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Sony a7R V Announcement: A High-Resolution Workhorse
Sony a7R V Announcement: A High-Resolution Workhorse
by Matt Meisenheimer
Sony recently announced the Sony a7R V, the newest addition to their alpha R line. The a7R V joins the a IV as Sony’s big camera releases of 2022.
The new a7rV updates the former a7R IV, which is still a relatively new camera (released in 2019). The new and old bodies share the same sensor, a 61 MP BSI CMOS sensor, making these bodies the highest-resolution full-frame bodies on the market.
So, if the sensor is the same, what’s the big deal? We’ll discuss in-depth, but to be short, the a7R V has some great upgrades beyond the sensor.
The a7R V is unique, in the sense that Canon and Nikon have no competitive offering that matches it as of writing.
Canon has rumors swirling about a 100 MP body on the way and Nikon’s Z8 is rumored to share the same or similar 61 MP sensor in the a7R V.
Right now, if you want a super high-resolution full-frame mirrorless body, the a7R V is it.
The new a7rV updates the former a7R IV, which is still a relatively new camera (released in 2019). The new and old bodies share the same sensor, a 61 MP BSI CMOS sensor, making these bodies the highest-resolution full-frame bodies on the market.
So, if the sensor is the same, what’s the big deal? We’ll discuss in-depth, but to be short, the a7R V has some great upgrades beyond the sensor.
The a7R V is unique, in the sense that Canon and Nikon have no competitive offering that matches it as of writing.
Canon has rumors swirling about a 100 MP body on the way and Nikon’s Z8 is rumored to share the same or similar 61 MP sensor in the a7R V.
Right now, if you want a super high-resolution full-frame mirrorless body, the a7R V is it.
Sony a7R V – Available for Pre-Order
Price: $3,898.00
Key Specifications:
Price: $3,898.00
Key Specifications:
- 61 MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
- BIONZ XR & AI Processing Unit
- AI-Based Real-Time Tracking AF System
- 8K 24p, 4K 60p, FHD 120p 10-Bit Video
- 4K 16-Bit Raw Output; S-Log3/S-Cinetone
- 9.44m-Dot EVF with 120 fps Refresh Rate
- 3.2" 4-Axis Multi-Angle Touchscreen LCD
- 10 fps Shooting with AF/AE Tracking
- 8-Stop 5-Axis Image Stabilization
- Dual CFexpress Type A/SD Card Slots
Sensor
The sensor in the a7R V is not new. It is the same, 61 MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor found in the a7R IV. It offers high-resolution detail, 15 stops of dynamic ranges, and great noise handling.
The important upgrade relating to the sensor is the new processor – the BIONZ XR. This processor is 8x faster and allows the a7R V to do things the a7R IV simply cannot. These things include AI-drive autofocus, similar to what we saw in the a1, and 8K internal recording (plus high data internal 4K modes like 4:2:2 10-bit).
These additions are important, especially with mirrorless cameras being more and more hybrid focused (high quality stills AND video). You will find the AF system is much better than the a7R IV as well – more on that below.
Another big upgrade comes in the form of in-body stabilization. The a7R V has a 5-axis stabilization system that combines a gyro sensor and updated algorithms to provide 8-stops of stabilization. The Canon R5 and R3 can deliver 8-stops with supported lens. We will find out more when it’s officially released, but it remains to be seen if the 8-stops of stabilization is the cap or if supported lens stabilization will further increase the amount of stops.
Regardless, 8-stops of stabilization is excellent and sharp, hand-held shots at slower shutter speeds will be possible with the right technique.
The sensor in the a7R V is not new. It is the same, 61 MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor found in the a7R IV. It offers high-resolution detail, 15 stops of dynamic ranges, and great noise handling.
The important upgrade relating to the sensor is the new processor – the BIONZ XR. This processor is 8x faster and allows the a7R V to do things the a7R IV simply cannot. These things include AI-drive autofocus, similar to what we saw in the a1, and 8K internal recording (plus high data internal 4K modes like 4:2:2 10-bit).
These additions are important, especially with mirrorless cameras being more and more hybrid focused (high quality stills AND video). You will find the AF system is much better than the a7R IV as well – more on that below.
