A1vs A7S
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.
Astrophotography & Low-Light — A7S (2014): The original A7S pioneered the concept of a camera optimised entirely for low light. Its 12.2MP sensor has enormous photosites — extraordinary high-ISO performance that still holds up. Lacking IBIS and limited to 1080p internally (4K requires external recorder), it is a specialist tool. For astrophotography, event videography, or any scenario where light is genuinely scarce, it remains outstanding.
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
A7S (2014)
- Astrophotographers
- Low-light event videographers
- Filmmakers needing clean high-ISO footage
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the a7s is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | A7S (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £600 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 12.2MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 12.2MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 1080p/60p internal, 4K via HDMI (external recorder) |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | Phase-detect / contrast-detect hybrid AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | None |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 474g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots |
| 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 / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | Multi/Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | A7S |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Street | — | |
| 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