A1 IIvs A7C
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.
Compact Travel & Content Creation — A7C (2020): The A7C proves full-frame doesn't have to be bulky. Excellent battery life, reliable Eye AF and a vari-angle screen in a pocketable body is a compelling combination for travel and content creators. The A7C II improved on it, but the original remains a strong value buy.
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
A7C (2020)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame in the smallest possible body
- Content creators who need a flip screen and reliable Eye AF
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want to keep a compact kit
- Vloggers who need 4K and great battery life on the road
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a7c is the most affordable; only the a1 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 II (2025) | A7C (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,500 | £1,299 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion | 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 |
| 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 mechanical | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless |
| Weight | 743g body only | 509g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm | 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available | None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 II | A7C |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Video | — | |
| Street | — |
More comparisons with A1 II
Camera family history