A1 IIvs A6400
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?
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.
Content Creation & Vlogging — A6400 (2019): The best value APS-C Sony you can buy — especially used. Real-time Eye AF at this price point was transformative when it launched and still makes it one of the most reliable autofocus systems in the lineup.
Who should buy what
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
A6400 (2019)
- Vloggers and content creators who need a flip screen and reliable AF
- Photographers upgrading from a compact or smartphone
- Beginners who want room to grow into a full E-mount lens ecosystem
- Anyone prioritising autofocus performance at an accessible price
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a6400 is the most affordable; only the a1 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 II (2025) | A6400 (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,500 | £899 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 403g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 II | A6400 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Video | — | |
| Street | — |
More comparisons with A1 II
Camera family history