Sony A7R V: Hands On Roundup

Today Sony announced the newest professional high-resolution model of the R line – the Sony A7R V. The new model brings a lot of the recent updates from other Sony cameras announced in the past year or so but also several completely new features like an 8-stop IBIS and AI-based AF system.

The A7R V and the R line

Historically, the R line was always focused on resolution and the A7R V still maintains the highest resolution of any mirrorless FF camera with 60MP just like the previous model (we saw the same thing with the A7R II and A7R III while only the A7R IV brought a jump in resolution).

Instead of pushing the resolution, Sony decided to focus with the new model on improving both the general functionality and usability of the camera and significantly improving the video capabilities of the camera which were never a priority with previous R models.

There are a lot of small improvements and many updates that come from existing new models (after all the A7R IV was announced back in 2019 and lots of things changed since then for Sony cameras) but we would say that the two main aspects which got the most improvements with the new model are the new AI-based AF system courtesy of the BIONZ XR chip (similar to that of the A1) with a new addition of AI co-processor, the new 8 stop IBIS and the new tilt/articulating hybrid monitor.

The Sony A7R V

A7R V main features

Let’s dive a little deeper into the features of the A7R V:

The camera has a 60.2MP BSI CMOS sensor (same as the one in the A7R IV) but Sony states that the new processor allows squeezing more out of it compared to the previous generation.
Talking about the processor, the A7R V has the newer BIONZ XR found on the A1 (8X faster than that of the A7R IV) but with an additional brand-new co-processor for AI designed to help with focus, exposure, and white balance.
The camera has the same 9.44M-dot EVF as the A7S III/A1.
The camera has a completely new tilt + articulating 3.2″ 2.1 million points LCD (see videos below).
The new AI-based AF can now track not just the human/eye but also specific body parts and keep the focus on people in more complex situations.
The AI AF can also track other subjects beyond humans/cats/dogs and birds that previous Sony AF systems could include cars, planes, and even insects.
The AI can also improve the WB accuracy of the camera (removing some of the yellow tint that some users reported on the A1 for example) and improving with WB on different skin tones.
The stills frame rate is still 10fps but you now have 583 Compressed Raw files buffer (or over 1000 JPEGs).
In-body stabilization is rated at up to 8.0 stops (a first for Sony) for stills and Active IS for video which also works better with stabilized Sony lenses.
The camera has the same SD/CFexpress Type A dual memory card option as the A7S III and A1.
The A7R V has the same new top dial with mode selector as the A7 IV (we find it very useful to work with).
The camera has a much faster WIFI with 5Ghz with 2X2 MIMO (the older model had a more basic 2.4Ghz only WIFI).
The camera also has a new faster USB-C 3.2 connector with 10Gbps speed – twice as fast as the older gen) and with USB-C PD fast charging speed.
The camera now has a full-size HDMI port (we hated the micro-HDMI of the A7R IV).
In terms of video capabilities you can now shoot 8K at 24p and 4K at 60p (both with 1.26x crop). As well as 4K 24p with no crop and 6.2K oversampled 4K from the APS-C / Super35 region of the sensor all at 10 bit 4:2:2 (except from 8K which is only 8bit unlike the A1 which got a 10bit 8K firmware update).
The battery life improved significantly with an official number of 530/440 images per charge (LCD/EVF) about 150 more shots compared to the older model.
The camera has an improved pixel shift algorithm which takes up to 16 images and combines them (this time with the new AI processor with fewer artifacts).

The A7R V side view – the new 3.2″ hybrid display makes the camera a little thicker

Sony A7R V specs

Here are the main specs of the A7R V:

Sensor: 60.2 full-frame back-illuminated sensor.
Processor: Bionz XR processor with AI co-processor.
Auto Focus: 693 phase-detection point grid with sensitivity down to -4 EV.
Sensitivity: 100-32,000 ISO.
Video: up to 8K 24p 4:2:0 8bit, 4K up to 60p (both with 1.26x crop) and 1080p at 120p.
Colors: support for S-Cinetone color and SLOG 3.
Monitor: 3.2 very-angle monitor + tile (first of its kind for Sony).
Viewfinder: 9.44M dot OLED 0.9x magnification.
Flash sync speed – up to 1/250 second mechanical (with improved continuous shooting with flash).
Body: magnesium alloy chassis (environmentally sealed).
Continuous shooting – 10 fps (583 Compressed Raw files buffer (or over 1000 JPEGs).
Battery: FZ-100 battery support up to 530/440 images per charge (LCD/EVF).
Audio: Multi-Interface Shoe with support for digital audio.
IBIS: new 8 stops IBIS with Active Mode.
Multishot – Improved Pixel Shift Multi Shooting (240MP combined).
Memory card: Dual SD UHS II/CFexpress Type A slots.
Wireless connectivity: New 2×2 MIMO WIFI 802.11ac (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz).
RAW type – includes 3 mode RAW shooting: uncompressed, lossless compressed, and compressed modes (with small, mid, and full size RAW).
Connections: USB-C (3.2 up to 10Gb/s) with fast PD charging, full-size HDMI.
Weight: 723 grams.
Menus: the new Sony menu system plus the new main screen we saw on the FX30 (with all the main settings).

Official Sony Alpha 7R V video

Pricing and availability

the A7R V will start shipping in late October 2022 for a price of $3900.

Hands-on and reviews from across the web

There are already quite a few first hands-ons with the new A7R V – here are a few of them:

Tony & Chelsea Northrup look at the A7R V

Gerald Undone look at the video features of the A7R V

Manny Ortiz with the colors of the A7R V compared to the A1

Chris and Jordan playing with the new Sony A7R V

PRO-AV from the UK with a look at the video features of the A7r V

Dan Watson and his partner testing the A7R V

Sony ambassador Mark Galer with his take on the A7R V

If you don’t want to miss any new photography products be sure to check out our product photography section on our photo gear channel.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.