Sony’s mirrorless cameras have been some of the most significant photographic innovators in recent years, and that trend continues with the new Sony A7R V: a 61MP full-frame powerhouse with some seriously smart autofocus.
The Sony A7R V is part of Sony’s ‘Resolution’ series and is designed for landscape, portrait, wildlife, and product photographers.
Like its 2019 predecessor, it’s built around a 61MP BSI full-frame sensor, which only medium format cameras like the Fujifilm GFX100S can match in terms of resolution.
The A7R V’s biggest difference is a new ‘AI processing unit’ that lives inside the camera’s Bionz XR processor.
According to Sony, this unit enables its new camera to crunch vast amounts of ‘deep learning’ training data relating to autofocus, making it a “turning point” for the entire Alpha range.
Sony recently outpaced its competitors with its Real-time tracking autofocus technology. The Sony A7R V, for example, can analyses a human’s entire pose in granular detail in order to find their eyes, even when they are obscured in the scene.
The same appears to be true for animals, with AI autofocus recognizing the head and body of a dog even when it is turned away from the camera. If the system performs as expected, it could be a huge boon for portrait and wildlife photographers.
A series of design enhancements address some of the most common criticisms levelled at the previous camera. A new four-axis articulating touchscreen allows you to use it in both tilting and flipping configurations, which should appeal to hybrid shooters who prefer a healthy mix of stills and video.
Above the screen is the same 9.44-million-dot electronic viewfinder found on the Sony A7S III, and the A7R V now has two CFexpress Type A card slots (which also accept UHS-II SD cards).
A new setting also ensures that the camera’s shutter remains closed when the power is turned off, preventing the sensor dust issues that plagued some A7R IV owners.
While Sony’s ‘Resolution’ series is known for its photography, the A7R V is also a capable video camera.
It can shoot 8K/24p video and 4K/60p footage with 10-bit 4:2:2 colour depth, which will appeal to those who like to colour grade their videos. However, unlike the flagship Sony A1, there is no 4K/120p mode for slow-motion fans.
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