Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A1 vs SLT-A99
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the SLT-A99 is the most affordable; only the A1 is weather sealed.
16 specs side by side·15 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.
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.
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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1Sony · 2021 | SLT-A99Sony · 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,199 | £454 usedBest |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 24.3MP full-frame sensor |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 24.3MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | Full HD 1080p/60 |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | 19-point phase-detect (11 cross) via the translucent mirror + 102-point on-sensor phase assist, face detection |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | 4.5-stop sensor-shift SteadyShot INSIDE |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest | 6fps with continuous AF (10fps in crop mode) |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~500 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 737g (with battery and card)Best | 812g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 147 × 111.2 × 78.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 100%, 0.71x |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" three-way tilting / swivel LCD, 1.23M dots |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony A-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | Dual slots: SD / Memory Stick + SD |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | Micro USB, HDMI, 3.5mm mic + headphone, remote terminal, Multi Interface Shoe |
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
SLT-A99
Portrait
8.2/10
6.4/10
Street
6.1/10
5.3/10
Travel
5.9/10
4.7/10
Wedding & Events
7.9/10
6.0/10
Filmmaking
7.8/10
—
Documentary
7.6/10
4.6/10
Sports & Action
8.8/10
5.2/10
Landscape
7.6/10
5.2/10
Wildlife
8.7/10
5.1/10
Casual
4.8/10
3.4/10
Food
7.4/10
5.6/10
Macro
7.3/10
4.4/10
Architecture
7.9/10
5.5/10
Astrophotography
6.8/10
5.5/10
Vlogging & Video
—
4.0/10
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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