I forgot to mention that I bought this camera with my own hard earned money, also be careful of scammers in the comments who pretend to be me. I'm not hosting give-aways or asking you to contact me. A real comment / answer from me has a grayed out profile name just like this comment ;)
Sadly, I got caught by the scammer in November. He did a good job of researching you so was able to convince me he was you. Luckily, you posted a warning before he got much money from me.
Hi there! I've been following you for a couple years now. Another photographer friend recommended your channel. I must say that I enjoy all of your videos and have learned a lot from them, but this is my favorite of all. It's so nice to find others who don't engage the tribalism across the brands -- thank you! I shoot with a crop sensor Nikon and Canon, and love them both. I am sure that I will try a Sony camera in the future.
@@RiceCake-ep9gu There is always something missing or to complain about :) :) :) But the 7RV has 4 different aspect ratios 3:2, 4:3 1:1 and 16:9 . If you really need 4:5 for any reason ( I have no clue why I should use it) 4:5 simply do i in the post processing as there is for shure much more room to cropp than on the Fuji (except the GX series). So if you need the 4:5 out of the camera just use the Fuji :)
So pleased you said at the end that this camera has not improved your camera but has helped with the functionalities. If you bake a perfect cake, it's not the oven that has made your cake amazing. It's your ingredients and how you put the cake together. You need to know your oven to perfectly cook it. Your camera is the same, you are the one creating the composition and using the light. Knowing the capabilities of your camera and your post processing software helps you to cook your photo ☺️
I’m so happy you made this video. I actually upgraded from the A7RIV to the A7V for 2 reasons Mads: 1)The built in focus bracketing and 2)The tilt screen. I have bad knees and to get a vertical landscape when your low on the ground is now possible with ease. At least for myself.
Id buy the Sony A7RIV in a heartbeat if it had focus bracketing... I just cant justify the price gap between the two for that functionnality when you have high res. Nikon like the D850 or the Z7II who has it and cost around the gap between the two sony... its a shame really because id love that extra resolution :(
I actually think that a lot of people will greatly appreciate the ability to have medium sized raw images. And maybe even more so the APS-C mode with 26 MP as well.
Yeah I use it all the time for more basic real estate work or when im just doing casual street photography. + better now light performance when in 25MP mode
@@Gloomwithaview The r5 is a fantastic camera and it's actually 26 MP, I think. The r5 is the camera that the r4 should've been but isn't. For my style of shooting at least, the r4's shortcomings are a pain in the ass and makes the process not enjoyable. But as I said, it's just me and if you shoot only landscape from a tripod or in studio, for example, you might not bother at all.
This is one of your best videos. I love the way you explain reality of gear vs need. For me it's just tools to capture and create my vision. Brand names mean almost zero to me. I use whatever gets the job done. So well said! ♥
I love my little Olympus kit and have no intentions of changing, but I found your review so interesting. For a gear review - this was very informative. I liked your ending - at the end of the day, the camera is just a tool in the photographers hands 😊
I like a consistency with photo gear reviews - I do smile when I see videos from other RUclipsrs like "Why I will never shoot full frame" followed by "This is my new full frame camera" 😂
I changed from Nikon to Olympus just because of dust in the sensor… with Olympus/ OM you NEVER need to clean the sensor! I worked with Sony for many years, but some small things make me tired to use it. The usability was not for me. From menu, battery life, dust in sensor everyday, ergonomics… it was not for me. But I think that today would be another story and I’m happy you found the best camera for you. For my use I love the fact that the OM Cameras are COMPLETELY weather sealed and robust! For travel, landscape, wildlife, street and macro the em1iii and OM1 are the perfect Cameras for my use. I love your videos and pictures! Thank you!
Great gear video from a non-gear-head! Seriously, you mailed the state of the art for photographers. We're at the point that all serious camera brands are producing superb image quality and great feature-rich gear. For those of us who have invested in a system, we probably never need to switch again. For those who haven't yet collected a lot of expensive lenses, choose a system, not a camera!
Nice to finally see a review on the A7RV from perspective of a landscape photographer - thanks Mads! For me, this was a worthwhile upgrade over my previous A7RIV, mainly in terms of usability. By far, as a landscape and architectural photographer, the flip-out screen upgrade is huge. I previously paired the A7C with my A7RIV just to get that (and smaller raw file) features available to me. I sold both and bought the A7RV for the same cost. Aside from that, the focus bracketing, bulb mode and small raw file features really help with usability as well. I hated wasting time with remotes for bulb mode, which didn't always work. I occasionally shoot bokeh panoramas, which combines 50-60 files in post, so having the smaller files really helps (the other reason I don't need the A7C now with the A7RV). With a regular day job and family, I don't have a lot of spare time for photography, so I want the most efficient tool with me, and the A7RV finally delivered.
Hi Mads, Great video! As you mentioned about Tamron 50-400. I replaced Tamron 28-200 with 50-400 mm. I'm really enyoying my combo Tamron 50-400 and Tamron 20-40 mm, which cover most of what I need.
Great video as usual. You hit the nail on the head with “no one will be able to tell what camera took the photo”. These days all cameras are great. You chose what suits you, and that’s all that matters. It’s great to have choices, unless you’re a troll, then you just hate everything that’s not yours 😂 Well done 👌🏼
TX very Mads. You really inform on the pros and cons without going overboard on personal preferences. The a7R5 sounds very attractive, even with some worts.
Been shooting with my A7R3 for years with no complaints. Am planning on upgrading to the A7R5 soon. Less so for landscape applicable improvement than for the increased versatility through things like the improved auto-focus. That said I will certainly enjoy and utilize the heck out of the focus bracketing to speed workflow and yes the articulating screen will cut down on the contortions. Thanks for the perspective.
Thank you so much for your comments on this camera. Your thoughts as a landscape photographer on the A7RV makes such a difference in helping educate others and myself on the features and benefits of an upgrade.. Thanks again for your dedication and incredible abilities as an educator..
My R5 has some of the features you liked on the a7R5, like protecting the sensor, but not all of them. I am 60% landscape, 30% birds/wildlife, 10% "other." Glad to see you happy with your upgrade. Looking forward to seeing you in action with it.
Well done video. I like that you mentioned that one brand is not necessarily better at the end of the day. Some people certainly will argue that their brand is better than everything else. There’s so much more that goes into a photo. Congratulations on your camera though, looks amazing.
I have been shooting with the A7RlV with the 200-600mm lens for close to two years now as my primary wildlife camera. The 61 mp gives me the ability to crop in a lot closer making a photo within a photo possible. I could not be happier with the results. I am sure you will be happy with the A7R5 and wish the A7RiV had the articulating screen for vertical compositions. But that is what happens after you purchase a new camera. I also use the 20mm f1.8 for the Milky Way and could not be happier with the results.
I love my a7R5 much as I loved my a7R4 - not because I can make huge prints but because I can crop in so much. But there is no doubt for me that the new camera is a huge step up. Auto focus stacking! (especially for macro - wow!); I can get away without a tripod on most of my trips (8 stops of IBIS - woohoo! Personal experience suggests I can get sharp images 2 or so times out of 10 at 1/4 to 1/2 second with focal length
I can definitely see a difference in the background and four Graham with the medium format camera. The level of detail is just something that full frame cameras can get close to but not be in my view. I've been blown away with the Fujifilm medium format cameras for level of detail I'm purely talking about in a landscape sense, you can pick out bees from 50 m away on a flower
Hey Mads! An alternative small rig LBracket is now available that folds into itself however I would personally suggest and recommend you look at the camera orientation collar that is provided by a company called silence corner and the unit is named “Atoll” it absolutely removes the need for a LBracket completely
thanks for the honest video. I'm sure it will help people trying to decide which new camera to buy since there are so many good ones now. most will stick with their existing brand because of the conversion costs. I'm not an evaluator/blogger, but I have in my bag, an A9, A7R4, A1, and A7R5. shot the A1 for a year and loved it. the A7R5 has actually replaced it. it is that good. I shoot wildlife mainly. I have died and gone to heaven!!!
