p.15 #3 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
Olaf G wrote:
+1
I bought the A7r2 new for 1499 euros in 2019 (Easter deal). Quite a difference to nowaday prizes for new models.
Right but by then that camera was already a 4-year old model that had been replaced, so it's not really an accurate comparison to a launch price. In addition, the Euro was much stronger in 2019 than it is now. That all adds up to a different price today. The launch price for the A7RII in Europe was €3500 vs. €4500 for the A7RV. Adjusted for inflation, the A7RV is €300 more. I'd attribute that in part to a weaker Euro more than much else.
p.15 #4 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
Hathaway wrote:
Not a Sony shooter but just spent a week with someone with a new A7R IV and I can observe that two things mentioned in the V will be highly desirable.
The increased resolution of the back display will be quite useful. I shoot with an R5 and can focus and frame in the dark with my back display. Not so with the IV. This was quite a frustration for my friend and we had to flood the frame with flashlights for him to be able to critically focus.
I am not sure I fully understand "I shoot with an R5 and can focus and frame in the dark with my back display. Not so with the IV."
I wonder if using Sony "Bright monitoring" and focus magnifier could help? I have never tried using these two simultaneously. I should check if bright monitoring and focus magnifier would work at the same time.
p.15 #5 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
I think it is more relevant to talk about value retention and total cost of ownership vs the price. What matters is how much your gear is worth after a year.
If you bought a Sony A1 a year ago you paid $6,500 + sales tax and today it is for $5,000-ish depending on various factors. That is about a 23% depreciation.
If you bought a Canon R5 a year ago you paid $3,900 + tax and today, and today it is worth $3,000-$3,200-ish, so let's say $3,100. That is a 20% depreciation.
Those percentages are rather similar, but by buying more expensive gear, the depreciation cost is higher - $1,500 vs $800. If that matters to you only you can decide.
Regarding the A7R5, I guess there are two schools of thought. Either you tend to "upgrade" to a new camera version every year and sell your gear when it is still worth top dollars, or you can keep it for a long time and get the most use/value out of it that way. Sure, there will be A7R5's up on Greentoe or available through Creator or Student discount programs at B&H over time, it all depends on when you want or need the gear.
p.15 #6 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
ruthenium wrote:
I am not sure I fully understand "I shoot with an R5 and can focus and frame in the dark with my back display. Not so with the IV."
I wonder if using Sony "Bright monitoring" and focus magnifier could help? I have never tried using these two simultaneously. I should check if bright monitoring and focus magnifier would work at the same time.
Does any Sony have anything like Nikon's Starlight View? It's one of the most amazing features I've ever seen on a camera, just pointing it at the sky and watching the milky way appear in real time in the EVF/LCD. Being able to focus on stars with AF in pitch darkness is such a killer feature for astro.
p.15 #7 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
RoamingScott wrote:
Does any Sony have anything like Nikon's Starlight View? It's one of the most amazing features I've ever seen on a camera, just pointing it at the sky and watching the milky way appear in real time in the EVF/LCD. Being able to focus on stars with AF in pitch darkness is such a killer feature for astro.
I used to shoot a ton of Astro and I'd never trust AF for critical focus. Just zoom in on the rear LCD and manually tweak in the focus. All of that said, Sony's approach to NR means it's not the best choice for astrophotographers anyway, so it's a bit of a moot point.
p.15 #8 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
jhapeman wrote:
I used to shoot a ton of Astro and I'd never trust AF for critical focus. Just zoom in on the rear LCD and manually tweak in the focus. All of that said, Sony's approach to NR means it's not the best choice for astrophotographers anyway, so it's a bit of a moot point.
I miss the days where you could just spin the focus ring to infinity and be done with it. Focus by wire sucks.
Either way, Starlight view, even if not used for AF, is great for framing the sky and foreground in the dark. The stareater debate is overblown, Sony can do basic astro landscapes just fine.
p.15 #10 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
RoamingScott wrote:
Does any Sony have anything like Nikon's Starlight View? It's one of the most amazing features I've ever seen on a camera, just pointing it at the sky and watching the milky way appear in real time in the EVF/LCD. Being able to focus on stars with AF in pitch darkness is such a killer feature for astro.
