NOTE: Feel free to leave your thoughts and any questions below…
I’ve had a Sony a7R 5 for a few months now. I don’t like to write too much about any software or camera right away, because it takes a while to really feel comfortable with them. But after 3 months I have used the camera enough that I thought it was time to take a look. I’ll talk about some of the features, but I’m also going to talk about how it compares to my Sony a1 because that’s been my favorite camera to date.
As we get started, just remember the Sony naming system for Full Frame cameras. That way if I mention other cameras you’ll have an idea what they are.
If it has an “R” in it that’s the big Resolution camera (a7R 5, a7R 4, etc…). If it doesn’t have the “R” (a7 4), then it’s their medium resolution camera. Usually similar features to the “R” cameras but less megapixels and less costly. If it has an “S” then it’s Sony’s video cameras. And of course the Sony a1, which doesn’t have any other versions since that was the first.
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Camera Settings, Editing, etc…
The photos below are all edited in Lightroom Classic with basic tone and cropping. Most were also put through Topaz Photo AI for basic noise reduction. No photo here had any more than 60-90 seconds spent on it.
I’ll try to mention settings, but generally if it’s a wildlife photo it was shot with the 200-600mm lens. I use Manual Exposure Mode, the Continuous AF mode, the Zone AF Area, and auto ISO with the aperture set to the lowest the lens will go to (usually f/6.3 for the 200-600mm). If it’s a landscape it was shot with my Sony 24-105mm, in Aperture Priority at f/16 and ISO 100. Those settings and lenses pretty much account for 99% of my photography.
Who is the Camera For?
I think the camera is a great fit for landscape, nature, wildlife photographers in general. I also know a lot of portrait and wedding pros that use the “R” series so that they can crop in if they ever need without always changing lenses, or to have a big print for clients.
The big draw to the “R” series of camera is the megapixels. The real advantage is for people that want big images. For me, with landscapes, sometimes having all of those pixels means I can shoot a little wider (not ultra wide angle though because distortion would look odd) and crop in later, rather than changing lenses. And for wildlife, it comes in handy because we can rarely ever get as close as we want.
Resolution
Just like the Sony a7R 4, the R5 resolution is 61 megapixels. Considering that most people no longer print, let alone print that big, it seems like a lot. And if you’re a landscape or nature photographer that mostly shares their photos online, it definitely is.
However, if you shoot wildlife then having that extra room to crop is huge. Just look at the photos below. You can really crop in tight, and still get a very detailed photo.
And sometimes, with landscapes, I’ll have a 24-105mm on and I see something a little more intimate in the distance where I’d normally have to put a longer zoom on. Well, with this, I can typically take the shot and crop in if I need.
Auto Focus
The Auto Focus in this camera is insane. I usually refer to it at “stickiness”. How sticky is the AF point once it locks on to something. If you’ve followed me at all for the last 2 years, I constantly say that the Sony a1 is the best camera I’ve ever held. And it still is. However, the a7R 5 comes REALLY REALLY close. In some cases, it may even beat it.
The Auto Focus in the Sony a1 is amazing and set the standard for every manufacture’s camera after that. The problem is that it cost $6500. That’s just prohibitive since most people that follow me, photography is a hobby (albeit a serious one). If I asked my wife if I could spend $6500 on golf clubs you’d likely hear the “GONG!!!” of the frying pan hit my head from several states away 😉
The problem was, I didn’t care for the a7R 4 for wildlife, so the only thing I could recommend as an alternative was the a74. However, you only got 33MP as opposed to 50mp. And for wildlife, that extra ability to crop really helps, not to mention the frame rate.
Now that we have the a7R 5 at $3900, I have a great alternative to the Sony a1 ($6500). Definitely not cheap, but hey… it’s 2023 and absolutely NOTHING is cheap.
When it comes to the AF system in this camera, I didn’t notice any difference in stickiness from my a1. It’s really hard to get an apples-to-apples comparison when shooting a moving subject like a bird. So I switched back and forth between the two often, and both of them are equally as good to my eye. The a7R 5 does have a few more AF subject detection modes like Animal/Bird combo, Car/Train/Airplane, and Insect (yuck!). In my tests they all performed just as good as the people and animal detection I’ve used before.
