Sony A1 VS A7 IV Which IS Better for Photography

Sony is a renowned camera manufacturer known for producing high-quality mirrorless cameras with exceptional features and advanced technology.

The Sony A1 and the Sony A7 IV are two of their latest offerings in the mirrorless camera market. Both cameras have their unique features and specifications that make them stand out from each other.

The Sony A1 is the flagship model of Sony’s mirrorless camera line-up, designed for professional photographers who demand the very best.

the Sony A7 IV is a mid-range camera that has been eagerly awaited by Sony enthusiasts.

In this comparison between the Sony A1 and the Sony A7 IV, we will take a closer look at their features, specifications, and capabilities to help you determine which camera is the best fit for your needs.

What Are Differences Between Sony A1 VS Sony A7 IV?

• The Sony A1 features a 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor, while the Sony A7 IV features a 33-megapixel full-frame BSI CMOS sensor.

• the A1 has a higher resolution sensor, the A7 IV’s sensor is newer and should provide improved image quality and better low light performance.

• The A1 has the latest generation BIONZ XR processor, while the A7 IV has the older BIONZ X processor.

• The A1 has a more advanced autofocus system with 759 phase-detection points and 425 contrast-detection points, compared to the A7 IV’s 567 phase-detection points and 425 contrast-detection points.

• The A1 can also autofocus in very low light conditions down to -6 EV, while the A7 IV can only autofocus down to -4 EV.

• The A1 can shoot at up to 30 frames per second in full resolution and with full autofocus and auto-exposure tracking, while the A7 IV can shoot at up to 10 frames per second with autofocus and auto-exposure tracking.

• Both cameras can shoot 4K video, but the A1 can shoot up to 120 frames per second, while the A7 IV is limited to 60 frames per second.

What Are Similarities Between Sony A1 vs A7 IV?

• Both cameras have full-frame sensors, which means that they are capable of capturing high-quality images with a shallow depth of field.

• The Sony A1 and A7 IV both feature advanced autofocus systems that use real-time tracking to keep subjects in focus.

• Both cameras are capable of recording high-quality video, including 4K and slow-motion footage. The Sony A1 can record 8K video, while the A7 IV can record 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.

• Both cameras offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows for remote control and wireless image transfer.

• Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be used to expand storage or to create backups of images and video.

• Both cameras have long battery life, with the Sony A1 capable of shooting up to 530 shots per charge and the Sony A7 IV capable of shooting up to 670 shots per charge.

Body

the Sony A1, has a larger and more substantial body compared to the Sony A7 IV. It measures 5.12 x 3.81 x 3.62 inches and weighs around 1.5 pounds, making it noticeably larger and heavier than the Sony A7 IV.

The Sony A1’s larger size is partially due to the built-in vertical grip, which provides a more secure and comfortable grip for vertical shooting.

In contrast, the Sony A7 IV has a more compact body, measuring 5.07 x 3.81 x 3.17 inches and weighing around 1.3 pounds.

While it doesn’t have a built-in vertical grip, it does have a deep grip that makes it comfortable to hold for extended periods of time.

Specs

Sony Alpha A1:

• Sensor: 50.1-megapixel full-frame Exmor RS CMOS sensor
• ISO range: 100-32,000 (expandable to 50-102,400 for stills)
• Autofocus: 759-point phase detection AF system with 92% coverage and Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals
• Image stabilization: 5-axis in-body stabilization
• Continuous shooting speed: up to 30 frames per second with full AF/AE tracking
• Video: 8K 30p and 4K 120p video recording capabilities

Sony A7 IV:

• Sensor: rumored to be a 30-megapixel full-frame sensor
• ISO range: unknown at this time, but expected to be similar to the A7 III (100-51,200, expandable to 50-204,800 for stills)
• Autofocus: expected to have an improved autofocus system with Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals
• Image stabilization: expected to have 5-axis in-body stabilization
• Continuous shooting speed: unknown at this time, but expected to be faster than the A7 III’s 10 fps
• Video: rumored to have 4K 60p video recording capabilities

Screen

The Sony A1 features a 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with a resolution of 1.44 million dots. The screen is also touch-sensitive, which allows for intuitive control over the camera’s menu system and focus point selection.

The A1’s screen also features a fast refresh rate of 240fps, making it smooth and responsive for both stills and video shooting.

Additionally, the A1’s screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which provides enhanced durability and scratch resistance.

On the other hand, the Sony A7 IV features a 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen LCD with a resolution of 1.44 million dots. Like the A1, the A7 IV’s screen is touch-sensitive, allowing for quick and easy menu navigation and focus point selection.

the A7 IV’s screen is not as fast as the A1’s, with a refresh rate of 120fps, the A7 IV’s screen is protected by a layer of tempered glass, which provides some scratch resistance, but not to the same extent as the A1’s Gorilla Glass Victus.

Sensor

Both the Sony A1 and A7 IV have a full-frame sensor, meaning the sensor size is 36mm x 24mm. This is the same sensor size found in many professional-grade DSLR cameras, and it allows for exceptional low-light performance and shallow depth-of-field effects.