Wish my A7R III had a closed sensor when switching lenses, like the A1 and R V :/ My current workaround is Tamron 50-400. With that lens I luckily don't have to switch lenses that often. The flip screen is a potential back saver when shooting in portrait mode, and I wish my camera had that display too! Sometimes it's a little hard to tell whether a photo is sharp or not by looking at the display on the A7R III. You kind of learn how to interpret what you see, but it's not always super clear. There are so many useful features in the R V!! Congratulations on your purchase!
You said it all in the beginning for just landscapers, so proud someone has said the camera is a tool and your camera is the only one you know about. I buy the books on all my cameras since my A7SM1 you learn way more than RUclips reviews for there are so many genres no one could cover all. As far as bracketing and Steady Shot with the A7RV with the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS I found during a test at sunset I did 5 at +/- 2EV hand held on a walkabout and LR and ON1 Photo RAW blended all images, normally I would do 3 at +/- 2EV but I was doing some work after both camera and lens had been firmware dated 2.02 and 02 and if I told or could show the bokeh balls in between limbs and leaves while getting a image of a Magnolia fruit on a cloudy day even, I mean no one would believe it was not PS or etc. somehow. The newer update to 3.0 has been postponed so what can it do, well experiment to ones heart content!
Great video! Another aspect that you didn't mention, and is probably not a big deal to some but it is to me, is that you can change the color of the focus point. Previously, Sony cameras always had the focus point box as a grey color and depending on what you are shooting, you could never see it that clearly... but now we have the ability to turn it to another color like red so its more visible. I love all the new features especially the rear screen as I am generally not a fan of the fully articulating screen. I also came from an A7III and I use RRS' L-Bracket, which is expensive, but I love it so much and I am impatiently waiting for them to release a new one designed for the A7RV.
Just an fyi, but that was a feature added to the A7RIV and carried over to the A7RV. It's something so simple, but so handy for those of us with questionable eyesight!
@@PhilT993 I have been getting facebook ads for their L-Bracket. I don't like how there's a part of it that sticks out on the left side of the plate when it's folded over. I am going to hold out on whatever RRS releases... hopefully not too long for now.
@@joits Agreed. I am not a fan of it's function or look either. I can understand that they want to be able to get the side bracket out of the way easily. I think it would be better if it were easily detachable. Also I think the pinky finger extension is too thin. I really like my old bracket from my A7R3 and am pleased it will fit my future A7RV.
What's really good now Pete is there is so many good landscape cameras about even going back to a Nikon D8 50 with good glass would be perfect for landscape photography. I even used a Fuji film XT5 for a year and I've recently moved into medium format with the Fujifilm 50 S ii...... Which I feel is the best balance of megapixels but dynamic range as well and there are some quirks as you would be aware with medium format but I just love the files that I'm getting out of this camera now I feel like I can take my Photography to the next level which is really cool, but there are just so many good cameras now I've never been a huge Sony fan even though I think they make fantastic cameras partly due to their menu system which does my head in I think I'd probably figure it out after awhile but it's not something I want to go into but I do think that's a brilliant camera that you have
Thank you for making this video😊 I had the opportunity to use this camera for 4hrs today and loved it. The “floppy” screen is just brilliant! I had a go at focus bracketing….the ones I got right were amazing. I just need to buy the lens and practice!😊
Nice review Mads. One big advantage of the new screen is being able to use a standard L bracket without needing cutouts, since the screen can be pulled away from the body before rotating it. I upgraded from the A7R4 due to the many incremental improvements.
Great video, thank you. People DO actually use the 26mp files. That's the beauty of this camera for me, and quite a few other people online and in reviews, the fact that unlike most other high mp cameras, you can use 26mp most of the time (more than enough for most situations), but then the 61mp is there on the occasions you do want those high megapixels. In fact that's the main reason (along with the screen, EVF & AI focussing) that I chose the A7R V, and I just don't think I would have picked the A7R V if I was going to be stuck with 61mp for every single picture.
I recently had the opportunity to test the R V myself, since I’m considering switching out my Nikon D850 to mirrorless, but wanted to look further than Nikon Z system only. I really enjoyed the camera and for me it was almost the perfect set up. I love the new menu system, which very much reminds me of Nikon’s and all the new features such as focus bracketing (which I love on my D850) and bulb timer. However, there were still some issues Sony hasn’t overcome. Menu access is still limited when the camera is emptying its buffer and also the buttons on the camera don’t have build-in lighting, which for me is quite annoying when shooting at night time. Ergonomically the camera also feels a bit ‘smallish’ compared to the Nikon Z7 (first gen) I tested a few years ago. So yeah, very very good, but not perfect yet. I’m definitely still considering this camera though, but I will be testing Nikon’s upcoming Z8 first before I make my final decision.
Last year I was still shooting an A7R4 and A7R3. Since I love my A7R4 and don't like changing lenses, I bought another A7R4. I really didn't see any reason to upgrade to the A7R5. But, around Christmas I realized that I would eventually buy an A7R5, so I bought one when I found one that wasn't full price. I'm anxious to try the focus stacking on it. And it's nice to have better autofocusing, etc. But, honestly, I'll never use a lot of the features it offers. But, it's sort of like software. Sooner or later you'll upgrade to whatever the latest version is.
When it first came out I bought the Panasonic GH5. I am not a videographer :) so that was sort of a mistake (but I had aspirations...that never arrived). My real love in architecture, landscape, some street and wildlife. I love the reach the M43 lenses give, but seeing the crop in abilities and the ISO range of this camera leads me to believe the Sony will the better tool for me. First I'm going to the local camera shops to handle the Sony a7R5 with a big lens. I know that will freak me out at first. IF I can get past that, I'll sell the GH5 to some local aspiring videographer for cheap as I just want it to have a good home. Then begin the process of determining the first mandatory lense(s) I will buy. Good video, I like your presentation style and easy to listen to voice. Thanks.
I sooo want the fully articulating screen. Tired of twisting my neck to see the screen on my Nikon in portrait mode. BTW, the Thomas Heaton line cracked me up big time.
Great video that told me a lot about the A7R5 and you covered exactly the parts that I was thinking about if I were to update from my 7R3 to the 7R5. But I also ask the question, do I need automatic focus bracketing? perhaps Do I need a flip-floppy back screen yes that would be a clear advantage for the type of pictures I shoot. But is it worth spending so much money? No, not for me, so my A7R3 will have to hang on for a while longer
Really interesting review mate. I recently purchased the A7IV to match my a7siii and had a tough time not going for the RV instead. At the end of the day it's what camera works best for you and why. As you say... you're the one who ends up taking the pictures anyways 👍 p.s. Small Rig is releasing a new adjustable folding L bracket in February of this year for the A7 series. I'll be getting one for the IV for sure. Looks sick. See you Denmark one day brother 🇩🇰⛰️🇩🇰
The biggest best thing about the R5 is the flippy screen?????????????? I have heard that over and over and it's NOT true. The biggest and best thing about the camera is many things, the least of which is the screen on the back. The Auto focus is amazing. The image quality is better than Sony's flagship A1. The aps-c mode is unlike any other camera on the market. Turns a 600mm lens into a 900mm lens, but that's not all it does. Instead of cropping the photo on the sensor, it captures a 61MP raw image and down samples it to 26 MP. This is HUGE, game changing, no other full frame camera on the market does this. Much bigger than the flippy screen. The detail it captures is nothing short of amazing. The sharpness is incredible. Never saw anything like it. To me this and the auto focus are the two absolute best things about this camera. Even The mighty A1 can't touch it in that regard.
H Mads, I really appreciate your feedback on the A7R5. I have been considering upgrading from my A7R3 which have enjoyed since they came out. Still works perfectly. I do more wildlife than landscape, but I do a bit of everything. I appreciate the upgrades that you mentioned. I was very pleased that the SmallRig L-Bracket (like yours) from my camera will fit onto the A7R5. SmallRig has now made a new L-Bracket for the A7R5, where the portrait bracket easily folds down under the landscape part. Main downside I see is that the "pinky finger" extension under the grip looks a lot thinner. I use mostly the Sony 200-600mm lens and enjoy the larger grip for added support. I also very seldom use the ports on the left side of the camera. Thanks again and enjoy your new tool. I am sure you will put it to excellent use!!
