Sony Alpha 7R V Officially unveiled

Sony Alpha 7R V is equipped with the same back-illuminated 61-megapixel CMOS Exmor R type sensor, which is installed in the a7R IV, but the processor in the camera is new – Bionz XR. The company says the new processor handles more detail and color while working in conjunction with the same sensor as the previous model. The camera also features a new auto exposure system that Sony says is 20% more effective at detecting skin tones in challenging lighting conditions. How one can calculate the percentage of efficiency in displaying skin tones remains a mystery, but if this statement is confirmed in practice, photographers will only benefit.

The new Bionz XR processor also provides the a7R V with up to eight stops of compensation and can capture 10 fps of 583 compressed RAW files, 547 uncompressed RAW files, or over 1,000 JPEG files. The camera also shoots photos in JPEG and HEIF formats and offers three RAW formats: 61, 26 and 15 MP.

Sony Alpha 7R V

The camera has an updated image stabilization system, it is 5-axis, works in conjunction with a gyroscope and provides up to 8 stops of exposure. The new processor allows you to shoot from ISO 100 to ISO 32,000, which expands to ISO 102,400 for photos. The dynamic range is 15 stops.

The camera received two CFexpress Type A / SD slots. Viewfinder electronic, resolution 98.44 million dots. Wireless interfaces include Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth. The USB-C port supports fast network connection and PD charging, and you can shoot and power the camera at the same time. The camera body is resistant to dust and moisture.

The 693-point autofocus system with 79% sensor coverage provides a new AI-based autofocus technology to detect human postures and recognize human movements. It is able to detect not only the eyes, head and body parts, but also the nose, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles of a person. It will be very interesting to see this technology in action. In theory, there will be no more focus misses.

Autofocus also works for shooting cats, dogs, and also detects not only the eyes of birds, but also the heads and bodies of birds, as well as insects. This system can be configured by the user – you can change the degree of recognition and priority when shooting people, animals and birds. Whether this will be used in practice is a question, since at first glance it is extremely difficult. However, for those who are not looking for easy ways, this camera is likely to be a real find.

Sony a7R V is equipped with a new 4-axis LCD monitor

The Sony a7R V is equipped with a new 3.2-inch 4-axis LCD monitor that can be tilted and rotated in any way, similar in design to the screen in the Panasonic S1H .

Shooting video

The Alpha 7R V can record video up to 8K 24/25p for 30 minutes before overheating and 4K 50/60p. The body of the camera has been updated to better dissipate heat, allowing for 30 minutes of 8K shooting, without the need for a fan like other models.

Super-35 movie shooting in 4K 30p/24p/25p, 4K footage uses 6.2K oversampling. Video can be recorded in 10-bit 4:2:2, All-intra (XAVC SI) and HEVC (XAVC HS) codecs. Sony says it has improved stabilization for video when used in conjunction with lenses with OSS.

On the top of the camera there is a dedicated Photo/Video/S&Q dial, and, as you might guess, it switches modes, while the settings are saved independently for video and for photos.

Sony Alpha 7R V Dual CFexpress Type A/SD Slot

Pixel shift

Pixel-shift shooting is not new, the Alpha 7R V takes up to 16 consecutive shots with a slight sensor shift, resulting in a file with an effective resolution of over 200MP. When merging frames into one, the software can recognize the movement of small objects, such as falling leaves, and compensate for this fact.

Other features

Sony Alpha 7 V has touch controls. You can stream in 4K via USB cable using UVC/UAC. The camera is capable of internal recording while streaming, recording the stream in 4K 15p, HD 60p, HD 30p, and 720 30p. On the side of the Alpha 7R V, there is a full-size HDMI port, a PC sync port, a microphone and headphone jack, USB-Type C and USB Micro ports.

Sony Alpha 7R V

What about the prices?

The Sony Alpha 7R V camera costs $3,900 and is expected to ship in mid-December 2022.