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My comments are based on my experience with a7cr and a7rv (I own both).
macadphotos wrote:
Here's my take on each of the spec differences.
a7rv vs a7cr
1. Mechanical shutter instead of ECFS - A7RV produces smoother bokeh when using fast lenses in bright daylight but probably not significant most of the time. I tested the 50mm 1.4 on the a7cr and the bokeh difference became apparent when I increased from 1/2000s to 1/4000s.
A fast lens is not the only requirement. You must be shooting wide-open as well. On the other hand, shooting with a mechanical shutter can cause shutter shock at lower shutter speed. So, you either have to switch to a mechanical or electronic shutter when shooting wide open at high shutter speed (unlikely in artificial light).
2. Higher res EVF and LCD, larger EVF - Personal preference. Just like how some people are happy with 720p TVs, and some want 4K HDR.
No, the difference is not as drastic as 720p vs 4K HDR.
3. Best-in-class flip/articulating screen hybrid - Ah yes, the solution to end all debates between flip screens and articulating screens. Very very nice quality of life change, though I am happy with just the articulating screen (as a photographer)
4. 10fps with >500 raw buffer vs 8fps with <50 raw buffer - At >60mb per photo, I'm trying to limit the number of raw files I get, so I'm usually shooting at slower than 8fps anyway. This change will matter most to photographers trying to capture the perfect moment while utilizing the full 60mp for either cropping or large prints (sports, action, wedding, wildlife?)
5. IBIS 8 stop vs 7 stop - Useful especially for 60mp sensors that can pick up even the smallest of vibrations. But the marginal gain is becoming smaller and smaller. 4 to 5 stops is a 25% improvement, 7 to 8 stops is a 14% improvement.
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That is the theoretical CIPA measurement. I have not noticed much difference in practice, but I did not have much time with a7cr yet. So far, I am very happy with its IBIS.
6. 208g heavier - The most important difference! Negligible for some people, night-and-day difference for others. You can compound the weight savings on the a7cr with slower full frame lenses or using APS-C lenses in crop mode.
Yes, that is very subjective, but whenever I pick up a7rV or a7cr (with the same lightweight lens), the a7cr feels lighter and more compact.
7. 2 card slots - Important for working professionals, and for people who absolutely need to prevent that 1/100000 (or lower, depending on the card) event from happening. An added benefit is if you ever forget to bring one of the sd cards, you always have a backup in the second slot.
Like many, I never use the second slot (except to store the extra SD card when I forget to put the main car back). But if you need it, a7cr is not for you.
8. Quieter mechanical shutter - Not often discussed, but I could tell the difference in the showroom. Useful for wedding and concert photographers probably. But then again, the A9III with global shutter in silent mode is even better 
9. 1/250 vs 1/160 flash sync speed - Huge difference for photographers trying to overpower ambient light with strobes. Might not matter as much for the average hobbyist. Hello A9III
10. Slightly larger form factor - Personal preference. Note that if you intend to add handgrips or other heavy attachments to improve a7CR's handling anyway, maybe consider the a7rv.
Using a grip with a7cr does not make sense to me, though even with the grip, the a7cr feels smaller.
11. Slightly worse battery life - a7CR edges out a little (5-10%?), probably due to the less demanding EVF and LCD. Not very impactful IMO. Always interesting to me that EVF consumes more power than LCD despite being smaller.
I believe that power consumption depends on the display resolution.
12. 1/8000 vs 1/4000 max shutter speed. Not a huge diff unless you need to shoot wide open in bright daylight, probably portrait and wedding photographers shooting outdoors at f1.2-2.
13. More custom buttons - Personal preference. More is obviously better, but if you are not using all of them anyway, then the benefit is moot.
14. Better video specs - I'm not a videographer, but from what I read, a7rv has slightly better specs in terms of resolution and shooting time thanks to the heat dissipation. Rolling shutter is a concern for both cameras, but it might not matter too much for most scenes.
15. More expensive - Spend between $400-$900 more to get the a7RV. YMMV.
16. Better build? - It 'feels' like the a7rv is built more robustly and should last longer, but I don't have any data to back that up.
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I do not feel that a7cr's build is any worse than a7rV.
Tada, a complete list of 16 differences, mostly in favor of the a7rv. It really does feel like the a7cr has a lot of compromises, even if the compromises are really minor and unlikely to affect real-world shooting experiences for most people. I like the a7cr, so that's my take 
In my book, a7rV was not a big advantage of the Sony system, but recent lenses (high quality, lightweight, and small) were a reason. With a7CR, Sony has launched a unique camera: very small and lightweight while providing the best IQ of FF cameras.
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