Should I Get the Canon EOS R1 or the Sony Alpha 1?

Let's compare a pair of outstanding Sony cameras, starting with the flagship Sony Alpha 1. Check out the R1 vs. Alpha 1 specification comparison along with the visual comparison of these cameras.

What are the differences between the Canon EOS R1 and the a1? Here are the R1 advantages:

• 40 fps for 230 RAW images vs. 30 fps for 238 (96 frame using the comparable lossless compression) (having faster continuous shooting available is an advantage, but 30 fps is really fast)
• 12 fps with mechanical shutter vs. 10 (only matters if you use it)
• More framerate options – 40, 30, 20, 15, 12, 10, 7.5, 5, 3, 2, and 1 compared to 30, 20, 15, and 5 (with electronic shutter, but the mechanical shutter adds 10, 8, 6, and 3)
• 2.7 ms imaging sensor readout speed vs. 3.8 (while technically a win for the R1, you won't likely notice the difference, and the Sony is reading 50 megapixels at that speed)
• AF working range of EV -7.5 to 21 vs. EV -4 – 20 (the Canon camera focuses in considerably darker environments)
• ISO 100-102400 expandable to 50 and 409600 vs. 100–32000 and 50 to 102400 (the R1 will show less noise at the pixel level, but the two should nearly equalize if the a1 image is down sampled to 24 megapixels — and you won't want to use the highest ISO settings)
• 1/64000 vs. 1/32000 (crazy fast holds a small niche advantage over extremely fast)
• Eye Control AF vs. no (dramatically faster AF point or area positioning)
• Pre-continuous shooting (hindsight is far clearer than foresight, and recording an image of an action in the near past is game-changing)
• 6144-zone metering vs. 1200-zone (more areas evaluated yields potential improvement in auto exposure results)
• Electronic shutter flash sync up to 1/400 sec. (some sources say 1/320) vs. 1/200
• 2.1 million dot vari-angle LCD vs. 1.44 million tilt
• Has a top LCD panel
• Dual CFexpress Type B slots vs. dual multi slot for SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I/II)/CFexpress Type A (Type B cards are faster and less expensive than A cards, but A cards are smaller and SD cards are less expensive)
• Neural Network upscaling (2x larger in both dimensions to 179 megapixels) and noise reduction processing in camera (both with JPG output only)
• 8.5-stop IBIS vs. 5.5
• High-Frequency Anti-Flicker shooting (evaluates the scene and precisely adjusts the shutter speed to avoid banding and flicker, including from LED signage)
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 GHz vs. 802.11ac (5 GHz)
• 4-Channel 24-Bit LPCM Audio vs. 2-Channel 16-Bit
• Higher capacity battery rated for 1330 LCD and 700 EVF vs. 530 and 430 (the a1's battery grip doubles these numbers, closing much of the gap)
• Slightly less expensive

Despite being introduced 3 years earlier, the a1 still holds advantages:

• 50 megapixel vs. 24 (a big difference, but not everyone finds the higher resolution worth the increased storage size and processing time)
• Touch and drag AF area slection vs. not available
• +/- 5 stops exposure compensation vs. 3
• 240 fps EVF vs. 120
• 8K 30p vs. 6K 60p movies
• Pixel Shift Multi Shooting (provides dramatically higher resolution after post processing, but everything in the frame must be still)
• 0.64" (16mm) EVF vs. 0.50" (12.7mm)
• Considerably smaller and lighter: 26.0 vs. 39.3 oz (737 vs. 1115 g) (but the a1's grip adds 10.23 oz (290 g) and considerable size, closing the gap)

Comparing across brands is significantly challenged by the differing interface and ergonomics, and these two cameras are vastly different in those regards. Advantages will often be determined by personal preference.

If you have not already done so, order the R1 immediately if you have even a remote interest in it.

More Information

Canon EOS R1

Sony Alpha 1