Since 2015, I have been using Sony cameras. The A7R II changed the way I approach nature and landscape photography.
The stabilization system was solid. The high resolution encourages tight cropping and large prints. Meanwhile, the dynamic range–and low-light–performance delivered clean results time and again.
In early 2020, I upgraded to the Sony A7R III. Autofocus speed allowed me to branch out into wedding and event photography. The touchscreen was like a breath fresher. The battery lasted for more than one session.
The A7R III has been my go-to camera for years.
You can read my full review on Australian Photography. You can read my full review at Australian Photography. In this, I began with:
What was the direction that Sony took with a line of cameras already at or near the top? The A7R has been improved in many areas, including its core functions. This will help it to overcome difficult situations.
The newly developed AI processor unit tracks moving objects like insects and vehicles better. Redesigned back screen allows for more flexibility in angle. The redesigned sensor stabilisers counter 8 stops of camera shaking.
This article will explore the Sony A7R V’s nature and landscape photography capabilities, as well as whether or not it is a worthwhile upgrade.
Stay until the end to download and play around with a few RAW images.
What’s New: Minor tweaks and major features
The A7RWhat’sis is largely similar to that of the previous generation. It has a few welcome new features.
The 4-axis fully articulated back screen can now be twisted, flipped, and tilted to one side. What’s the result? Viewability is increased when you watch high, low, or vlog from the front.
The A7R IV’s OLED viewfinder now has a resolution of 9.44 mason dots and a magnification of 0.90x, as opposed to the A7R III’s 5.76 million dots and 0.78x.
The A7R 5 retains a 61MP sensor from the previous generation. This is not a bad thing, as it remains a class leader. The updated stabilization system will allow for crisper photos, thanks to this sensor.
The new AI processing unit improves animal and bird subject identification, which is great news for wildlife photographers who have to focus on skittish animals. The number of phase detection points has increased from 567 up to 693.
The A7R series has grown in size with each new generation. This is something that was overlooked by other reviews. When it comes to hiking and carrying camera gear through remote landscapes, each gram counts.
The A7R body has grown to 82mm in depth and now weighs 723g. This is a huge leap from the A7R of ten years earlier. This was only 48mm wide and weighed 465 grams.
This added volume has brought about many useful feature upgrades, such as a more comfortable grip and weather sealing. Today’s mirrorless pro bodies aren’t as slim as today’s.
ON THE FIELD: PEaren’tNCE OF THE FEATURES
Three features stand out in nature and landscape photography after testing the A7RV for more than a month throughout Victoria.
Better stabilization: On the Otway Fly Treetop Walk, people were vibrating, and the elevated walkway was too narrow for me to set up my tripod.
The eight-stop stabilization was a godsend as I had to shoot handheld in the canopy.
At 200mm, I increased the ISO to 400 and used a shutter speed that was a bit slow, around 1/40 second. I still got many sharp shots. I tried 1/13 seconds for one scene at 188mm. About 3 out of 10 frames were usable.
This new stabilization is great for taking handheld photos on the move. If you want to blend exposures, you will need the aligned images that a tripod produces.
Powerful autofocus: To test the improved AI-powered autofocus, I went hiking out to Cape Woolamai in Phillip Island. The evening was getting dark, and a number of curious wallabies were darting across the track before skipping off into the bush.
The A7RV tracked the wallabies through the grass using wide autofocus. Even when shooting with f/2.8, the results were crisp, and the eyes were consistently in focus.
The new focus bracket drive is a great time saver if you want to emphasize and get close to the foregrounds, such as fern leaves or seascape rocks.
The a7R will continue to shoot images while it changes focus points in the scene. You can then blend back the required frames in Photoshop.
Just make sure to capture some focus overlap in between frames. When shooting at f/11 with a wide-angle lens, you can use a step size of 7 or 8.
Versatility from all angles: The versatile back screen came in handy as I squatted low to take photos of the wallabies. It was the perfect scenario to test all three features simultaneously:
- Focusing on a fleeting subject
- Shooting handheld telephotos from a shaky location
- Viewing from an odd angle and framing
The A7R performed brilliantly. The screen was flipped to one side, and I turned it so that the sky was facing me. I held the camera and the 70-200mm lens about a foot above the ground.
The camera was able to capture sharp images of the wallabies and track them as they moved through the grass.
In conclusion, in my review of Australian Photography, I wrote
The Sony A7RV is expensive at $5899.
You can concentrate on the moment that matters most. Sometimes, that extra confidence is worth it.
The A7R IV can theoretically take the same photos as the A7R 5. But, in reality, outdoor photographers will often find themselves in difficult conditions and harsh landscapes.
The A7RV is perfect for wildlife, travel, or wilderness photographers who prefer to shoot on the move and don’t want to carry around a heavy tripod.
If you don’t take steady shots on a tripod and save money for your next trip, then the A7R III is the right choice. You will capture more pictures than you would if you had bought the A7R 5 and not traveled.
