HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)vs A1
Ilford
HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)
Starting from £10 new
Best for Street photography, documentary & low-light B&W
View HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)
VS
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street Photography, Documentary & Low-Light B&W — HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp): The definitive black-and-white film. Versatile, beautiful, and made in Britain. If you only shoot one B&W stock, make it HP5 Plus.
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
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 hp5 plus 400 (36 exp) is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £10 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 35mm black & white negative — ISO 400 (pushable to ISO 3200+) | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | — | 50.1MP |
| Video | N/A — film stock | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | N/A — film stock | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film stock | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | N/A | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~30g per roll | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 35mm 135-format cartridge, 36 exposures | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | N/A | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | ISO 400 — push-processable to ISO 3200+ with Ilford DD-X or Microphen | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | N/A | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp) | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Documentary | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Everyday | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)
Camera family history