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Product photos: Mitchell Clark
The Sony a7 V is an enthusiast-tier camera with a new, full frame, 33MP 'partially stacked' CMOS sensor, with a focus on high burst rates, capable autofocus and a complete suite of video features.
Key Specifications
33MP full frame 'partially stacked' sensor
IBIS rated to 7. 5EV in the center
AI-derived recognition for six subject types
"Blackout-free" continuous shooting at 30fps
Configurable pre-burst capture up to 1 second
3. 2" tilting/fully-articulating display
Dual USB-C ports for power and data
4K 60p derived from 7K capture, 4K 120p with 1. 5x crop
AI-based auto-framing in video
Sony says the a7 V will be available from late December 2025 at a recommended retail price of around $2899.
Index:
What's new?
In context
Body and handling
Video
Initial assessment
Sample gallery
Press release
Specifications
Buy now:
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New sensor
Like its predecessor, the a7 V features a 33MP sensor, but with extra readout circuitry to improve readout speeds (which were one of the a7 IV's weak points). We've seen this "partially stacked" technology in 24MP cameras like the Nikon Z6III and Panasonic S1II, but here it's being applied to a higher-resolution sensor.
Sony says this allows the a7 V to achieve much higher burst rates than its predecessor – 30 fps, up from 10 – and to do so with a full 14-bit readout, rather than requiring Sony's destructively lossy Raw compression. The maximum e-shutter speed has been increased to 1/16000 sec, too. The company also promises it won't have the same dynamic range reduction we saw with the Z6III, where increased read noise was evident if you pushed the shadows in post. Though we'll have to see if these claims are borne out in testing.
The IBIS system has also been upgraded, now stabilizing the sensor by 7. 5EV, up from 5. 5EV with the a7 IV.
New processor, new autofocus
The sensor is paired with a new "Bionz XR2" processor, bringing Sony's most up-to-date autofocus system to the a7 line. While the previous camera had human and animal recognition, the a7 V gets the autofocus system found on most of Sony's other modern cameras, with support for recognizing six subject types, as well as a configurable 'Auto' mode.
The Subject Recognition: Auto mode can be fine-tuned so that it only looks for the types of subject you expect to encounter. You can also select how specific the focus is (eg whether it looks for birds' eyes)
The Human / Face / Eye recognition is significantly upgraded from the previous camera, with the a7 V trained to recognize humans in all sorts of different positions, so that it continues to track the same person and re-finds their face faster, even if they are partially obscured.
The camera also gains a few new focus area settings, and Sony says it performs autofocus calculations 60 times per second. (It hasn't shared the a7 IV's rate, but says the a1 II does 120 calculations per second. )
The processor is an update to the one found in Sony's earlier cameras, such as the a1 II, a7R V and a6700, which paired their image processors with an "AI" coprocessor to handle autofocusing duties. Now, both functions are bundled onto one chip. Rather than providing for new features, this seems to be a play to make the system more efficient when doing the same tasks.
New Raw format
In among the new features, Sony says there's a new, 'lightweight' Raw system. We weren't given any more information than this, and there isn't any third-party support for them, yet. The only thing we can say is that they end up being a similar size to Sony's old, damagingly lossy Raw format, but hopefully without the potential pitfalls.
AI-powered features
Apart from autofocus, the new processor allows for several other features that are based on complex algorithms created by machine learning. The first is Auto Framing: a video mode that crops in and then follows your subject around the frame. This lets you set up a wide-angle shot, then have the camera pan around the scene to make it look like you had a camera operator. The feature offers three levels of crop and includes options to show the wide shot first before punching in shortly after your subject enters the frame.
There's also a framing stabilizer option that uses the digital video stabilization to not only move a crop within the sensor to counteract shake, but also to maintain your subject's position in the frame (either centrally or in a position you've defined). In both cases, the video is then upscaled to your chosen resolution.
Pre-burst capture
The a7 V gains the pre-burst capture system that first appeared in the a9 III. This lets you capture images for up to one second between the time you initiate AF and the time you fully press the shutter button. You get quite fine-grained control over the period of time before the full shutter press that gets retained. 1 second is the maximum, 0. 03sec (i. e. , 1 frame at the camera's maximum 30fps) is the minimum, so you can tune it to match your response time, rather than always capturing a full second's worth of images prior to full-press.
