It’s difficult to ignore Sony’s newest Alpha 7R V camera, which has some incredibly impressive capabilities. Even though this camera is the newest and best in Sony’s lineup, is it the best for you given the other models in the lineup?
On the Sony platform, the new Sony Alpha 7R V (a7R V) ushers in a new era of artificial intelligence (AI) autofocus (AF). In my testing for PetaPixel, In a variety of subjects, I discovered the company’s claims about AF accuracy to be true. Compared to other Sony cameras, the camera can track subjects with unprecedented accuracy even with a 60-megapixel sensor.)
Even though the a7R V has a ton of other new features, many people use it as their primary camera because of the new AI advancements. While purchasing the Sony a7R V is probably a good choice, some users may find it to be more prudent to hold off until these AI updates are implemented in other cameras.
An Unusual Introduction
The previous a7R IV was notably slow to focus in comparison to its siblings across the company’s lineup, making the a7R V the ideal camera to receive Sony’s updated AI-based autofocus. The “R” in this camera line stands for “resolution,” and the large sensor in the a7R Processing requirements for IV were high.
Unfortunately, the a7R IV lacked one essential component—processing power—and its AF lagged behind that of every other Sony camera. With 60 megapixels, the camera is designed to be a portrait, landscape, and product model, but the difference between an a7R IV and the Sony a9 was night and day. The slower AF was a compromise that most target customers were willing to accept.
The a7R V more than meets the R line’s need for an upgrade, which was evident. As a reviewer, it’s the biggest AF advancement I’ve ever seen in a camera line.
This introduction is peculiar because the a7R V does not exhibit the AF system’s power to the same extent as, for example, the aging a9. This AI system would probably become even more potent thanks to the stacked CMOS sensor and lower resolution.
Therefore, the a7R V is a fantastic camera, and its AI autofocus isn’t weak; it’s just that using it in a camera with a 60MP sensor is probably less advantageous for AF than using it with a lower-resolution sensor would be.
I suspect the a7R V was chosen because it would be the model with the most obvious improvements. You can demonstrate the effectiveness of the system by making the model of camera that has the worst AF performance the best-performing model. Also, should the AF system come out first in a lower resolution camera and then show up in an a7R V, any slowness in performance on the a7R V would prove once again that the “R” line can’t be both as fast and as accurate as the other models.
The odd thing about releasing this in the a7R V as the first with this technology is that it puts the a7R V ahead of the “flagship” Alpha 1, at least in terms of subject specificity. The a1 camera outperforms the a7R V due to its speed, which enables it to capture significantly more images with a superior AF system than the a7R V.
However, the a7R V now has an AF system that performs better than that in the flagship and it has design updates (notably the tilty flippy screen) not present in the Alpha.
Purchase Decisions
For those looking to purchase Sony cameras, the Alpha 7R V’s new autofocus makes the decision to buy confusing. The a7 IV was the more affordable model, the a7S III was for those who wanted to capture video, the a9 was for those who wanted to capture sports, the a7R IV was for those who wanted to capture portraits, and the Alpha 1 was for those who wanted the best of everything.
In terms of some features, the a7R V puts it ahead of the a1, on par with the a7S III in terms of many video features, and in terms of autofocus, it is superior to both the a9 and the a1.
Anyone who purchases the a7R V is unlikely to be dissatisfied with its performance. However, many Sony photographers would be better off waiting for the new AF system to be added to a different model of camera.
When comparing the Alpha 1 and the a7R V, the latter is the better option for any photographer who doesn’t require frame rates higher than 10, while the Alpha 1 is the better option for photographers who require frame rates of 10 or higher.
Although the a7R V has rolling-shutter issues as well, I’m mainly focusing on AF in this discussion. Mark Smith, a well-known bird photographer and YouTuber, just told me that he has started using the Sony 200-600mm lens with the a7R V and that so far, the setup is working out really well. Although he shoots some of the most difficult subjects imaginable, he will be using a mechanical shutter to increase frame rate and lessen rolling shutter.
As a reviewer, it seems strange to suggest a high-resolution camera over a brand’s flagship. However, a lot of the advantages of the a7R V outweigh the Alpha 1’s performance. When the majority of users prefer a $4,000 camera over a $6,500 flagship, it’s not a bad world.
I advise many current Sony photographers to put off buying a camera until the AI system is integrated into the rest of the lineup. The a9 is due for an upgrade, and the a1 must be updated quickly to remain competitive with the a7R V.
Related Reading: Best Sony Camera For Video
Source: PetaPixel