I am not familiar with Nikon's Starlight View. The way it sounds, Sony "Bright monitoring" might be an equivalent. People who know both systems may confirm this.
p.15 #11 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
ruthenium wrote:
I wonder if using Sony "Bright monitoring" and focus magnifier could help? I have never tried using these two simultaneously. I should check if bright monitoring and focus magnifier would work at the same time.
You can't use them together, from the Sony Help Guide (R4);
[Bright Monitoring] will be automatically cancelled in the following situations.
When the camera is turned off.
When the mode dial is turned.
When the focus mode is set to other than manual focus.
When [MF Assist] is set to [On]. When [Focus Magnifier] is selected.
p.15 #12 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
the A1 is still the better camera. The stacked sensor with blackout free viewfinder, raw speed and perfect balance of resolution ( 50mpx is considered a sweet spot for many) is hard to beat. Even with AI focus the A7RV cannot keep up… the A1 performs 120 AE/AF calculations per second, at 30 frames @ 50mp each frame . That is impressive no matter how you slice it. The A1 also has excellent dynamic range and color science. So regarding Mark Galers summary, I’d say the A1 handles all mentioned categories on both sides equally well. For sure, if you narrow subjects down further to wildlife, BIF, action sports there is no comparison at all… A1 is still going to rule the roost here. It’s incredible speed makes the A1 an absolute joy to shoot with. Really comes down to what is affordable to you and the majority of subjects you shoot regularly… that should help you decide. Yes the A1 isn’t cheap, but once you shoot with one it’s hard to go back!
p.15 #13 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
RoamingScott wrote:
Does any Sony have anything like Nikon's Starlight View? It's one of the most amazing features I've ever seen on a camera, just pointing it at the sky and watching the milky way appear in real time in the EVF/LCD. Being able to focus on stars with AF in pitch darkness is such a killer feature for astro.
Sony, Olympus, and Panasonic have all had this feature for years...
p.15 #18 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
The A7RV looks great but it's not for me and the way I work. It does make me excited for the A9iii, which I hope will be out within 12 months. If it has some of the features from this camera mainly the new IBIS, Ai AF and the rear LCD screen along with flash with silent shutter from the A1 and a 30mp ISH sensor it will be close to perfect for the way I work.
p.15 #19 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
Maxxus46 wrote:
the A1 is still the better camera. The stacked sensor with blackout free viewfinder, raw speed and perfect balance of resolution ( 50mpx is considered a sweet spot for many) is hard to beat. Even with AI focus the A7RV cannot keep up… the A1 performs 120 AE/AF calculations per second, at 30 frames @ 50mp each frame . That is impressive no matter how you slice it. The A1 also has excellent dynamic range and color science. So regarding Mark Galers summary, I’d say the A1 handles all mentioned categories on both sides equally well. For sure, if you narrow subjects down further to wildlife, BIF, action sports there is no comparison at all… A1 is still going to rule the roost here. It’s incredible speed makes the A1 an absolute joy to shoot with. Really comes down to what is affordable to you and the majority of subjects you shoot regularly… that should help you decide. Yes the A1 isn’t cheap, but once you shoot with one it’s hard to go back!...Show more →
True words, the A1 is amazing... yet Sony decided to not offer (simple firmware) functionality like focus bracketing and bulb timer on this flagship camera. If you want those much requested features you simply have to buy an A7RV (or wait for an A1II?).
I hate that about Sony. They hardly ever add functionality with firmware updates. Some of the other brands are more generous to their users. I would be very surprised if they'd still bring it to the A1.
p.15 #20 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
kimknapp wrote:
..I am confident that creating the software for a firmware update to control the focus points automatically is a trivial software task, easily added to and easily handled by the latest generation bodies!
Being in IT myself, have often come across situations where features, though 'easy' to implement, are not considered simply because management says 'No'.
Once a set of features is created and released, it is frozen and development resources are channelled to next/future products. Released product + code are revisited only in the event of major bugs.