I'm coming from the A7RII. I bought that many years ago and one month later the R3 came out. Then when the RIV came out, I got it. It fixed all my complaints about the handling, LCD, etc. My biggest complaint was that the autofocus was not up to snuff for shooting the occasional moving subjects. This looks to be what I need without jumping to the A1.
Meaningful/useful video which confirms my basic approach to photography. Just an 85 year old enthusiast who likes travel street photography. My comment: (“Start out with the end in mind.”) Evaluate were you are and where you might want to improve. In my case for example Bird/Portrait/Enlarged prints/prints in general are for display or professionals. If your interest are in these directions to be on a professional level requires specialized equipment and approach. I may crop a lot or shoot in low or museum light. In the end I place my photo’s in a cloud and share on the internet. I shoot with an original A7 FF (light weight)Sony using my Kit telephoto lens and my favorite F2-28mm FF lens for lower light. “I have an expensive “G” lens FE 4/24-105 that I barley use. Not money well spent) When your 85 the last thing you need is weight and a bag of equipment to carry around all day. (Tri-pods) included. Some of the more important information provided in your video was to focus on “interesting content” work on your composition, “shoot a lot” from different angles in different light. Since I like working in Lightroom and shoot raw my goal is to sort, balance light especially shooting in Noon Day Travel light and low light bringing out the right amount of highlight/shadow detail. (I consider that my personal style not a recommendation) My only comment about the Sony A7R5 be sure you need or will use all of the cameras features before you spend your money. I’m always temped but don’t pull the trigger. Don’t see the need for photo sharing.
Thanks, Mads! Though 99% of the reason I watch and follow you on RUclips is your wonderful insights on composition it is always useful to hear someone's comments about their camera if I use the same one. I have the a7r5 and have just begun using it and watching videos like this provides some insights on how to best use it. (Such as the Nikon hot shoe cover though to be be honest I never remove the hotshot as I don't shoot video or flash.) I sold my a7r3 a couple months before the a7r5 came out. And I purchased the a1 about a year ago as I needed the speed of AF for shooting youth sports action. The a7r3 just couldn't keep up for that use case. Though it is obvious to me that the a7r5 improvements you outlined will be great for my landscape photography (especially the new monitor and the focus bracketing if I can figure out how it works) I have yet to test it out for the sports shooting I do. Since I am not a pro sports shooter I am hoping that the AF tracking and 10 FPS will be adequate so that I can then sell my A1. But AF tracking for team field sports like football (soccer) is challenging and the teams are not in season where I live right now. So I'll need to wait until I can test it out. Back to the a7r5, I tried the focus bracketing and it didn't seem to work. I don't know if this is user error. So I plan to take it out today and try again. My previous attempt was with the 24-70 GM II. Maybe I will try the 16-35 F4 G today or even the 70-200 GM II. I wish there was a good tutorial on using the focus bracketing capabilities on this camera for shooting landscapes. Mark Galer touched on it a bit but I didn't find it that easy. Oh, and one more thing on the a7r5, the "focus and shoot" use of the touch screen. My a7r3 didn't have that. And the fact that, just as when I push the shutter, it will initiate the self timer mode is awesome. So in lieu of using the focus bracketing function, I can set a 2 sec or 5 sec (with exposure bracketing if I want) then touch the monitor at the 3 or for spots where I want it to focus. As soon as I touch the monitor it focuses on that spot, initiates the time delay then take the shot or bracket. Very easy.
One observation re: pixel shift. A big selling point isn't necessarily the resolution, as you nicely pointed out, but it gets you the absolute best color information if you need it because it negates the inherent problems with demosaicing algorithms needed to process color information from quad Bayer color filters on your sensor. To your point, you definitely don't need it all the time, but people just tend to focus on the resolution and not realize there's a deeper, better reason for it.
Very interesting. I particularly liked the bit about how many pixels you really need to do landscape photography and your run-and-gun approach. I find I'm waiting for ages for the light to be right (especially in the Lake District). I'm not going to buy and A7R5 but I'm expecting aNother manufacturer to come out with something similar.
I will probably soon finally upgrade my a7II to a A7IV. This one served me well, but the IV just has so many upgrades that will make my life a whole lot easier!
Thank you for your video 👍I own the A7R III and I´m thinking of purchasing it (because of some of the reasons you mentioned in your video). But since I´m doing also some astrophotography I´m not sure how it behaves in comparison at high ISOs.
LOL, I agree with you about the "CAMERA BRAND WARS". It's the final image/print that counts. I retired in 2016 and treated myself by upgrading from the Canon 5DMk2 to the 5DsR. It was not easy to part with $6000 AU....but I'm glad I did. I can't afford to continue to upgrade, I work with what I have on my tripod. 5DsR/Canon 16-35mm f2.8 + 70-200mm f2.8 & a couple of other zoom lenses. Due to my age related eyesight I also use a 5" external monitor occasionally. For me the skill is to be able to work with the limitations of your camera and get the best RAW file possible. LR & PS have so many tools for post processing now it is very adequate to help me produce a great image I can be proud of. I find it very amusing to have people criticize the 5DsR..... but I love using it. I can capture the images I want. A great review Mads.
Very honest review. And helpful. I too am a landscape photographer but every so often I see birds on my walks and get asked to do photos for websites and events. For me it fills so many gaps in my A7Riii - swivel and tilt mirror, focus bracketing and an AF system that knows the difference between a kingfisher and a leaf 😂 It’s the (almost) perfect camera for outdoor photography imo.
Very good and reasonable video and review 👍 And yes, being a confessed Olympus Fanboy you are fully right: it’s a tool and needs to do the job. And easier is always better for professionals. For “fun” actually James Popsys is right, but that’s a different aspect. Keep ‘em coming - thanks much!
Being able to crop in is a function of the resolution, which, as you correctly state, depends on the lens. If the lens can't resolve the sensor resolution, you are just cropping into blur.
Great video, but missing some comments about the ISO sensitivity compared to the A7R3. Especially since there are lot complains from the users that the A7R5 are very noisy compared to other high megapixel cameras as A7R3, A1 and Cannon R5. Many of the reviews shows max ISO at 800 before it becomes very noisy which is very low for a modern camera.
Thanks Mads for the honest review, always enjoy your videos. I have been using a A7III for the past 4 yrs, thinking of an upgrade, which camera would you recommend value for the bucks?
I very much enjoyed your video. I own the a7rV for just a few months. You say that it doesn't really make much of a difference from the a7rIII. What about focus stacking and the amazingly sharp viewfinder to name just 2 major improvements. Sure you can do manual focus stacking but I think it's a great feature. Somehow, I find that the resolution does seem to make a difference. I am using the same Sony lenses that I used on my a7riii. It just seems to have much more detail. Maybe it's mind over matter. If you don't have a mind, it doesn't matter??
Interesting when you said you wouldn’t recommend much less than 1/10 of a second even at wide-angle focal lengths with the 8 stops IBIS. I’m managing 2 second exposures at 35mm with tack sharp results nearly every time lol just use the self-timer. At 1 second they’re tack sharp every time unless I make a mistake. Try it out you may be surprised 😉
Great review from a landscape photographer perspective. My hobby is taking photo and most often I take landscape photo. I have been using the A7M3 since 2018/2019. Till now, it is still a camera that can offer me than what I can do with my rather crappy photography skill. However, since the A7Rv was released, I have been very keen in it due to the most of the feature you mentioned. The higher mega pixel will be a plus for me, but not as important as other feature. The AI auto focus and pixel shift features will be dead last in the rank. Honestly, I also cannot justify why I would need the A7RV, especially for the price I need to pay. Having said the above, after a couple of months of dilemma, I gave in to my wants rather than my need and ordered the camera yesterday. Hopefully I won't regret this big purchase. May I know where you ordered the hot shoe protector? It seem like a discontinued item.
