I've spotted two new Sony A7R VI rumors. One, I believe, but the other? I'm skeptical

I recently reported a rumor that a new E-mount camera, described as a ‘major’ update, was coming in May, and speculated that it would be the latest installment of the Sony A7R range.

Well, today we got the latest info on this development and, to little surprise, it is the long-anticipated Sony A7R VI coming our way – at least according to the rumors.

This new rumor was broken by Sony Alpha Rumors (SAR), who says that multiple "trusted sources" at Sony have confirmed that the A7R VI will be officially announced in May. What SAR’s sources didn’t state, however, was whether the camera would also go on sale that month.

For a while, we’ve all had a strong inkling that the A7R VI would be released this year, so this part of the new rumor doesn't come as much of a surprise.

But what is interesting is that, according to SAR, another source also confirmed that the camera will have a 67MP sensor that goes beyond the specs of a newly-rumored 67MP Sony sensor.

According to this “new source,” which SAR says it cannot 100% confide in yet, the Sony A7R VI will feature a fully-stacked, and not a partially-stacked, 67MP sensor. While I definitely believe that the camera will be announced in May, I’m skeptical about this fully-stacked malarky.

If the A7R VI did have a 67MP fully-stacked sensor, and it was also capable of capturing 60fps in burst mode, as it has been rumored to, then why would people continue to buy the flagship Sony A1 II?

One of, if not the, main selling points of the A1 II is its fully-stocked sensor that prioritizes read-out speeds over dynamic range.

Although fully-stacked sensors have solid dynamic range, partially-stacked sensors often achieve better performance, as they combine the light-capture and low-noise benefits of traditional back-side illuminated (BSI) sensors, but with only targeted high-speed circuitry – avoiding the need for a full, noise-prone processing layer behind the pixels.

SAR also reported that two other “exciting” cameras are on the way soon too – but couldn't give any more information on this.

There have been so many rumors about the Sony A7R VI already this year, so it’s good to get an inkling of the announcement date. Like with all rumors, only time will really tell what sensor the A7R VI is really packing.

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