Canon
EOS R1 2024
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism
£6399
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
EOS R1 vs A1
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP.
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 R1 — Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism: Canon's ultimate professional camera — 40fps, a class-leading EVF, and AI AF that simply doesn't miss.
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 R1 (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional sports and news photographers who cannot miss a shot
- Wildlife photographers needing the fastest AF and burst available
- Photojournalists requiring reliable pro-grade build and connectivity
- Canon R3 owners or 1D X Mark III users upgrading to mirrorless flagship
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 R1Canon · 2024 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,399 | £4,199Best |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 40fps electronic, 12fps mechanicalBest | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA)Best | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 920g (body only) | 737g (with battery and card)Best |
| Dimensions | 159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | 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 R1
A1
Portrait
8.3/10
8.2/10
Street
5.7/10
6.1/10
Travel
5.5/10
6.0/10
Wedding & Events
8.5/10
7.9/10
Vlogging & Video
5.5/10
—
Filmmaking
8.3/10
7.8/10
Documentary
8.0/10
7.6/10
Sports & Action
9.1/10
8.8/10
Landscape
6.3/10
7.6/10
Wildlife
8.9/10
8.7/10
Casual
4.6/10
4.8/10
Food
7.6/10
7.4/10
Macro
8.3/10
7.3/10
Architecture
6.6/10
7.9/10
Astrophotography
6.7/10
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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