The Sony A7 V Is Here

credits: Sony

The Sony a7 V is finally here, arriving just over four years after the a7 IV. The new model adopts a partially stacked 33-megapixel BSI sensor, marking a major shift from the older non-stacked design and enabling significantly faster readout speeds. Paired with Sony’s brand-new BIONZ XR2 processor (the first time this chip has appeared in any Alpha camera) the a7 V now delivers blackout-free shooting at up to 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter, while still offering 10 fps mechanically. The camera also inherits the a7R V’s improved grip, upgraded 3.2-inch four-axis LCD with DCI-P3 support, and a familiar 3.68-million-dot EVF.

In terms of image quality and performance, Sony says the new sensor allows for up to 16 stops of dynamic range and much better rolling-shutter behavior, dropping from 67 ms on the a7 IV to just over 12 ms. The a7 V adds composite RAW shooting for 199-megapixel images, multi-shot noise reduction, and a new pre-capture feature that stores up to one second of RAW or JPEG frames before the shutter is fully pressed. Autofocus also sees a substantial bump, with 759 phase-detect points covering about 94% of the frame, improved tracking down to –4 EV, expanded subject detection (including insects and vehicles), and AI-driven enhancements such as refined white balance and body-pose estimation.

Video performance gets an equally significant overhaul. The a7 V records 7K-oversampled 4K60 using the full sensor width and offers 4K120 in a Super35 crop, supported by improved IBIS rated at up to 7.5 stops. The camera includes S-Log3, S-Gamut3, breathing compensation, imported LUTs, Dynamic Active stabilization, and four-channel 24-bit audio. Battery life is stronger than before, cooling is improved thanks to a graphite heat sink built into the IBIS unit, and dual card slots (CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II) remain. The only notable omissions are internal RAW and open-gate video. The Sony a7 V will be available later this month for $2,899.