Sony does say that the a7R5 has “subject tracking” and it talks about a bunch of “AI” stuff that I know the Sony a1 specs didn’t talk about. So who knows? If you’re looking for a definitive/official answer to which AF is better, you won’t find one. All I can say is that in my opinion after using both, the a7R 5 has at least as good (if not better) AF and tracking than any Sony camera I’ve used.
And if that’s not good enough for you, then let’s just role play for a minute. The Sony a1 came out nearly 2 years earlier. The “R” series is one of Sony’s best selling camera lines. So if you were Sony, would you cripple the new camera to be worse than a 2 year old camera? Or would you make it better? I’m nowhere near as smart as them, but I know what I’d do 🙂
Lastly, just to show you how good the AF is, the eye on this hawk is razor sharp (horrible photo, but it makes a point). For an AF system to pick up focus as fast as it did in this photo, and keep it on the bird with as cluttered a background as you see, is pretty remarkable.
More About Eye AF
People ask a lot about the Eye Autofocus. And I’ll often hear about some one saying it didn’t engage if the bird was flying erratically. Here’s my thought. I don’t really care about Eye AF for birds in flight. They’re usually far enough away that if the camera focuses anywhere on the bird, it will be acceptably in focus and very sharp. For birds in flight, I just want stickiness in my AF. I don’t care where on the bird the focus point is.
However, for perched birds and animals it’s different. If we don’t have Eye AF, then we often see the AF get stuck on things around the animal, as in the photo below. It’s really cluttered and most AF systems without Eye AF will pick up one of those branches instead. Now, you can change focus areas to something smaller and point it at the bird, and recompose. But that’s exactly why I love Eye AF – you don’t have to do that anymore. No more focus and recompose. Just get the bird in the AF area and the camera is really good at finding the eye, and letting you compose the photo any way you want.
Image Quality
Next up we have Image Quality. For me, I can’t really notice much difference from its predecessor, the a7R4. Sony has always been known to be one of the top cameras for image quality, so I’ve just come to expect it and this camera is no different from what I can see.
That said, I do find the Sony a1 seems to perform just a little better at higher ISO settings which is to be expected. The a7R5 has more megapixels. And usually what comes with that is more noise. However, it’s barely noticeable for me, and I’d happily use it knowing that we have the best noise reduction software we’ve ever had in history – and that noise is gone in about 20 seconds.
Frame Rate
If you’re a wildlife or sports shooter, then this could be important to you. The frame rate of the a7R 5 is 10 frames per second. For most situations that’s fine. If you shoot landscapes and portraits or still life, then it’s more than enough. However if you shoot fast moving subjects, then it can be slow compared to what you get in, say, the Sony a1 (up to 30fps).
I have mixed feelings on this because I rarely shoot my Sony a1 at 30fps. It’s just too much, and fills up the card too fast, as well as being too time consuming to go through and pick keepers from all those photos. So most of the time I end up shooting at 10 or 20fps. But if I’m in a situation where I think there could be really great action happening, then sometimes I up it to 30fps. For example, sometimes I take an outing with DVWildlife to shoot eagles. Because those eagles are so fast and you just never know what they’re going to do, and action shots you’ll get, I often switch to 30fps for those outings. But for most of my wildlife photography, 10fps is plenty – though I wouldn’t mind at least the option to shoot 15-20fps.
Bulb Timer
All I have to say here is it’s about time. Bulb timers where around in some cameras 8 years ago and I’ve always hoped Sony would add it. It’s really useful for night shots or long exposure photos. Before having the feature in camera, you’d have to press the shutter once to start the exposure and once to end it, or use a remote of some sort. And you’d have to keep track of the time.
Now with the Bulb Timer, you can set it to anywhere from 2 to 900 seconds. It’ll even give you a delayed start as well as show you a countdown timer on the screen so you know where it’s at. Thank you!
Focus Stacking
Sony also added a Focus stacking feature. I don’t actually do focus stacking with my landscapes and I’d argue with most photos being shared online today that most people don’t need it. But it seems to be a highly requested feature. So if that’s something you wanted, now you have it.
