EOS R1vs A7 IV
VS
Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — EOS R1 (2024): Canon's ultimate professional camera — 40fps, a class-leading EVF, and AI AF that simply doesn't miss.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid body.
Who should buy what
EOS R1 (2024)
- 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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The a7 iv has the highest resolution at 33mp; the a7 iv is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R1 (2024) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 40fps electronic, 12fps mechanical | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1470g (with battery) | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R1 | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
More comparisons with EOS R1
Camera family history