A1vs A7R
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
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.
Studio, Tripod Landscape & Camera History — A7R (2013): The world's first 36MP full-frame mirrorless — a landmark camera that launched the A7R series, despite contrast-detect AF and significant shutter shock limitations.
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 (2013)
- Collectors and photographers interested in the camera that started the A7R lineage
- Studio photographers who work on a tripod and can manage contrast-detect AF
- Landscape photographers who prioritise resolution over autofocus performance
- Sony FE system users who want a historical body at a very low used price
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a7r is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | A7R (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £349 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 36.4MP Full-Frame CMOS (no OLPF) |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 36.4MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | Contrast-detect AF only (no phase-detect on sensor) |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | None |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 4fps |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~340 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 465g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch) |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | A7R |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history