Sony have simply launched the A7R V, a 61 megapixel full-frame mirrorless digicam with 8K video recording, however how precisely does it evaluate to the range-topping Alpha 1 mannequin?
We’re bringing you this in-depth head-to-head comparability between the brand new Sony A7R V and the flagship Sony A1 to search out out what the important thing variations are between them.
You may as well learn our detailed Sony A1 overview to search out out precisely what we consider that digicam.
Sensor
The Sony A1 has a 50 megapixel sensor whereas the A7R V has 61 megapixels, giving it an edge in out-and-out decision, though you’d in all probability be hard-pressed to inform the distinction between the 2 until you are making massive prints or aggressively cropping into the picture.
The Alpha 1’s stacked design and its barely decrease megapixel depend might probably give it a bonus over the A7R V for noise management at greater ISO values.
What primarily differentiates the Alpha 1 and A7R V is the kind of sensor that they’ve. The A7R V makes use of a typical back-side illuminated CMOS sensor, whereas the A1 has a back-side illuminated, stacked CMOS sensor with integral reminiscence, which delivers quicker efficiency and far quicker burst speeds.
ISO Pace
The native sensitivity vary of the Sony A7R V and the A1 is similar – ISO 100-32,000, which will be expanded right down to ISO 50 and as much as ISO 102,400.
Pixel Shift Multi Capturing
The Sony A1 has a particular multi-shot taking pictures mode during which it takes 16 totally different photographs that may then be mixed utilizing the Imaging Edge Desktop software program to provide a single, 199-megapixel picture.
Amazingly, you possibly can even use flash throughout this course of if required because of the brand new sensor’s quick readout velocity.
The A7R V has a fair higher-resolution 241 pixel shift multi taking pictures mode, however you possibly can’t use the flash as on the Alpha 1.
A brand new model of the Imaging Edge Desktop might be launched concurrently the A7R V which might robotically detect and proper small actions within the 16 photographs, resembling leaves in bushes or individuals.
This could tremendously broaden the place and when you possibly can deploy the Pixel Shift Multi Capturing mode.
Notice that house owners of the Alpha 1 may also profit from this key enchancment when the brand new software program app is launched.
Multi Decision
The A7R V inherits the Lossless Compressed RAW format that was lately launched on the flagship A1, which reduces the file dimension by 50-80%.
Each fashions provide the selection of 26 megapixel / Medium or 15 megapixel / Small variations of each RAW and JEPG/HEIF recordsdata.
Distinctive to the brand new A7R V is the power to modify from 60 megapixel full-frame to 26 megapixel APS-C stills when taking pictures Lossless Compressed RAW or JEPG/HEIF, enabling you to immediately “zoom in” in your topic on the push of 1 customisable button with out the necessity to change both focal lengths or lenses.
Video
The Alpha A7R V is a a lot better video digicam than the earlier A7R IV mannequin, however it nonetheless cannot fairly match the flagship A1.
The A7RV can file 8K/24p and 4K/60p with a modest 1.2x crop in 10bit 4:2:2 high quality. It additionally affords 4K/30/25/24p and 1080/120p recording with no crop.
Different new video options supported by the A7R V embrace 16 bit RAW output, S-Cinetone profile, respiratory compensation, focus map, and Lively+ stabilisation.
The Sony A1 affords 8K/30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS video recording with 8.6K oversampling, along with 4K 120p 10-bit 4:2:2 and Full HD at 240fps film taking pictures capabilities, and also can output 16-bit Uncooked video over HDMI.
Autofocus
The Sony A1 has an AF system with 759 on-sensor part detection factors that cowl roughly 92% of the picture space., whereas the brand new A7R V has solely 693 on-sensor phase-detection AF factors masking 79% of the picture body.
Each cameras can auto-focus right down to EV-4 in low gentle.
The Alpha 1 checks the main target and metering 120 instances a second, which ought to make it much more adept at monitoring transferring topics.
By far the most important distinction between the 2 fashions by way of their auto-focusing efficiency is topic recognition.
It is because Sony has added an AI deep studying processing unit to the newer A7R V digicam which allows it to recognise extra topics than the Alpha 1, and in addition tremendously improves the detection of people and animals/birds.
For the primary time ever on any Sony digicam. the A7R V can recognise a human by way of its pose in addition to its eye and face. So if the particular person’s head is turned away from the digicam, the A7 R V will nonetheless precisely detect the topic as human primarily based on its AI deep studying.
Animal and fowl detection has been expanded from simply having the ability to recognise the attention on the Alpha 1 to the attention, head and physique on the Mark V.
New to the A7RV is the power to recognise airplanes, automobiles, trains and bugs, all issues which even the flagship Alpha 1 cannot presently detect (operating model 1.30 firmware).
Burst Capturing
If you need quick burst taking pictures, the Sony A1 takes issues to an entire different degree by having the ability to shoot at 30fps with the digital shutter, because of its new Bionz XR processing engine, though the highest velocity remains to be solely 10fps when utilizing the mechanical shutter.
The burst taking pictures fee of the brand new A7R V mannequin is 10fps with both the mechanical or digital shutter, however the buffer dimension has been tremendously elevated.
