pjmsj21 wrote:
Dan, what is it that prompted you to make the change now with the A7RVI vs the 7RV?
Pat
Answering that is a bit complex, but I’ll try.
First, my 5DsR was (and is) still working great for my landscape photography, so I”ve been in no particular hurry to move to somethng else. (I can hear the folks about to tell me how much better the newer gear is and they are technically right, but the improvements were’t particularly relevant to how I used that camera.) I’ve used the 5DsR since it was release something like a decade ago, nad it has served me very well. At this point, operating it is a truly intuitive process.
But I’ve been pondering a move to a more contemporary system for some time. I’d rather not rush into such decisions, and there was no need to. I carefully considered the Fujifilm GFX system which two of my photographic colleagues use. It would be ideal for some of my work, but there are some bumps in the road — I strongly prefer to use zoom lenses for my landscape work and the longest Fujifilm makes is 200mm. I could adapt my Canon EF 100–400, but that has its own set of issues. (If Fujiflm had a 200-400 or 200-500 for the GFX, I likely would have bought it a year or two ago, but alas.)
I have been happy with Canon, and in the past my instinct would have been to simply update to a newer Canon body and continue using my familiar and trustworthy lenses. However, the introduction of the RF lenses for the R mount mooted that option. I could used adapters, but I’m not a fan of that except in a few special cases. I have also been less than pleased that Canon reduced the resolution of their highest MP camera from 50MP to 45MP. That’s not a big difference, but it a step backwards when Sony was offering a third more MP and now a bit more than that.
And becasue of the move to Canon’s R system (which I think is excellent for a lot of people), I no longer had the option, realistically, of just keeping the old lenses and upgrading the body — meaning that upgrading Canon would likely cost in the same neighborhood as moving to Sony or Fujifilm GFX. With that in mind it seemed like a good time to look more broadly at all of my options.
If I had been in a hurry to upgrade RIGHT NOW I likely would have gone with the A7r5… but I wan’t, and it seemed likely that I could wait for the next generation of this series, hence the A7rVI.
Now, just a few boxes need to be checked before I make a purchase:
- absolute certainty that this is the way I will go. (I’m essentially there)
- determining the set of lenses that well meet my needs. (I’ll likely adapt by 16-35 and 100mm macros, but other coverage will be with Sony.)
- making sure that all of the auxiliary tools Ineed are available — thinks like L-brackets, etc.
I have the A1 and have loved the camera from its launch but I’m really interested in this camera.
I love high megapixels and I really want a fresh new camera and the new features but I’m worried about the AF not being as good.
Most of the comparisons are with the A1ii so I can’t make my mind up.
I shoot everything but mainly birds and I will soon shoot dogs professionally .
This is such a great place to asked for advice so would really appreciate people thoughts on my predicament please
doc4x5 wrote:
I just watched Mark Galer's review and it's quite extensive. I'm interested in his Camsets and am willing to pay for his Patreon. When I got my A7RV it took me forever to get it set up properly and I'm a simple landscape shooter.
Does anyone know if a camset from my A7RV can be transferred to an A7RVI to get me started with my new A7RVI?
And, by the way, my Kirk L-bracket from the A7RV works fine on the A7RVI.
$10 and ten minutes and Mark has you setup. Then you slowly tweak everything. I’m guessing that $10 here and there is a small price to pay considering what you paid for the camera.
Screenbyte wrote:
I have the A1 and have loved the camera from its launch but I’m really interested in this camera.
I love high megapixels and I really want a fresh new camera and the new features but I’m worried about the AF not being as good.
Most of the comparisons are with the A1ii so I can’t make my mind up.
I shoot everything but mainly birds and I will soon shoot dogs professionally .
This is such a great place to asked for advice so would really appreciate people thoughts on my predicament please
I'm in the same boat as you but I can't find enough of a compelling reason to upgrade to either the A1 II or A7RVI. If I felt that I actually needed to upgrade, I would probably still lean towards the A1 II if I could get a nice price break. The sensor faster read speed WILL make a difference if your goal is to shoot birds that have fast wing beats. You will see some rolling shutter distortion on fast moving subjects with the A7RVI before you will see it on either model of the A1.
I see the A7RVI as a landscape camera that happens to shoot wildlife.
I see the A1 or A1II as a wildlife camera that happens to shoot landscapes.
Of course if you use the manual shutter, rolling shutter won't be an issue but be prepared to shoot at 10 fps.