I have no experience with any Sony cameras from the last decade or so, but the A7RV has been super enticing. I'm a Canon shooter, but have been wanting to get my hands on borrowing even an A7III or older body just to see how they feel in the hand and how ergonomically comfortable to use these cameras are! Ergonomics and button layouts are one of the reasons why I moved to Canon from Nikon back in 2009-2010.
I'm retired on a fixed income, so I can't really afford to upgrade from my Sony a7riii, but it does the job for me. Still a great camera with more than enough MP. But in your case, I perfectly understand..that is your business and job. Glad for you.
Well this is one of the best reviews of th RV. And the reason that I say that is because is that so many of the reviews have not been taken from a landscape photographers viewpoint. I am an A7RIII user and there are certainly some features that are highly attractive ie better LCD and focus stacking. However like Mads has pointed out, I (the photographer) have to make the better photos....the new camera just makes the process a bit easier and more enjoyable.
The shutter protection function appears also in A7iv and I think in A1 but don't use it ! See, the sensor is relatively robust, you can't damage him very easily and some dust on it is not the end of the world. Shutter on the other side is VERY fragile, literally a grain of sand can damage him and repair cost is not small. So don't expose him when you change lenses. Otherwise great video as always.
This was actually kind of funny, I’ve never seen one of your videos where there’s been this much sarcasm lol and I agree with you it’s just like Car Guy’s. I like all cars and I think every camera maker has good points and bad points. Thanks for the good review.
I recently bought my second hand A7R4 and I love it. I do wonder why some of the A7R5 upgrades can't be made available through firmware updates though. Surely focus stacking is a software thing? But I guess they need to tempt people with the new model...
Do we really want a camera though that makes it almost automated to take good photos? Then where is the challenge; the learning; the fun in figuring it out? Thanks but no thanks on that one. Fantastic video Mads, and I'm so glad you put it out there again (as have many others over time) that megapixels and a lot of modern camera features etc are NOT going to improve someone's photography. It's almost a crime how all the camera companies -and some highly regarded gear/tech/photographers- make it sound like it matters when in everyday life it just doesn't. As you say, looking at an A1., A2 or A3 print taken with the majority of modern day cameras you wouldn't even see a difference, and in reality that's where most prints will end; not on a street billboard as many would like lol. Then once again of course, you brought the truth of the matter home to roost: it's what you choose to photograph that makes a good photo, not the camera you're using. Love ya vids mate, even from way down here in Australia. Keep on keeping it real 👍
your a lucky man having the new Sony i am using the Sony A9 and one day will own the A7R V in the mean time if your not useing your A7R iii well i would give it a very good home 😬
Great comprehensive review! I’d love it for handholding! I went to the coast recently and forgot my release plate 🙈 but managed to get down to 1/3 so I’m hoping that they bring out a mkv but without the R 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻the focus stacking also looks so good for handholding too? I am too puny for heaving about tripods usually 🤣
You just convinced to upgrade from my old trusty A7riii, I didn’t notice before you actually got the PZ16-35G I really wonder how it works on that 61mp as I got it when it came out last year.
Hey Mads, nice Video of getting the a7rv - I still have a problem in using the A7iv with sigma 16-28 mm , when I still make some photos, standing on a mountain, down to a big city e.g. skyline. Mostly I don't get the skyline as sharp as it should be. There exists a lot of reason why this happened to me, but I excluded the most common reasons. What I cannot prove is to get higher resolution to fix this . Maybe you can help me in this issue, before buying the a7r v ? I appreciate to hear from you soon. Thx in advance, Peter from Germany
Really nice review, Mads. Let me make a few quick comments, many of which actually support what you say. First, even with the early film DSLRs of the 1960's, it was the lenses that determined picture quality, not the camera body. Real sharpness is mostly determined by the lenses and their control of chromatic aberration. Dynamic range is strongly dependent on lens flare and chromatic aberration. Color accuracy is degraded by flare and color texture is degraded by chromatic aberration. It doesn't matter how sharp your lens is if it is not focussed where you want it. That's more in the camera body, but the focussing motors inside the lens matter too. As far as pixel shift, what happens if the tripod is being shaken by a breeze? Can you do it if you are in the North and the ground is boggy? IF, pixel shift works at all, why not take a stack of identical normal images and combine them? That's the way astrophotographers take pictures of planets. Since noise goes down by sqrt(n), a stack of four will give you one less stop of thermal noise. If you have your lens on manual focus and are using the electronic shutter then there is very little in the camera itself to generate vibration.
Hi Peter! Thanx for you efforts you put into this video. My I ask if you can give us the purchase link for the hotshoe cover you have placed on the 7RV. Best regards Paul
Hi Mads, after the announcement of the Z6iii the wait for a replacement for my Z7ii is a no go as it will be the same body as the new Z6iii which will be too heavy for me 750g for just the body. I will therefore be moving Sony. The other reason for the move is Sony's lenses. I now shoot more with primes. Nikon just don't have stubby S line lenses. The question for you is I have read about is the drop in resolution on half press of the shutter or back button focus. Have you experienced this issue ? or is it caused by the anti flicker which needs to turnes off ? Thank you for all you do for us all.
I personally am not a fan of using the delicate shutter blades to catch dust and particles. If there is something to protect on a camera its the shutter mechanism. The Sensor is already well protected by a layer of glass and with its self cleaning and a little blower its easy to keep clean. I think the rV is one of those cameras that will still be very good in 10 years if there is no huge revolution in photo tech and thats why i bought it. more than enough mp, high res evf, great ergonomics and handling. 26mp in apsc mode is also a very nice to have
Hi Mads, not sure if anyone else mentioned this in the comments yet, but the Nikon BS-2 hot shoe cover, from the D3 I believe, provides MUCH better protection than the BS-3... I have it on my A7RIII, and it fits that camera, and your new R5, like a glove; gives better protection along the sides and rear. Check it out!
Just brought the a7rv. Get it in about a week. Is it possible to focus stack handheld? Also thoughts on Sony color science, know they've been knocked in past for colors compared to Canon?
If you hold it still enough yes, I think you can. Regarding colours there has never been an issue for me. You can do a much bigger difference yourself in editing than what the scientists and do in the lab ;)
I am glad that you asked. I have the A7IRV, I came from Nikon, a brand that I was very comfortable with, and I regret having changed to Sony. It is not brand loyalty I don’t give a rat’s ass but I did not adapt to the Sony cameras. Mind you the quality nowadays is excellent in all cameras but I need one camera that I have fun photographing with. So that is why I can say that the A7RV is not a camera for me, despite being an excellent product.
I forgot to mention that I bought this camera with my own hard earned money, also be careful of scammers in the comments who pretend to be me. I'm not hosting give-aways or asking you to contact me. A real comment / answer from me has a grayed out profile name just like this comment ;)
Sadly, I got caught by the scammer in November. He did a good job of researching you so was able to convince me he was you. Luckily, you posted a warning before he got much money from me.
That is an important point, a lot of RUclipsrs are not disclosing conflicts of interest which would be unethical.
Hi there! I've been following you for a couple years now. Another photographer friend recommended your channel. I must say that I enjoy all of your videos and have learned a lot from them, but this is my favorite of all. It's so nice to find others who don't engage the tribalism across the brands -- thank you! I shoot with a crop sensor Nikon and Canon, and love them both. I am sure that I will try a Sony camera in the future.
About focus stacking, could the settings or support for Lens breating compensation affect what lenses work ?
Just an idéa, I'm with A7II 😏
@@RiceCake-ep9gu There is always something missing or to complain about :) :) :) But the 7RV has 4 different aspect ratios 3:2, 4:3 1:1 and 16:9 . If you really need 4:5 for any reason ( I have no clue why I should use it) 4:5 simply do i in the post processing as there is for shure much more room to cropp than on the Fuji (except the GX series). So if you need the 4:5 out of the camera just use the Fuji :)
So pleased you said at the end that this camera has not improved your camera but has helped with the functionalities.
