I was decided on the A7rV,
The flippy screen, resolution and focus bracketing are a much needed improvement over my A9,
I think I can live with the 10fps rolling shutter and loosing blackout free,
But I have read several reviews stating it really struggles for wildlife so I thought about keeping the A9 as well as getting the A7rV, but my main issue with the A9 is lack of cropability when shooting wildlife, this is probably the main reason for upgrading as the A9 is still a great camera.
The A1 ticks all the boxes apart from the flippy screen, focus bracketing and your buying a 2 year old technology camera so you are missing out a bit, oh and it’s 1.5K more expensive though selling the A9 would go a long way towards this,
I am not sure what I am asking lol, just rambling, what would you do?
I do have both the A1 and A7r V and in my honest opinion, unless you are shooting fast action wildlife photography, such as (small) birds in flight, or fast action sport photography, the A7r V is a superb performer.
For stationary birds, mammals, etc., the A7r V performs really well. It can handle largish birds (herons, egrets, cranes, etc.) in flight although you may see some rolling shutter effect if the electronic shutter is used. But if you switch to the mechanical shutter then, that should not pose any issues. Unlike the A9/A9 II and A1 with their black-out free viewfinder, tracking of BIF is a tad more difficult but since the birds are largish and most of the time their flight pattern is predictable, it is actually easy to do. This is where one’s experience comes in.
The notion that the A7r V struggles with wildlife photography is overly generalized and it doesn’t quite hold true. There is wildlife and there is wildlife….
The A7RV doesn't struggle with wildlife. Where it can struggle is only fast wildlife, e.g. birds in flight. So the answer will depend on what you wana shoot and on how you value your cash. As a birder I can heartily recommend the A1, but for general wildlife I think it is probably overkill.
I am also a current A9 shooter but my fast action work is collegiate ultimate frisbee. I'm not in a rush, so I'm waiting out the A9iii announcement. The main driver for me would be a slight MP bump, and I really need the blackout free shooting, as winds can change frisbee movement on the field second to second. I'd also appreciate AI auto white balance, the flippy screen and that 9MP EVF. If the A9iii lands at 33MP, that will be meaningful for my cropping purposes. If the A9iii is 24MP, I'm buying a new A1 on my daughter's EDU discount.
I have owned and used all 3 of these bodies. I agree with AGeoJo 100%, "unless you are shooting fast action" the A7RV is the better camera of. the bunch. I have posted before about the incredible IBIS stem in the A7RV, and that to me is hands down the biggest improvement. My low light hand held photography is at a new level with the RV. The extra resolution is also amazing, especially if you need to crop into you image.
If I use the mechanical shutter I am good with 10 FPS for most fast moving subjects.
Just remember folks we have been shooting with mechanical shutter for decades and as much wildlife and sports for many decades and we still can regardless of electronic shutter which does bring some added feature sets. For me the A7rV hits the bingo button . 61 mpx and 11 mpx over the A1 the A9 is only 24mpx so if you use crop mode often the A7RV is perfect at 26mpx which actually im shooting this big show mostly APSC mode for 300mm focal length. I loved the A1but I also was not using everything out of it. The A7RV has far more benefits than anyone even brings up. For the money it's tough to beat . I know myself I would not go back to the A9 as shooting APSC at 11 mpx is of no benefit to me.
Right now I find buying a A1 maybe a risk as Version II could be out soon
Yesterday, I took my hermit crabs and let them walk around in my backyard under the sprinkler and I thought I'd take a few pics of them. Any camera is fast enough to handle that kind of motion. BUT! It was mid day and I like to shoot wide open. The dappled highlights were clipping even though I was under the shade of my tree. I'd rather shoot above 1/8000 than rely on filters, or increase my aperture, or shoot at 50 ISO. My A9 always comes in handy for that. I'd personally consider the A1.
jeffbuzz wrote:
Except be mounted with two different lenses at the same time...
Sometimes two bodies are better than one.
So true. I’d never travel with only I camera. Not only do two cameras provide lens flexibility without needing to change lenses, two cameras allow for backup.
I had the same dilemma when I had both the A7R4 & A9, and eventually chose to consolidate to the A1 as I was running into times when I wanted the fast fps and blackout-free silent shutter that can be used for fast action, along with some room to crop that the A9 wasn't given me. That was last year and I don't have a single compliant about making the switch based on my uses.
BUT- for you and your uses that you mention, I think you'd be fine with the A7R5 assuming you're ok with 10fps & losing the blackout-free shutter. You'll have to compare the benefits mentioned above about the A7R5 and decide if you're willing to trade those benefits for the loss of the extra fps & shutter of the A9.
Garuna wrote:
A1 can do everything these 2 bodies can and more.
Not really....just off the top of my head the A7RV can do these things the A1 can't:
1) Update FW from memory card
2) Menu setting for DMF on any lens
3) Way more IBIS
4) Animal/Bird EyeAF in video
5) Focus stacking
6) Multi-angle tilt and flipping screen
arbitrage wrote:
Not really....just off the top of my head the A7RV can do these things the A1 can't:
1) Update FW from memory card
2) Menu setting for DMF on any lens
3) Way more IBIS
4) Animal/Bird EyeAF in video
5) Focus stacking
6) Multi-angle tilt and flipping screen
And the A7RV has a 3.2" 2.1 mdot monitor over the A1's 3" 1.4 mdot monitor. And it is multi-angle, as you mention.
