Camera Review, Lens ReviewMorten Byskov - 5050 TravelogAugust 06, 2026Sony Alpha A7R VI review, Sony Alpha A7R VI sample images, Sony A7R VI sample images, A7R VI review, Sony A7R VI sample photos, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II review, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II sample photos, Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II sample images, Sigma 35mm art sample photos on Sony A7R VIComment

Sony Alpha A7R VI - First Impressions Review

Sony Alpha A7R VI and Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II — Sony A7R VI and FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II

Sony A7R VI For Photography - First Impressions Review - Sony’s New High-Resolution Solution

And Testing the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II and Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art

High-Resolution Solution. Catchy almost, but it's essentially what the Sony A7R VI is all about.

As a new Sony user who recently bought the Sony A7V after the Sony A7R VI announcement, I was curious to see if I made the right choice in going for the A7V. There is only one way to find out: try both cameras.

I had a chance to try the A7R VI about six weeks ago but had other things on my calendar, so here we are almost three months after the release, and thanks to Sony Canada, I took the camera out for a couple of hours.

We can all agree that two hours is not enough to get a solid feel for a camera, but first impressions are also useful in my humble opinion. So let’s see how it went.

Sony A7R VI and Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II — Sony A7R VI and FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II

Introduction

Announced on May 13, 2026, the Sony A7R VI features a 66.8 megapixel stacked Exmor RS BSI sensor, up from the 61 megapixel (non-stacked) sensor in the predecessor, the A7R V.

Other improvements in the new A7R VI include a new HDR 9.44m-Dot EVF and 30 fps blackout-free shooting, a new battery, illuminated back buttons, and faster readout speed from the stacked sensor. And there is, of course, more to it than that.

At the time this review was posted, the Sony A7R VI retailed for $4,498.00, the A7R V for $3,498.00, and the A7V for $2,898.00.

Orange tarp Steveston Harbour. Sample image from a Sony A7R VI and Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art — Steveston, Sony A7R VI, Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art @ f/1.4

Handling and Build Quality

At 1.6 lb (723 g), including the battery and recording media, it is only slightly heavier than my A7V, which is 1.5 lb (695 g). I had the two cameras side-by-side, and they feel exactly the same. For more on handling and build quality, please see my A7V review.

Strange perhaps that the A7R VI didn’t inherit design aspects from the A1 II, but I guess Sony wants to keep this for the very top tier.

The new EVF is certainly big, bright, and makes a noticeable difference from my A7V, but more about that below.

The A7R VI has a new * setting on the main dial giving access to 10 customizable settings. I did not have time to play with this in this brief test.

Doors on a ship in Steveston. Sample image from a Sony A7R VI and Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II. — Steveston, Sony A7R VI, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II @ f/11, 70mm

In Action

When you get a review camera in hand, it is interesting to see how completely differently the previous user has the camera set up. It goes to show you how many different users this camera may appeal to and what features may be important.

It can also be a tad frustrating, as settings are not at all what you are used to, so I spent about 30 minutes just reconfiguring the A7R VI to my liking.

There were still a few settings I would have liked to change, but I thought it was more important to get some sample images for this first-look review. I’m glad I already have the A7V, or I would have been quite lost in the extensive menu system.

The Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II on the Sony A7R VI

Once I got going, the A7R VI felt quite similar to operate to the A7V, but one thing had me stumped, and I would go so far as to say it was super annoying.

Now, before I proceed, a quick disclaimer. There may be settings on the A7V VI that I am not aware of, so bear with me as I proceed.

My issue is with the difference between my RAW files and the JPEGs. Please see the photo below and notice the exposure difference between the RAW and JPEG files.

The difference between RAW and JPEG, Sony A7R VI — RAW and JPEG output from a Sony A7R VI

While capturing images with the A7R VI, I made sure I had the histogram in the EVF, as I found the EVF unreliable (or should I say I wasn’t used to it). It was very bright, and even reducing the brightness, which made it a bit dull, still had me second-guessing my exposures.