AJay wrote:
I'm in the same boat as you but I can't find enough of a compelling reason to upgrade to either the A1 II or A7RVI. If I felt that I actually needed to upgrade, I would probably still lean towards the A1 II if I could get a nice price break. The sensor faster read speed WILL make a difference if your goal is to shoot birds that have fast wing beats. You will see some rolling shutter distortion on fast moving subjects with the A7RVI before you will see it on either model of the A1.
I see the A7RVI as a landscape camera that happens to shoot wildlife.
I see the A1 or A1II as a wildlife camera that happens to shoot landscapes.
Of course if you use the manual shutter, rolling shutter won't be an issue but be prepared to shoot at 10 fps....Show more →
Well, after considering both an A1 II and a A7RVI upgrade. I chose the A1II since I found a mint used version here.
I owned both an A1 and A7RV and I decided I wanted another wildlife camera and for now will keep the A7RV for landscape.
Screenbyte wrote:
I have the A1 and have loved the camera from its launch but I’m really interested in this camera.
I love high megapixels and I really want a fresh new camera and the new features but I’m worried about the AF not being as good.
Most of the comparisons are with the A1ii so I can’t make my mind up.
I shoot everything but mainly birds and I will soon shoot dogs professionally .
This is such a great place to asked for advice so would really appreciate people thoughts on my predicament please
The A1 is always going to be better for action.
I will replace my A1ii and A7r5 with an A7r6 but only because I mainly use an A9iii and the A7r5 - the A1ii get little use and 3 cameras is just a hassle.
If I never had the A9iii I would definitely stick with either an A1 or A1ii.
The A7r6 has some 'cute' new features - but nothing that is going to replace the A1 for action.
I think you have ZERO chance of getting this kind of focus accuracy with the A7R6 - never mind the rolling shutter distortion you will likely find on the wings of these small fast birds.
This is a 12k composite so download and view on a 5K or 6K screen - and water in the background not blue sky!
The a7r was terrible with adapted longer lenses. All the images from the 100-400 II were so shaky it was ridiculous. Something about the sensor and camera design was flimsy so it vibrated terribly. You also needed like 5 of those puny batteries for a long day.
I don't know if you use tilt-shift, long macros, or some teles not available for Sony. The SOny 24-105/4 is not all that great. I was hoping for a new 100-400/5.6, but not yet. I'm sure you can find plenty of short primes if that's what you use. I mostly pan-stitch in the desert southwest, so rarely moving water to contend with. The 45MP is so fast at that it's easy to get multi-row 500-1000MP without concern over the individual frame size. However, 67MP might be enough for some purposes like water.
I have to use the a7rVI more to decide to buy any new Sony lenses. If Nikon had that same 67MP sensor I'd be fully going back to Nikon. I have often used two systems, but three is too much.
You should have tried the Sigma 150-600 C adapted on the A7RIII, I think the one time I tried it I got about a 1% keeper rate.
However, my Canon 500 f/4L II did a lot better, but A7RIII was still poor compared to the A9. However, my 135 f/2L worked a treat on. the A7RIII as did most of my WA and short telephoto lenses including 70-200 f/2.8L IS II.
As an A1 shooter I'm weighing up whether to swap it for an A7RVI or wait for second hand A1II's to drop further in price. It would be hard to give up the much faster sensor, but A7RVI does offer compelling improvements over the A1. I'm still peeved Sony didn't offer pre-capture on the A1 and if it did have that feature I would keep it until the A1III came out. A7RVI having pre-capture, a much better VF that does not drop in resolution when using AF-C, 33% more MP, improved AF and more subject detection modes, plus as someone that also shoots landscape, the extra DR in mechanical shutter is welcome.
I may get the 100-400 f/4.5 first and look at the camera's around the Black Friday sales. By then we'll have a ton of feedback from people shooting action that no doubt also own A1/A1II.
I don't know the A1. 50MP just never seemed enough better than 45MP of Canon or Nikon, and I have the 5DsR since the first week. I have a ton of (mostly EF) Canon lenses, two different 500/4s, five 100-400s, four 24-70s, three 300s, two 400s, two tilt-shift, four 70-200s, four 16-35s, maybe a half-dozen one-offs, and three RFs. The 100-500 and 500/4 IS II are the most used for the species. I'm not yet convinced the a7rVI will focus better than the R5 II on the flying BIFs.
I don't know what to do about the 100-400/4.5. It's neither fish nor fowl, too short to be be my large lens and too slow to use with a TC. IQ is questionable with the TC compared to a good copy of the 200-600. I suppose some would pair the new 100-400 with a 600/4, but that's too much for my old body in many places now.
I saw the cost of the A1 II and really thought twice, so waited for the a7rVI. I haven't taken it out of the box yet. Just thinking about setting it up is making me nauseous. I don't have an a7rV now to copy settings from.
