The Sony flagship A1 is a very versatile camera that excels not only with photography but also video. With all the different accessories out there, this camera can be perfected for any situation.
Here are the top accessories that I think are great for the Sony A1, including a few video accessories.
Table Of Contents
Sony Alpha 1 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H
1. Batteries For Sony A1
Sony batteries are great but the A1 can go through them fairly quickly depending on what you’re doing so it’s a good idea to have a few spares. If you’re using a vertical battery grip it’s a good idea to use two official Sony batteries. If you need some for backup, third-party batteries are working great.
Here are some recommendations.
Official Battery Sony NPFZ100Available At: Amazon / Adorama / B&H The Sony NPFZ100 batteries run at 7.2V with a 2280mAh, which comes in a little higher than the third-party options right now. These batteries use an iNFOlithium technology which communicates with the camera how many charges the battery is good for. |
Third-Party Batteries For Sony A1
For the last few years, third-party battery companies have struggled to keep up with proprietary coding, however, it seems Wasabi has figured it out and these batteries have been working for quite some time now. It’s likely they got the decoding correct and Sony won’t be able to kill these batteries via firmware, but we’ll see.
Wasabi Third-Party Battery
Wasabi has been making third-party batteries for a long time and they are based out of California. Currently, their batteries are made in China. These are rated at 7.2V and 2000mAh which is a little under what the official Sony batteries are rated at. These are decoded like the Sony iNFOlithium to show the remaining battery charges. They come with a 3-year warranty. |
2. Memory Cards
I have tested all the most popular memory cards in the Sony Alpha 1, so if you’re looking for the absolute fastest memory cards, or can’t decide if CFexpress Type-A cards are worth it over V90 SD cards, then be sure to check out this guide.
3. Screen Protectors
There are a lot of different brands of screen protectors out there. For a flagship camera like the Alpha one, I would probably just use a high-quality glass screen protector. That’s what I used on my A7rIII and saved the camera on more than one occasion. Here is a solid recommendation of a brand I use a lot.
PCTC Glass Screen Protector
Glass screen protectors will adhere to the screen and can be difficult to remove after a few months. If you need to replace your screen protector try using some gentle heat from a hairdryer or space heater first. Available At: Amazon |
4. Body Cases For Sony A1
If you’re not using a battery grip sometimes leather half-cases can be great to not only extend the grip of the camera but also to protect it from damage. Here are the cases I typically use.
Lim’s Half Leather Cases
Available At: Amazon |
Gariz Half Leather Case
Available At: Amazon |
KazaI’m going to leave a link to the Kaza cases here for now even though at the time of writing this they don’t have an Alpha 1 case. I’ll check in with them periodically to see what they come up with. I generally like their cases a lot for a more classic handmade feel and design. I’ve owned several of their cases in the past. Available At: Kaza |
5. Camera Straps
There are so many great straps out there now that’s it’s hard to decide what to go with. Personally, with my mirrorless hybrid cameras, I’m using a Peak design setup, because the system is somewhat modular and allows you to quickly change out straps, or hand grips on the fly without any headache.
I use the Clutch as a handgrip and to that, I attach the Peak Design camera strap.
Peak Design Clutch
Available At: Amazon |
Peak Design Straps
I like the way these straps are designed to work with their other products for a somewhat modular type strap system that’s easy to swap around. For the Alpha 1, you’ll likely want the 32mm strap which is the SSL if you’re using medium to heavy lenses. If you’re running a light setup you can definitely get by with the L – 19mm strap. SL – 45mm wide SSL – 32mm wide L – 19mm wide Available At: Amazon |
6. Best On-Camera Mic For Sony A1
Since the Sony Alpha 1 is such a great hybrid and video camera, it’s nice to have an on-camera mic just for run and gun use. Here are the two mics I think are very useful, sound great, and are of great value.
Rode Video Mic Go IIRode now has two versions of the Video Mic Go. Version II now has USB support so that you can also use it with you’re smartphone or computer. The version I is still great and overall this is just a great simple on-camera mic that is very handy and sounds good. I personally think it sounds better than the Pro+ mic which has a more metallic almost hollow sound to it. |
Deity V-Mic D4 Duo Microphone Mini
The Deity 2-way mic is a great mic since it can be set to pickup sound that is coming from behind the camera. This is great if you’re narrating while still needing clean audio coming from the front of the camera. Build quality is great, and sound quality is also very nice. On the Mic is a switch so you can turn on or off the back mic. It will record separate audio to the Left and Right channels, so the volume can be tweaked later. |
7. Cleaning Accessories
Here are a few very useful cleaning accessories that I recommend.
I’ve also built a full guide for the best accessories for cleaning your camera and sensor if you’re looking for more.
Air Blasters
Air blasters are a must-have item, I personally have a few. One I keep in my bag and one I keep at home.
Rocket Air Blaster
Rocket Air Medium: Amazon Rocket Air makes a few sizes, I prefer the small or medium for these smaller cameras. I like these more than any other air blaster because the fins allow you to set it upright on your desk or work area without it rolling around. |
Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloths
Micro-fiber cloths are sometimes the only way to effectively clean a UV filter or lens, here is the pack I buy when I run out.
Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloths 6-Pack
This is a 6 pack. The cloths are more light and silky compared to some of the other microfiber cloths that I also have. This is good because you can just tuck them in various pouches of your camera bag without them taking up much space. |
Sensor Brushes
There is a lot of online debate about how to clean your camera sensor, or on what is the best way to clean your camera sensor. Usually, people are overcomplicating it. Unless you have spit, oil or some liquid on your sensor, a sensor brush is really all you need.
Here is a basic run-through of how to effectively use one with the sensor brush that I recommend.
First – Never touch the bristles since they need to stay clean, free of oil, and maintain their static attraction to dirt.
Second – Use the rocket air blaster to give the bristles a good cleaning, this also can help add a little static charge if you’re in a dry environment.
Third – brush across the sensor lightly until you remove all the dust and dirt. Some of it can be stubborn but it almost always comes off with this brush.
Fourth – Always pack the brush back into its plastic bag and tube when you’re done.
I love my brush. It’s a must-have and I always keep one in my travel bag. This one here is German-made, it’s the best.
The Sensor Cleaning BrushSensor Cleaning Brush Full Frame – Amazon Sensor Cleaning Brush APS-C / All Sizes – Amazon Try this to clean up general dust and lint from the sensor. This won’t work if you have liquid, a finger print or some type of oil on the sensor. |
Extras
Lenses For Sony A1
I keep a list of all the Sony lenses here.
Sony Alpha 1 Accessories Conclusion
This list covers some of the best basic accessories for the Sony Alpha 1. I could obviously make this list huge as there are so many great accessories, but I just wanted to list some of the basics that I like that aren’t too expensive that I think you’ll like.