha 1

Sony is immensely proud to announce that the quality and innovation for which the company is known have once again been recognized at the prestigious EISA (Expert Imaging and Sound Association) Awards. Sony won a total of seven awards, including "Camera of the Year" for Alpha 1, "Multimedia Smartphone of the Year" for Xperia 1 III, and "Home Theater Projector" for VPL-VW590ES, competing against all others in the digital photography, mobile devices, and home theater projectors industries.

Full list of Sony's awards:

• EISA Camera of the Year 2021-2022: Alpha 1

• EISA Camera/Camcorder 2021-2022: Alpha 7S III

• EISA Standard Lens 2021-2022: FE 50mm F1.2 GM

• EISA Wide-angle Lens 2021-2022: FE 14mm F1.8 GM

• EISA Wide-angle Zoom Lens (Full-frame) 2021-2022: FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM

• EISA Multimedia Smartphone of the Year 2021-2022: Xperia 1 III

• EISA Home Theater Projector 2021-2022: VPL-VW590ES

EISA Camera of the Year: Alpha 1

With the Alpha 1, photographers no longer have to choose between sacrificing resolution for speed, because with this camera they can have both. At the heart of the camera is a 50.1 MP full-frame stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS sensor and a BIONZ XR™ processor for lightning-fast data readout speeds, allowing for continuous shooting up to 30fps and continuous operation of the electronic viewfinder without "blackout". The shutter has a dual drive, allowing for flash sync speeds up to 1/400 sec and electronic shutter flash sync up to 1/200 sec. Developed to be one of the most versatile cameras ever released, the Alpha 1 offers industry-leading features and video recording capabilities up to 8K (7680x4320) 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 quality. Equipped with the latest and fastest data transfer technologies, the camera supports professional workflows and offers advanced tethered shooting capabilities, making it the ideal choice for professionals with high demands.

EISA Camera/Camcorder: Alpha 7S III

The Alpha 7S III delivers stunning uncompromised 4K video quality. The camera features a 12.1-megapixel full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R™ CMOS sensor, providing exceptional performance even at high sensitivities, expandable up to ISO 409,600, and minimal rolling shutter distortion when using the electronic shutter. Additionally, full pixel readout allows for recording clean videos with exceptional sharpness without any crop. In 4K/60p mode, the camera can record for over an hour¹, and in slow-motion mode, you have the option of 4K/120p and Full HD/240p. The camera has built-in capacity to record 10-bit video with 4:2:2 color subsampling; the camera can also output 16-bit RAW data to a compatible recorder via HDMI. Thanks to the 3.0 type side-opening LCD screen and the industry-leading 9.44 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder, the camera provides the ideal opportunity for easy framing and subject tracking. And last but not least, you can achieve optimal workflow smoothness during video recording with the included S-Cinetone² gamma, full HDMI connection for both recording and video processing, uncompromised AF with Sony's unique real-time eye tracking technology, which is ideal for both solo shooting and small productions.

EISA Standard Lens: FE 50mm F1.2 GM

This unique prime lens combines premium image quality with an exceptionally bright F1.2 aperture and a remarkably compact and lightweight design. The combination of the newly developed 11-blade circular aperture and XA (extreme aspherical) lens elements produces beautiful bokeh. The four XD linear motors (with high dynamic capabilities) ensure fast and precise autofocus and tracking. In addition to the above, the FE 50mm F1.2 GM is equipped with an aperture control ring that can switch between two operating modes – with clicks between steps or clickless transition, ideal for both stills and video. The lens offers content creators a reliable tool with superb performance to use for portrait photography, wedding photography, video content, and many other applications.

EISA Wide-angle Lens: FE 14mm F1.8 GM

This extremely compact ultra-wide-angle prime lens with a large aperture combines Sony's latest advancements in optical design with manufacturing technologies in a rectilinear 14mm F/1.8 lens that you can easily take with you on location or use in the studio. The compact size and weight, however, have not been achieved at the cost of compromising the high image quality and reliability needed for working in challenging conditions. The Sony FE 14mm F1.8 GM lens delivers impressively good results for landscapes, nightscapes, architectural photography, and video shooting. The 9-blade aperture and XA lens elements contribute to beautiful bokeh, and the XD linear motors provide fast and precise autofocus.

EISA Wide-angle Zoom Lens (Full-frame): FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM

Sony's ultra-wide-angle zoom lens with a large aperture is a truly amazing lens with remarkable optical performance. Remarkable image sharpness is achieved at every point, even at maximum aperture, thanks in part to the largest XA lens element ever produced. The lens is also impressively compact, given its 122° angle of view and bright F2.8 maximum aperture. The high-quality body of the FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM includes a water and oil repellent fluorine coating on the front elements. The XD linear motors guarantee fast and precise autofocus, making the lens a useful tool for all landscape photographers, videographers, and photojournalists.

EISA Multimedia Smartphone of the Year: Xperia 1 III

Xperia 1 III has been developed in conjunction with the engineers responsible for innovations in the Alpha series cameras, known for industry-leading autofocus technology. The model includes fast and precise continuous AF for all lenses and Real-time Eye AF. In addition, Xperia 1 III uses the world's first variable telephoto lens for smartphones, combined with a Dual-PD sensor³ and a 4K HDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate⁴.

Xperia 1 III presents a comprehensive set of features developed specifically for photographers who strive to achieve perfectly looking results. Xperia 1 III uses the Real-time Tracking function, which allows users to capture even the most challenging moving subjects with precise focus⁵. By using AI-based algorithms and a 3D iToF sensor to measure distances, Real-time Tracking can accurately detect and focus on a subject and continue to track it, even if it temporarily leaves the field of view. The design is complemented by the world's first variable telephoto lens for smartphones, combined with a Dual PD sensor, which achieves up to 105mm focal length with the help of fast autofocus thanks to the Dual PDAF sensor. When switching between 70mm and 105mm⁶, the focus readjusts instantly to quickly and seamlessly capture beautiful details. Xperia 1 III also achieves focal depths of 16mm and 24mm for greater creative freedom and flexibility during shooting.

In addition to its premium camera features, the Xperia 1 III provides a rich selection of integrated functions that help proud Xperia owners follow their inspiration. Whether they are passionate about photography, music, cinema, games, or cinematography, the next generation of the Xperia 1 series enriches the experience of its users with many new multimedia features, including theatrical quality stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, 360 Reality Audio⁷, and new, enhanced Game Enhancer features for more thrilling gaming experiences.

EISA Home Theater Projector: VPL-VW590ES

The VPL-VW590ES 1,800lm native 4K projector is a truly versatile home theater device that delivers a clear 4K picture, deep contrast, and vibrant, accurately reproduced colors—a quality to be expected from top-tier home theater projectors. It offers an incredibly clear HDR picture, thanks to the "X1^TM for projectors" processor based on technologies used in Sony TVs, optimized for the operational characteristics of cinema projectors. You can watch content in original 4K HDR quality, thanks to the Dynamic HDR Enhancer function, which, together with "X1™ for projectors", optimizes the HDR picture quality through dynamic tone mapping. The dynamic range is expanded with deeper black tones, achieved by precise dimming of light sources and simultaneous enhancement of bright areas, with the process repeated for each individual frame.

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