Sony’s fifth generation Alpha camera, the a7R V, contains a big technological advance – a dedicated deep learning chip that recognises humans and animals in real-time. It achieves pin-sharp autofocus on a subject’s eye by tracking its entire body even when it is in motion. This works when a subject’s eye is only partly visible. Even when completely occluded. for example, if a subject walks behind an object, autofocus on the eye is automatically resumed when it re-emerges.
The deep learning-based system has been trained to recognise and distinguish between specific subjects, like animals, insects, planes, trains, and automobiles. As an autofocus guide, it can also recognise humans, using 20 tracked points that define an individual’s skeletal structure and pose.
For stills, the semi-pro Alpha 7R V tops out at around 10fps with a 61-megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor. It can create a 240.8-megapixel image by combining 16 images captured consecutively while slightly shifting the position of the sensor using 693 phase detect focus points. Focus bracketing allows a user to capture up to 299 photos taken with “sequentially shifted focus points” to create an incredibly sharp composite in post-production and gives 8 extra stops of exposure and shake reduction in shooting conditions where the camera cannot be tripod-mounted. Noise has also been reduced in low light.
For video, it can now record in 8K at either 24fps or 25fps for up to 30 minutes thanks to the camera body’s new heat dissipation system, in 4K in full frame mode at 60fps or 50fps while gaining some extra zoom, or switch to a Super-35 mode where over-sampled 4K can be recorded at 30fps, 24 fps, or 25 fps. It also does 10bit, 4:2:2 raw at up to 600mbps.
A pair of CFexpress Type A slots are backward compatible with SDXC and SDHC cards. Video can also be captured externally with the camera outputting 16-bit 4K footage through a cable connection. Its 3.2-inch LCD screen can now swing out from the camera, off to the side, and be rotated 180 degrees to face forward for the ultimate selfie.
The a7R V is available soon and retails at just under £4,000 / $4,000.