Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A1 vs MF-1 Snapshot Art Camera
Quick take: The MF-1 Snapshot Art Camera is the most affordable; only the A1 is weather sealed.
16 specs side by side·14 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.
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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 | MF-1 Snapshot Art CameraYashica |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,199 | £39Best |
| Sensor | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS | 35 mm film (full frame) |
| Resolution | 50.1MP | — |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | — |
| Autofocus | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points | Fixed focus, 1 m to infinity |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops | — |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE | — |
| Battery Life | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best | 1 × AA (for the flash) |
| Weight | 737g (with battery and card) | — |
| Dimensions | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm | — |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps | Optical direct-view finder |
| Screen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen | — |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Fixed lens |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II | — |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | — |
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
MF-1 Snapshot Art Camera
Portrait
8.2/10
—
Street
6.1/10
—
Travel
6.0/10
—
Wedding & Events
7.9/10
—
Filmmaking
7.8/10
—
Documentary
7.6/10
—
Sports & Action
8.8/10
—
Landscape
7.6/10
—
Wildlife
8.7/10
—
Casual
4.8/10
—
Food
7.4/10
—
Macro
7.3/10
—
Architecture
7.9/10
—
Astrophotography
6.8/10
—
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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