Sony’s new A7R V camera uses a dedicated AI processor to identify and track subjects
its new $3,899.99 A7R V camera — set to launch in mid-December — and it’s baking in an AI processing unit for the sole purpose of getting back in the lead of the autofocus rat race., but the backside-illuminated full-frame sensor and Bionz XR processor are now paired with a dedicated AI processing unit. These new AI smarts allow the autofocus to detect and distinguish subjects like cars, trains, planes, animals, and insects.
The A7R V also includes an improved in-body image stabilization system with up to eight stops of compensation, 8K video recording at 24p / 25p with a 1.2x crop, and a redesigned four-axis articulating rear display that can quickly pull out for waist-level shooting and turn for front-facing recording.
The rear display swings out and swivels like many other cameras but also tilts down or up. It allows for many more angles of use, and is much faster to deploy to quickly shoot from the hip or above your head when compared to models that only unfold to the left.Since the A7R V nearly matches the A7 IV body, I can tell you that the ergonomics on the grip are still not great.
The EVF has the same resolution as the A1’s impeccable viewfinder, but it tops out at 120 fps to that flagship’s 240 fps. It also doesn’t switch the live view feed from the rear LCD to the EVF quite as quickly.What the A7R V also does is most likely set the tone for the subsequent models of Alpha cameras, as Sony is often aggressive at trickling out new features across its lines.
The A7R V’s electronic viewfinder seems very crisp and clear at first glance, though it’s unsurprisingly not quite as good as the A1. They may share the number of dots in their OLED viewfinders, but the A1 refreshes faster and switches the feed from the LCD so fast it almost feels like the EVF is on full-time. And sadly, Sony is continuing to not utilize the top-left shoulder of the camera for any additional dials or controls — it still reserves that luxury for the A9 and A1 lines.