If you want to step up your photography game, and graduate from your phone, why not go all the way to the highest-resolution camera on the market? Normally, we suggest that a more affordable camera might be the best pick for most people in our guide to mirrorless cameras, but at this price—why not go big?
Courtesy of Sony
The massive 61-megapixel, full-frame sensor in the A7R V is the largest sensor you can get without jumping into medium format (which is significantly more expensive and bulkier). If that’s not enough, there’s actually an even higher-resolution possibility that combines 16 shots into a single 240-MP image (so long as your subject is static, e.g., a landscape). That should print billboard-size without issue.
Yes, the megapixel race is silly and mostly over, but I will say that I’ve shot quite a bit with the A7R C (which uses the same sensor). The images from this 60-MP sensor are noticeable sharper, and the dynamic range is visibly better than what I get from the A7R II (which has a 40-MP sensor). This is obviously the case onscreen, when pixel peeping, but I also notice the difference when I print images.
If you don’t need all those megapixels, and you still want to save some money, I have good news, our top pick for most people, the Sony A7 IV (9/10, WIRED Recommends), is on sale as well for $700 less than usual.
Photograph: Sony
This is a 33-megapixel, full-frame camera that, while only half the resolution of the A7R V, is plenty sharp and boasts a few video-oriented features you won’t find in the higher-resolution model. It has very nearly the same excellent dynamic range and one of the best autofocus system on the market.
Without getting too deep in the weeds of video technicalities, the A7 IV can record 4K/30p video by oversampling from a 7K sensor region. On the other hand, the A7R V employs what’s known as line-skipping to achieve the same 4K/30p recording. This method of recording results in reduced sharpness and sometimes causes aliasing issues.
The short story: If you want to record video at full sensor size, the A7 IV is the way to go. In fact, while there are better still cameras like the Sony A7R V, and better video cameras, nothing combines the two quite as well as the A7 IV. If you’re looking to do a mix of still and video work, this is one of the best buys on the market, especially at this price.