A1vs A6400
Which should you buy?
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Content Creation & Vlogging — A6400 (2019): The best value APS-C Sony you can buy — especially used. Real-time Eye AF at this price point was transformative when it launched and still makes it one of the most reliable autofocus systems in the lineup.
Who should buy what
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
A6400 (2019)
- Vloggers and content creators who need a flip screen and reliable AF
- Photographers upgrading from a compact or smartphone
- Beginners who want room to grow into a full E-mount lens ecosystem
- Anyone prioritising autofocus performance at an accessible price
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a6400 is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | A6400 (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £899 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 403g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | A6400 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Travel | — |
More comparisons with A1
Camera family history