Sony A7R V Is A7RV viewfinder more SLR-like?

[MrFotoFool]

I need an honest opinion from someone who has used or at least looked through an A7rV body. (If you have used an A7IV - not r - even better). I am currently a two system shooter. I use two Nikon D850's that I adore: one with 24-70 f2.8 (and until recently Tamron 15-30 f2.8) and one with 70-200 f2.8 (sometimes with 1.4x extender). For long lens I was using Nikon 500 f5.6 PF but found I needed a zoom so I rented and then bought Sony A7IV (with grip) and Sony 200-600 lens (with 1.4x extender). I love the lens but the camera is only good but not great (the card slot failing and needing factory repair did not warm me up to Sony either). I made a somewhat rash decision, based partly on low December rebate price (just over $1k) to get the Nikon AF-S 200-500 f5.6 in hopes it would replace my Sony and get me to a one camera system with the bodies I love.

I just ran some comparison tests outside in good light with a tripod of the two long lens setups at the same settings. I resized the larger Nikon files to match the pixel count of my Sony and enlarged several different type of images to actual pixels in Photoshop Elements. In every single case the Sony is noticeably sharper. The Nikon is not horrendous and in real world use at real sizes or prints it might be ok, but I sometimes do big enlargements and I want the maximum sharpness. The Sony lens also has 100mm longer reach and internal zoom (and much smoother zoom with shorter turn from short to long end), so it is clearly the better lens.

Though I like the button layout on my Nikon more, this may just be due to familiarity from several years of use. My biggest gripe with the Sony A7IV is the electronic viewfinder. I much prefer the look of an SLR viewfinder, though I realize in certain situations the electronic one is beneficial (specifically in very low light and when shooting the full sun). The new A7rV has a much higher resolution viewfinder so my question is: will it be "less electronic" looking and more "SLR-like" than my current A7IV? I looked through a Nikon Z9 recently and its viewfinder looked good, though it was at night so I can't say what daylight would be. I have a couple weeks to return the Nikon lens for full refund.

 

[MrFotoFool]

One other note (based on camera JPEG's): the Sony images have a pleasantly warm color balance while the Nikon images are much cooler with a slightly green cast in comparison. This is in spite of the fact that I have the Nikon white balance to A plus Sun, which is supposed to give a more natural warm balance than just A on its own.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I am well aware that the world is going mirrorless, though my Nikon D850 bodies would presumably last for years. The big question I have to answer is will I like an A7rV enough to justify changing NOW. (The other choice is to wait and see what the upcoming Nikon Z 200-600 looks like and if they announce a long rumored Z8 or just suck up and buy a Z9).

 

[Jeff A]

I would find a camera shop that has an A7RV and pick it up and check out the Finder. It will be (according to folk lore) a measurable amount better than the A7 IV.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I would find a camera shop that has an A7RV and pick it up and check out the Finder. It will be (according to folk lore) a measurable amount better than the A7 IV.

Yes I thought of that. Sadly no one in Tucson has it (Best Buy is special order and the one very small camera store that is primarily a repair shop only sells new Nikon gear). I would have to drive up to Tempe Camera in the Pheonix area, which I could do if I seriously consider getting one.

 

[pointreyes]

The A7Rv is not the only Sony camera with the 9.44 million dots EVF. The A1 and A7Siii have the same resolution EVF. Maybe you can test out one of those cameras locally.

 

[AlphaWorld]

Or you could rent an A7RV from LensRentals - they rent all over the US. A short rental would let you know for sure how you feel about the camera, and more than just the EVF.

I like the EVF on the A7RV, just like the A1 (although the A1 supports a higher frame rate). I can't compare it with the A7IV, but it's noticeably better than the A7RIV.

I quite like how the mirrorless viewfinders let us see more information, especially during focusing. I like seeing the focus boxes show the progress of auto-focus. I also like using focus peaking with manual focus lenses.

I used a Nikon D810, but I'm happier with the Sonys.

 

[MrFotoFool]

@AlphaWorld That is good advice. I have used LensRentals on several occasions and they are great (though the most recent lens was defective - would not focus properly at infinity - which they acknowledged after I returned it and refunded my rental fee).

 

[MrFotoFool]

I just ordered an A7rV from LensRentals, since I have an extra day off work next week so I will have a few days to try it out. The feature in Edge browser that automatically applies promo codes even saved me an extra $27.90 on the rental!

 

[iain clyne]

I changed from Nikon to Sony, the A9, and found that I got used to the EVF very quickly. It is worth persevering with it although as has been said the EVF on the newer models is better.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

I used to hate EVFs, but find the A7RIV one very easy to use, and I would even go as far as to say I prefer it, especially as you get real time view of any settings changes you make. I suspect the A7V will be brighter and smoother to view.

