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Sony a1 vs Sony A57

Portability
61
Imaging
82
Features
93
Overall
86
Sony Alpha a1 front
 
Sony SLT-A57 front
Portability
64
Imaging
57
Features
85
Overall
68

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 Key Specs

Sony a1
(Full Review)
  • 50MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • 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
  • Released January 2021
Sony A57
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000 (Boost to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 618g - 132 x 98 x 81mm
  • Launched September 2012
  • Earlier Model is Sony A55
  • Updated by Sony A58
Photography Glossary

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 Overview

Let's look a little more in depth at the Sony a1 versus Sony A57, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both offered by Sony. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the a1 (50MP) and A57 (16MP) and the a1 (Full frame) and A57 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

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The a1 was manufactured 8 years later than the A57 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a full comparison, below is a concise view of how the a1 grades against the A57 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Sony a1 over the Sony A57

 a1 A57 
LaunchedJanuary 2021September 2012More recent by 102 months
Display resolution1440k921kClearer display (+519k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Sony a1

 A57 a1 
Display typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating display
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Sony a1 and Sony A57

 a1 A57 
Manual focus Dial accurate focusing
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display size

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison

If you're planning to lug around your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Sony a1 has got outer dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

See the Sony a1 versus Sony A57 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the a1 versus the A57.

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the a1 and A57 is 61 and 64 respectively.

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 top view buttons comparison

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it can be hard to see the gap in sensor measurements only by seeing specifications. The graphic underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the a1 and A57.

Plainly, both of those cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The a1 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony a1 will produce more detail due to its extra 34 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The newer a1 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 sensor size comparison

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony a1 vs Sony A57 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony a1 Portrait photography information
Sony A57 Portrait photography information
89
manual focus
above average flash sync speed (1/400s)
MP count amazing (50MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
includes face detect focus
supports RAW formats
74
you can focus manually
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
features face detect focusing
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Sony a1 Street photography information
Sony A57 Street photography information
79
screen tilts up and down
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
comes with touch to focus
weather sealing
great ISO range (32,000)
75
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony a1
Sports photography with Sony A57
91
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent shooting (1/32,000s)
fast shooting (30.0 fps)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count amazing (50 megapixels)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
includes tracking focus
weather sealing
good battery pack (530 CIPA)
comes with phase detect auto focus
78
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
features tracking focus
sensor has phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Sony a1 Travel photography features
Sony A57 Travel photography features
74
good battery pack (530 per charge)
weather sealing
has bluetooth
comes with touch to focus
MP count amazing (50 megapixels)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
67
MP count good (16MP)
flash built-in
screen is selfie friendly
lack of Time Lapse function
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Landscape Comparison

Sony a1 Landscape photography details
Sony A57 Landscape photography details
88
manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count amazing (50 megapixels)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
great ISO range (32,000)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
good battery pack (530 shots)
2 card slots
72
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
lack of Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony a1 Vlogging factors
Sony A57 Vlogging factors
37
touchscreen functionality
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detect focus
high res video (7680 x 4320 pixels)
does have microphone support
does not offer selfie friendly screen
77
screen is selfie friendly
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
features face detect focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes mic jack
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Sony a1 vs Sony A57 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony a1 and Sony A57
 Sony Alpha a1Sony SLT-A57
General Information
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha a1 Sony SLT-A57
Class Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level DSLR
Released 2021-01-26 2012-09-13
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor dimensions 35.9 x 24mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 861.6mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 50 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 8640 x 5760 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 32000 16000
Highest boosted ISO 102400 25600
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW pictures
Min boosted ISO 50 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 759 15
Cross focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mounting type Sony E Sony/Minolta Alpha
Available lenses 133 143
Crop factor 1 1.5
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fully Articulated
Display sizing 3" 3"
Display resolution 1,440k dot 921k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display technology - Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 9,437k dot 1,440k dot
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.9x 0.7x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/4000 secs
Highest quiet shutter speed 1/32000 secs -
Continuous shooting speed 30.0 frames/s 12.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Flash modes Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/400 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 7680x4320 (30p, 25p, 23.98) 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 7680x4320 1920x1080
Video format XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265 MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB Yes USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 737g (1.62 lbs) 618g (1.36 lbs)
Dimensions 129 x 97 x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 75
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.4
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.0
DXO Low light score not tested 785
Other
Battery life 530 shots 550 shots
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FZ100 NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots (UHS-II supported) SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Two Single
Price at launch $6,498 $1,000