G85vs A1
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel & Video — G85 (2016): The G85 is the definitive enthusiast MFT package — combining 4K/30p, Dual I.S. 2 stabilisation, and weather sealing in an affordable, well-built body. It lacks phase-detect AF (contrast-detect only) but covers travel, landscape, and casual video effectively. One of the best-value used-market MFT cameras available — a practical, capable companion for photographers who want reliability over cutting-edge specs.
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
G85 (2016)
- Travel photographers who want weather sealing on a budget
- Vloggers and hybrid shooters
- MFT system users stepping up from entry-level
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 g85 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | G85 (2016) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS (no low-pass filter) | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 16.0MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 4K/30p, 1080p/60p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, DFD technology | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis Dual I.S. 2 (body + lens) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 9fps | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | ~330 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 426g (body only) | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 128.4 × 89.2 × 74.3mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | G85 | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wedding | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history