PowerShot V1vs A1
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Vlogging & Travel — PowerShot V1 (2025): The PowerShot V1 is Canon's best compact camera — a 1-inch stacked sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 4K/60p, built-in ND, and an articulating screen in a pocketable body. It is the compact camera Canon's content-creator audience has been waiting for, and a genuine step forward over the G7X series.
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
PowerShot V1 (2025)
- Content creators who want Canon's best compact for vlogging and social media
- Travel photographers who want 4K and a zoom lens in one pocketable body
- Vloggers upgrading from G7X series who want better AF and video specs
- Photographers who want a capable compact backup body
A1 (2021)
- 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
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the powershot v1 is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | PowerShot V1 (2025) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £900 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 22.3MP 1-inch Stacked CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 22.3MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 4K/60p, 1080p/120p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF with face and subject detection | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | Optical IS (lens) + electronic stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 20fps (electronic) | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 340g (with battery and card) | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 112.0 × 65.0 × 50.0mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.62M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed Canon zoom lens (equivalent wide-to-tele) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | PowerShot V1 | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with PowerShot V1
Camera family history