Software Update via Memory Card
This is such a silly thing, but Mac users will be jumping up and down over this. Now you can put new firmware updates on to the memory card and update the camera. Sony never made this easy and made it even harder for Mac users. I just updated two Sony a1’s last month and it took me nearly 30 minutes to even figure out how to get it started, because you have to jump through hoops to get it moving. Double Thank you!
Ergonomics and Menus
I’m not the guy to go to for this stuff. I have a very “suck it up and figure it out” attitude for it. These cameras are multi-thousand dollar electronics made for the absolute highest level of professional. The internet and reviewers love to talk about how bad cameras feel in your hand, or complicated menus, while they show horrible uninspiring photos of a squirrel in their weed-overridden backyard 😉
For me, the camera is a piece of equipment. None of them feel great in my hand, but I adapt to whatever I hold. No menu system in the world is awesome, but we figure it out. So, for me, these things don’t factor in to my choices at all. I understand that for you it may be different, but it’s just not something I can talk passionately about because I don’t care. It feels like a camera, and any other camera I’ve held from any manufacturer.
And the menu feels like a menu developed by engineers who speak a different language – like all of them do. However, it is the same menu as on my Sony a1 though, so there was no learning curve.
Buttons and Dials
The setup for the a7R5 is similar to previous versions. However, it is different from the a1 in that it doesn’t have a physical dial on the camera to change Focus Mode or Frame Rate (Drive modes). I’ve grown to really like having that on the top of my camera. But I think it’s mostly convenience because after shooting the a7R 5, I can’t say it’s bothered me that much.
Also, the exposure compensation dial doesn’t have +1, +2, etc… written on it. Unlike previous models where you turned it a certain number of clicks right or left to dial + or – in, this doesn’t stop. You can keep turning it and I guess they figure you’re usually looking at the EVF when you do it to dial in what you need. It doesn’t bother me, but it was just different to look at when I first got it, since every camera I’ve used for 30 years has something written on that dial.
Oh, and it has a better articulating flippy screen. I don’t vlog or do video with the camera, where I have the need to turn the screen to face front, but some people do. I do tilt the screen out and up so I can hold the camera down to the ground, and still see what’s going on, but that’s been around for a while.
Final Thoughts and Who Is It For?
My final thoughts are that the a7R5 can replace my Sony a1 for wildlife. Will it? I haven’t decided yet because I’ve been so in love with that a1, and it’s hard to let go. But shooting with it over the last 3 months, I can’t say that I’ve missed anything from the a1 other than that dial on the top of the camera I mentioned earlier.
But as a wildlife, landscape and nature photographer this camera has everything I need. And for the first time in two years, if you took away my Sony a1, I wouldn’t cry like a baby now that I have this 🙂
Who is it for?…
If you’re a wildlife photographer who doesn’t own the Sony a1 already, and you want a camera that is almost as good as it in every way, then you’ll love this one. Or if you are a wildlife and overall outdoor photographer, and want a backup to your a1, but don’t want to drop another $6500 then this is a great backup.
If you’re a landscape photographer who doesn’t already own the Sony a7R 4 then this is a no brainer. If you do own the a7R 4, the focus stacking and Bulb Timer can be HUGE features for you, so maybe you’d upgrade if you need those. If not, I think you could stick with your r4.
PS: Landscapes – Heck, even if you have an older camera, you really wouldn’t need to upgrade as a landscape photographer (sorry Sony, don’t hate me). It’s just that cameras have not improved much if you just shoot landscapes and still life. That’s why I don’t talk a lot about it. I’d gladly shoot the same camera I had 10 years ago, and I could make EVERY BIT as good a landscape photo as now. We don’t need much from Auto Focus or ISO or frame rate for still subjects, and as far as I can see image quality today is pretty much the same as it was 5-6 years ago.
And if you own a the a7R 2 or 3, or the a7 series (or even the crop sensor a6000 series), then this would be a great upgrade if you need the extra megapixels. And if you do own the a6000 series, you’ll definitely see an image quality improvement with this camera.
