Sony Pixel Shift: Sony A7R V vs Sony A7R IV a Major Advance in Capture Detail
Related: digital sensor, Eric B, pixel shift, Sony, Sony A7R, Sony A7R II, Sony A7R III, Sony A7R IV, Sony mirrorless, Sony Pixel Shift, true-color sensor or image
re: Sony pixel shift
Reader Eric B writes:
I have a Sony A7R IV and am seriously looking at the Sony A7R V.
I read, with interest, your discussion of pixel shift with the A7R V. I have used a fair amount of 4 shot pixel shift with the A7R IV and have had reasonably decent results of rocks and tree-trunk and distant scenic images.
Have you notices a qualitative difference between the pixel shift on the A7RV and the A7RIV?
DIGLLOYD: I never thought that Sony A7R III or Sony A7R IV pixel shift was very good. It always looked to me like I was getting a lot less than I ought, as if the sensor shifting was "sloppy" and unable to align pixels accurately, particularly in outer zones. In addition, pixel shift at f/8 seemed marginal at best, perhaps from diffraction + sloppiness combined (the two would fester into an even larger blur).
That impression is banished with the Sony A7R V. Pixel shift on the A7R V is the real deal is what my eyes tell me.
From the Sony web site:
Precise compensation at the single-pixel level — A new stabilization algorithm provides precise detection and control right down to the single-pixel level, taking full advantage of the sensor's 61.0 megapixel resolution to bring out the finest subject details.
From Sony marketing sent to me:
One of the advances in Alpha 7R V is more effective sensor shift image stabilization. Whether or not there have been any changes to the mechanism itself has never been disclosed, but the combination of a high performance gyro, optimized stabilization algorithm, highly accurate stabilization unit (for which no further detail has been provided) are said to improve overall stabilization performance. End users who have tested the camera seem to agree that the improvement from Alpha 7R IV is noticeable.
Putting that aside, I see it as a moot point: the Sony motion correction feature does not function with the A7R IV, only the Sony A1 and Sony A7R V, maybe others, but none of the previous A7R series.