EB-1 wrote:
I don't know the A1. 50MP just never seemed enough better than 45MP of Canon or Nikon, and I have the 5DsR since the first week. I have a ton of (mostly EF) Canon lenses, two different 500/4s, five 100-400s, four 24-70s, three 300s, two 400s, two tilt-shift, four 70-200s, four 16-35s, maybe a half-dozen one-offs, and three RFs. The 100-500 and 500/4 IS II are the most used for the species. I'm not yet convinced the a7rVI will focus better than the R5 II on the flying BIFs.
I don't know what to do about the 100-400/4.5. It's neither fish nor fowl, too short to be be my large lens and too slow to use with a TC. IQ is questionable with the TC compared to a good copy of the 200-600. I suppose some would pair the new 100-400 with a 600/4, but that's too much for my old body in many places now.
I saw the cost of the A1 II and really thought twice, so waited for the a7rVI. I haven't taken it out of the box yet. Just thinking about setting it up is making me nauseous. I don't have an a7rV now to copy settings from.
So far it seems for tracking BIF Sony is king, but for initial acquisition of smaller subjects in bush etc, Sony still trails. You can improve that by using a smaller AF area to lock onto the bird and switch to a larger one. I map two buttons one with a smaller AF area and one with a much larger AF area. I doubt I'd swap an R5II either though, but I do hate Canon's lens line-up.
Watch Mark Galer's set-up guide or pay for Jan Wegner's guide that just dropped. Galer will cover all aspects of shooting, while Jan's will focus on action as he just shoots birds.
Thank you for the reply.
I’ve watched and read just about every review out there and it seems this new camera tracks birds really well one locked on.
Thanks again
gdanmitchell wrote:
Answering that is a bit complex, but I’ll try.
First, my 5DsR was (and is) still working great for my landscape photography, so I”ve been in no particular hurry to move to somethng else. (I can hear the folks about to tell me how much better the newer gear is and they are technically right, but the improvements were’t particularly relevant to how I used that camera.) I’ve used the 5DsR since it was release something like a decade ago, nad it has served me very well. At this point, operating it is a truly intuitive process.
But I’ve been pondering a move to a more contemporary system for some time. I’d rather not rush into such decisions, and there was no need to. I carefully considered the Fujifilm GFX system which two of my photographic colleagues use. It would be ideal for some of my work, but there are some bumps in the road — I strongly prefer to use zoom lenses for my landscape work and the longest Fujifilm makes is 200mm. I could adapt my Canon EF 100–400, but that has its own set of issues. (If Fujiflm had a 200-400 or 200-500 for the GFX, I likely would have bought it a year or two ago, but alas.)
I have been happy with Canon, and in the past my instinct would have been to simply update to a newer Canon body and continue using my familiar and trustworthy lenses. However, the introduction of the RF lenses for the R mount mooted that option. I could used adapters, but I’m not a fan of that except in a few special cases. I have also been less than pleased that Canon reduced the resolution of their highest MP camera from 50MP to 45MP. That’s not a big difference, but it a step backwards when Sony was offering a third more MP and now a bit more than that.
And becasue of the move to Canon’s R system (which I think is excellent for a lot of people), I no longer had the option, realistically, of just keeping the old lenses and upgrading the body — meaning that upgrading Canon would likely cost in the same neighborhood as moving to Sony or Fujifilm GFX. With that in mind it seemed like a good time to look more broadly at all of my options.
If I had been in a hurry to upgrade RIGHT NOW I likely would have gone with the A7r5… but I wan’t, and it seemed likely that I could wait for the next generation of this series, hence the A7rVI.
Now, just a few boxes need to be checked before I make a purchase:
- absolute certainty that this is the way I will go. (I’m essentially there)
- determining the set of lenses that well meet my needs. (I’ll likely adapt by 16-35 and 100mm macros, but other coverage will be with Sony.)
- making sure that all of the auxiliary tools Ineed are available — thinks like L-brackets, etc.
pjmsj2 beat me to the punch - I was going to ask you the same question. Your reasoning for choosing Sony over RF and GFX makes perfect sense. I'm still wondering though what's prompting the upgrade. You said you've been pondering a move to a more contemporary system. Can you describe why?
EB-1 wrote:
I don't know the A1. 50MP just never seemed enough better than 45MP of Canon or Nikon, and I have the 5DsR since the first week. I have a ton of (mostly EF) Canon lenses, two different 500/4s, five 100-400s, four 24-70s, three 300s, two 400s, two tilt-shift, four 70-200s, four 16-35s, maybe a half-dozen one-offs, and three RFs. The 100-500 and 500/4 IS II are the most used for the species. I'm not yet convinced the a7rVI will focus better than the R5 II on the flying BIFs.
