Decision tools · Compare
Air 3 vs A1
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the Air 3 is the most affordable; only the A1 is weather sealed.
Different kinds of camera — their specs aren't comparable, so read the rows as facts, not a contest.
34 specs side by side·14 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?
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
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 | Air 3DJI · 2023 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,079 with Fly More ComboBest | £4,199 |
| Sensor | — | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 48.0MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | — | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | — | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | — | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | — | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | — | 737g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | — | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | YesBest |
| Viewfinder | — | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | — | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed lens (24 + 70 mm-eq) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | — | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | — | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
| Take-off weight | 720 g | — |
| Fly without registering | No — 250 g or more | — |
| Flight time | 46 min | — |
| Wind resistance | 12.0 m/s | — |
| Obstacle sensing | Omnidirectional | — |
| Video link | O4 | — |
| Range | 10.0 km | — |
| Top speed | 21.0 m/s | — |
| Cameras | 2, tele up to 3.0× | — |
| HDR / log / 10-bit | HDR, log, 10-bit | — |
| RAW stills | Yes | — |
| Vertical shooting | Not supported | — |
| Gimbal | 3-axis | — |
| Intelligent flight | Subject tracking, waypoints, return-to-home | — |
| Storage | 8 GB built in + microSD slot | — |
| Controller in the box | DJI RC-N2 | — |
| FPV | Not an FPV drone | — |
| Folds | Yes | — |
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
Air 3
A1
Portrait
—
8.2/10
Street
—
6.1/10
Travel
—
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
—
7.9/10
Filmmaking
—
7.8/10
Documentary
—
7.6/10
Sports & Action
—
8.8/10
Landscape
—
7.6/10
Wildlife
—
8.7/10
Casual
—
4.8/10
Food
—
7.4/10
Macro
—
7.3/10
Architecture
—
7.9/10
Astrophotography
—
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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