Sony a1 vs Sony a850

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a1 and Sony a850. 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 a850 was released 2009. That is a 12 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a1 2021
Sony a850 2009

Type of camera

Sony a1 is a Mirrorless camera while Sony a850 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony Full Frame") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Since both cameras have a Full frame sensor there will be no crop factor.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a1 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Sony a850 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** 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 a850 has 25 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 a850 25 MP
24385536 pixels
6048 x 4032

Sony a1 has a 104 % larger resolution than Sony a850. 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 a850. Sony a1 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Sony a850 has 200 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a1 100-32000
Sony a850 200-3200

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 a850

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 a850 can shoot up to 3 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a1 30
Sony a850 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 a850 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 a850 weighs 895 gr (equal to 1.97 lb) which is 21% heavier than Sony a1 and its 737 gr (or 1.62 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a1 737 gr
1.62 lb
Sony a850 895 gr
1.97 lb

Sony a1 vs Sony a850 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a1 and Sony a850, 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 a850
Name Sony a1 Sony a850
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Release Date and Price
Sony a1
Sony a850
Release Year 2021 2009
Release Date 2021-01-26 2009-08-27
MSRP 6499 USD 1999 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a1
Sony a850
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a1
Sony a850
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS CMOS
Resolution 8640 x 5760 pixels 6048 x 4032 pixels
Megapixels 50 MP 25 MP
Image Processor Dual Bionz XR Bionz
Image
Sony a1
Sony a850
ISO Range 100 - 32000 200 - 3200
White Balance Presets 7 7
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 a850
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
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
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
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
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a1
Sony a850
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1440000 921600
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD TFT Xtra Fine color LCD
Live view Yes No
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 98%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.9× 0.74×
Viewfinder Resolution 9437184 N/A
Photography features
Sony a1
Sony a850
Frames per second 30 fps 3 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No No
Built-in Flash Range N/A N/A
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) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a1
Sony a850
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 a850
Memory Card Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
Memory Stick Pro Duo
Connectivity
Sony a1
Sony a850
HDMI Output Yes Yes
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 Wireless (Optional))
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a1
Sony a850
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery & charger
Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 530 shots 880 shots
Width 129 mm 156 mm
Height 97 mm 117 mm
Depth 81 mm 82 mm
Weight 737 gram 895 gram