The end result was a bunch of RAW files which came out very dark and often underexposed by 1-3 stops.

In the example above (see higher resolution photo below), I increased the exposure by 3 stops in post and further increased brightness in curves.

The good news here is that the A7R VI files proved to be extremely malleable, and I recovered the shadows without much loss in image quality, if any.

Please let me know in the comments if you know what may have been going on here. In essence, I trusted the histogram instead of the visuals, and the end results are good, but getting there was a bit frustrating, and I may have missed something here.

I have not experienced this with any other camera, including my A7V.

Brit — Steveston, Sony A7R VI, Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art @ f/2.2

Image Quality

Back to my high-resolution solution caption mentioned above. The A7R VI is truly for resolution seekers. If you shoot landscapes and want big prints, or you are a wildlife photographer trying to capture especially small birds, the ability to crop your images will make a world of difference.

I will post two images, captured of the same topic with the A7R VI and A7V below, perhaps showing you that for general style photography, you may not need 66.8 megapixels. Viewing the images full screen on my 16” MacBook Pro, I have a hard time seeing any meaningful difference. Zoom in and the A7R VI pulls ahead.

With that said, there is an unparalleled clarity in the A7R VI files, and it features a pixel density higher than even cameras such as the Fujifilm GFX100 II, giving it an almost larger-than-full-frame look.

Please click the sample images to view up to 2500 pixels, depending on your monitor size, or use pinch-to-zoom on a mobile phone.

Old car in Steveston. Sample image from a Sony A7R VI — Steveston, Sony A7R VI, Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art @ f/2

Old car in Steveston. Sample image from a Sony A7V — Steveston, Sony A7V, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II @ f/2.8

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II Quick Test

I had hoped to have the 24-70mm f/2.8 for a bit longer, but I still got a pretty good feel for it. By most accounts, this would be a top-tier standard zoom lens with the GM badge and best possible image quality.

I would say it lived up to expectations in this brief test with sharpness and color vibrancy that you would expect from a lens in this category. It certainly feels a few notches above the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G I tested a few weeks ago.

Compared to the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art I also used in this test, again it’s hard to tell images apart when shot at equal apertures. The Sigma looks just a tad sharper and has the advantage of two extra stops for shallower depth of field photography.

At 1.5 lb (695 g), it is bordering on being a tad cumbersome to lug around for a photowalk such as this. I think I would entertain a base plate to enhance the grip on the camera with a lens this size. This, of course, would increase the overall weight.

I will have a more detailed review coming up for the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II soon.

Life saver and rope, Steveston. Sample image from a Sony A7R VI and Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II — Steveston, Sony A7R VI, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II @ f/8, 35mm

It’s a Wrap

Working with the larger files slowed down my M1 MacBook Pro a bit, but it was still manageable for this test. The A7R VI files are approximately twice the size of A7V files, which run without hiccups on my current setup.

In the long run and for larger batches of photos, I believe I would have to consider a computer upgrade if the A7R VI was my main camera.

Despite my niggles in this first-look review, I came home with images that exceeded my expectations, once edited. I suspect there is something I’m not aware of regarding my exposure troubles. I will update this if I find out.

Have I chosen the correct camera when picking the A7V? Yes, I believe so, although the resolution thing can be quite addicting. The images, however, are so clinically sharp from the A7R VI that it almost hurts.

The A7R VI is more of an all-around camera now with faster frame rates and faster readout speeds, and I didn’t get to push any of this in this brief test, but I hope you enjoy the sample images, which could give you an idea of the output you can get from this high-resolution solution.

Please see more sample images below

Price / Availability

Thank you for reading my review. If you are planning a purchase and would like to support us, you can do so at no additional cost by using the affiliate links below. A small commission goes to us, helping us keep the wheels turning at 5050 Travelog.

Check the current price at B&H Photo

Sony A7R VI - B&H Photo
Sony A7 V - B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art

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