Sony A7R has a
36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Sony A1 has a
50.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized Stacked CMOS sensor and features Dual Bionz XR processor.
Sony A1's sensor provides 14MP more than Sony A7R's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the A7R and A1 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R and Sony A1 Cameras
Sony A7R and Sony A1 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Sony A7R has 37% larger pixel area compared to Sony A1, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Sony A7R and Sony A1 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A1 has a better overall score of 98, 3 points higher compared to A7R's score of 95.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A7R
95
25.6 bits
14.1 Evs
2746 ISO
Sony A1
98
25.9 bits
14.5 Evs
3163 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Sony A7R
or the
Sony A1 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