Despite the minimum duration being based on 30fps shooting, you can use pre-burst with any of the camera's shooting rates.
A video upgrade
The faster sensor lets the a7 V capture most of its video modes at up to twice the framerates its predecessor could deliver. It also gains the auto-framing and framing stabilizer modes discussed above.
There are a few other nice-to-haves, too, such as the option to upload your own LUTs to let you preview the scene with your intended grading. The camera can also embed the LUT alongside your footage, so that it's also available to whoever's editing the project. However, unlike the FX series cameras, there's no option to simply burn the LUT onto your video.
In context
The a7 V lands in the most competitive part of the market: between the out-and-out pro models and the somewhat pared-back entry-level models. This puts it up against some very good opposition: the recently-released Canon EOS R6 III, the recently firmware-boosted Panasonic S1II and Nikon's Z6III.
We don't have room to compare all five here, so we're going to include the more expensive Panasonic S1II here, as it's built around a similar sensor to the Nikon Z6III but gets a bit more out of it, in terms of image quality, video and speed. We'll include more about the Nikon in a follow-up article, soon.
Sony a7 V
Sony a7 IV
Canon EOS R6 III
Panasonic DC-S1II
MSRP (US/UK)
$2899 /
$2699 /
$2799 /
$3199 /
Sensor type
Partially stacked CMOS
BSI CMOS
Dual Pixel AF FSI CMOS
Partially stacked CMOS
Resolution
33MP
33MP
33MP
24MP
Viewfinder res/ magnification/eyepoint
3. 69M dot
0. 78x
23mm
3. 69M dot
0. 78x
23mm
3. 69M dot
0. 76x
23mm
5. 76M dot
0. 78x
21mm
Rear screen
3. 2"
2. 09M dot
Tilt + Fully articulating
3. 0"
1. 04M dot
Fully articulating
3. 0"
1. 62M dot
Fully articulating
3. 0"
1. 84M dot
Tilt + Fully articulating
Image stabilization
7. 5EV
5. 5EV
8. 5EV*
8EV
AF subject detection
Human
Animal
Bird
Insect
Car
Train
Plane
Automatic
Human
Animal
Bird
Human
Animal (Dog / Cat / Bird / Horse)
Vehicle (car, motorcycle, plane, train)
Automatic
Human
Animal
Plane
Train
Vehicles
Motorcycle/ Bike
Maximum burst rate
10fps mech.
30fps e-shutter (14-bit)
10fps mech. /e-shutter
12fps mech.
40fps e-shutter (12-bit)
10fps mech.
70fps e-shutter (12 bit)
60fps e-shutter (14 bit)
Pre-burst capture?
Variable, up to 1 sec
No
Yes, up to 0. 5 sec
Yes, up to 1. 5 sec
Stills rolling shutter rate (ms)
HDR still output
HLG HEIF (no Raw)
HLG HEIF (no Raw)
PQ HEIF
HLG HEIF
Video resolutions
UHD 4K/60 (full-width, oversampled)
UHD 4K/120 (1. 5x crop)
1080/240
UHD 4K/30 (full-width, oversampled)
UHD 4K/60 (1. 5x crop)
7K DCI/60 (Raw)
7K/30 open-gate
4K/120 (full-width, oversampled
1080/180 (full-width)
6K/30 3:2 (Raw / open gate)
5. 7K/60 DCI (Raw)
5. 9K/60 (16:9)
4K/120 w/ 1. 17x crop
Raw video (internal)
No
No
C-Raw
ProRes Raw
Video assist tools
Log view assist
Custom LUTs
Auto Framing
Framing
Stabilizer
Log view assist
Waveform
False color
Log view assist
Custom LUTs
Waveform
False color
Vectorscope
Anamorphic desqueeze
Shutter angle
Log view assist
Custom LUTs
Media types
1x CFexpress type A/UHS-II SD
1x UHS-II SD
1x CFexpress type A/UHS-II SD
1x UHS-II SD
1x CFexpress Type B
1x UHS-II SD
1x CFexpress Type B
1x UHS-II SD
Battery life EVF / LCD
630 / 750
520 / 580
270 / 510
310 / 350
Dimensions
130 x 96 x 72mm
131 x 96 x 80mm
138 x 98 x 88mm
134 x 102 x 92mm
Weight
695g (24. 5oz)
658g (23. 2oz)
699g (24. 7oz)
800g (28oz)
* When combined with a stabilized lens
The table works as a striking illustration of just how far behind the latest generation of cameras the a7 IV was, a situation the a7 V has mostly rectified. Sony's E-mount also remains a leader in terms of openness and the availability of a wide range of first and third-party lenses, though it's worth noting that several big players have recently promised to start producing options for L-mount. Sony also only allows third-party lenses to continuously autofocus at 15fps and below, a limitation that wasn't a factor on the a7 IV, but that a7 V users may bump up against.
