Sony a1 vs Sony a300

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a1 and Sony a300. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a1 were released 2021 and Sony a300 was released 2008. That is a 13 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a1 2021
Sony a300 2008

Type of camera

Sony a1 is a Mirrorless camera while Sony a300 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a1 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Sony a300 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a1 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Sony a300 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)

Resolution

Sony a1 has a 50 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a300 has 10 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a1 50 MP
49766400 pixels
8640 x 5760
Sony a300 10 MP
10036224 pixels
3872 x 2592

Sony a1 has a 396 % larger resolution than Sony a300. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a1 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a300. Sony a1 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Sony a300 has 100 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a1 100-32000
Sony a300 100-3200

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a1
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a300

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a1 can shoot up to 30 pictures per seconds and Sony a300 can shoot up to 3 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a1 30
Sony a300 3

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a1. Unfortunately Sony a300 does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a1 weighs 737 gr (equal to 1.62 lb) which is 17% heavier than Sony a300 and its 632 gr (or 1.39 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a1 737 gr
1.62 lb
Sony a300 632 gr
1.39 lb

Sony a1 vs Sony a300 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a1 and Sony a300, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a1
Sony a300
Name Sony a1 Sony a300
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Release Date and Price
Sony a1
Sony a300
Release Year 2021 2008
Release Date 2021-01-26 2008-01-30
MSRP 6499 USD 799 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a1
Sony a300
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a1
Sony a300
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS CCD
Resolution 8640 x 5760 pixels 3872 x 2592 pixels
Megapixels 50 MP 10 MP
Image Processor Dual Bionz XR Bionz
Image
Sony a1
Sony a300
ISO Range 100 - 32000 100 - 3200
White Balance Presets 7 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-shift)
Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a1
Sony a300
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
LiveView
Focus Points 759 9
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a1
Sony a300
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 2.7”
Screen dots 1440000 230000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.9× 0.74× (0.49× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 9437184 N/A
Photography features
Sony a1
Sony a300
Frames per second 30 fps 3 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 12 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a1
Sony a300
Video recording Yes No
Video format H.264
H.265
XF-AVC
XAVC-S
XAVC-HS
N/A
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
7680 x 4320
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a1
Sony a300
Memory Card Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
Connectivity
Sony a1
Sony a300
HDMI Output Yes No
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-In 802.11ac (Dual Band)
No
Remote Control Yes (via Bluetooth or tethered PC) Yes (Wired or wirelss (optional))
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a1
Sony a300
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery & charger
NP-FM500H
Battery Life (CIPA) 530 shots 730 shots
Width 129 mm 131 mm
Height 97 mm 99 mm
Depth 81 mm 75 mm
Weight 737 gram 632 gram