p.9 #1 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
I haven’t noticed anyone mentioning this but Full Time DMF on the Sony A7RV is great to finally have, even if comically overdue on their cameras, and I’m hoping that “feature” makes it to the A1 / A7iv.
p.9 #2 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
TGPhotography wrote:
Not getting rid of an A1 for this as a wildlife and landscape shooter. There are a couple things I hope to see in the A1 but doubt they can or will happen in firmware updates.
Focus stacking
Improved IBIS
Bulb mode timer
Animal eye AF in video
New screen looks nice. Shooting landscapes in portrait orientation close to the ground is a pain.
Except the IBIS, I like to believe the rest on your list can be added to the A1 via FW update. I have never tried focus stacking myself but would love to have that feature. I was recently shooting some landscape stuff at f11 or even f14, still couldn't get the depth of field i wanted.
p.9 #3 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
Not really an exciting upgrade from my A7RIV, but I may bite anyhow. (Hopefully) snappier operation, much better viewfinder, improved IS, lossless uncompressed RAW (and sRAW options), automated focus (pre)stacking, better vertical screen options, improved pixel shift, more decisive focus and tracking. Maybe a slight bump in image quality, although I'm not holding my breath on that. I don't care at all about the video stuff. I'll probably preorder; should have a month or so to change my mind. If I do buy, the RIV, which I've given heavy use, will become my backup cam and copy stand "film scanner."
p.9 #4 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
I think the new focus system can't be added to the A1, since it allegedly has a dedicated processor module. Gotta be something to make people buy A1 Mk two next year or the year after!
p.9 #5 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
Not for me, for sure!
Compared to an A1, it's leaps and bounds ahead the RV. Couldn't imagine hearing a mechanical shutter again, couldn't stand rolling shutter again, couldn't go back again to mechanical shutter strobe sync at studio or on location. And now I am so used to the A1 that I could never go back to anything without at least 30 fps. I seriously doubt the RV performs 120 af calculations per second to earn the Best AF in the world prize. And the A1 proverbial sticky AF faded so quickly? Don't think so.
I'm also not going to buy an A1 II when released. My A1 will last at least 5 years more. Tired about 3 years lifespan and giving my money to Sony for camera bodies that depreciate at automobile's rates. So, no thanks. No new camera will make me a better photographer. I will buy lenses instead
But yes, 8-stop IBIS and new tilt-style lcd are attractive features, but not sufficient to sell my oldish and slowish A7 RIII which in my experience has the best DR, cleanest high ISO and highest IQ in the complete Sony ecosystem (better than A1 also). But this is my opinion forged by very demanding post processing techniques applied in low light photography.
p.9 #6 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
All of those reasons are why the RV seems like a total non starter. The price is too close to falling A1 prices, all for IQ worse than the A7R2. Maybe at EDU prices, though…
JeyB wrote:
Not for me, for sure!
Compared to an A1, it's leaps and bounds ahead the RV. Couldn't imagine hearing a mechanical shutter again, couldn't stand rolling shutter again, couldn't go back again to mechanical shutter strobe sync at studio or on location. And now I am so used to the A1 that I could never go back to anything without at least 30 fps. I seriously doubt the RV performs 120 af calculations per second to earn the Best AF in the world prize. And the A1 proverbial sticky AF faded so quickly? Don't think so.
I'm also not going to buy an A1 II when released. My A1 will last at least 5 years more. Tired about 3 years lifespan and giving my money to Sony for camera bodies that depreciate at automobile's rates. So, no thanks. No new camera will make me a better photographer. I will buy lenses instead
But yes, 8-stop IBIS and new tilt-style lcd are attractive features, but not sufficient to sell my oldish and slowish A7 RIII which in my experience has the best DR, cleanest high ISO and highest IQ in the complete Sony ecosystem (better than A1 also). But this is my opinion forged by very demanding post processing techniques applied in low light photography....Show more →
p.9 #7 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
arbitrage wrote:
Lots of nice new features that I want on my A1. Will Sony give me any of this via FW or am I going to have to spend another $9K CAD on the A1II??
...
21 customized options for each AI subject....crazy and probably too much IMO.
The new AI AF will very likely depend on the AI chip. So no firmware upgrade will bring that. Now the DMF thing should be trivial, but then it's Sony, so I won't hold my breath.
p.9 #8 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
Canon has actually delivered some nice FW updates too. They are feeling the “grow or die” pressure while Sony continues to rest on the laurels of the A1, providing almost no post launch support for any their bodies. It’s a shame, given that Sony has a stranglehold on the MILC market and will probably be the last company left standing. I just HATE their overall policies when it comes to their consumers.
1bwana1 wrote:
I think you have a point here Scott.
When I look at what Nikon's latest few free firmware updates offered Z9 users, compared to the non hardware related upgrades to the A7RV, I think Nikon is giving more compelling upgrades to there Z9 camera for free than Sony is when iterating the A7Rx body at a nearly $4K price. I really hope that Sony follows Nikon's lead in this area and gives us some meaninful feature upgrades to the A1.
