An Alpha 7R IV User's Thoughts On The Sony Alpha 7R V
The Sony Alpha 7R V just got announced this week as the successor to the three year old Sony Alpha 7R IV. The R IV is my main camera and has been for the past two years so to see it get a bevy of upgrades intrigued me. Here are some of my favorite things that have gotten a boost.
New Processor and Card Formats
Like recent top level Sony Alpha cameras, like the Alpha 7S III and Alpha 1, the a7R V features a new processing system, powered by the BIONZ XR chip that elevates the performance speed, allowing it to keep up with its siblings in terms of moving images off the buffer and video processing power. Taking advantage of this new processing power are two dual CF Express Type-A / UHS-II SD card slots. While I’ve found v90 UHS-II SD cards adequate enough for day to day use in my time with the a1 this summer as well as general use inside of my FX3, the a1 really shined when using those faster CFe cards, so I can only guess that the R V will do the same.
New Screen And Body Updates
The a7R V takes physical cues from the a7 IV, particularly the two tiered Mode Dial to switch between Stills, Video and Slow & Quick modes as well as the move of the record button to right near the shutter button, and the newer Electronic View Finder. The biggest change is the new LCD screen, which now supports 4 axis tilt. Like older models, it can tilt up and down also out to the side like the a7 IV and a7S III. The new versatility means it will be even easier to get into different positions and still be able to view the monitor.
Advanced AI and RAW Formats
The final changes that caught my attention were the new dedicated AI chip, which allows the a7R V greater subject detection abilities, as well as support for different levels of RAW capture, allowing you more control over when to unleash the full power of the 61 MP sensor, and saving a lot of memory in the process.
Final Thoughts
With all the upgrades around the processing power and the support for CF Express Type A cards, this sounds like a fantastic upgrade to the a7R IV’s powerful but slower performance. If the changes under the hood are anything similar the Alpha 1, this should be fast enough to keep up with the high resolution photos it can produce. I can see this as one of the next cameras I pick up.