Canon
EOS R 2018
Best for Entry to full-frame mirrorless & RF lens exploration
£799
list price · used from £400 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
EOS R vs A1
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the EOS R is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
EOS R — Entry To Full-Frame Mirrorless & Rf Lens Exploration: The RF mount's founding camera — 30MP, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, and the proof-of-concept that launched Canon's mirrorless era.
A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
EOS R (2018)
is the right camera for you if…
- Canon DSLR users wanting to enter the RF ecosystem at the lowest full-frame price
- EF lens collectors who want an affordable RF body to use with the EF-RF adapter
- Photographers stepping up from APS-C who want full-frame quality on a budget
- RF system fans who want a second body without full EOS R6 pricing
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | EOS RCanon · 2018 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £799Best | £4,199 |
| Sensor | 30.3MP full-frame CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 30.3MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 4K/30p (1.7× crop), 1080p/60p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF — 5655 AF areas, Eye AF | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | No stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 8fps continuous (5fps with AF/AE) | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 660g (body only)Best | 737g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 135.8 × 98.3 × 84.4mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.71× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
EOS R
A1
Portrait
7.0/10
8.2/10
Street
5.8/10
6.1/10
Travel
5.5/10
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
5.7/10
7.9/10
Vlogging & Video
4.8/10
—
Filmmaking
5.7/10
7.8/10
Documentary
6.0/10
7.6/10
Sports & Action
6.3/10
8.8/10
Landscape
6.2/10
7.6/10
Wildlife
6.8/10
8.7/10
Casual
4.3/10
4.8/10
Food
6.5/10
7.4/10
Macro
5.3/10
7.3/10
Architecture
6.2/10
7.9/10
Astrophotography
6.1/10
6.8/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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