Sony’s new A7R V camera uses a dedicated AI processor to identify and track subjects

Sony is trying to reclaim any technological footing it lost last year to the Nikon Z9 and Canon EOS R3 cameras. While Sony was at the forefront for years with advanced features like real-time autofocus and eye tracking, its competitors have recently made huge strides to catch up. Now, Sony is announcing its new $3,899.99 A7R V camera — set to launch in mid-December — and it’s baking in an AI processing unit for the sole purpose of getting back in the lead of the autofocus rat race.

The A7R V maintains the massive 61 megapixels of the prior A7R IV, but the backside-illuminated full-frame sensor and Bionz XR processor are now paired with a dedicated AI processing unit. These new AI smarts allow the autofocus to detect and distinguish subjects like cars, trains, planes, animals, and insects. Sony isn’t the first camera brand to do subject detection, but it’s claiming the A7R V uses what it calls “human pose estimation” to see 20 different points in the body and anticipate and track where the eye of a human is supposed to be. Sony says its autofocus can do things like accurately focus on the eye of a subject that’s partially obscured or turned in profile, and it should know to keep tracking the same subject even if another person or object crosses in front of them for a moment. 

The A7R V also includes an improved in-body image stabilization system with up to eight stops of compensation, 8K video recording at 24p / 25p with a 1.2x crop, and a redesigned four-axis articulating rear display that can quickly pull out for waist-level shooting and turn for front-facing recording.

While the A7R V’s massive resolution may scare away some folks who aren’t the most vociferous of pixel peepers, Sony is also incorporating a new lossless compressed RAW feature it’s recently rolled out to other models via firmware updates. You can shoot the A7R V in RAW at 61 megapixels, 26 megapixels, or 15 megapixels, and at all resolutions, it can shoot as fast as 10fps while maintaining focus tracking — with a buffer capacity up to 583 frames. And for writing all those images, the A7R V now features dual card slots that take either UHS-II SDXC cards or the faster (and pricier) CFexpressType A.

There’s also a kitchen sink’s worth of other added features to the A7R V, including: 

• A similar 9.44 million-dot electronic viewfinder to the Sony A1, with 0.9x magnification and 120fps refresh rate
• Pixel shift multishot (tripod use only) for compositing 16 shots into one 240.8-megapixel image using AI processing to automatically detect and correct movement between the frames (like people or leaves blowing in the wind)
• A new auto white balance that’s also powered by the AI processing
• A focus stacking function for combining up to 299 images for macro shots with more depth of field
• Sony’s popular S-Cinetone picture profile for a more cinematic video look
• 4K 60p recording at a 1.2x crop or 4K up to 30p recording of the full sensor width
• 16-bit RAW video output to external recorders at up to 4K 60p
• An updated menu with touch support that’s borrowed from the FX30
• Revised dials and controls like last year’s A7 IV
• A new bulb timer that lets you dial in a long exposure of up to 15 minutes
• The same heatsink as the A7S III, allowing no limit 4K recording and up to 30 minutes of 8K capture
• UVC native webcam compatibility if you want to use your $3,900 camera for Zoom (though it can also record to a card while livestreaming, and that’s pretty cool)
• USB-C charging with Power Delivery

You get the picture — Sony threw a lot of tech into this camera, and camera features go brrr.

What the A7R V also does is most likely set the tone for the subsequent models of Alpha cameras, as Sony is often aggressive at trickling out new features across its lines. A 61-megapixel camera may not be for everyone, but the prospect of future A1 II, A9 III, or A7C II cameras potentially infused with AI might all sound pretty appealing to a wide swath of photographers and videographers — even if the menu systems and ergonomics will most likely continue to suck.