A1 IIvs A7R II
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R 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.
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 II (2025) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,500 | £799 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 II | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A1 II
Camera family history