Sony
A1 II 2024
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
£5699
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A1 II vs A7R II
Quick take: The A1 II has the highest resolution at 50MP; the A7R II 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.
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
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.
A7R II — Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography: 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 (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
A7R II (2015)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1 IISony · 2024 | A7R IISony · 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,699 | £420 usedBest |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 42.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, S-Log3 | 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 mechanicalBest | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA)Best | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g (body only) | 625g (with battery and card)Best |
| 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 |
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
A7R II
Portrait
9.0/10
7.1/10
Street
6.6/10
5.8/10
Travel
6.4/10
5.6/10
Wedding & Events
8.7/10
5.5/10
Vlogging & Video
6.4/10
—
Filmmaking
8.2/10
5.9/10
Documentary
8.3/10
6.1/10
Sports & Action
9.3/10
5.8/10
Landscape
8.0/10
6.4/10
Wildlife
9.2/10
6.7/10
Casual
5.3/10
3.9/10
Food
8.5/10
6.4/10
Macro
8.1/10
5.8/10
Architecture
8.4/10
6.4/10
Astrophotography
7.2/10
6.0/10
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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