I don't know what to do about the 100-400/4.5. It's neither fish nor fowl, too short to be be my large lens and too slow to use with a TC. IQ is questionable with the TC compared to a good copy of the 200-600. I suppose some would pair the new 100-400 with a 600/4, but that's too much for my old body in many places now.
I saw the cost of the A1 II and really thought twice, so waited for the a7rVI. I haven't taken it out of the box yet. Just thinking about setting it up is making me nauseous. I don't have an a7rV now to copy settings from.
snapsy wrote:
pjmsj2 beat me to the punch - I was going to ask you the same question. Your reasoning for choosing Sony over RF and GFX makes perfect sense. I'm still wondering though what's prompting the upgrade. You said you've been pondering a move to a more contemporary system. Can you describe why?
A few things:
My 5DsR system really is quite good for landscape photography, but the camera is now over a decade (11 years) old and has been used heavily, including jammed into backpacks for backcountry travel on foot and by mule. At some point a system — like a car with a few hundred thousand miles on it — starts to be more prone to potential problems.
I mentioned that I photograph things other than landscapes. I have a different system entirely for my street and travel photography, but I use the Canon system for bird photography, largely winter migratory birds on the West Coast. I don’t believe that I “need” 30fps to photograph birds, and I’ve gotten some good stuff with the 5DsR… but both it’s AF system and its burst mode rate (only 5fps) lag enough that the improvements there will be useful to me.
There are other factors that come into play when you compare current camera technology to that of a decade ago — the improved rear screen performance and the EVF display, the somewhat smaller and lighter body size, etc. And I”m no longer confident that Canon is going to truly compete on high MP systems going forward.
I’m definitely not one of those people who feels he has to upgrade every time a new model comes out. I tend to consider such changes carefully and to not make them very often, especially when they involve learning a new interface. But I think it is time…
mogul wrote:
This switch seems too painful for you. I would suggest sticking with Canon and keeping the belief that Sony is inferior.
The only switching is from the a7rV (used since 2023) to the a7rVI. The VI is a very minimalist change physically, but I need to find a few hours of free time this weekend to configure the controls. Right now software is the largest challenge.
I may use more of the Canon lenses adapted or I may add a Sony lens or two. That has nothing to do with the Canon lenses on RF bodies. For over 30 years I often have more than one brand of gear in the bag, such as Nikon and Fuji, Nikon and Contax, Nikon and Canon, Canon and Mamiya, Canon and SOny, it's all fine.
My remaining two projects in 2026 will definitely have Canon and Sony bodies and lenses used together.
I know this thread is all messed up because it is about the new a7rVI and mixed with people that are thinking about buying one vs. people that have one. Sorry if I'm further muddying the waters.
The bottom line is that so far I am quite liking the new camera compared to the a7rV.
gdanmitchell wrote:
My 5DsR system really is quite good for landscape photography, but the camera is now over a decade (11 years) old and has been used heavily, including jammed into backpacks for backcountry travel on foot and by mule. At some point a system — like a car with a few hundred thousand miles on it — starts to be more prone to potential problems.
I mentioned that I photograph things other than landscapes. I have a different system entirely for my street and travel photography, but I use the Canon system for bird photography, largely winter migratory birds on the West Coast. I don’t believe that I “need” 30fps to photograph birds, and I’ve gotten some good stuff with the 5DsR… but both it’s AF system and its burst mode rate (only 5fps) lag enough that the improvements there will be useful to me.
There are other factors that come into play when you compare current camera technology to that of a decade ago — the improved rear screen performance and the EVF display, the somewhat smaller and lighter body size, etc. And I”m no longer confident that Canon is going to truly compete on high MP systems going forward.
I’m definitely not one of those people who feels he has to upgrade every time a new model comes out. I tend to consider such changes carefully and to not make them very often, especially when they involve learning a new interface. But I think it is time…...Show more →
You should stop overanalyzing and just rent the a7rVI, a few Sony E lenses, and a Sigmoid MC11 adapter for a weekend. Just DO IT and then decide.
EBH
Jun 06, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
My 5DsR system really is quite good for landscape photography, but the camera is now over a decade (11 years) old and has been used heavily, including jammed into backpacks for backcountry travel on foot and by mule. At some point a system — like a car with a few hundred thousand miles on it — starts to be more prone to potential problems.