Whereas the A1 can solely shoot 165 JPEGs or 155 compressed RAW photographs earlier than the recording fee slowed down, the brand new A7R V can file as much as 88 uncompressed RAW, 184 compressed RAW+ JPEG, 583 compressed RAW, or 1000+ JPEGs, which is fairly spectacular for a 61 megapixel digicam!
Physique and Design
In the event you have been hoping that the Sony A7R V would radically deviate from the tried and trusted Alpha blueprint, you then’ll be sorely dissatisfied, because it’s just about similar to the A1.
The one-touch film file button has been moved from the rear of the A1 digicam to the top-plate of the A7R V, swapping positions with the C1 button and in addition being made barely bigger within the course of.
The publicity compensation dial is unmarked moderately than displaying the +-3EV values as on the A1, reflecting the truth that it may possibly now be customised on the brand new mannequin.
There’s now a helpful Nonetheless / Film / S&Q dial situated underneath the taking pictures mode dial with the digicam remembering the menu settings for every mode.
The A7R V would not have drive/focus mode dials on the left hand facet of the highest panel, as discovered on the Alpha 1.
Each cameras have a heat-dissipating construction that stops overheating throughout video recording and burst taking pictures.
The A7R V is ever so barely thicker than the A1 due to its intelligent new 4-axis LCD display screen (extra on that beneath).
On each cameras the shutter mechanism is closed and guarded by a canopy when the it’s powered off.
There is a new anti-dust system on the A7R V.
Each fashions provide 500,000 body shutter life.
IBIS
The discharge of the A7R V marks an enormous step ahead for IBIS in Sony Alpha cameras.
Most earlier fashions, together with the A1, have precisely the identical 5-axis optical in-body picture stabilization system which gives as much as 5.5-stops of compensation.
This has been one of many few areas the place Sony lags behind a few of it major rivals, with some providing as much as 8 stops of compensation when used with sure lenses.
Now Sony has joined the celebration with the launch of the A7R V, which because of a newly redesigned stabilisation unit now affords as much as 8 stops of in-body stabilisation, making it essentially the most succesful Alpha digicam on this regard.
Each fashions advantages from having a particular Lively Mode that will increase stabilization for hand-held film taking pictures by utilizing the BIONZ XR processors.
Viewfinder
The brand new Alpha A7R V has a 9.44M-dot OLED Quad-XGA digital viewfinder with 0.90x magnification and a refresh fee of as much as 120fps.
The Sony A1 goes one step additional, sporting the identical 9.44M-dot OLED Quad-XGA EVF with 0.90x magnification however doubling the refresh fee as much as 240fps which ensures no black-out.
LCD Display screen
One of many largest upgrades on the A7R V is its staggeringly good LCD display screen.
It has a 3.2-inch, 2095K dot decision display screen in comparison with the A1’s 3.0-inch LCD display screen with 1440K dots of decision.
The most important change is the brand new display screen’s sheer versatility.
The display screen on the A1 can solely be tilted up by 107 levels and down by 41 levels, whereas the A7R V has an unbelievable new 4-axis multi-angle display screen that may be flipped out to the facet, rotated to the entrance, folded in opposition to the again of the digicam to assist defend it, and set to many different positions in-between.
When it comes to touch-screen performance, the brand new Alpha A7R V fortunately follows within the footsteps of the A1, inheriting the identical menu construction and upgraded contact management, moderately than the crippled touchscreen and extra complicated menu system of earlier Alpha fashions.
Reminiscence Playing cards
As you’ll count on from a contemporary skilled digicam, each fashions have twin reminiscence card slots.
Each slots on each cameras can be utilized for both SD UHS-I/II compliant reminiscence playing cards or quicker CFexpress Sort A playing cards.
Battery Life
Each cameras use precisely the identical NP-FZ100 battery, and each provide the identical 430 shot battery life per cost when utilizing the EVF and 530 when utilizing the LCD monitor.
Connectivity
Each fashions provide quite a lot of connectivity choices together with distant tethered taking pictures by way of wi-fi LAN or USB, 2.4GHz and 5GHz wi-fi, FTP switch, and the power to function as a 4K/15p webcam.
Value
The Sony A7R V is priced at £4,000 physique solely within the UK, $3,900 within the US and €4,500 in Europe.
The A1 had an RRP of £6,500 / $6,500 within the UK / US when it was launched in 2021, a value that it nonetheless instructions as we speak.
That makes the brand new A7R V one thing of a discount, at the very least compared instantly with its flagship sibling.
Conclusion
Though it may possibly’t fairly match the Alpha 1 by way of video specs or steady taking pictures speeds, the brand new A7R V really outperforms its huge brother in some methods, most notably the extra succesful AI-driven AF system which might recognise extra topics extra simply, the wonderful 4-axis LCD display screen, more practical 8-stop IBIS, and naturally its continued billing because the highest-resolution Alpha digicam, all at a a lot cheaper price level.
So what do you suppose? Would you select the brand new Sony A7R V or the flagship A1? Depart a remark beneath!