A1vs RX100 VI
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.
Travel & Vlogging — RX100 VI (2018): The RX100 VI trades fast apertures for a remarkable 24-200mm zoom range — giving it more versatility than any previous model. 4K/30p, 24fps burst, a pop-up EVF, and an articulating screen round out an exceptional compact package. Variable aperture limits low-light performance at the long end, but for travel and events where reach matters, there is no practical alternative at this size.
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
RX100 VI (2018)
- Travel photographers who need versatile reach in a pocketable body
- Vloggers and content creators who need 4K and an articulating screen
- Event photographers who want discreet, capable wide-to-tele coverage
- Wildlife and sports enthusiasts who want a compact travel option
Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the rx100 vi is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A1 (2021) | RX100 VI (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £700 |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 20.1MP 1-inch BSI Stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p, 960fps HFR |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | Fast Hybrid AF, 315 phase-detect points, Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | Optical SteadyShot |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | 24fps |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA) | ~240 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery) | 301g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | 101.6 × 58.1 × 42.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | Pop-up EVF, 2.35M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | Single SD / Memory Stick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A1 | RX100 VI |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A1
Camera family history