If you bake a perfect cake, it's not the oven that has made your cake amazing. It's your ingredients and how you put the cake together. You need to know your oven to perfectly cook it. Your camera is the same, you are the one creating the composition and using the light. Knowing the capabilities of your camera and your post processing software helps you to cook your photo ☺️
I’m so happy you made this video. I actually upgraded from the A7RIV to the A7V for 2 reasons Mads: 1)The built in focus bracketing and 2)The tilt screen. I have bad knees and to get a vertical landscape when your low on the ground is now possible with ease. At least for myself.
Id buy the Sony A7RIV in a heartbeat if it had focus bracketing... I just cant justify the price gap between the two for that functionnality when you have high res. Nikon like the D850 or the Z7II who has it and cost around the gap between the two sony... its a shame really because id love that extra resolution :(
I actually think that a lot of people will greatly appreciate the ability to have medium sized raw images. And maybe even more so the APS-C mode with 26 MP as well.
Yeah I use it all the time for more basic real estate work or when im just doing casual street photography. + better now light performance when in 25MP mode
@@Gloomwithaview The r5 is a fantastic camera and it's actually 26 MP, I think. The r5 is the camera that the r4 should've been but isn't. For my style of shooting at least, the r4's shortcomings are a pain in the ass and makes the process not enjoyable. But as I said, it's just me and if you shoot only landscape from a tripod or in studio, for example, you might not bother at all.
This is one of your best videos. I love the way you explain reality of gear vs need. For me it's just tools to capture and create my vision. Brand names mean almost zero to me. I use whatever gets the job done. So well said! ♥
I love my little Olympus kit and have no intentions of changing, but I found your review so interesting. For a gear review - this was very informative. I liked your ending - at the end of the day, the camera is just a tool in the photographers hands 😊
I like a consistency with photo gear reviews - I do smile when I see videos from other RUclipsrs like "Why I will never shoot full frame" followed by "This is my new full frame camera" 😂
I changed from Nikon to Olympus just because of dust in the sensor… with Olympus/ OM you NEVER need to clean the sensor! I worked with Sony for many years, but some small things make me tired to use it. The usability was not for me. From menu, battery life, dust in sensor everyday, ergonomics… it was not for me. But I think that today would be another story and I’m happy you found the best camera for you. For my use I love the fact that the OM Cameras are COMPLETELY weather sealed and robust! For travel, landscape, wildlife, street and macro the em1iii and OM1 are the perfect Cameras for my use. I love your videos and pictures! Thank you!
Great gear video from a non-gear-head! Seriously, you mailed the state of the art for photographers. We're at the point that all serious camera brands are producing superb image quality and great feature-rich gear. For those of us who have invested in a system, we probably never need to switch again. For those who haven't yet collected a lot of expensive lenses, choose a system, not a camera!
Nice to finally see a review on the A7RV from perspective of a landscape photographer - thanks Mads! For me, this was a worthwhile upgrade over my previous A7RIV, mainly in terms of usability. By far, as a landscape and architectural photographer, the flip-out screen upgrade is huge. I previously paired the A7C with my A7RIV just to get that (and smaller raw file) features available to me. I sold both and bought the A7RV for the same cost. Aside from that, the focus bracketing, bulb mode and small raw file features really help with usability as well. I hated wasting time with remotes for bulb mode, which didn't always work. I occasionally shoot bokeh panoramas, which combines 50-60 files in post, so having the smaller files really helps (the other reason I don't need the A7C now with the A7RV). With a regular day job and family, I don't have a lot of spare time for photography, so I want the most efficient tool with me, and the A7RV finally delivered.
Hi Mads, Great video!
As you mentioned about Tamron 50-400. I replaced Tamron 28-200 with 50-400 mm. I'm really enyoying my combo Tamron 50-400 and Tamron 20-40 mm, which cover most of what I need.
Great video as usual. You hit the nail on the head with “no one will be able to tell what camera took the photo”. These days all cameras are great. You chose what suits you, and that’s all that matters. It’s great to have choices, unless you’re a troll, then you just hate everything that’s not yours 😂 Well done 👌🏼
TX very Mads. You really inform on the pros and cons without going overboard on personal preferences. The a7R5 sounds very attractive, even with some worts.
Been shooting with my A7R3 for years with no complaints. Am planning on upgrading to the A7R5 soon. Less so for landscape applicable improvement than for the increased versatility through things like the improved auto-focus. That said I will certainly enjoy and utilize the heck out of the focus bracketing to speed workflow and yes the articulating screen will cut down on the contortions. Thanks for the perspective.
Thank you so much for your comments on this camera. Your thoughts as a landscape photographer on the A7RV makes such a difference in helping educate others and myself on the features and benefits of an upgrade.. Thanks again for your dedication and incredible abilities as an educator..
My R5 has some of the features you liked on the a7R5, like protecting the sensor, but not all of them. I am 60% landscape, 30% birds/wildlife, 10% "other." Glad to see you happy with your upgrade. Looking forward to seeing you in action with it.
Well done video. I like that you mentioned that one brand is not necessarily better at the end of the day. Some people certainly will argue that their brand is better than everything else. There’s so much more that goes into a photo. Congratulations on your camera though, looks amazing.
I have been shooting with the A7RlV with the 200-600mm lens for close to two years now as my primary wildlife camera. The 61 mp gives me the ability to crop in a lot closer making a photo within a photo possible. I could not be happier with the results. I am sure you will be happy with the A7R5 and wish the A7RiV had the articulating screen for vertical compositions. But that is what happens after you purchase a new camera. I also use the 20mm f1.8 for the Milky Way and could not be happier with the results.
Great honest review ! The end make me smile as well !
So pleased you are happy with your new tool.
thank you that was an excellent video
I love my a7R5 much as I loved my a7R4 - not because I can make huge prints but because I can crop in so much. But there is no doubt for me that the new camera is a huge step up. Auto focus stacking! (especially for macro - wow!); I can get away without a tripod on most of my trips (8 stops of IBIS - woohoo! Personal experience suggests I can get sharp images 2 or so times out of 10 at 1/4 to 1/2 second with focal length
I can definitely see a difference in the background and four Graham with the medium format camera. The level of detail is just something that full frame cameras can get close to but not be in my view. I've been blown away with the Fujifilm medium format cameras for level of detail I'm purely talking about in a landscape sense, you can pick out bees from 50 m away on a flower
Hey Mads! An alternative small rig LBracket is now available that folds into itself however I would personally suggest and recommend you look at the camera orientation collar that is provided by a company called silence corner and the unit is named “Atoll” it absolutely removes the need for a LBracket completely
thanks for the honest video. I'm sure it will help people trying to decide which new camera to buy since there are so many good ones now. most will stick with their existing brand because of the conversion costs. I'm not an evaluator/blogger, but I have in my bag, an A9, A7R4, A1, and A7R5. shot the A1 for a year and loved it. the A7R5 has actually replaced it. it is that good. I shoot wildlife mainly. I have died and gone to heaven!!!
Wish my A7R III had a closed sensor when switching lenses, like the A1 and R V :/ My current workaround is Tamron 50-400. With that lens I luckily don't have to switch lenses that often. The flip screen is a potential back saver when shooting in portrait mode, and I wish my camera had that display too! Sometimes it's a little hard to tell whether a photo is sharp or not by looking at the display on the A7R III. You kind of learn how to interpret what you see, but it's not always super clear. There are so many useful features in the R V!! Congratulations on your purchase!
You said it all in the beginning for just landscapers, so proud someone has said the camera is a tool and your camera is the only one you know about. I buy the books on all my cameras since my A7SM1 you learn way more than RUclips reviews for there are so many genres no one could cover all. As far as bracketing and Steady Shot with the A7RV with the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS I found during a test at sunset I did 5 at +/- 2EV hand held on a walkabout and LR and ON1 Photo RAW blended all images, normally I would do 3 at +/- 2EV but I was doing some work after both camera and lens had been firmware dated 2.02 and 02 and if I told or could show the bokeh balls in between limbs and leaves while getting a image of a Magnolia fruit on a cloudy day even, I mean no one would believe it was not PS or etc. somehow. The newer update to 3.0 has been postponed so what can it do, well experiment to ones heart content!
