Sony a7RV - 61MP, 10FPS, 8-stop IBIS, AI-Based Image Recognition with a newly designed articulating screen.

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The new Sony a7R V - Keeps the 61MP Sensor, Gains AI AF system, New Screen Design & 8K Video!

Sony has made some real improvements to the megapixel beast that was the Sony a7R IV. The new features I am most excited about are the articulating screen that allows for tilting up or down while staying in line with the body AND it can flip out. It really seems the best of both worlds and is getting near-universal praise. And, Sony finally added focus bracketing and a bulb timer!! Something I talked about in the Canon $999 camera beats my $6500 Sony a1 video.

Here are the specs of the new Sony a7R v

  • 61MP 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

You Can preorder the Sony a7R v now for $3,898.00 - Shipping in early December… my birthday is Dec 8th… just saying :) That price is an increase over the Sony a7R iv launch price of $3,499.

Pretty big improvements inside and out - the body is similar to the a7IV design with the addition of this new screen that allows for tilting while still in line with the body and can flip out and rotate for self-viewing- helpful for some video work.

The new screen that allows for tilting while still in line with the body and can flip out and rotate for self-viewing- helpful for some video work.

The megapixel count remains the same as the Sony a7R IV but Sony has added a new processor dedicated to AF Real-time recognition improving the accuracy and broader subject detection. Early results look promising with some impressive eye and subject tracking and even better results when the eye is hidden. Remember though that this is Sony’s resolution-focused camera and the sensor is not stacked so the electronic shutter is limited to still or slow-moving subjects and the FPS is 10 with AF. Still plenty fast but I don’t want anyone to think that this 61MP beast has suddenly become a speed demon. Though the addition of Dual CFexpress Type A/SD Card Slots means the buffer will clear much faster.

The 9.44m-Dot EVF with 120 fps Refresh Rate is one of the best at this price point and is gorgeous to use. The 8K video is impressive and overall this camera represents one of the very best hybrid systems (capable of shooting excellent photos and video) at this price point. And just in case you want to email and tell me that you don’t know anyone that owns an 8k television.. it’s not about publishing out at 8k, yet. It’s about having post-processing flexibility- just like the 61MP provides you can shoot 8k video and easily crop in to fill the frame with your subject or just to provide different shots from one clip.

Improvements to the pixel shift mean it can now handle some movement within the frame. I am getting mixed reviews here - some say it can be used handheld now while others say the difference is slight. I personally shoot a fair amount of pixel shift shots on my A1 for increased resolution and look forward to testing this myself.

And finally, we have a redesigned info screen and menu system that is an improvement over previous models.

Worth an upgrade from the A7R IV? I rarely encourage users to move from the previous model of any system to the next, the improvements are often slight but this is one of those rare cases where you might consider - the upgraded AF, the new screen design, and the 8K video features could add up for your use. Always feel free to reach out to me if you want someone to share my opinion on the value of upgrading or any new camera you might consider.