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Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1

Portability
61
Imaging
80
Features
92
Overall
84
Sony Alpha A7 IV front
 
Sony Alpha a1 front
Portability
61
Imaging
81
Features
93
Overall
85

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 Key Specs

Sony A7 IV
(Full Review)
  • 33MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Increase to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 699g - 129 x 97 x 81mm
  • Released October 2021
  • Earlier Model is Sony A7 III
Sony a1
(Full Review)
  • 50MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Bump to 102400)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 7680 x 4320 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 737g - 129 x 97 x 70mm
  • Revealed January 2021
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Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 Overview

Its time to look much closer at the Sony A7 IV versus Sony a1, both Pro Mirrorless cameras and both of them are built by Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the A7 IV (33MP) and a1 (50MP) but they enjoy the exact same sensor sizes (Full frame).

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The A7 IV was introduced 9 months after the a1 and they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before we go in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple overview of how the A7 IV grades against the a1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Sony A7 IV over the Sony a1

 A7 IV a1 
RevealedOctober 2021January 2021More modern by 9 months
Screen typeFully articulatedTiltingFully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Sony a1 over the Sony A7 IV

 a1 A7 IV 

Common features in the Sony A7 IV and Sony a1

 A7 IV a1 
Focus manually More exact focus
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen dimensions
Screen resolution1440k1440kIdentical screen resolution
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 Physical Comparison

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Sony A7 IV comes with physical dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 699 grams (1.54 lbs) and the Sony a1 has dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Check out the Sony A7 IV versus Sony a1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the A7 IV and the a1.

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A7 IV and a1 is 61 and 61 respectively.

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 top view buttons comparison

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it is very tough to see the difference in sensor sizes just by checking out a spec sheet. The picture here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the A7 IV and a1.

As you can see, both the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same MP. You should expect the Sony a1 to produce more detail using its extra 17MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots much more aggressively. The fresher A7 IV will have a benefit in sensor tech.

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 sensor size comparison

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A7 IV Portrait photography advice
Sony a1 Portrait photography advice
81
focusing manually
excellent resolution (33MP)
great sensor size (Full frame)
provides face detection focusing
exports RAW files
no liveview feature
88
you can focus manually
flash sync speed is above average (1/400s)
megapixel count excellent (50MP)
large sensor size (Full frame)
provides face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Sony A7 IV Street photography information
Sony a1 Street photography information
79
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
great sensor size (Full frame)
exports RAW files
has touch focus
environment sealing
above average high ISO (51,200)
79
screen tilts
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
large sensor size (Full frame)
delivers RAW formats
includes focus via touch
weather sealing
great high ISO (32,000)
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Sports Comparison

Sony A7 IV as a Sports photography camera
Sony a1 as a Sports photography camera
84
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
excellent resolution (33MP)
great sensor size (Full frame)
provides tracking autofocus
environment sealing
better than average battery power (600 shots)
has phase detect AF
no liveview feature
90
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent mode (1/32,000s)
high fps (30.0 frames per second)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count excellent (50 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
provides tracking autofocus
weather sealing
better than average battery life (530 CIPA)
has phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Sony A7 IV Travel photography info
Sony a1 Travel photography info
80
better than average battery power (600 CIPA)
environment sealing
has bluetooth
has touch focus
excellent resolution (33MP)
screen is selfie friendly
73
better than average battery life (530 per charge)
weather sealing
has bluetooth
includes focus via touch
megapixel count excellent (50MP)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A7 IV Landscape photography highlights
Sony a1 Landscape photography highlights
83
focusing manually
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
excellent resolution (33MP)
great sensor size (Full frame)
above average high ISO (51,200)
exports RAW files
environment sealing
better than average battery power (600 per charge)
two card slots
no liveview feature
88
you can focus manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count excellent (50 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
great high ISO (32,000)
delivers RAW formats
weather sealing
better than average battery life (530 CIPA)
2 card slots
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A7 IV Vlogging information
Sony a1 Vlogging information
80
screen is selfie friendly
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detection focusing
high quality video (3840 x 2160 resolution)
has external mic socket
36
screen is touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detection focus
video res high (7680 x 4320 pixels)
has external microphone support
does not have a selfie friendly screen
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Sony A7 IV vs Sony a1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A7 IV and Sony a1
 Sony Alpha A7 IVSony Alpha a1
General Information
Brand Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha A7 IV Sony Alpha a1
Category Pro Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Released 2021-10-21 2021-01-26
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Full frame Full frame
Sensor measurements 35.8 x 23.8mm 35.9 x 24mm
Sensor surface area 852.0mm² 861.6mm²
Sensor resolution 33MP 50MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 7008 x 4672 8640 x 5760
Maximum native ISO 51200 32000
Maximum enhanced ISO 204800 102400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Min enhanced ISO 50 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 759 759
Lens
Lens mount type Sony E Sony E
Amount of lenses 172 133
Crop factor 1 1
Screen
Type of screen Fully articulated Tilting
Screen sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 1,440 thousand dots 1,440 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 3,690 thousand dots 9,437 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.78x 0.9x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Fastest silent shutter speed - 1/32000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 10.0 frames/s 30.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash modes no built-in flash Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/200 seconds 1/400 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3843840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 600 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 500 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 300 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 250 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 240 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 7680x4320 (30p, 25p, 23.98)
Maximum video resolution 3840x2160 7680x4320
Video format MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-I, H.264, H.265 XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB Yes (USB PD supported) Yes
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 699g (1.54 pounds) 737g (1.62 pounds)
Dimensions 129 x 97 x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2") 129 x 97 x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 600 photographs 530 photographs
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID NP-FZ100 NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) Yes
Time lapse recording
Storage type Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots (UHS-II supported)
Card slots Two Two
Price at release $2,500 $6,498