El Sony's new Airpeak S1 was officially introduced. A drone that, as we intuited from the advanced information, was going to be destined for the professional sector and it has been. So you can forget to get one unless you want to pay the 9.000 euros it costs, although that does not deprive you of enjoying its technical capabilities.
Air Peak S1
After several very busy months in forums for fans of the world of drones and professionals in the audiovisual sector, the wait has come to an end. Sony finally unveiled all the details of the Airpeak S1, his first focused drone and a proposal designed for the more pro sector. This is something that is not only intuited as soon as you know the $9.000 it costs, but also because of some visible features such as the gimbal and camera that you can use. So that from the beginning it becomes an interesting proposal that will rival the popular and very well Rated DJI Inspire 2.
To get to know it a little more, let's talk first about the design. As you can see, it is a device of size, consider it, but even so, according to Sony, it is the smallest with the capacity to handle a mirrorless camera with a Full Frame sensor without problems, such as, for example, the Sony a7s III that can be seen next to a 24mm f1.4 focal length lens.
This may seem like a small thing, but it is not, especially if one takes into account that its most direct rival, the DJI Inspire 2, makes use of a module with a micro 4/3 sensor. Although the most striking of all are its flight capabilities because, as they have also published, the AirPeak S1 is capable of maintaining constant speed in flight and greater stability when there are air currents.
The only downside for the size of the drone itself and these speed and stability characteristics is that the battery would only offer 22 minutes of flight without load and about 12 minutes when equipped with a Sony a7s III with the 24mm f1.4. Of course, also because of the proposal itself, which is should not be a big problem because you would have more batteries and you would not be used for shots that are too long in time.
For the rest, the Airpeak S1 also integrates a matrix of sensors that help offer flight assistance to avoid collisions and other types of accidents thanks to the joint use of different algorithms that analyze the entire environment where it is flying.
Control designed for Apple users
This may sound a bit strange to you, especially when Sony itself has mobile devices that it could use to control the flight of its new drone, but at the moment the control app will only be available for iOS and iPadOS users.
That is, only if you have an iPhone or iPad can you use Airpeak Flight. As long as before you decide to buy the drone in question. Although we assume that it will be a matter of time before they launch the version for Android.
Through this application, what you will have is full control of the device and of the camera itself with an interface that seems quite well resolved and that in the latest iPad Pro can be very enjoyable, especially in the 12,9-inch model. .
Regarding the command, there is little to say and it seems adequate for the type of flight that would be carried out with this proposal from Sony.
Cameras compatible with the AirPeak S1
To finish, the Sony AirPeak S1 is compatible with the following cameras Sony alpha: a1, a9 II, a7s III, a7r IV and FX3. As for lenses, all these models can be used together with lenses that range from 14mm to 85mm.
Price and Availability
The drone can already be purchased, but you should know that the gimbal or gimbal must be purchased separately. That means that at U.S. dollar 9.000 of the drone will have to add another 1.750 dollars plus the camera and lenses that you want to use.
An investment that, as you will see, is valid only for professionals who have very specific needs and where quality is mainly demanded. So start saving if you intend to buy one, until the fall of 2021 when it will reach stores and distributors, something you can do.