As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope this helped. Feel free to leave any questions or thoughts below. Enjoy!
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I love teaching and photography... In that order. I feel that enjoying photography, and photo editing can get WAY too complicated. So my personal mission (and favorite thing to do), is to create education that simplifies the process of taking great photos, and how to edit them to get the results you’ve always wanted.
Hi Matt,
Great review.
Just curious if a year later you are still enjoying the camera and if your impressions have changed and, if so, how?
A little late to the party, I’m due to receive one today to use with the Sigma 500 f/5.6 for birding. I’m primarily a static bird shooter, with BIF occasionally.
Always enjoy your fair and balanced reviews.
Kind regards,
George
Hi George. Yes it’s still a great camera and I use it often. For static birds it’s very much overkill, but you’ll love it. All of the Sony rumor sights point to a Sony a1 Mark ii coming out early next year, so to be honest, I’ll probably get one of those and use my a1 as a backup and sell the a7R5 eventually. But as of right now I have no issues with it being my second camera and it’s a wonderful piece of equipment. Good luck with it!
This is a nice guide Matt and I am brand new to this camera. I have had it for about 3 weeks with the 24-105 lens. Something is not set correctly and I cannot figure it out. When I set the exposue more to A I can select the aperture to 16 for a landscape shot but the shutter is not automatic. Have the ISO set to auto. Is that the problem and keeps the shutter from being automatic?
I have the A7R5. I love to shoot BIF. I have not found the correct af settings for this where the camera finds it and locks on. It seems to go around it. It will occasionally find the eye. Can I ask what your settings are? Thank you in advance.
Hi Joe. I usually use the “Zone” Auto Focus area. If the bird is in that zone it will usually find the eye. But if it doesn’t as long as it locks on the bird, that’s all that matters. You’re generally not close enough for it to matter where on the bird it focuses and if the bird isn’t really close it won’t pick up the eye. It’s a wonderful camera and perhaps the best Auto Focus system on the market right now so experiment with it.
Hi Matt,
Does Lightroom classic now recognize A7RV raw S,M,L ?
Hi. Always best to check with adobe for the latest if you’re not sure which cameras are supported.
Hello Matt and thanks for your review!
I would like to ask about videos, as you only compared photos. Did you try those as well? Any thoughts? I am just now deciding if I should buy RV or spend extra grand and buy A1. I wanna shoot both stills and videos, wildlife and underwater.
Thanks
Martin
Hi. I don’t use the video features so I wouldn’t be very good at reviewing that. Thanks
Martin Hi
See Gerald’s review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqZk1zW2i1U
Hi Matt, Nice review.
Can you please give us some advises on the way you are using AF on that a7RV for wildlife, not only bird but lion, dogs,…?
Are you using half pressed shutter or back button focus with AFON ?
Which focus area are you using (spot, zone, wide, wide tracking,expanded spot tracking…) ?
Do you use “eye AF” on a custom button to force searching an eye even if a flexible spot is out of the “face” square ?
On A7iV i am using either flexible spot with eye af on lens button or expanded spot tracking i put on face. All other modes are random and never sure i am in focus
Hi Marc.
I use the Zone AF area with tracking. I don’t use back button focus or any other modifications. Thanks.
Hi Matt,
Great review as always! I have an R4 right now and this may have pushed me over the edge. One question: I know that the R5 is not a stacked sensor so the readout times are longer than the A1. Can you comment on the memory cards you are shooting with an how long it takes the buffer to clear when shooting at a high frame rate? As a follow up, my R4 says 10fps as well, but it can only do around 7fps when shooting RAW. I was wondering if the R5 was the same, or you get closer to 10fps when shooting lossless compressed RAW. Thanks!
Hey Mark. Thanks and glad to help. To be totally honest and hopefully I don’t hurt your opinion of me… I have no idea what some of that means. While I guess I have heard the term stacked sensor, I don’t know what it means. And whether I’m getting 10 fps or 7 I’m not sure. I do know that sometimes the settings have to be just right to get the higher number and it’s something I only researched for the a1.