Great video! Another aspect that you didn't mention, and is probably not a big deal to some but it is to me, is that you can change the color of the focus point. Previously, Sony cameras always had the focus point box as a grey color and depending on what you are shooting, you could never see it that clearly... but now we have the ability to turn it to another color like red so its more visible. I love all the new features especially the rear screen as I am generally not a fan of the fully articulating screen. I also came from an A7III and I use RRS' L-Bracket, which is expensive, but I love it so much and I am impatiently waiting for them to release a new one designed for the A7RV.
SmallRig now has a new L-Bracket for the A7RV. Just noticed it today
Just an fyi, but that was a feature added to the A7RIV and carried over to the A7RV. It's something so simple, but so handy for those of us with questionable eyesight!
@@MegaNardman Ah good to know. I wish I could have done that on my A73.
@@PhilT993 I have been getting facebook ads for their L-Bracket. I don't like how there's a part of it that sticks out on the left side of the plate when it's folded over. I am going to hold out on whatever RRS releases... hopefully not too long for now.
@@joits Agreed. I am not a fan of it's function or look either. I can understand that they want to be able to get the side bracket out of the way easily. I think it would be better if it were easily detachable. Also I think the pinky finger extension is too thin. I really like my old bracket from my A7R3 and am pleased it will fit my future A7RV.
HI MADS, YOU THE ONLY ONE MAKE THE POINT & SHOW THE Sensor dust spot solution !
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT VIDEOS AS ALWAYS,
What's really good now Pete is there is so many good landscape cameras about even going back to a Nikon D8 50 with good glass would be perfect for landscape photography. I even used a Fuji film XT5 for a year and I've recently moved into medium format with the Fujifilm 50 S ii...... Which I feel is the best balance of megapixels but dynamic range as well and there are some quirks as you would be aware with medium format but I just love the files that I'm getting out of this camera now I feel like I can take my Photography to the next level which is really cool, but there are just so many good cameras now I've never been a huge Sony fan even though I think they make fantastic cameras partly due to their menu system which does my head in I think I'd probably figure it out after awhile but it's not something I want to go into but I do think that's a brilliant camera that you have
Congrats on the new camera! I just upgraded to the Canon R5. Looking forward to challenging it this year :)
Thank you for making this video😊 I had the opportunity to use this camera for 4hrs today and loved it. The “floppy” screen is just brilliant! I had a go at focus bracketing….the ones I got right were amazing. I just need to buy the lens and practice!😊
Always interesting to listen to your thoughts and philosophy on landscape photography. 👍🏻
Nice review Mads. One big advantage of the new screen is being able to use a standard L bracket without needing cutouts, since the screen can be pulled away from the body before rotating it. I upgraded from the A7R4 due to the many incremental improvements.
Thank you Mads for this honest review and your personal impressions! As you said at the end it´s you who takes the picture! 😉
Thanks for the hot shoe tip, I was about to ask regarding that. Have a great day Mads!
Great video, thank you. People DO actually use the 26mp files. That's the beauty of this camera for me, and quite a few other people online and in reviews, the fact that unlike most other high mp cameras, you can use 26mp most of the time (more than enough for most situations), but then the 61mp is there on the occasions you do want those high megapixels. In fact that's the main reason (along with the screen, EVF & AI focussing) that I chose the A7R V, and I just don't think I would have picked the A7R V if I was going to be stuck with 61mp for every single picture.
I recently had the opportunity to test the R V myself, since I’m considering switching out my Nikon D850 to mirrorless, but wanted to look further than Nikon Z system only. I really enjoyed the camera and for me it was almost the perfect set up. I love the new menu system, which very much reminds me of Nikon’s and all the new features such as focus bracketing (which I love on my D850) and bulb timer.
However, there were still some issues Sony hasn’t overcome. Menu access is still limited when the camera is emptying its buffer and also the buttons on the camera don’t have build-in lighting, which for me is quite annoying when shooting at night time. Ergonomically the camera also feels a bit ‘smallish’ compared to the Nikon Z7 (first gen) I tested a few years ago. So yeah, very very good, but not perfect yet. I’m definitely still considering this camera though, but I will be testing Nikon’s upcoming Z8 first before I make my final decision.
Last year I was still shooting an A7R4 and A7R3. Since I love my A7R4 and don't like changing lenses, I bought another A7R4. I really didn't see any reason to upgrade to the A7R5. But, around Christmas I realized that I would eventually buy an A7R5, so I bought one when I found one that wasn't full price. I'm anxious to try the focus stacking on it. And it's nice to have better autofocusing, etc. But, honestly, I'll never use a lot of the features it offers. But, it's sort of like software. Sooner or later you'll upgrade to whatever the latest version is.
Mads you are a guru. Brilliant video📷👍🏼
When it first came out I bought the Panasonic GH5. I am not a videographer :) so that was sort of a mistake (but I had aspirations...that never arrived). My real love in architecture, landscape, some street and wildlife. I love the reach the M43 lenses give, but seeing the crop in abilities and the ISO range of this camera leads me to believe the Sony will the better tool for me. First I'm going to the local camera shops to handle the Sony a7R5 with a big lens. I know that will freak me out at first. IF I can get past that, I'll sell the GH5 to some local aspiring videographer for cheap as I just want it to have a good home. Then begin the process of determining the first mandatory lense(s) I will buy. Good video, I like your presentation style and easy to listen to voice. Thanks.
Thanks for a great review of this camera Mads!
I sooo want the fully articulating screen. Tired of twisting my neck to see the screen on my Nikon in portrait mode. BTW, the Thomas Heaton line cracked me up big time.
Great video that told me a lot about the A7R5 and you covered exactly the parts that I was thinking about if I were to update from my 7R3 to the 7R5.
But I also ask the question, do I need automatic focus bracketing? perhaps
Do I need a flip-floppy back screen yes that would be a clear advantage for the type of pictures I shoot.
But is it worth spending so much money? No, not for me, so my A7R3 will have to hang on for a while longer
Really interesting review mate. I recently purchased the A7IV to match my a7siii and had a tough time not going for the RV instead. At the end of the day it's what camera works best for you and why. As you say... you're the one who ends up taking the pictures anyways 👍 p.s. Small Rig is releasing a new adjustable folding L bracket in February of this year for the A7 series. I'll be getting one for the IV for sure. Looks sick. See you Denmark one day brother 🇩🇰⛰️🇩🇰
I love my A7r3 but this is a very tempting proposition. Thanks for the great review!
Love watching your videos, interesting and fun to watch as well as mesmerising.
One question is 33 megapixels sufficient for landscape photography?
I use a7RV for Birds ...it's Awesome!
The biggest best thing about the R5 is the flippy screen?????????????? I have heard that over and over and it's NOT true. The biggest and best thing about the camera is many things, the least of which is the screen on the back. The Auto focus is amazing. The image quality is better than Sony's flagship A1. The aps-c mode is unlike any other camera on the market. Turns a 600mm lens into a 900mm lens, but that's not all it does. Instead of cropping the photo on the sensor, it captures a 61MP raw image and down samples it to 26 MP. This is HUGE, game changing, no other full frame camera on the market does this. Much bigger than the flippy screen. The detail it captures is nothing short of amazing. The sharpness is incredible. Never saw anything like it. To me this and the auto focus are the two absolute best things about this camera. Even The mighty A1 can't touch it in that regard.
H Mads, I really appreciate your feedback on the A7R5. I have been considering upgrading from my A7R3 which have enjoyed since they came out. Still works perfectly. I do more wildlife than landscape, but I do a bit of everything. I appreciate the upgrades that you mentioned. I was very pleased that the SmallRig L-Bracket (like yours) from my camera will fit onto the A7R5. SmallRig has now made a new L-Bracket for the A7R5, where the portrait bracket easily folds down under the landscape part. Main downside I see is that the "pinky finger" extension under the grip looks a lot thinner. I use mostly the Sony 200-600mm lens and enjoy the larger grip for added support. I also very seldom use the ports on the left side of the camera. Thanks again and enjoy your new tool. I am sure you will put it to excellent use!!
