Sony a7r VI (Mark 6) - an a1 beater for $2000 less

[Andrew - EOSHD]

To be honest, I really want one. I'll wait for it to come down to 3500 euros used, then I think i'll sell some stuff and pounce on it.

The main weakness of the a7r V and Panasonic S1R II - the slower sensors and rolling shutter, is banished.

The 1.2x crop in 8K isn't ideal though.

Specs:

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a7r-vi-review

[eatstoomuchjam]

It looks like a solid upgrade if you're in the Sony world and want your stills-first camera to have a bit better video.   67 vs 61 mp is 🥱.  Internal video codecs are industry-trailing (H.265/H.264 only).

The standout feature, for me, is 4K DGO video with only a 15ms readout - but if that were the only spec that I wanted, I wouldn't have sold my C70 (and it could do it in raw).  Wish they would have done an 8K DGO - would gladly take 22-28ms readout speeds for the extra DR on scenes without fast movement.

This seems to me like a camera that's designed to throw a bone to Sony shooters who might otherwise be thinking of jumping ship.  It's fine, but not very exciting.  I think Sony sent some spies over to the Canon headquarters to learn the secrets of the 🔨

[MrSMW]

Looks decent and loved my A7RV, but I have nailed my colours to the LUMIX mast for what remains of my career.

But if I did switch, it would be to Nikon.

Or Leica.

Or dammit, maybe even Canon.

Or possibly Sony actually.

The simple reality is they all make good shit these days.

Remaining a Lumix bro, - it does what I need it to do.

[Andrew - EOSHD]

I think it's quite exciting, for someone who skipped the Sony a7r V for video because of the slow sensor and terrible rolling shutter in 8K, I can finally embrace it fully without any silly deal breakers.

It's also going to really help the price of the original a1 drop to sensible amounts. Already the lovely a1 OG is <£2200 on eBay from Japan.

This is highest resolution stacked sensor yet though... 68 vs 50mp, $2000 less than an a1 Mark II, DGO and a new, absolute chonk of a battery, plus new EVF - possibly the best ever on a Sony - and an EOS R5 Mark II price to match. Finally Sony are not deluding themselves that everything high-end they do should be 6 or 7 grand.

Would it be nice if it had real-time LUTs, open gate, anamorphic and raw codec?

Yes, but as an all-rounder it ain't bad is it? I am not in the least interested in 2500Mbit codec file sizes when H.265 looks as good as it does in 2026.

S1R II for me is tempting for open gate and the LUTs, but it's got too many deal-breakers where the Sony hasn't. The mount, for a start.

And the a7r VI autofocus I bet is stunning.

[MrSMW]

8 hours ago, Andrew - EOSHD said:

S1R II for me is tempting for open gate and the LUTs, but it's got too many deal-breakers where the Sony hasn't. The mount, for a start

I envy Sony’s lens line up which being honest, blows away what is available from L Mount.

But that is it.

And I try not to think about it too often.

[Andrew - EOSHD]

For manual focus vintage lens users like me, I just can't get away from that damned Techart adapter which autofocuses your Noctilux.

Really miss it when picking up my Sigma Fp-L.

It's a real shotgetter.

Not Panasonic or Leica's fault of course, lots of nice native Sigma lenses for the system and they can't influence third party adapters much.

[eatstoomuchjam]

20 minutes ago, Andrew - EOSHD said:

For manual focus vintage lens users like me, I just can't get away from that damned Techart adapter which autofocuses your Noctilux.

If Megadap's website/YouTube is to be believed, sometime this month or next, their M mount autofocus adapter (M2RF) will be released this month sometime.  🤞

[Andrew - EOSHD]

Praise be to the gods... Megadap don't make stuff for L-mount (so far) but maybe they'll surprise all 3 users at once.

[BTM_Pix]

Amazing spec really.

Looks like it could be my forever camera….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[eatstoomuchjam]

1 hour ago, Andrew - EOSHD said:

Praise be to the gods... Megadap don't make stuff for L-mount (so far) but maybe they'll surprise all 3 users at once.

As of now, RF mount is the only one they're promising, but who knows after that?  I'll just need to grab one quick before Canon's lawyers get to them.  😅

[BTM_Pix]

It’s the Frank Sinatra of camera review retirements then.

 

[mercer]

Do vintage lenses even resolve enough for 8K?

[eatstoomuchjam]

1 hour ago, mercer said:

Do vintage lenses even resolve enough for 8K?

This sort of question comes up often in a photo context on GFX forums and the most correct/accepted answer to it is "it doesn't matter."

And any discussion of that sort of thing is going to quickly devolve into arguments about how bayer sensors work (hint: 4K from a bayer sensor isn't 4K of actual information and is actually closer to 1.5K-3.5K, depending on who you ask).

But the short answer is "that depends on the lens, but some do for sure, some do near the center and not at the edges, and some definitely do not."

[mercer]

22 minutes ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

This sort of question comes up often in a photo context on GFX forums and the most correct/accepted answer to it is "it doesn't matter."

And any discussion of that sort of thing is going to quickly devolve into arguments about how bayer sensors work (hint: 4K from a bayer sensor isn't 4K of actual information and is actually closer to 1.5K-3.5K, depending on who you ask).

But the short answer is "that depends on the lens, but some do for sure, some do near the center and not at the edges, and some definitely do not."

I'm still a weirdo because I just bought a Yashica ML 50mm 1.7 hoping it will give me 80% of the micro contrast Zeiss offers in their 1.7 50 for 80% less but the catch is I want to use it to shoot 1920x818 on my 5D3. So the idea of shooting 8K sounds so alien to me. Of course, I am liking the 5.7K on my GH6... go figure.