Anyway, one thing I did invest in was the Sony CF Express A cards. When I was shooting 30fps I needed them so that it could write the files off quickly. I’ve since rarely ever shot 30 fps on the A1, and haven’t noticed any issue with the R5. Hope that helps. You’ll probably be better off asking some one a little more technical. I’m more of a point and shoot kind of person… I point the camera and shoot and don’t think about much else 😉
You get 10fps only with compressed raw. Everything above is 7fps (lossless compressed is 7fps). Hope this helps.
Hi Matt,
thanks so much for these Sony reviews, there is a lot of other information in there that I can use. I still live with my RX 10M4 and have to be happy with it and the Topaz Photo A1, which is necessary for the small sensor of the camera. I always enjoy your short tutorials. The cameras you discribed will hardly come within my financial reach and with the modern software I can work very well with the older photographs taken with my sold two full size Nikons and whatever came before..
Matt, I am new to Sony and just purchased the a7R5. Is there a tutorial available to explain the functions??
Hi Richard. There is not. I have seen some videos on YouTube though.
Excellent review, I especially love what you say about menus/ergonomics for high level professionals: “the camera is a piece of equipment. None of them feel great in my hand, but I adapt to whatever I hold. No menu system in the world is awesome”.
I do think my A7R5 feels pretty darn good in the hand, maybe not quite as good as my Olympus E-M1. But great points that many people need to stop complaining and learn the tool.
why not shoot wide angle with high pixel count (45+mp) camera?
Distortion. Very wide angle minimizes things in the distance
Great review Matt. I have had my 5 since it came out and I love it. I upgraded from the A7Riv and also have an A9. Wildlife and macro photography are favorite. I would like to chime in on the Focus (bracketing) Stacking. I spent some time with this feature – doing macro – as I was thrilled that it was included in this model, but I must say I am disappointed. It allows a new folder to be made when you focus bracket – which is good – but the images in each folder begin with the same number and after downloading – unless you have created a separate folder for each stack – the files are all out of sequence. I will know better in the future. There is the ability to set how many shots you want, but not the ability to select multiple focus points. I set the focus on the nearest point but there is no way to set the ending focus point. You have to guess that x amount of images will reach the end of your subject. The “step width” option I am sure has something to do with that, but I was not able to combine that correctly, along with the number of images, to be satisfied. Hopefully, more advanced users than I will work on this feature and produce information, YouTubes, etc. to fill in all the blanks that I currently can’t find answers to. For now I will continue to manually focus stack as I have in the past. I would be interested in other comments regarding this feature. Again, thanks for a great review on this amazing camera.
Great article!
Since the files are so large, do you use Lossless Compressed Raw L to gain a faster fps? I understand that that when shooting uncompressed Raw, it decreases your frame rate.
Thank you for doing this review
Hi Linda. I haven’t changed it from the default so I’m not sure. It’s most likely uncompressed.
Hi Matt, you mentioned the ease of updating the firmware by using a memory card. Would you elaborate on that? Are you referring to a thumb drive? How do you know when there’s a firmware update? I bought the 7rV a month ago and the A9II two months ago and am setting them up for my Africa trip in a month. Any tips on setting up my camera buttons and function box. As a Nikon shooter, I love using the Sony camera ms now.
Hi Denise. I believe when I registered my camera they have my email so I get notifications. Sometimes I don’t though. I just google firmware update for Sony (camera model) every so often to see if there’s an update. Just generally following the industry I’ll see some one mention it here and there. As for buttons and dials I don’t customize any of mine. Everything seems to work well out of the box for me personally. Thanks and enjoy your trip.
Thanks for the review Matt, what’s your take on the IS? I thought they went from 5 stops to 8 stops, which was intriguing to me. Although I use a tripod as much as possible, in some situations it’s nice to go without, and 8 stops sounds pretty darned good.
Hi John. I really don’t know and don’t know how to compare it. If I’m shooting a landscape I’m on a tripod, and if I’m shooting wildlife I’m shooting fast enough shutter speeds that camera shake doesn’t factor in too much. So I really don’t know how to compare it or test it. Thanks.