Still, I see nothing in either the Z9, or the A7RV that has me thinking of moving from the A1. It remains competitive at the top of the technology race, and has a form factor that pushes it over the top for me. ...Show more →
p.9 #9 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
I’ve said it here before that Sony has a leapfrog method to new cameras. There are always latest and greatest features in each new release wherever it may live in the hierarchy. This leads to messy segmentation across too many cameras. That they don’t support their cams after release as they should exacerbates the problem. Maybe the rV will be a great camera, but it’s also an unpleasant reminder for me (and many others apparently) that Sony’s strategy of market segmentation and irregular and staggered release schedules just lead to confusion and frustration for those trying to actually put to their best use the best tools available from the camera maker.
As for features, I’ve had all day to consider this and where they messed up is in sensor readout improvements. It should have been able to shoot 10 uncompressed raw per second, 15 lossless. 6.5 was too slow ten years ago and it’s too slow now.
1bwana1 wrote:
I think you have a point here Scott.
When I look at what Nikon's latest few free firmware updates offered Z9 users, compared to the non hardware related upgrades to the A7RV, I think Nikon is giving more compelling upgrades to there Z9 camera for free than Sony is when iterating the A7Rx body at a nearly $4K price. I really hope that Sony follows Nikon's lead in this area and gives us some meaninful feature upgrades to the A1.
Still, I see nothing in either the Z9, or the A7RV that has me thinking of moving from the A1. It remains competitive at the top of the technology race, and has a form factor that pushes it over the top for me. ...Show more →
p.9 #11 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
While it's true that both Canon/Nikon have been issuing several major FW for their flagships, after shooting both A1 and Z9 (up to FW2.1) for about 9 months, the A1 is still my go to camera for fast action, BIF photography. Its AF is cunningly accurate, i.e. it can pick up small BIF much quicker and stay lock on the bird much longer than Z9... For my type of shooting mostly BIF, i really don't have the need for any FW updates to the A1. I am still on FW 1.1.
If i must come up with a single item i want in future fw, i probaly would ask for option to reduce the size of the zone af area by about 1/2. That would be it.
1bwana1 wrote:
I think you have a point here Scott.
When I look at what Nikon's latest few free firmware updates offered Z9 users, compared to the non hardware related upgrades to the A7RV, I think Nikon is giving more compelling upgrades to there Z9 camera for free than Sony is when iterating the A7Rx body at a nearly $4K price. I really hope that Sony follows Nikon's lead in this area and gives us some meaninful feature upgrades to the A1.
Still, I see nothing in either the Z9, or the A7RV that has me thinking of moving from the A1. It remains competitive at the top of the technology race, and has a form factor that pushes it over the top for me. ...Show more →
p.9 #12 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
1bwana1 wrote:
I think you have a point here Scott.
When I look at what Nikon's latest few free firmware updates offered Z9 users, compared to the non hardware related upgrades to the A7RV, I think Nikon is giving more compelling upgrades to there Z9 camera for free than Sony is when iterating the A7Rx body at a nearly $4K price. I really hope that Sony follows Nikon's lead in this area and gives us some meaninful feature upgrades to the A1.
Still, I see nothing in either the Z9, or the A7RV that has me thinking of moving from the A1. It remains competitive at the top of the technology race, and has a form factor that pushes it over the top for me. ...Show more →
The Z9 is a complete non starter. Bulky as hell and 600grams more. 30 fps jpeg only. No firmware could fix that mess.
p.9 #13 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
RoamingScott wrote:
My thoughts from the other thread…
Sony is extremely timid when they iterate (see R2>R5 and A9>A9ii especially).
They seem to prioritize reusing old parts where they can, and they have a tendency to frankenstein physical features leading to many one-off bodies that have a mish-mash of physical controls vs unified generation of varying internal abilities.
It's sort of like the A1 showing up with the dire rear LCD when it should have been standardized with the better flippy screen from the A7Siii and A74. It was such a boneheaded choice that I determined that although the A1 checked literally every other box for me, I'd never buy for that reason alone.
Sony should be lauded for adding focus stacking and bulb...however, they should have done it YEARS ago and only did just now because they are suddenly feeling pressure from the flagship of one of the big 3. It reminds of me of Sony not updating the R3 firmware to support a red AF box when there was literally no technical reason for it. They saved it as an asinine reason to upgrade to the R4.
Overall a camera that doesn’t make a ton of sense in the Sony lineup, and feels like a camera they felt they had to release instead of one they wanted to. It’s full of compromises in a market where Sony’s competitors are throwing the kitchen sinks at their flagships. ...Show more →
The A9ii was really a 1.1 rushjob networking update for an Olympics that never ended up taking place.
The flip out screen of the a7siii and a7iv is horrible for photography. If that was what the A1 had been given, I may never have bought it.