Another big upgrade comes in the form of in-body stabilization. The a7R V has a 5-axis stabilization system that combines a gyro sensor and updated algorithms to provide 8-stops of stabilization. The Canon R5 and R3 can deliver 8-stops with supported lens. We will find out more when it’s officially released, but it remains to be seen if the 8-stops of stabilization is the cap or if supported lens stabilization will further increase the amount of stops.
Regardless, 8-stops of stabilization is excellent and sharp, hand-held shots at slower shutter speeds will be possible with the right technique.
Image Quality
Image quality should match or slightly exceed the a7R IV. Sony does claim that the new deep learning technology should produce more accurate colors. But, I don’t think you can or should expect an improvement in image quality over the a7R IV.
With that said, image quality will be excellent. The a7R V has many other new features that make this camera an impressive upgrade.
You’re going to get 61 MP, high-detail images. Sony is class-leading when it comes to dynamic range and noise handling, and the a7R V will meet expectation. It offers 15 stops of dynamic range and great noise handling. I’m confident shooting up to 3200-6400 ISO on this sensor. There is a little bit more noise compared to sensors lesser resolution (A7 IV, Z7 II), but it’s phenomenal for 61 MP. There is also a Pixel Shift mode that can produce a final, merged image of 240 MP!
If you’re a wildlife shooter, this isn’t the fastest camera ever. It can do 10 fps in RAW. Just to note, I have used the a7R IV extensively for wildlife work and I find 10 fps to be fast enough for almost everything. The main exception being birds of flight.
One thing that is looked over is the benefit of a high-resolution sensor for wildlife photography. It gives you a lot of freedom to crop. So, if that lion was a little too far away with your 400mm lens, you’ll have 61 MP to work with – you can crop and get very tight, it’s amazing!
Another addition is the introduction of Lossless Compressed RAW as a data capture mode, this was first introduced in the a1. 61 MP file sizes are enormous, and the uncompressed RAWs from the a7R IV ate up space fast. It is great to have Lossless Compressed RAW as a capture option on the a7R V. Your computer will thank you.
Image quality should match or slightly exceed the a7R IV. Sony does claim that the new deep learning technology should produce more accurate colors. But, I don’t think you can or should expect an improvement in image quality over the a7R IV.
With that said, image quality will be excellent. The a7R V has many other new features that make this camera an impressive upgrade.
You’re going to get 61 MP, high-detail images. Sony is class-leading when it comes to dynamic range and noise handling, and the a7R V will meet expectation. It offers 15 stops of dynamic range and great noise handling. I’m confident shooting up to 3200-6400 ISO on this sensor. There is a little bit more noise compared to sensors lesser resolution (A7 IV, Z7 II), but it’s phenomenal for 61 MP. There is also a Pixel Shift mode that can produce a final, merged image of 240 MP!
If you’re a wildlife shooter, this isn’t the fastest camera ever. It can do 10 fps in RAW. Just to note, I have used the a7R IV extensively for wildlife work and I find 10 fps to be fast enough for almost everything. The main exception being birds of flight.
One thing that is looked over is the benefit of a high-resolution sensor for wildlife photography. It gives you a lot of freedom to crop. So, if that lion was a little too far away with your 400mm lens, you’ll have 61 MP to work with – you can crop and get very tight, it’s amazing!
Another addition is the introduction of Lossless Compressed RAW as a data capture mode, this was first introduced in the a1. 61 MP file sizes are enormous, and the uncompressed RAWs from the a7R IV ate up space fast. It is great to have Lossless Compressed RAW as a capture option on the a7R V. Your computer will thank you.
Video Quality
Video has become an important feature in mirrorless cameras. More and more cameras are becoming do-it-all machines with great hybrid capabilities for stills and video.
The new processor in the a7R V allows it to gain a huge video advantage over its predecessor.
The a7R V is capable of internal 8K 24p and 4K 60p 10-bit recording, which uses the full width of the sensor. There are also a host of 10-bit 4:2:2 4K modes (up to 60p). Those modes are equivalent to ‘shooting RAW’ in stills, 10-bit 4:2:2 gives you a lot of freedom during color grading and post production.
It has a host of additional features that make it exceptional for video work too – Log color profiles, focus breathing, Focus Map (for accurate focus), and real-time Eye AF.