Thank you, Matt! I used to shoot with a 4×5 Linhoff with Schnider lenses and an Olympus OM1 with a 50mm lens. Then when I started taking aerials, I bought a Pentax 645 system that I eventually wore out! When Sony came out with the 707 a 5MP with a Zeiss zoom lens I never went back to film. One of my best-selling images is from that Sony 707 where I stitched 6 aerial images to create Sunset on the Strait which I have sold as a 60″x 20″ metal print that still looked crisp! Then went to Sony’s 717 & 828 then my first full frame Canon 13MP which I wore out followed by 2 Sony A900’s fullframe 24MP which I also wore out!
We had a door-to-door aerial image business that was shut down with Covid & with some expensive medical issues I finally bought a $400 Canon Rebel T7 24 MP cropped sensor. With PS RAW enhance and Topaz AI Sharpen I am able to make nice prints up to 24×36! I am Jones’n for the Sony 7R5 and know both Blake and you have the A1, so your review was much appreciated! Thank you again!
I really like the message Matt made about the ‘old gear’ meeting expectations depending on your needs. There is no question that each iteration of a camera body adds new conveniences and, in some cases, quality. But there are a ton of DSLR’s and even older mirrorless that can meet the objectives of most amateur photographers. Most non-professionals don’t need the likes of an A1. Why chase expensive technology when what you have meets all of your needs…if you know them!! Especially when you have a bag full of great lenses that work with it.
Hi Alan. I would actually disagree a little. You say a non-pro doesn’t need an A1. But I would say a non-pro would benefit the most from an A1. I mean if you’re a seasoned pro, you’re going to take any camera and make a great photo – because you’re that good. But if you’re some one not very good at shooting wildlife for example, wouldn’t you want the camera that basically does it for you? One that no matter how bad you are at keeping the subject in a focus area, the camera’s AF will lock on and a fast frame rate that gives you a lot of moments to choose from. Pros put themselves in good light – non pros don’t, so having great image quality and high iso performance helps. Just a thought… but I always disliked the A1 situation because I thought it would put a HUGE smile on any non-pro’s face when they used it. But it is just so expensive that it’s prohibitive for most to get.
How well sealed is it and have you used the R5 in very cold temperatures? The one issue I have is only 10 fps as I shoot a lot of wildlife.
Hi. There is no information on sealing but it’s a pro level camera made to withstand weather so I’m sure it’s in line with all other cameras. I’ve never heard of anyone with a problem. Thx
Finally, an acknowledged professional photographer who cuts through the superflous tech stuff and provides useful information that is actually relevant for a large part of his audience. Thank you, Matt! Well done. Thank you for sharing and please keep up the outstanding work.
Matt
I hate you. Just kidding ? I’ve been considering upgrading from my 7r3 to this camera and after this review it’s a no brainer. I just need to hide my frying pans lol. Serious though what a great review and you hit on all the points that matter to me . Not cheap but cheaper the. The A1 and closing the gap. This will be perfect for my return to Yellowstone this year. Time to sell the 7R3.
Matt, I bought the a7rv about 6 weeks ago and I was blown away with the way it worked. I so wanted the a1 but I just couldn’t bring myself to spending that much money. Besides already loving my a7r5 your evaluation of it has made me very happy with my decision. I follow you religiously and do appreciate all the helpful info you provide.
Hi Matt, great review it’s to bad I already made the jump to mirrorless about 6 weeks ago. I would have switched from Canon to Sony after reading this report.
I am on the verge of buying the Wildlife editing course. I need to finish the Composition course first.
Semper Fi,
Joe W.
Thank you for your explanations. I fell in love with the Sony mirrorless cameras when a number of years ago I was at a photo/travel show and was looking for a lighter camera to use to carry when i hiked or traveled. I was shown the cropped sensor a6000. It changed everything for me. I later bought a 7R and have loved that also. So..maybe now or in the near future a 7R5 might be worth the investment.
Matt,
As always a great review with actual facts and great photos to go with.
After switching to Sony and following your insights I ended up with the
a1 which I love. Also followed your guidance on lenses etc.
In fact I have been doing eagles with DVWildlife too based on your experience
photos and commentary.