The Sony A1 has a 50.1 megapixel resolution sensor, which is currently the highest resolution sensor in Sony’s camera lineup.

The Sony A7 IV, on the other hand, is expected to have a lower resolution sensor, likely around 33 megapixels.

Shutter

The Sony A1 and Sony A7 IV both have a fast readout speed that helps to reduce rolling shutter distortion. However, the A1 is generally considered to have a faster readout speed, thanks to its advanced stacked CMOS sensor.

This sensor design allows for fast readout speeds and faster processing, which can result in less rolling shutter distortion.

That being said, the A7 IV is also expected to have improved rolling shutter performance over its predecessor, the A7 III.

Sony has not yet released detailed specifications for the A7 IV, so it’s difficult to say exactly how much of an improvement we can expect to see.

While the Sony A1 is expected to have better rolling shutter performance than the A7 IV, both cameras should be capable of producing high-quality images with minimal distortion.

ISO Sensitivity

The Sony A1 has an ISO sensitivity range of 100 to 32000, which can be expanded up to 102400. The camera also features advanced noise reduction technology, which makes it possible to shoot at high ISO settings without too much noise or grain in the final image.

The Sony A1 is an ideal camera for low light shooting, and it produces high-quality images with minimal noise even at high ISO settings.

On the other hand, the Sony A7 IV is a newer camera in Sony’s A7 series, and it also comes with a full-frame sensor. The camera has a lower resolution than the Sony A1, with a 33-megapixel sensor.

However, it has a wider ISO sensitivity range of 100 to 102400, which can be expanded up to 204800. The Sony A7 IV also comes with advanced noise reduction technology, making it possible to shoot at high ISO settings without too much noise or grain in the final image.

So, both the Sony A1 and the Sony A7 IV are excellent cameras for low light shooting. The Sony A1 has a higher resolution and slightly lower ISO sensitivity range, but it still produces high-quality images at high ISO settings.

The Sony A7 IV, on the other hand, has a wider ISO sensitivity range, making it an excellent camera for shooting in extremely low light conditions.

Video Features

The Sony A1 can record 8K video at 30 frames per second (fps) and 10-bit 4:2:0 color depth. It also offers 4K recording at up to 120 fps for slow-motion videos.

It supports H.265 and XAVC HS codecs, which deliver high-quality footage while keeping the file size small.

In Comparison, The Sony A7 IV can record 4K video at up to 60 fps and offers 8-bit 4:2:0 internal recording and 10-bit 4:2:2 external recording. It also offers slow-motion recording at up to 120 fps in Full HD mode.

The camera features S-Cinetone color profile, which provides cinematic color grading options.

Autofocus

The Sony A1 features a state-of-the-art autofocus system with 759 phase detection points covering 92% of the image sensor.

This means that the A1 can quickly and accurately acquire focus on even the most challenging subjects, such as fast-moving athletes or wildlife.

The A1 also has a Real-time Eye AF system that works for both humans and animals and can track subjects even when they’re moving erratically.

The Sony A7 IV, on the other hand, has a slightly less advanced autofocus system with 759 Focus Points just like Sony A1 covering 93% of the image sensor.

While this is still a very capable autofocus system, it may not be quite as fast or accurate as the one found on the A1.

the A7 IV also has a Real-time Eye AF system that works for both humans and animals, as well as Real-time Tracking that can follow moving subjects.

Low Light

In terms of low light performance, both cameras are expected to perform well due to their full-frame sensors and advanced autofocus systems.

The A1’s higher megapixel count may give it an advantage in terms of capturing more detail in low light situations, but the A7 IV is also expected to have improvements over its predecessor, the Sony A7 III.

Dynamic Range

the Sony A1 boasts an impressive dynamic range of up to 15 stops, thanks to its advanced sensor technology and powerful image processing engine. This means that it is capable of capturing a wide range of tones and details, from deep shadows to bright highlights, in a single image.

On the other hand, the Sony A7 IV is rumored to have a dynamic range of around 14 stops, which is still very good, but slightly less than the A1.

EVF

the Sony Alpha A1 has a higher-resolution EVF with a larger magnification and a slightly faster refresh rate than the Sony A7 IV.

However, the difference in resolution may not be noticeable in real-world use, and both cameras have a fast display lag time and built-in eye sensors for easy use.

Sony A1

• 9.44 million dot OLED EVF
• 0.90x magnification
• 120fps refresh rate
• 240fps refresh rate in “Quality” mode
• 0.5ms display lag time
• Built-in eye sensor

Sony A7 IV

• 3.69 million dot OLED EVF
• 0.78x magnification
• 120fps refresh rate
• 240fps refresh rate in “Performance” mode
• 0.5ms display lag time
• Built-in eye sensor

Viewfinder

Both cameras feature an electronic viewfinder instead of an optical viewfinder the Sony A1 has a 9.44-million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with a 0.64x magnification.

