Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A1 vs FX3
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the FX3 is the most affordable.
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.
Sony
FX3 2021
Best for Professional video, documentary & cinematic filmmaking
£2999
new today 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.
FX3 — Professional Video, Documentary & Cinematic Filmmaking: The definitive run-and-gun cinema camera — A7S III sensor quality in a body built specifically for video professionals.
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
FX3 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional videographers and filmmakers who need cinema-quality colour science in a compact body
- Documentary and run-and-gun shooters who need 4K/120p and built-in XLR audio
- Sony A7S III owners who want a purpose-built video body alongside their stills camera
- Gimbal and drone operators who need a compact full-frame cinema camera
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1Sony · 2021 | FX3Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,199 | £2,999Best |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS (same as A7S III) |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 12.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p 10-bit, 12-bit RAW output, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | Real-time tracking with subject recognition (human, animal) |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | 5-axis IBIS — 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest | 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~640 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 737g (with battery and card) | 715g (body only)Best |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 129.7 × 78.0 × 84.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | None — monitor/external EVF use only |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating |
| 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 CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB-C (10Gbps), full-size HDMI, XLR via handle, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
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
FX3
Portrait
8.2/10
5.7/10
Street
6.1/10
4.3/10
Travel
5.9/10
5.5/10
Wedding & Events
7.9/10
6.0/10
Filmmaking
7.8/10
9.1/10
Documentary
7.6/10
8.0/10
Sports & Action
8.8/10
5.5/10
Landscape
7.6/10
4.7/10
Wildlife
8.7/10
5.8/10
Casual
4.8/10
4.9/10
Food
7.4/10
6.7/10
Macro
7.3/10
5.5/10
Architecture
7.9/10
5.2/10
Astrophotography
6.8/10
6.7/10
Vlogging & Video
—
6.1/10
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 →
Next
More comparisons with A1
Camera family history