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
Quick take: The A1 II has the highest resolution at 50MP; the A7R 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 — Studio, Tripod Landscape & Camera History: The world's first 36MP full-frame mirrorless — a landmark camera that launched the A7R series, despite contrast-detect AF and significant shutter shock limitations.
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 (2013)
is the right camera for you if…
- Collectors and photographers interested in the camera that started the A7R lineage
- Studio photographers who work on a tripod and can manage contrast-detect AF
- Landscape photographers who prioritise resolution over autofocus performance
- Sony FE system users who want a historical body at a very low used price
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1 IISony · 2024 | A7RSony · 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,699 | £1,999Best |
| Sensor | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS | 36.4MP Full-Frame CMOS (no OLPF) |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 36.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, S-Log3 | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train | Contrast-detect AF only (no phase-detect on sensor) |
| Stabilisation | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) | No stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanicalBest | 4fps |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA)Best | ~340 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g (body only) | 465g (with battery and card)Best |
| Dimensions | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× 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
Portrait
9.0/10
5.8/10
Street
6.6/10
5.7/10
Travel
6.4/10
5.7/10
Wedding & Events
8.7/10
4.4/10
Vlogging & Video
6.4/10
—
Filmmaking
8.2/10
—
Documentary
8.3/10
4.9/10
Sports & Action
9.3/10
4.5/10
Landscape
8.0/10
6.3/10
Wildlife
9.2/10
5.4/10
Casual
5.3/10
3.7/10
Food
8.5/10
5.6/10
Macro
8.1/10
5.0/10
Architecture
8.4/10
6.1/10
Astrophotography
7.2/10
5.4/10
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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