In my opinion, it is pretty amazing to have a 61 MP sensor for stills AND all these internal video features.
Video has become an important feature in mirrorless cameras. More and more cameras are becoming do-it-all machines with great hybrid capabilities for stills and video.
The new processor in the a7R V allows it to gain a huge video advantage over its predecessor.
The a7R V is capable of internal 8K 24p and 4K 60p 10-bit recording, which uses the full width of the sensor. There are also a host of 10-bit 4:2:2 4K modes (up to 60p). Those modes are equivalent to ‘shooting RAW’ in stills, 10-bit 4:2:2 gives you a lot of freedom during color grading and post production.
It has a host of additional features that make it exceptional for video work too – Log color profiles, focus breathing, Focus Map (for accurate focus), and real-time Eye AF.
In my opinion, it is pretty amazing to have a 61 MP sensor for stills AND all these internal video features.
Autofocus
The AF system of the a7R V offers key upgrades over the a7R IV. And in fact, the a7R V debuts some new features not seen on any other Sony camera.
The a7R V has 693 on-sensor phase-detection AF points that cover 79% of the image frame. These are slight improvements over the a7R IV.
The upgrades come in the form of AI and deep learning algorithms, which allow for exceptional subject recognition.
Animals and birds can be detected via eye, head, and body.
It is the first Sony camera that can recognize and focus on planes, cars, trains, and insects. It is also the first Sony camera that can recognize and focus on a human by body pose, even if no face or eye is visible.
After experience with the Sony a1, Canon R5, and Nikon Z9. These new subject recognition and learning algorithms are not a gimmick. They work incredibly well and take much of the thought and technical skill out of autofocusing. And that’s not a bad thing, when your camera is handling most things autofocus, you can concentrate more on your subject and composition. The end result is better images.
The AF system of the a7R V offers key upgrades over the a7R IV. And in fact, the a7R V debuts some new features not seen on any other Sony camera.
The a7R V has 693 on-sensor phase-detection AF points that cover 79% of the image frame. These are slight improvements over the a7R IV.
The upgrades come in the form of AI and deep learning algorithms, which allow for exceptional subject recognition.
Animals and birds can be detected via eye, head, and body.
It is the first Sony camera that can recognize and focus on planes, cars, trains, and insects. It is also the first Sony camera that can recognize and focus on a human by body pose, even if no face or eye is visible.
After experience with the Sony a1, Canon R5, and Nikon Z9. These new subject recognition and learning algorithms are not a gimmick. They work incredibly well and take much of the thought and technical skill out of autofocusing. And that’s not a bad thing, when your camera is handling most things autofocus, you can concentrate more on your subject and composition. The end result is better images.
Design
The a7R V has two big design changes, a 9.44m-Dot EVF with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 4-axis LCD touchscreen.
The new EVF is double the resolution of the a7R IV. I shoot a lot on a Sony a7S III with the same 9.44m-Dot EVF. It blows the older Sony bodies and my Nikon Z7 out of the water in terms of shooting experience. The EVF is so crisp and clear, there isn’t any of that blotchy pixelation going on that low resolution EVFs have. I think the EVF upgrade alone warrants going for the a7R V over the a7R IV.
The new LCD design is great too. It combines the best of both worlds with tiling and flip-out/side-open designs. I really prefer this over what’s found on the Sony a7 IV and Canon R5. A tilting option is great for landscape photography, I use it all the time on my Nikon Z7.
The flip-out is nice to have for video work and certain scenarios where you’re shooting at a weird angle. The downside is the flip out LCDs usually conflict with an L-Bracket and limit the LCDs position. It’s really nice to see both options on the a7R V.
The a7R V has two big design changes, a 9.44m-Dot EVF with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 4-axis LCD touchscreen.
The new EVF is double the resolution of the a7R IV. I shoot a lot on a Sony a7S III with the same 9.44m-Dot EVF. It blows the older Sony bodies and my Nikon Z7 out of the water in terms of shooting experience. The EVF is so crisp and clear, there isn’t any of that blotchy pixelation going on that low resolution EVFs have. I think the EVF upgrade alone warrants going for the a7R V over the a7R IV.