The EVF has a frame rate of up to 240 frames per second, which provides a smooth and fluid viewing experience. It also has a 41-degree diagonal field of view and a -4 to +3 diopter adjustment.

the Sony Alpha A1 currently has a more advanced and feature-rich viewfinder than what is currently known about the rumored Sony A7 IV’s viewfinder. However, the A7 IV is expected to have an upgraded EVF compared to its predecessor

Burst Shooting

The Sony A1 has an impressive burst shooting speed of up to 30 frames per second, which makes it one of the fastest cameras on the market. The A7 IV is expected to have a slightly slower burst shooting speed, likely around 10 frames per second.

Storage SD Cards

The A1 supports both SD and CFexpress Type A cards, these cards offer fast read and write speeds, which is important for handling the large file sizes that the A1 can produce.

Also, the A1 supports UHS-II SD cards, which are the fastest type of SD card available. These cards can have read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and write speeds of up to 260 MB/s, which allows the A1 to capture high-resolution images and 8K video with ease.

Whereas, the A7 IV supports UHS-I SD cards, which are slower than UHS-II SD cards but are still capable of handling high-resolution images and 4K video.

UHS-I SD cards can have read speeds of up to 104 MB/s and write speeds of up to 90 MB/s, which may be sufficient for most photographers’ needs.

Ports

When it comes to ports both cameras have similar port specifications, with the main difference being that the Sony A1 also has an Ethernet port. This can be useful for professional photographers and videographers who need to transfer large amounts of data quickly and reliably over a wired network.

Both cameras have USB Type-C ports that support SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps, which is faster than the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports found on older cameras. This allows for faster data transfer between the camera and a computer or other device.

Both cameras also have 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks, which are useful for monitoring audio while recording video.

Sony A1

• USB Type-C 3.2 (SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps) for charging and data transfer
• Ethernet port (1000BASE-T)
• Micro HDMI Type-D output
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 3.5mm microphone jack
• Multi Interface Shoe with digital audio interface

Sony A7 IV

• USB Type-C 3.2 (SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps) for charging and data transfer
• Micro HDMI Type-D output
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 3.5mm microphone jack
• Multi Interface Shoe with digital audio interface

Battery

The A1 and A7 IV have different battery capacities The Sony A1 uses NP-FZ100 battery which has a capacity of 2280mAh, whereas the Sony A7 IV uses a new Z-series NP-FZ100 battery with a slightly larger capacity of 2280mAh.

The A1 is rated for approximately 430 shots per charge, whereas the A7 IV is rated for approximately 520 shots per charge.

Both cameras support USB charging, but the Sony A7 IV can be charged using a USB Type-C cable and supports USB PD (Power Delivery) fast charging.

It takes approximately 2.5 hours to fully charge the Sony A1 battery using a USB cable, whereas the Sony A7 IV can be charged much faster, taking only 1.5 hours to fully charge using a USB Type-C cable with USB PD.

Size and Weight

The Sony A1 is a larger and heavier camera, weighing in at 737g compared to the rumored 509g of the Sony A7 IV. The A1 measures 5.1 x 3.8 x 3.3 inches (129 x 96 x 80 mm) while the dimensions of the A7 IV are not yet confirmed.

Why Should You Have Camera with Higher ISO?

ISO sensitivity is a measure of a camera’s ability to capture images in low light conditions. It is the camera’s sensitivity to light, and it is measured in ISO units. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive the camera is to light, and the better it can capture images in low light conditions.

Why Should You Buy Sony A1 Over A7 IV?

the Sony A1 is a more advanced camera with better performance and more advanced features, while the Sony A7 IV is a more affordable camera that should still be capable of producing high-quality images and video.

Which camera is right for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. the A1 is faster and more capable of handling large files and processing complex images.

So, both cameras have similar screen features in terms of size, resolution, and touch sensitivity, the A1’s screen is faster and more durable, making it better suited for professional use. However, the A7 IV’s vari-angle design may make it more versatile for certain shooting situations.

Why Should You Buy A7 IV Over A1?

Both cameras have battery grips available as optional accessories, but the Sony A7 IV’s grip can hold two batteries, doubling the camera’s battery life.

the Sony A7 IV has a slightly better battery performance than the Sony A1, with a larger battery capacity, longer battery life, and faster charging time.

Which Camera is Better for Photography?

Overall, both cameras are likely to be excellent choices for photographers who value dynamic range and image quality, but the A1’s higher dynamic range and faster performance may make it the better option for professionals and high-end enthusiasts who need the absolute best in terms of image quality and speed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Sony Alpha A1 and Sony A7 IV are both impressive cameras that offer advanced features and exceptional image quality. The Sony Alpha A1 is a flagship camera with a higher price tag and is designed for professional photographers who demand the best possible performance in a full-frame camera.

On the other hand, the Sony A7 IV is a more affordable option and is targeted towards serious enthusiasts and professionals looking for a well-rounded full-frame camera.