I'm coming from the A7RII. I bought that many years ago and one month later the R3 came out. Then when the RIV came out, I got it. It fixed all my complaints about the handling, LCD, etc. My biggest complaint was that the autofocus was not up to snuff for shooting the occasional moving subjects. This looks to be what I need without jumping to the A1.
Meaningful/useful video which confirms my basic approach to photography.
Just an 85 year old enthusiast who likes travel street photography.
My comment: (“Start out with the end in mind.”) Evaluate were you are and where you might want to improve.
In my case for example Bird/Portrait/Enlarged prints/prints in general are for display or professionals. If your interest are in these directions to be on a professional level requires specialized equipment and approach.
I may crop a lot or shoot in low or museum light.
In the end I place my photo’s in a cloud and share on the internet.
I shoot with an original A7 FF (light weight)Sony using my Kit telephoto lens and my favorite F2-28mm FF lens for lower light. “I have an expensive “G” lens FE 4/24-105 that I barley use. Not money well spent)
When your 85 the last thing you need is weight and a bag of equipment to carry around all day. (Tri-pods) included.
Some of the more important information provided in your video was to focus on “interesting content” work on your composition, “shoot a lot” from different angles in different light.
Since I like working in Lightroom and shoot raw my goal is to sort, balance light especially shooting in Noon Day Travel light and low light bringing out the right amount of highlight/shadow detail. (I consider that my personal style not a recommendation)
My only comment about the Sony A7R5 be sure you need or will use all of the cameras features before you spend your money. I’m always temped but don’t pull the trigger. Don’t see the need for photo sharing.
Thanks, Mads! Though 99% of the reason I watch and follow you on RUclips is your wonderful insights on composition it is always useful to hear someone's comments about their camera if I use the same one. I have the a7r5 and have just begun using it and watching videos like this provides some insights on how to best use it. (Such as the Nikon hot shoe cover though to be be honest I never remove the hotshot as I don't shoot video or flash.) I sold my a7r3 a couple months before the a7r5 came out. And I purchased the a1 about a year ago as I needed the speed of AF for shooting youth sports action. The a7r3 just couldn't keep up for that use case. Though it is obvious to me that the a7r5 improvements you outlined will be great for my landscape photography (especially the new monitor and the focus bracketing if I can figure out how it works) I have yet to test it out for the sports shooting I do. Since I am not a pro sports shooter I am hoping that the AF tracking and 10 FPS will be adequate so that I can then sell my A1. But AF tracking for team field sports like football (soccer) is challenging and the teams are not in season where I live right now. So I'll need to wait until I can test it out. Back to the a7r5, I tried the focus bracketing and it didn't seem to work. I don't know if this is user error. So I plan to take it out today and try again. My previous attempt was with the 24-70 GM II. Maybe I will try the 16-35 F4 G today or even the 70-200 GM II. I wish there was a good tutorial on using the focus bracketing capabilities on this camera for shooting landscapes. Mark Galer touched on it a bit but I didn't find it that easy. Oh, and one more thing on the a7r5, the "focus and shoot" use of the touch screen. My a7r3 didn't have that. And the fact that, just as when I push the shutter, it will initiate the self timer mode is awesome. So in lieu of using the focus bracketing function, I can set a 2 sec or 5 sec (with exposure bracketing if I want) then touch the monitor at the 3 or for spots where I want it to focus. As soon as I touch the monitor it focuses on that spot, initiates the time delay then take the shot or bracket. Very easy.
One observation re: pixel shift. A big selling point isn't necessarily the resolution, as you nicely pointed out, but it gets you the absolute best color information if you need it because it negates the inherent problems with demosaicing algorithms needed to process color information from quad Bayer color filters on your sensor. To your point, you definitely don't need it all the time, but people just tend to focus on the resolution and not realize there's a deeper, better reason for it.
Very interesting. I particularly liked the bit about how many pixels you really need to do landscape photography and your run-and-gun approach. I find I'm waiting for ages for the light to be right (especially in the Lake District). I'm not going to buy and A7R5 but I'm expecting aNother manufacturer to come out with something similar.
I will probably soon finally upgrade my a7II to a A7IV.
This one served me well, but the IV just has so many upgrades that will make my life a whole lot easier!
Thank you for your video 👍I own the A7R III and I´m thinking of purchasing it (because of some of the reasons you mentioned in your video).
But since I´m doing also some astrophotography I´m not sure how it behaves in comparison at high ISOs.
LOL, I agree with you about the "CAMERA BRAND WARS". It's the final image/print that counts. I retired in 2016 and treated myself by upgrading from the Canon 5DMk2 to the 5DsR. It was not easy to part with $6000 AU....but I'm glad I did. I can't afford to continue to upgrade, I work with what I have on my tripod. 5DsR/Canon 16-35mm f2.8 + 70-200mm f2.8 & a couple of other zoom lenses. Due to my age related eyesight I also use a 5" external monitor occasionally. For me the skill is to be able to work with the limitations of your camera and get the best RAW file possible. LR & PS have so many tools for post processing now it is very adequate to help me produce a great image I can be proud of. I find it very amusing to have people criticize the 5DsR..... but I love using it. I can capture the images I want. A great review Mads.
I'm using A7RV now and totally loving it, Sony did it again.
Very honest review. And helpful. I too am a landscape photographer but every so often I see birds on my walks and get asked to do photos for websites and events. For me it fills so many gaps in my A7Riii - swivel and tilt mirror, focus bracketing and an AF system that knows the difference between a kingfisher and a leaf 😂 It’s the (almost) perfect camera for outdoor photography imo.
Very good and reasonable video and review 👍 And yes, being a confessed Olympus Fanboy you are fully right: it’s a tool and needs to do the job. And easier is always better for professionals.
For “fun” actually James Popsys is right, but that’s a different aspect.
Keep ‘em coming - thanks much!
Thank you so much for the Nikon BS-3 hot shoe cover tip!
Being able to crop in is a function of the resolution, which, as you correctly state, depends on the lens. If the lens can't resolve the sensor resolution, you are just cropping into blur.
Great Video! Thank you. Curious why you didn't go for the Sony a7iv if megapixels are not of great importance?
Should keep the hot shoe cover on when not in use, the multifunction shoe has several power and signal connections that must stay dry.
Cant wait till June. Really hoping to get a new Camera then. Thanks for the review. I really like the Focus bracketing.
Great video, but missing some comments about the ISO sensitivity compared to the A7R3. Especially since there are lot complains from the users that the A7R5 are very noisy compared to other high megapixel cameras as A7R3, A1 and Cannon R5. Many of the reviews shows max ISO at 800 before it becomes very noisy which is very low for a modern camera.
Thanks Mads for the honest review, always enjoy your videos. I have been using a A7III for the past 4 yrs, thinking of an upgrade, which camera would you recommend value for the bucks?
I very much enjoyed your video. I own the a7rV for just a few months. You say that it doesn't really make much of a difference from the a7rIII. What about focus stacking and the amazingly sharp viewfinder to name just 2 major improvements. Sure you can do manual focus stacking but I think it's a great feature. Somehow, I find that the resolution does seem to make a difference. I am using the same Sony lenses that I used on my a7riii. It just seems to have much more detail. Maybe it's mind over matter. If you don't have a mind, it doesn't matter??
Interesting when you said you wouldn’t recommend much less than 1/10 of a second even at wide-angle focal lengths with the 8 stops IBIS. I’m managing 2 second exposures at 35mm with tack sharp results nearly every time lol just use the self-timer. At 1 second they’re tack sharp every time unless I make a mistake. Try it out you may be surprised 😉
Great review from a landscape photographer perspective.
My hobby is taking photo and most often I take landscape photo. I have been using the A7M3 since 2018/2019. Till now, it is still a camera that can offer me than what I can do with my rather crappy photography skill.
However, since the A7Rv was released, I have been very keen in it due to the most of the feature you mentioned. The higher mega pixel will be a plus for me, but not as important as other feature. The AI auto focus and pixel shift features will be dead last in the rank. Honestly, I also cannot justify why I would need the A7RV, especially for the price I need to pay.
