Sony A850 vs Sony a1

On this page, we are looking at the Sony A850 vs Sony a1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Pro Mirrorless and both are produced by Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and a1 (50MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor dimensions (Full frame).

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The A850 was introduced 11 years before the a1 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a concise view of how the A850 scores vs the a1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 and Sony Alpha a1. The whole galleries are available at Sony A850 Gallery and Sony a1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Sony A850 comes with physical dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) and the Sony a1 has dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Check the Sony A850 vs Sony a1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the A850 vs the a1.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the A850 and a1 is 54 and 61 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to see the contrast in sensor measurements only by seeing specifications. The photograph here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the A850 and a1.

Plainly, each of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Sony a1 to show extra detail using its extra 25 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older A850 will be behind in sensor tech.