Qvs A1 II
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street, Travel & Fine Art Photography — Q (2015): The camera that redefined luxury compact photography — a full-frame sensor, the finest 28mm compact lens available, and a shooting feel that is uniquely Leica.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
Q (2015)
- Street and documentary photographers who want a full-frame fixed-lens camera with iconic character
- Travel photographers who want the finest compact image quality available
- Leica enthusiasts who want an autofocus alternative to the M system
- Photographers who value build quality and shooting experience as much as spec sheets
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the q is the most affordable; only the a1 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q (2015) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,999 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, 49 AF fields, face detection | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | None | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 640g (with battery and card) | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.0 × 93.5mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.68M dots, 0.68× magnification | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Fixed Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Q
Camera family history