A1vs A7 IV
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid 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 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a7 iv is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
More comparisons with A1
Camera family history