There was a lot of emphasis on Sony’s full-frame A7R V because it was one of the best mirrorless cameras I’ve ever evaluated. The 61-megapixel A7R V, created to provide the most detail for portrait and landscape photography, is the company’s response.
incearca incearcaurmatoareleurmatoareleambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambulambul The processors have been modified to match those in the 50-megapixel A1, enabling quicker AI tracking and autofocus as well as improved video specifications. For the same $3,900 price as its main opponent, the Canon EOS R5, Sony has enhanced stabilization, the back display, the EVF, and more.
Sony A7R V: Price and Release Date
The A7R V, which cost about $3,900/£4,000/AU$5,900, was released in October 2022 and went on sale in December 2022. Given the A7R IV’s debut pricing and the ensuing growth in camera prices over the past year or two, we could have anticipated a little higher price.
Yet, the camera’s price is approaching that of medium-format versions. For instance, the body-only price of the Fujifilm GFX 100S is about $6,000, £4,800, or AU$9,300. The A7R V is unquestionably the superior choice for photographers who shoot fast-moving subjects like sport and wildlife, as well as for those who shoot video, but the GFX 100S’s larger sensor (1.7x) and higher 100MP resolution may be more advantageous for landscape, portrait, and studio photographers.
A7R V by Sony: Design
The A7R V’s general design is remarkably similar to that of earlier versions, with the majority of the advances taking place inside the camera’s body, while there are a few changes that make the A7R IV seem better. Existing Sony users will almost certainly feel at home, and novices should have little to no trouble navigating the primary options.
A revolutionary 4-axis 3.2-inch articulating touchscreen, which can be rotated, turned out sideways, and twisted to face forward, is located on the camera’s rear. This touchscreen is ideal for both still photos and videos. The screen is significantly larger than on the two generations before it, which merely had a tilting screen, although this has little effect on how the device handles in general. Similar to the A7S III, this electronic viewfinder has a 0.9x magnification and a superb 9.44 million dot resolution.
The exposure compensation dial is now unmarked and, like the majority of the buttons and dials, can be changed to perform a different function at the user’s discretion. However, having it set to exposure compensation is the most practical setting, despite the nearly limitless ways that Sony cameras can be customized.
The two card slots on the side of the grip, just like in earlier A7R versions, can be configured to record in a variety of ways when two cards are inserted. Both SD and CFexpress Type A cards can be used in the A7R V’s card slots, with the latter being the speedier choice. This is wonderful if you like the affordability and storage benefits of SD cards, but you’ll need to use far more expensive CFexpress Type A cards to fully utilize the camera’s speed potential.
VIDEO
The overall quality of Sony’s video continues to wow, with the processed footage that comes directly from the camera being crisp with excellent color balance and dynamic range. However the footage still needs some editing to make it ideal for social media or any other direct use because the color scheme is a little dull. For accurate editing, serious videographers do have access to a wider range of codecs.
The A7R V enables 8K video recording, this is without a time limit, although you will still be significantly restricted by the SD cards you have available, as only the quickest SD write speeds will be able to cope with the maximum readout, and cards will get filled up with data very rapidly.
The video in 8K is also constrained by being cropped; while this isn’t a problem if you have access to very wide-angle lenses, it was difficult to photograph several subjects in my tests with the 50mm lens I had decided to carry around that day.
Battery life is the major issue when using the Sony A7R V to record in 8K. I could really see the battery percentage in the drop corner dwindling as I was filming. The battery failed to last even one test day of shooting quick videos all over London. If you plan to film with this camera frequently, you might want to buy extra batteries or keep it plugged into an external power source because the battery performs better in a lower-spec video (although it isn’t a major increase).
Verdict
The A7R V feels disappointing physically and overwhelming technically. For the large professional lenses you’ll be using with it, the camera body feels too little or isn’t tall enough in the body, and the controls have a general layout rather than being tailored to the camera’s advantages. You may modify the buttons indefinitely to fit the way you work, but it takes time and a sharp memory to remember which button does what.
The A7R V is outstanding technically. The new AI subject recognition AF is impressive because to its quick identification and acquisition as well as its extremely persistent “tracking”. The A7R V’s larger buffer makes it much more efficient for lengthy burst shooting, and Sony claims that the image quality is superior to that of the A7R IV before it.
