Sony
A1 II 2024
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
£5699
new today at Clifton Cameras
Decision tools · Compare
A1 II vs A7 III
Quick take: The A1 II has the highest resolution at 50MP; the A7 III is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
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Verdictwhich should you buy?
A1 II — Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work: The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
A7 III — All-Round Photography & Video: Still one of the best all-round cameras money can buy — particularly strong used. The A7 III proved that full-frame doesn't have to mean compromises, and nothing at this price point has meaningfully beaten it.
Who should buy what
A1 II (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
A7 III (2018)
is the right camera for you if…
- Enthusiast photographers upgrading from APS-C for the first time
- Working photographers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Anyone who shoots in low light regularly
- Hybrid shooters needing both stills and video performance
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1 IISony · 2024 | A7 IIISony · 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,699 | £1,099Best |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, S-Log3 | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanicalBest | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 743g (body only) | 565g (body only)Best |
| Dimensions | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
A1 II
A7 III
Portrait
9.0/10
7.6/10
Street
6.6/10
6.2/10
Travel
6.4/10
6.1/10
Wedding & Events
8.7/10
7.5/10
Vlogging & Video
6.4/10
—
Filmmaking
8.2/10
6.4/10
Documentary
8.3/10
6.8/10
Sports & Action
9.3/10
7.3/10
Landscape
8.0/10
6.2/10
Wildlife
9.2/10
7.5/10
Casual
5.3/10
5.4/10
Food
8.5/10
6.6/10
Macro
8.1/10
5.8/10
Architecture
8.4/10
6.1/10
Astrophotography
7.2/10
7.4/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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