To say the least, you have become one of the three legs in my support system
for which I thank you immensely.
I can’t wait for the rumored a1 II and your insights and experience.
Thanks Matt. That was a great review with lots of useful information. Very helpful if someone is making an upgrade decision.
Thanks for a great review, Matt. I have been looking at this camera for some time now. You pretty much answered all the questions I had concerning using it for wildlife photography. Thank you again.
Thanks for this! I have been thinking about upgrading and you explained so clearly what each model offers and why (or why not) to upgrade. Very very helpful!
Great commentary. Been vacilating on whether to jump to the rv. Now I will for sure. I’ll even live with the frying pan bong from wife.
900 seconds max for Bulb is…15 minutes? That seems awfully short for timed photos.
That’s the max timer. You can of course not use the timer and go as long as you’d like.
Great review if only to look at your awesome photos!! I too shoot with the A1 and if you have time a tutorial on updating it would be greatly appreciated!!
Great review i have been looking at the R5 now you helped me decide
Those are some awesome photos…and it takes a lot more than a state-of-the-art camera to get those! Great job, Matt.
Matt – thanks for this insightful discussion of the a7R 5. I have been using an a7R 4 since it came out and have had an a7 2 as my backup camera. The R 5 now provides some great improvements over my R 4 and will allow me to have a backup camera that is very strong (and uses the same battery).
I don’t vlog, but the ability to tilt the screen in either landscape or portrait orientation is a great advantage over the earlier cameras. The focus stacking, bulb exposure and improved resolution of both the screen and viewfinder also contribute to what seems like a wonderful camera!
Fantastic review! Of course, I purchased the A7IV in December, right when the A7RV was being released, no one at B&H etc. was talking about it, I missed the boat. Woulda shoulda coulda. Based on my cognitive buyer dissonance and extensive research, I have decided that the perfect Sony Alpha camera for me does not exist today. It would have the dual processors, stacked sensors and 30fps capabilities of the A1, the 61MP and updated autofocus capabilities of the A7RV, and the button customization capabilities and price point of the A7IV. Since that camera does not exist today, I will wait, practice with my lowly A7IV, and spend money on lenses instead. I have to believe that Sony’s flagship A1 product will get some sort of update in the future to incorporate some of the functionality that has been included with the lowly A7 line, or vice versa, and when that happens, I will be ready. Lastly, your tutorials are exceptional and have really helped my bird photography exponentially, thank you.
Mike,
I don’t have any facts except a rumor about an a1 series II. I am guessing it might have a new sensor, moreMP and some additional AF features. As it is a flagship/pro camera I am betting it will lead the pack in every regard.
Who knows, maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but time will tell.
Matt certainly makes a case for the A7RV.
Just follow alpha rumors and you’ll get a pretty good idea. While I have ZERO idea of any release, I’d say we’ll see a new a9 come out first since the a9ii came out before the a1. A1 is barely two years old so I think we have more time before we see another but who knows. If you play that game you’ll never buy anything. And of course you’d have to expect it to be at least $6500 if not over $7K (we’re not in a time where prices are going down). If you need a camera, safest bet is to buy what just came out. Then you know you get maximum use out of it.
Hi Matt, thanks a lot for this nice overview. I short question, what light metering setting do you use? Greetings, Louis
Hi Louis. I use Matrix metering and have for about 30 years now. I have never changed it and really don’t see a reason to for my photography.
Thanks for the info..
Thank you for the review. I just bought the a7R5, upgrading from the a7r2, so this was helpful to understand some of the features.
I went ALL IN w the a7 RV. I started w Canon 5d3 then went to the Olympus EM1.3 for a few years. I now own the a7rv and trying to figure which lenses I want to have in my bag. I absolutely love the a7rv!
Matt, great review especially when you see other people hyping the newest and greatest and not taking the time to compare features on older models and admitting they like a previous version. It’s nice to have the ability to crop especially taking photos of bird’s small birds like all the warblers, you can never get close enough, so you need the cropping ability. Hopefully in the next couple of months I will upgrading my camera to a mirrorless version still not sure what make and model I will be purchasing.
Thank you for the great review!
PJ