Having said the above, after a couple of months of dilemma, I gave in to my wants rather than my need and ordered the camera yesterday. Hopefully I won't regret this big purchase.
May I know where you ordered the hot shoe protector? It seem like a discontinued item.
Congrats! I look forward to the a7rVII launch driving down the the price 😂. Does your Tamron 28-200 still produce sharp photos on the 61mp sensor?
I have no experience with any Sony cameras from the last decade or so, but the A7RV has been super enticing. I'm a Canon shooter, but have been wanting to get my hands on borrowing even an A7III or older body just to see how they feel in the hand and how ergonomically comfortable to use these cameras are! Ergonomics and button layouts are one of the reasons why I moved to Canon from Nikon back in 2009-2010.
I'm retired on a fixed income, so I can't really afford to upgrade from my Sony a7riii, but it does the job for me. Still a great camera with more than enough MP. But in your case, I perfectly understand..that is your business and job. Glad for you.
Well this is one of the best reviews of th RV. And the reason that I say that is because is that so many of the reviews have not been taken from a landscape photographers viewpoint. I am an A7RIII user and there are certainly some features that are highly attractive ie better LCD and focus stacking. However like Mads has pointed out, I (the photographer) have to make the better photos....the new camera just makes the process a bit easier and more enjoyable.
The shutter protection function appears also in A7iv and I think in A1 but don't use it ! See, the sensor is relatively robust, you can't damage him very easily and some dust on it is not the end of the world. Shutter on the other side is VERY fragile, literally a grain of sand can damage him and repair cost is not small. So don't expose him when you change lenses.
Otherwise great video as always.
Simply superbe vídeo. Honest and real. Bravo!!
This was actually kind of funny, I’ve never seen one of your videos where there’s been this much sarcasm lol and I agree with you it’s just like Car Guy’s. I like all cars and I think every camera maker has good points and bad points. Thanks for the good review.
I recently bought my second hand A7R4 and I love it. I do wonder why some of the A7R5 upgrades can't be made available through firmware updates though. Surely focus stacking is a software thing? But I guess they need to tempt people with the new model...
The A7r3 certainly served you well Mads, so I’ve no doubt you will get the best from your new camera. Has Adobe updated ACR yet to manage the files?
Do we really want a camera though that makes it almost automated to take good photos? Then where is the challenge; the learning; the fun in figuring it out? Thanks but no thanks on that one.
Fantastic video Mads, and I'm so glad you put it out there again (as have many others over time) that megapixels and a lot of modern camera features etc are NOT going to improve someone's photography. It's almost a crime how all the camera companies -and some highly regarded gear/tech/photographers- make it sound like it matters when in everyday life it just doesn't.
As you say, looking at an A1., A2 or A3 print taken with the majority of modern day cameras you wouldn't even see a difference, and in reality that's where most prints will end; not on a street billboard as many would like lol.
Then once again of course, you brought the truth of the matter home to roost: it's what you choose to photograph that makes a good photo, not the camera you're using.
Love ya vids mate, even from way down here in Australia. Keep on keeping it real 👍
your a lucky man having the new Sony i am using the Sony A9 and one day will own the A7R V in the mean time if your not useing your A7R iii well i would give it a very good home 😬
Loving this camera! Whats the hot shoe cover? Link? Def need a new one!
I will be sticking with my Nikon Z7 Mark two camera for now
Great comprehensive review! I’d love it for handholding! I went to the coast recently and forgot my release plate 🙈 but managed to get down to 1/3 so I’m hoping that they bring out a mkv but without the R 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻the focus stacking also looks so good for handholding too? I am too puny for heaving about tripods usually 🤣
Thank you very much für this video! Did you recognize shakes during long time exposure (1-20 sec) with mechanical shutter?
You just convinced to upgrade from my old trusty A7riii, I didn’t notice before you actually got the PZ16-35G I really wonder how it works on that 61mp as I got it when it came out last year.
Loving my A7r5. Really Right Stuff will be releasing a specific L bracket soon to fix access to the inputs.
Hey Mads, nice Video of getting the a7rv - I still have a problem in using the A7iv with sigma 16-28 mm , when I still make some photos, standing on a mountain, down to a big city e.g. skyline. Mostly I don't get the skyline as sharp as it should be. There exists a lot of reason why this happened to me, but I excluded the most common reasons. What I cannot prove is to get higher resolution to fix this . Maybe you can help me in this issue, before buying the a7r v ? I appreciate to hear from you soon. Thx in advance, Peter from Germany
A1 had the closed shutter for changing lenses years ago
I've never owned a Sony camera but the people I know that use them heavy in wet weather gave up on switched back to either Canon or Nikon.
Really nice review, Mads. Let me make a few quick comments, many of which actually support what you say. First, even with the early film DSLRs of the 1960's, it was the lenses that determined picture quality, not the camera body. Real sharpness is mostly determined by the lenses and their control of chromatic aberration. Dynamic range is strongly dependent on lens flare and chromatic aberration. Color accuracy is degraded by flare and color texture is degraded by chromatic aberration. It doesn't matter how sharp your lens is if it is not focussed where you want it. That's more in the camera body, but the focussing motors inside the lens matter too.
As far as pixel shift, what happens if the tripod is being shaken by a breeze? Can you do it if you are in the North and the ground is boggy?
IF, pixel shift works at all, why not take a stack of identical normal images and combine them? That's the way astrophotographers take pictures of planets. Since noise goes down by sqrt(n), a stack of four will give you one less stop of thermal noise. If you have your lens on manual focus and are using the electronic shutter then there is very little in the camera itself to generate vibration.
I'm jealous of the fully articulating screen. I wonder why that isn't done more often - I assume weather sealing.
Hi Peter! Thanx for you efforts you put into this video. My I ask if you can give us the purchase link for the hotshoe cover you have placed on the 7RV. Best regards Paul
It even stacks the images in camera with the focus bracketing?
Hi Mads, after the announcement of the Z6iii the wait for a replacement for my Z7ii is a no go as it will be the same body as the new Z6iii which will be too heavy for me 750g for just the body. I will therefore be moving Sony. The other reason for the move is Sony's lenses. I now shoot more with primes. Nikon just don't have stubby S line lenses. The question for you is I have read about is the drop in resolution on half press of the shutter or back button focus. Have you experienced this issue ? or is it caused by the anti flicker which needs to turnes off ? Thank you for all you do for us all.
Hi, I haven't experienced that, didn't even know it was a thing. Maybe I've been shooting with less resolution for 1,5 years 😅
I personally am not a fan of using the delicate shutter blades to catch dust and particles. If there is something to protect on a camera its the shutter mechanism. The Sensor is already well protected by a layer of glass and with its self cleaning and a little blower its easy to keep clean.
I think the rV is one of those cameras that will still be very good in 10 years if there is no huge revolution in photo tech and thats why i bought it. more than enough mp, high res evf, great ergonomics and handling. 26mp in apsc mode is also a very nice to have
Hi Mads, not sure if anyone else mentioned this in the comments yet, but the Nikon BS-2 hot shoe cover, from the D3 I believe, provides MUCH better protection than the BS-3... I have it on my A7RIII, and it fits that camera, and your new R5, like a glove; gives better protection along the sides and rear. Check it out!
What is the part number you're suggesting?
Sadly the BS-2 is not available anymore, BS-3 is the current one.
Just brought the a7rv. Get it in about a week. Is it possible to focus stack handheld? Also thoughts on Sony color science, know they've been knocked in past for colors compared to Canon?
If you hold it still enough yes, I think you can. Regarding colours there has never been an issue for me. You can do a much bigger difference yourself in editing than what the scientists and do in the lab ;)
I am glad that you asked.
I have the A7IRV, I came from Nikon, a brand that I was very comfortable with, and I regret having changed to Sony. It is not brand loyalty I don’t give a rat’s ass but I did not adapt to the Sony cameras. Mind you the quality nowadays is excellent in all cameras but I need one camera that I have fun photographing with.
So that is why I can say that the A7RV is not a camera for me, despite being an excellent product.