The A7R VI is Sony's 66.8MP resolution camera, now on a stacked sensor fast enough for 30 fps. Set it up for detail first, then learn which RAW file type trades bit depth for speed when the subject starts moving.
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| Situation | Mode | Aperture | Shutter | ISO | AF mode | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscapes (tripod) | A | f/8 | As metered | 100 | AF-S, Spot: S | Self-timer |
| Studio, product & art | M | f/8-f/11 | 1/125s with flash | 100 | AF-S, Spot: S | Single Shooting; Pixel Shift Multi Shoot. for still subjects |
| Portraits | A | f/1.4-f/2.8 | 1/250s or faster | 100-800 | AF-C, Recognition Target: Human | Single Shooting |
| Wildlife & sport | S | f/4-f/6.3 | 1/2000s or faster, Electronic Shutter | Auto ISO | AF-C, Tracking: Zone, Recognition Target: Animal/Bird | Continuous Shooting: Hi+ (RAW File Type: Compressed) |
| Low light | A | f/2.8 | ISO AUTO Min. SS: Standard | Auto ISO, moderate ceiling | AF-C, Recognition Target: Human | Single Shooting |
| Setting | What to set | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Mode | Continuous AF (AF-C) for moving subjects; Single-shot AF (AF-S) for landscapes and studio | |
| Focus Area | Spot: S or Spot: XS for precise still subjects; Tracking: Zone or Tracking: Expand Spot for action | |
| Subject Recog in AF / Recognition Target | On; Recognition Target set to Human, Animal/Bird, Animal, Bird, Insect, Car/Train or Airplane, or Auto | |
| Pre-Capture Settings | Pre-Capture On, Pre-Capture Rec Time up to 1.0 second | With Pre-Capture On, the slowest shutter speed is 1/8 second. |
| Finder Frame Rate | High (120 fps) for action; Standard to save battery | Sony notes High can be restricted when shooting Lossless Comp or Compressed (HQ) RAW. |
| Setting | What to set | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Record Setting | XAVC HS 8K 4:2:2 10bit at 24p, 25p or 30p for the most detail; XAVC HS 4K 4:2:2 10bit for everything else | 8K is oversampled from 8.2K with a slightly narrower angle of view. |
| 4K angle of view Priority | On for full-width 4K, including 4K 120p/100p | |
| Log Shooting Setting | Log Shooting: On (Flexible ISO) with S-Log3 to grade; S-Cinetone for a finished look | HDMI RAW output also needs Log Shooting On (Flexible ISO). |
| Dual Gain Shooting | On for 4K below 60p when you want the lowest noise | With it on, ISO is limited to 100-400 and shutter speed to 1/4000-1s. |
| Shutter speed | 1/50s at 24p/25p, 1/60s at 30p, 1/250s at 120p | About double the frame rate keeps natural motion blur. |
Maximum detail: RAW File Type Lossless Comp
Lossless Comp keeps the full 14-bit file at the full 66.8MP. It caps continuous shooting at 15 fps, which is plenty for landscapes, portraits and studio work.
Best for: Landscapes, studio, big prints
Fast action: switch to Compressed for 30 fps
30 fps needs RAW File Type set to Compressed, and with the Electronic Shutter that records 12-bit RAW. Sony rates the buffer at about 150 Compressed RAW frames. Save it to a custom mode so you swap with one turn of the dial.
Best for: Birds in flight, sport
Art and architecture: Pixel Shift Multi Shoot.
Under Composite RAW Sht., it shoots 4 or 16 RAW frames that Imaging Edge Desktop combines on a computer. Use it on a tripod with still subjects; Sony suggests works of art and architecture.
Best for: Art reproduction, interiors, product
Cropping room for wildlife
At 66.8MP, a tight crop of a distant animal still leaves a large file, so a shorter, lighter lens can do the work of a longer one.
Best for: Wildlife when you can't get closer
Low light: a moderate Auto ISO ceiling
The 8.5-stop stabilisation (centre, CIPA 2024) lets you use slow shutter speeds on still subjects instead of raising ISO. Keep a moderate ceiling and let the resolution absorb a little noise reduction.
Best for: Interiors, evening cityscapes
Camera Set. Memory saves up to ten named setups (MR1–MR10). MR1 and MR2 sit on the mode dial; the rest are picked from Shoot Mode.
MR1: Landscape & studio
A mode, f/8, ISO 100, AF-S with Spot: S, RAW File Type Lossless Comp, Self-timer, Mechanical Shutter.
MR2: Wildlife & sport
S mode, 1/2000s, Auto ISO, AF-C with Tracking: Zone, Recognition Target Animal/Bird, RAW File Type Compressed, Electronic Shutter, Continuous Shooting: Hi+.
MR3: Pixel Shift
A mode, f/8, ISO 100, Pixel Shift Multi Shoot. with 16 images, on a tripod.
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