If you want to battle-test a camera, give it to Renan Ozturk. This acclaimed adventure filmmaker chose the Sony Alpha 1 for an ultra-ambitious documentary project, filming in the heart of the jungle within an extremely harsh environment. Explore more on this fascinating project and read on if the Alpha 1 made it through this torture.
It’s the constant dropping in the mud. The accidental slips, the falls, the impact, all day long. It just wants to eat your camera gear alive.
Filmmaker Renan Ozturk
A crazy ‘National Geographic’ project
“Explorer: The Last Tepui” features National Geographic explorer Mark Synnott and famed climber Alex Honnold (‘Free Solo’) as part of an elite climbing team on a mission to deliver 79-year-old biologist Bruce Means to the top of a 7,500-foot Guyanese tepui, a mystical “island in the clouds,” in search of undiscovered species completely new to science. It is directed by National Geographic photographer and climber Renan Ozturk and documentary filmmaker Taylor Rees. The trek included hacking a trail through uncharted jungle beneath towering waterfalls spilling down from the clouds.
Honnold said that the climb was even more dangerous and filled with more unknowns than his world-famous free solo up Yosemite’s El Capitan. Also, the filmmaking was more challenging as well compared to ‘Free Solo’ (Read: “Free Solo” Multiple Award-Winning Film was Shot on C300 Mark II and URSA Mini), as the shooting environment was extremely harsh and merciless.
Sony Alpha 1 as the main tool for the job
Ozturk selected the Sony Alpha 1 to capture hi-res stills, 8K 10-bit video, 4K 10-bit slow-motion, and more in a lightweight package that could keep up with world-class athletes and locals as they moved through the jungle. “It’s not just the moisture, it’s not just the rain, it’s not just the slime,” says Ozturk. “It’s the constant dropping in the mud. The accidental slips, the falls, the impact, all day long. It just wants to eat your camera gear alive.” The team used a combination of cameras for the project, including the Sony FX6 and Alpha 7S III. “The cameras are just pushing as hard as they can in these conditions,” says Rees, “[and they] are kind of killing it.” “There were so many times I thought I destroyed a camera in this expedition, but they just kept going,” says Ozturk. “And it’s safe to say I’ve entered a deep long-term relationship with the new Alpha 1.
There were so many times I thought I destroyed a camera in this expedition, but they just kept going…
Filmmaker Renan Ozturk
Final insights
Although this story sounds like a projected and obvious commercial for the Sony Alpha 1, it’s intriguing to reveal how tough this camera is. Ozturk is a heavy user of RED cameras as well who battle-tested them in crazy environments (see The Last Honey Hunter shot on RED). Anyway, in one case, when filming Explorer: The Last Tepui, the Alpha 1 was dropped to the river, and then dipped into the mud. If you’re wondering what happened to the camera, it survived. Check the BTS video below to reveal that.
What do you think about the stamina and durability of the Alpha 1? Have you shot with it? Let’s know your insights in the comments section below.
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera
- Sony FX6 Full-Frame Cinema Camera
- Sony Alpha a7S III Mirrorless Digital Camera