 

[Clix Pix]

It has been several years now since I've last looked through an optical VF on a DSLR. I do remember my first reaction to the very first EVF that I looked through, and it was, "HUH?? What IS this??" which wasn't helped any by the fact that we were in a dimly lit room, too. That first EVF was on a friend's NEX-7 and after I got my own NEX-7 I realized that it was actually fine in good light, and I especially appreciated the ability to actually see what was happening if I made adjustments to the image while looking through the EVF.

Years later, with my A7R IV and now my A7R V, not to mention the A1, I have become more than accustomed to the EVF and really would never want to go back to an optical VF. I also have become so accustomed to using a mirrorless camera with all its advantages that there is no way I'd ever return to a DSLR. As far as I am concerned (and obviously a lot other people, too) they are history.... They had their day in the sun and we all loved them and they moved us to the next level and the next level after that, but now mirrorless has taken over the reins and will continue to be moving all of us forward.

 

[Landshark99]

I understand where you are coming from but honestly cannot answer that question anymore. When I was last shooting professionally I was shooting with either a Hasselblad with a 100mg back or a Nikon 850, even though I owned a Sony A7sII for video and a Sony A7rII for myself. I had also owned for my personal work a Fuji and Olympus system with electronic viewfinders. I did not like shooting people with an electronic viewfinder, especially for paying jobs, back then It has now been almost four years since I last used a DSLR, I have gotten so used to my Sony A1 and Sony A7RV viewfinders, that I do not if I would want to work with a DSLR today.

 

[Sdawes]

In my humble opinion in with your current predicament I would wait and see what the new Nikon 200-600 looks like and if its good then bite the bullet and get the Nikon Z9. I was a Canon shooter for over 20 years but wanted to move into mirrorless as it was clearly the future for photography so I jumped ship to Sony as they were so far ahead at the time, and I do not regret my decision for a second and love the gear I have . Having said that all the top end mirrorless cameras are superb and deliver great results and having had a good play with friends Canon R5 , R3 and Nikons Z9 there is nothing between them , each has a few features that others dont but they all deliver top quality images. The big pull for me is the familiarity and the overall cost to change and if Canon had got comparable mirrorless cameras to Sony at the time I switched I would probably have stuck with Canon for those reasons. The course of action you are taking in renting an A7RV is a sensible approach and you will no doubt make the right choice for you which at the end of the day is all that matters.

 

[MrFotoFool]

Next week's announcement of a Sony 20-70 f4 lens makes Sony more appealing to me. Still, as @Sdawes says, Nikon is coming out with their own 200-600 (presumably this year) and I know for sure I would like a Nikon Z9 (well, I would like everything except the price tag!).

 

[Clix Pix]

This is just my opinion, but one major reason I switched from Nikon to Sony in 2019 in the first place is that Nikon has always been lagging behind Sony and everyone else in the whole mirrorless thing from Day One. Aside from that, personally I would never buy a Z9 because it looks bulky, heavy, and awkward -- kind of like a throwback to many DSLRs -- and also does not offer the user the kind of flexibility which comes with the choice of adding an external grip or not. For someone with large hands the built-in grip may be appealing, but for someone with small hands, the option to go without an external grip is particularly useful.

The main reason I switched, though, was because back in 2019 I could already buy (and did!) the lenses that I wanted at that time, which included macro lenses and the 200-600mm .... So it took Nikon two years before they finally got around to offering macro lenses and they still don't have a 200-600mm out the door and on store shelves yet? Not surprising. in the meantime I have been more than happy using my Sony gear all this time....

 

[MrFotoFool]

As stated the rental will arrive shortly (two days). I have this Sunday through Tuesday off work to test it out. Forecast calls for snow at Grand Canyon all three days, with largest amount on Monday. So, I just booked two nights inside the park plus a midsize SUV so I don't have to risk driving my Prius in the snow (though I have done it there in the past). The only Sony lens I have is the 200-600 and I didn't have the foresight to rent a 24-70, so I will only use it on wildlife in snow and tight compositions of canyon features. I will still use my Nikon D850 for wider landscape shots. Full report coming late next week.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I did not go to Grand Canyon because weather service issued travel advisory (a wise decision since highway was closed due to heavy snow on day I would have driven up). I tested it here in Tucson and short answer is no, viewfinder is not substantially different than the lower resolution viewfinder of my A7IV. If you want the long answer (and what I liked about the camera), read my full review here: https://www.alphashooters.com/community/threads/my-review-of-rented-a7rv.5751/