Sony Alpha A7R V Released

2022.10.26

Today, Sony launched their 5th-generation high-resolution Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera, which follows the revolutionary Sony A7R IV review here that was launched a little over 3 years ago. The 4th-generation A7R brought a huge 50% jump in resolution to a level rivaling Medium-Format cameras and remained unmatched all the way to this this day among Full-Frame Digital Cameras!

The camera revealed today is, as expected, the Sony Alpha A7R V. This new camera is actually built around the same 61 megapixels Full-Frame EXMOR R sensor as its predecessor yet paired with a new BIONZ XR engine that promises improved performance, mostly in terms of processing speed. Given it is exactly the same sensor, the A7R V captures the same standard ISO 100-32000 sensitivity range which expands to ISO 50-102400. Even the shutter-speed range of 1/8000-30s remains the same, as its maximum 10 FPS burst rate. Despite a 3-year gap, the Sony A7R V remains the highest resolution Full-Frame Digital Camera on the market!

Sony retained virtually the same body with its triple control-dials, 8-way joystick, plus dedicated EC and Mode dial. The control layout is nearly identical as its the positioning of all ports. The major exterior change is a state-of-the-art 9.4 megapixels 0.64" EVF with 100% covarage and an incredible 0.9X magnification which also comes with an essential Eye-Start Sensor. This is a huge leap in resolution and magnification overs its predecessor and matches the flagship Sony Alpha A1.

The other external change is the switch to a more fragile rotating LCD screen which mounts on a hinge to the side of the camera and has an extra back hinge to support tilting as well. Even though this is more versatile, the durability of this hinge remains to be seen. This is the only difference from the back of the camera that separates its from the A7R IV. Behind the door on the left, Sony updates the HDMI port to full-size. Behind the right door, the two memory card slots now accept both SDXC UHS-II and CFExpress Type A cards.

There are two huge improvements in the Sony Alpha A7R V. The most exciting one is a new sensor-shift image-stabilization mechanism that provides 8-stops of advantage over hand-holding. This allows the A7R V to match the top Canon Full-Frame mirrorless cameras that owned a significant advantage for the last few years. This A7R V also gains the ability to record 8K video at 24 or 25 FPS from a 1.24X crop of the sensor. This makes this one of the few cameras to record 8K video yet the only one not to reach 30 FPS. It can record 4K video at 60 FPS and Full HD video at 120 FPS which are more common. There is a built-in stereo microphone to capture audio right on camera and a Multi-Interface Hot-Shoe that supports digital audio of 4 channels.

Using the new BIONZ XR image processor, the Sony Alpha A7R V reaches much improved buffer-depths. This digital camera can sustain 10 FPS at maximum resolution for over 1000 JPEG images or up to 583 lossless RAW files. The same processor handles the 693-Point Phase-Detect Autofocus system to match subjects to an AI driven system that recognizes a wide variety of subjects. Sensitivity remains down to -4 EV, since the sensor is unchanged, but the system now supports Focus Bracketing for up to 299 frames.

Even though processing power increased significantly, the huge resolution of the Sony A7R V prevents it from performing some functions that other cameras can do. Most notably, this mirrorless does not support built-in HDR, Time-Lapse Video and requires dedicated computer software to assemble Super-Resolution images from 4 or 16-frames. Although not mentioned in the official specifications, we expect the A7R V to at least support an Interval-Timer that can be used to capture a sequence of images that can be assembled into a Time-Lapse later.

This new camera is expected to ship this December for $3900 USD or $5300 CAD. Preorders are already accepted by both Adorama and B&H Photo. This reputable affiliates of ours will not charge your credit-card until the camera ships while ensuring you are among the first to receive the new Sony Alpha A7R V.

• Digital Camera