Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A1 vs A7R III
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the A7R III is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·14 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.
Sony
A7R III 2017
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
£1799
list price · used from £668 at Wex Photo Video
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 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
A7R III — Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography: The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
Who should buy what
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1Sony · 2021 | A7R IIISony · 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,199 | £1,799Best |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 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/AEBest | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 737g (with battery and card) | 650g (body only)Best |
| 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 |
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
A7R III
Portrait
8.2/10
7.8/10
Street
6.1/10
6.1/10
Travel
5.9/10
6.1/10
Wedding & Events
7.9/10
7.5/10
Filmmaking
7.8/10
6.3/10
Documentary
7.6/10
6.7/10
Sports & Action
8.8/10
7.3/10
Landscape
7.6/10
7.4/10
Wildlife
8.7/10
7.6/10
Casual
4.8/10
4.7/10
Food
7.4/10
7.0/10
Macro
7.3/10
6.2/10
Architecture
7.9/10
7.5/10
Astrophotography
6.8/10
7.0/10
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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