To me the following points let the A1 surpass the A7rv:
1) Silent shooting (shy animals)
2) no black-out in the viewfinder (less likelyhood to lose fast moving animals)
3) extremely high frame-rate for getting the decisive moment in rapidly moving subjects (30 vs 10)
4) much better and higher frame-rate video
5) less distortion of fast moving subjects (rolling shutter).
Seen in flapping wings or unusually stretched bodies …
6) shorter exposure times if you want to shoot wide open
….
Anything I missed?
Knut. wrote:
To me the following points let the A1 surpass the A7rv:
1) Silent shooting (shy animals)
2) no black-out in the viewfinder (less likelyhood to lose fast moving animals)
3) extremely high frame-rate for getting the decisive moment in rapidly moving subjects (30 vs 10)
4) much better and higher frame-rate video
5) less distortion of fast moving subjects (rolling shutter).
Seen in flapping wings or unusually stretched bodies …
6) shorter exposure times if you want to shoot wide open
….
Anything I missed?
So if one does not shoot fast moving objects, the A1 does not really add anything over the A7R5 and loses out in things like resolution, ibis, lcd usability, focus stacking and stickier AF
If my internal mental chatter and banter on the subject of A1 vs A7RV were openly verbalized, I would probably be institutionalized and drugged.
I have two A1’s and absolutely love those cameras. Full-time silent shutter (save for the few shots where I need the 1/400 sec mechanical shutter for strobes) has really changed my photography since I can now shoot fairly incognito across many venues. I shoot a lot of f1.2 and f1.4 lenses, so I appreciate the high shutter speeds for outdoor shooting. The A9 got me hooked on no-blackout shooting, so that continues to be a big deal for me. 30fps is also amazing for BIF and sports. So… I should be a happy camper.
HOWEVER...
1. The A7R5 will provide MUCH better IBIS for low-light shooting. For me, this is huge!
2. I like cropping images on sharp primes for greater FL flexibility. 61mp would be useful for this.
3. I shoot a lot of low-angles for portraits & the flexible LCD would be fantastic for Portrait Mode shots.
4. Focus Stacking would be quite useful.
5. Stickier AF would be welcome for many shooting situations.
6. The DMF function would be useful.
7. The improved auto white balance of the R5 might be helpful (not sure about this).
So… I figured that I would wait for the A1 II, expecting that this release will include most of the A7R5 features (not guaranteed). That might be late 2024, as I think that the A9 III might be the big focus for Sony for 2023 – particularly with the Olympics coming.
By then, the resale of my A1’s will assuredly be well under $4,000 and the A1 II might be priced over $6,500. I can buy a brand-new USA version A7R5, today, for $3,300.
As a volunteer, I shoot a lot of charity fund-raising events where I use two bodies. I have found that my aging brain responds best if those two bodies are EXACTLY the same, so I prefer to keep both A1’s.
I think I might just click on that A7RV BUY button, just to end all that internal mental chatter. I really can have the best of both worlds, without waiting. Besides, that money will just go my spoiled and somewhat ungrateful kids in a few years.
If you do not shoot fast moving subjects the A1 (versus A7rv) still adds:
- Silent shutter: not really usable on an A7rv other than with static subjects
(readout speed is 1/10s on A7rv, motion blur due to subject movement is not compensated by IBIS)
- no banding under LED light (which is increasing prevalent) and a real nuissance when encountered.
- no blackout in viewfinder
- and CLEARLY better video (4k 120p, terrible rolling shutter on A7rv, etc.)
Resolution is moot: I do not see any meaningful differences between A1 and A7rv (go to imaging-resource for a quick comparison). If anything noise and dynamic range is slightly ahead on the A1.
The back screen of the A7rv is definitely better, but the one used on the A1 is no slouch and slightly brighter (useful in sunshine). With more tilting and twisting options the A7rv is the better vlogging camera ;-) … alas, with a poorer video codec.
„1. The A7R5 will provide MUCH better IBIS for low-light shooting.“
I wonder if this is overrated. IBIS does not help, if the subject moves.
If the subject does not move a tripod will certainly and a monopod will most likely bring the A1 up to the level of the A7rv.
„ 2. I like cropping images on sharp primes for greater FL flexibility. 61mp would be useful for this.“
I‘m not convinced that the difference between 50 and 60mp can be regularly seen.
„ By then, the resale of my A1’s will assuredly be well under $4,000 and the A1 II might be priced over $6,500.“
The difference could be considered cost of ownership. The write off is of course high, but I do not know of many who stick to a certain camera for 10 years. We always believe we will, but 1-2 generations on GAS will set in again. Unfortunately ….
When I got the A9 it was my intention to get a high resolution camera as well, have the best of both worlds, I bought lenses instead
Then the A1 came along and all of a sudden you could have the best of both in 1 body, I was still buying lenses
Now we don’t have a fair comparison, the A9, A9ii, and A1 are aging and the A7rv is all shiny and new,
Let’s say we had latest gen models A7rv and A9iii vs A1ii, 7k vs 6.5K (guess 🇬🇧 price) maybe my original plan still holds water?
I think I will go for the A7rv and keep the A9, and maybe look to upgrade the A9 later, 2 bodies is an advantage not to be ignored
