Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4799
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A1 vs Sony FX5
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the Sony FX5 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.
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 | Sony FX5Sony · 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,799 | £4,699Best |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 16.6MP full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MPBest | 16.6MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 5K/60p open-gate, 4K/120p, internal RAW/X-OCN, 10-bit Log, triple base ISO |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | AI-powered hybrid phase-detect AF (759 points) with subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | IBIS with Dynamic Active Mode |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best | ~105 min actual recording, ~170 min continuous (LCD) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery and card) | 734g (with battery and card)Best |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | — |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | Optional detachable EVF (DVF-EL1), OLED |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | Fully articulating touchscreen (4-axis arm) |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | CFexpress Type A + SDXC (dual) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB-C, full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
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
Sony FX5
Portrait
8.2/10
6.9/10
Street
6.1/10
5.3/10
Travel
6.0/10
6.2/10
Wedding & Events
7.9/10
7.0/10
Filmmaking
7.8/10
8.7/10
Documentary
7.6/10
8.3/10
Sports & Action
8.8/10
6.8/10
Landscape
7.6/10
5.1/10
Wildlife
8.7/10
6.8/10
Casual
4.8/10
5.1/10
Food
7.4/10
7.4/10
Macro
7.3/10
5.2/10
Architecture
7.9/10
6.1/10
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