Canon has no flagship still, 2 years after the A1. Nikon nearly literally attached a kitchen sink to a camera with the z9, while having only 20fps raw.
p.9 #14 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
Douglas L wrote:
Except the IBIS, I like to believe the rest on your list can be added to the A1 via FW update. I have never tried focus stacking myself but would love to have that feature. I was recently shooting some landscape stuff at f11 or even f14, still couldn't get the depth of field i wanted.
3 or 4 image stack you can do manually, this focus stack stuff is more aimed at macro users
p.9 #17 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
GMPhotography wrote:
So we really have few details but a few question marks stand out Pixel Shift correction is in Post if I’m reading correctly so what makes it special if the IV can do it then go to post. What’s in the V that will do this only
Focus bracketing this one has me . So let’s say you setup from near and far than hit the button and wham is goes but outside the box in software. Can we not do manual focused images and just stick that in the software.
I guess the real question on both of these is we do it today in software what’s the difference with the body that makes it possible.
Maybe I’m missing something but I’m the king of a workaround. Where really are the handcuffs here that are stopping me. This part has yet to be explained but it keeps smelling of software and that would mean to me that we could be the engine here not the camera...Show more →
“Can we not do manual focused images and just stick that in the software.“
You can, but the A7RV lets you specify up to 299 images, and automates capturing the entire stack - you can capture a 299 image stack manually, if you want to, but I don’t want to! You specify a start point, then it walks out to infinity.
I may have been misled, but I think I saw Mark Galer doing his processing of a focus stack in Photoshop, which appealed to me a lot more than doing it in Imaging Edge.
p.9 #18 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
JeyB wrote:
Not for me, for sure!
Compared to an A1, it's leaps and bounds ahead the RV. Couldn't imagine hearing a mechanical shutter again, couldn't stand rolling shutter again, couldn't go back again to mechanical shutter strobe sync at studio or on location. And now I am so used to the A1 that I could never go back to anything without at least 30 fps. I seriously doubt the RV performs 120 af calculations per second to earn the Best AF in the world prize. And the A1 proverbial sticky AF faded so quickly? Don't think so.
I'm also not going to buy an A1 II when released. My A1 will last at least 5 years more. Tired about 3 years lifespan and giving my money to Sony for camera bodies that depreciate at automobile's rates. So, no thanks. No new camera will make me a better photographer. I will buy lenses instead
But yes, 8-stop IBIS and new tilt-style lcd are attractive features, but not sufficient to sell my oldish and slowish A7 RIII which in my experience has the best DR, cleanest high ISO and highest IQ in the complete Sony ecosystem (better than A1 also). But this is my opinion forged by very demanding post processing techniques applied in low light photography....Show more →
I have owned an A1 for well over a year, and I know what it can and cannot do. It can be particularly painful to get A1 tracking on a subject partially obscured by a tree - that is something this new AF solves by recognising subjects, and there are plenty of examples of it working. So I think this looks like a major advance - now I’m waiting to get a new A1 with that feature! The A1’s AF is very good, but this looks better, and will probably work even better connected to a faster stacked sensor.
While I’m at it, I’ll take that new rear screen, focus stacking, timed bulb, and some other niceties thank you!
p.9 #19 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
mawz wrote:
As an RIV user, Sony has solved all the quality of life complaints I had about the RIV.
Ultra-sonic dust busting
Tilt and flip screen
Better/faster menu
RAW sizes and lossless compressed
But I was hoping that Sony would do some real changes around computational photography. Yeah, we get focus bracketing (finally), but no in-camera stack, nor did we get that from multi-shot either. If their answer is Imaging Edge, it’s a lousy answer.
The short answer is the RV looks like a nice upgrade, but the cost differential is just too steep for what I’m getting as a landscape shooter for me to actually upgrade.
The one thing that keeps me drooling over the OM-1 remains the computational features, especially LiveND. They just solve issues I have working light and in the field. ...Show more →
I'm a current M43 shooter and looking to upgrade from my G9. Lately I've been looking at used prices of A7RIV and wondering if they will drop further. I can even get a new one for $2600 as an educator. But I'm wondering if the image quality improvements will outweigh the usability of something like the OM-1, with HHHR and Live ND (plus better weather sealing), which is also a better wildlife/sports camera. I do really like the Sony ecosystem however and I think investing in it would be a good long-term decision, while I'm less sure about the future of OM.
p.9 #20 · Official: Sony A7R V announced (pre-orders now available)
JeyB wrote:
But yes, 8-stop IBIS and new tilt-style lcd are attractive features, but not sufficient to sell my oldish and slowish A7 RIII which in my experience has the best DR, cleanest high ISO and highest IQ in the complete Sony ecosystem (better than A1 also). But this is my opinion forged by very demanding post processing techniques applied in low light photography.
I agree about the A7r3. I find it to still to be the sweet spot for the reasons you mention if only it had the AF of the mk4. I still use mina alongside my A1 along with the 16-35GM
