A1vs A7 II
VS
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.
Travel, Portrait — A7 II (2014): The camera that proved full-frame IBIS was possible in a compact body.
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
A7 II (2014)
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want full-frame on a budget
- Film shooters adapting vintage lenses (IBIS helps enormously)
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a7 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | A7 II (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £549 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | Full-frame BSI CMOS 35mm |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 1080p 60fps |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | 117-point phase-detect hybrid AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 4.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | 350 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 599g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | EVF 0.71× 2.36M-dot |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.23M-dot |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | SD / Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | Wi-Fi, NFC, Micro USB, Micro HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | A7 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with A1
Camera family history