Z7 IIvs A1
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Landscape & Studio / High-Resolution — Z7 II (2020): The Z7 II is a landscape and studio camera first, everything else second. 45.7MP with weather sealing and dual card slots is a compelling package. If you need resolution, it delivers. If you don't, the Z6 II is the smarter buy.
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
Z7 II (2020)
- Landscape photographers who print large or need to crop significantly
- Studio and commercial photographers requiring maximum resolution
- Architecture photographers where detail is non-negotiable
- Fine-art photographers who shoot primarily from a tripod
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 z7 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Z7 II (2020) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,699 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 493 points, Eye AF, subject tracking | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | ~420 shots (CIPA) | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 705g (body, battery, card) | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Z7 II | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Video | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with Z7 II
Camera family history