Sony is trying to recoup any technological foundation it lost last year to Nikon Z9 and Canon EOS R3 cameras. While Sony had been at the forefront for years with advanced features like real-time autofocus and eye tracking, competitors have recently made huge strides to catch up. Now Sony is announcing its new $3,899.99 A7R V camera – slated for launch in mid-December – and it’s cooking in an AI processing unit with the sole aim of resuming the head of the frantic autofocus race.
The A7R V retains the massive 61 megapixels of the previous A7R IV, but the back-illuminated full-frame sensor and Bionz XR processor are now paired with a dedicated AI processing unit. These new AI intelligences enable autofocus to detect and distinguish subjects like cars, trains, planes, animals and insects. Sony isn’t the first camera brand to perform subject detection, but it claims the A7R V uses what it calls “human pose estimation” to see 20 different points in the body. and anticipate and track where a human’s eye is meant to be. Sony says its autofocus can do things like accurately focus on a partially obscured or side-shot subject’s eye, and it should know how to keep tracking the same subject even if another person or object walks past him for a moment.
The A7R V also includes an improved in-body image stabilization system with up to eight stops of compensation, 8K video recording at 24p/25p with 1.2x cropping, and a redesigned four-axis articulating rear screen that can Quickly pull out for waist-level shooting and rotate for front-facing recording.
While the A7R V’s massive resolution may scare off some people who aren’t the loudest of pixel voyeurs, Sony is also packing in a new lossless compressed RAW feature that it recently rolled out to other models via updates. firmware update. You can shoot the A7R V in RAW at 61 megapixels, 26 megapixels or 15 megapixels, and at all resolutions it can shoot as fast as 10 fps while maintaining focus tracking – with buffering capability up to 583 frames. And to write all those images, the A7R V now has two card slots that accept either UHS-II SDXC cards or the faster (and more expensive) CFexpress. Type A.
There is also a kitchen sink with other features added to the A7R V including:
You get the picture – Sony threw a lot of tech into this camera, and the camera features go brrr.
What the A7R V also does is most likely set the tone for subsequent Alpha camera models, as Sony is often aggressive in pushing out new features across its ranges. A 61-megapixel camera might not be for everyone, but the prospect of potentially AI-infused future A1 II, A9 III, or A7C II cameras might sound quite appealing to a wide range of photographers and videographers, though after a hot minute with the A7R VI can tell you that the menu systems and ergonomics continue to suck.
Looks a lot like my A7 IV except for the new screen
As someone who owns and regularly shoots a Sony A9 II and A7 IV, I can tell you that the differences in handling and use are very minimal. It basically looks like my A7 IV except for the new hinged screen. Although this new screen is a big plus for anyone who needs to work quickly to capture tricky angles, like when I’m shooting weddings and need to quickly switch from shooting above my head to close to the ground.
The A7R V’s electronic viewfinder looks very crisp and clear at first glance, though unsurprisingly not as good as the A1. They may share the dot count in their OLED viewfinders, but the A1 refreshes faster and switches the LCD stream so quickly it almost feels like the EVF is on full time. And sadly, Sony still doesn’t use the top left shoulder of the camera for additional dials or controls – it still reserves that luxury for the A9 and A1 lines. While specifics aside, I’m sure most users are willing to ignore these small handling compromises if the A7R V can truly deliver on its AI-powered promises.
Update for October 26 at 11:34 a.m. ET: This post has been updated with some photos and impressions after a very brief hands-on with the camera.