The new LCD design is great too. It combines the best of both worlds with tiling and flip-out/side-open designs. I really prefer this over what’s found on the Sony a7 IV and Canon R5. A tilting option is great for landscape photography, I use it all the time on my Nikon Z7.
The flip-out is nice to have for video work and certain scenarios where you’re shooting at a weird angle. The downside is the flip out LCDs usually conflict with an L-Bracket and limit the LCDs position. It’s really nice to see both options on the a7R V.
Do I Recommend it?
I think the Sony a7R V is one of the best cameras on the market right now.
The combo of high-resolution stills, video capabilities, and AF performance is impressive. The Canon R5, Sony a1, and Nikon Z9 offer similar hybrid performance (and better in many areas), but those cameras are all around 50 MP, and the a1/Z9 are more expensive.
If you’re a landscape shooter seeking extreme detail and resolution. The a7R V delivers with all of that plus industry leading dynamic range and noise handling. If I was a Sony shooter, the a7R V would be my camera.
If you’re a wildlife shooter, I think the a7R V is enticing. Other cameras are faster. But, pre-release specs and news suggest that the a7RV has the best Sony AF system yet (on par or slightly better than the a1).
As I mentioned, having 61 MP is fantastic for cropping. Your 100-400mm, 200-600mm, or super tele primes will go even further with a 61 MP sensor.
Overall, this is a great Sony release to cap 2022. 2023 is going to be a big year for new releases. Canon and Nikon definitely need to answer for this camera and I think they will in 2023. For now, the Sony a7R V is the highest-resolution full-frame camera on the market and it pairs excellent AF and video features as well.
I think the Sony a7R V is one of the best cameras on the market right now.
The combo of high-resolution stills, video capabilities, and AF performance is impressive. The Canon R5, Sony a1, and Nikon Z9 offer similar hybrid performance (and better in many areas), but those cameras are all around 50 MP, and the a1/Z9 are more expensive.
If you’re a landscape shooter seeking extreme detail and resolution. The a7R V delivers with all of that plus industry leading dynamic range and noise handling. If I was a Sony shooter, the a7R V would be my camera.
If you’re a wildlife shooter, I think the a7R V is enticing. Other cameras are faster. But, pre-release specs and news suggest that the a7RV has the best Sony AF system yet (on par or slightly better than the a1).
As I mentioned, having 61 MP is fantastic for cropping. Your 100-400mm, 200-600mm, or super tele primes will go even further with a 61 MP sensor.
Overall, this is a great Sony release to cap 2022. 2023 is going to be a big year for new releases. Canon and Nikon definitely need to answer for this camera and I think they will in 2023. For now, the Sony a7R V is the highest-resolution full-frame camera on the market and it pairs excellent AF and video features as well.
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AUTHOR
AUTHOR
Matt Meisenheimer is a photographer based in Wisconsin. His artistry revolves around finding unique compositions and exploring locations that few have seen. He strives to capture those brief moments of dramatic light and weather, which make our grand landscapes so special. Matt loves the process of photography – from planning trips and scouting locations, taking the shot in-field, to post-processing the final image.
Matt is an active adventurer and wildlife enthusiast as well. He graduated with a degree in wildlife ecology and worked in Denali National Park and Mount Rainier National Park as a biologist. He also spent 6 months working in the deserts of Namibia before finding his path in photography. Matt’s passion for the wilderness has taken him to many beautiful places around the world.
As a former university teaching assistant, Matt is passionate about instruction. It is his goal to give his students the technical and creative knowledge they need to achieve their own photographic vision. He truly enjoys working with photographers on a personal level and helping them reach their goals.
You can see Matt’s work and portfolio on his webpage at www.meisphotography.com
Matt is an active adventurer and wildlife enthusiast as well. He graduated with a degree in wildlife ecology and worked in Denali National Park and Mount Rainier National Park as a biologist. He also spent 6 months working in the deserts of Namibia before finding his path in photography. Matt’s passion for the wilderness has taken him to many beautiful places around the world.
As a former university teaching assistant, Matt is passionate about instruction. It is his goal to give his students the technical and creative knowledge they need to achieve their own photographic vision. He truly enjoys working with photographers on a personal level and helping them reach their goals.
You can see Matt’s work and portfolio on his webpage at www.meisphotography.com
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"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2024
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