Sony formally announces the Airpeak S1, a pro-grade drone with a $9,000 price tag

Shawn Knight

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Bottom line: Sony claims the Airpeak S1 is the world’s smallest drone capable of being equipped with a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera. It's also quite nimble, but its high price tag will no doubt limit adoption to professional filmmakers and content creators.

Sony has formally unveiled the Airpeak S1, the first model in the Airpeak line of drones it teased back at CES 2021.

It boasts a flight time of up to 22 minutes without a payload (or around 12 minutes with a decent-sized camera attached) and utilizes retractable landing gear to avoid interfering with image capture. Detachable propellers are said to make transport and replacement a breeze.

The Airpeak S1 is zippy, too. Sony says it can accelerate from zero to 49.7 mph in just 3.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 55.9 mph (both without payload). The drone is also stable in winds up to 44.7 mph. It's compatible with a range of Sony cameras and lenses - you can check the specs sheet for a full list of models it'll work with.

Sony’s Airpeak S1 will begin shipping in September 2021 at an estimated price of 1 million yen, or roughly $9,100. Notably, that doesn’t include the gimbal, and of course, you’ll need to supply your own camera gear, too.

The bundle comes with the drone, four propellers, a remote control, two batteries and a charger. Sony will also offer additional accessories like extra batteries and replacement propellers, although pricing on these extras hasn’t been revealed yet.

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With only 4 props, it has no backup in an accident if one fails compared to a hexicopter with 6. An expensive accident waiting to happen

 
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