A1vs A7R III
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
VS
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
GearScore™ Verdict — 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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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
A7R III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a7r iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| 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" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding | ||
| Street | — |
More comparisons with A1
Camera family history