I mentioned that I photograph things other than landscapes. I have a different system entirely for my street and travel photography, but I use the Canon system for bird photography, largely winter migratory birds on the West Coast. I don’t believe that I “need” 30fps to photograph birds, and I’ve gotten some good stuff with the 5DsR… but both it’s AF system and its burst mode rate (only 5fps) lag enough that the improvements there will be useful to me.
There are other factors that come into play when you compare current camera technology to that of a decade ago — the improved rear screen performance and the EVF display, the somewhat smaller and lighter body size, etc. And I”m no longer confident that Canon is going to truly compete on high MP systems going forward.
I’m definitely not one of those people who feels he has to upgrade every time a new model comes out. I tend to consider such changes carefully and to not make them very often, especially when they involve learning a new interface. But I think it is time…...Show more →
I will offer some unsolicited advice. I apologize if you don't want to hear my take. I am guessing that both Canon and Nikon will come out with a high MP camera in the next year or so. I think Canon will make an R5s with 61 MP (based on their 24 MP APS-C sensor - they could just use the same pixels but make the bigger sized sensor and it would be 61 MP) or more likely with 83 MP (based on their 32.5 MP APS-C sensor). Canon was late to the mirrorless party and had a lot of catching up to do (they still have a bit to do too) and they haven't gotten around to a high MP camera, but any one could guess that the Sony A7r VI was going to have a new sensor, so waiting to see what that sensor was would make sense for Canon to let them decide how to compete. They have likely known for some time what it would be and I am guessing they are already designing and will release in the next year or so an R5s. You might want to consider waiting to see if that is a camera that might be worth staying with Canon for. I think their RF lens lineup would suit your needs well and you EF lenses would work well with RF cameras, at least as well as they do now.
By the way, you will likely have to wait a few months anyway to get the accessories, like an L bracket, so you might want to consider waiting just a few more months to see what Canon (and perhaps Nikon) produce.
For Nikon shooters, I expect now that Sony has released the A7r VI they will let Nikon use the sensor or a similar one to make an Z7 III, which should have been built a couple of years ago. It likely will have similar capabilities to this new Sony A7r VI.
So, I think the good news for the industry is that this new Sony camera will likely lead to Canon and NIkon (and probably Panasonic as well) developing cameras to compete with it.
Steve Spencer wrote:
So, I think the good news for the industry is that this new Sony camera will likely lead to Canon and NIkon (and probably Panasonic as well) developing cameras to compete with it.
It should drive higher resolution sensors for sure.
Steve Spencer wrote:
I will offer some unsolicited advice. I apologize if you don't want to hear my take. I am guessing that both Canon and Nikon will come out with a high MP camera in the next year or so. I think Canon will make an R5s with 61 MP (based on their 24 MP APS-C sensor - they could just use the same pixels but make the bigger sized sensor and it would be 61 MP) or more likely with 83 MP (based on their 32.5 MP APS-C sensor). Canon was late to the mirrorless party and had a lot of catching up to do (they still have a bit to do too) and they haven't gotten around to a high MP camera, but any one could guess that the Sony A7r VI was going to have a new sensor, so waiting to see what that sensor was would make sense for Canon to let them decide how to compete. They have likely known for some time what it would be and I am guessing they are already designing and will release in the next year or so an R5s. You might want to consider waiting to see if that is a camera that might be worth staying with Canon for. I think their RF lens lineup would suit your needs well and you EF lenses would work well with RF cameras, at least as well as they do now.
By the way, you will likely have to wait a few months anyway to get the accessories, like an L bracket, so you might want to consider waiting just a few more months to see what Canon (and perhaps Nikon) produce.
For Nikon shooters, I expect now that Sony has released the A7r VI they will let Nikon use the sensor or a similar one to make an Z7 III, which should have been built a couple of years ago. It likely will have similar capabilities to this new Sony A7r VI.
So, I think the good news for the industry is that this new Sony camera will likely lead to Canon and NIkon (and probably Panasonic as well) developing cameras to compete with it....Show more →
All of these companies need to figure out how to expand the market vs simply attract those that already use cameras. R&D is tough with such a limited consumer base. The fact that Nikon and Leica are open to being sold is not a sign of a strong industry.
While it’s beneficial for some that Sony has perhaps broadened the appeal of the R series with the VI. I am pleased that they did so, by not compromising image quality, and in fact improved it.
bwcolor wrote:
All of these companies need to figure out how to expand the market vs simply attract those that already use cameras. R&D is tough with such a limited consumer base. The fact that Nikon and Leica are open to being sold is not a sign of a strong industry.
Well of course nobody needs anything other than smartphones and AI for images.