Other companies are also offering more video options than Sony; both the Canon EOS R6 III and Panasonic S1II have modes for open-gate recording, DCI 4K and internal Raw video, all of which the a7 V lacks. Sony also hasn't implemented exposure assistance tools such as a waveform monitor or false color overlay, though it has AI tricks that Canon and Panasonic don't offer.
Body and handling
The a7 V uses an updated version of the body from the a7 IV. This means it has two main command dials, a toggle-lockable exposure comp dial on its shoulder and a third, fiddly command dial on its rear plate. However you wish to shoot, the a7 V can be set up to put the parameters you care about at your fingertips.
The front grip has been redesigned to make it feel more comfortable, though it doesn't gain the tilted-forward shutter button design that the company's pro-grade a9 III and a1 II benefit from.
We're still not great fans of the new grip: it's large enough, but the two of us shooting with the camera both found it dug into our fingers a little. This isn't helped by the unyielding grip texture on the camera that does nothing to cushion the hand.
Menus
The a7 V uses Sony's latest generation menus, which are certainly an improvement on the ones used in earlier models. They definitely have their foibles still, though.
The a7 V uses Sony's newer menu system, which represented a big step forward from the a7 III. It's been updated slightly from the previous model through the addition of a Home/Status Panel screen at the top of the menu. We're not fans, as it's easy to navigate away from by mistake (not ideal for quick settings changes), and it can get in the way of reaching the actual menus. The ability to minimize it as you navigate to the left-hand tabs serves no obvious purpose, beyond reinforcing the sense that it's a potentially good idea shoehorned into a context where it doesn't quite fit.
As with any menu system, you can learn it in time, or use the My Menu system and Fn menu to circumvent the need. But the a7 V's very high level of customization comes with the price of a long, complex menu frequently featuring an odly trunctd nmng systm.
EVF / rear screen
The a7 V uses the same 3. 69M dot viewfinder as its predecessor, with the optics giving 0. 78x magnification.
It gains a tilting cradle on which its slightly larger, fully articulated rear screen is mounted. This means it can be tilted up or down, close to the back of the camera for waist-level or overhead stills shooting as well as flipping out to the side for videos or selfies. The added movement also lets you move the screen away from the camera, reducing the risk of the screen fouling your cables when you flip it out. The new panel has around 2. 1M dots, giving around a 1024 x 682px resolution.
Flipping the screen out over-rides the viewfinder's eye sensor by default, so the rear screen won't black-out if you bring the camera too close to your body when working at waist level. We had occasional issues getting the finder to work when the screen was re-stowed, though (closing the screen seems to put the camera to sleep).
USB ports
The a7 V becomes the second camera we've encountered to have two USB-C ports: one for high-speed data transfer, one for charging, using the USB-PD standard. It's worth remembering which is which: the upper port can transfer files at up to 10Gbps, the lower one is around one twentieth of this speed.
It's perhaps noteworthy that many recent Sony cameras had retained a USB Micro B socket alongside their USB-C data port, to maintain compatibility with the company's "Multi Terminal" accessories. The second slot on the a7 V appears to essentially be a continuation of this USB 2. 0 socket in a new shape.
Battery
The a7 V uses the same NP-FZ100 battery that the a7 series has used for several generations, now. It's a fairly substantial 16. 4Wh unit that powers the camera to a rating of 750 shots per charge if you rely on the rear screen and 630 shots per charge if you use the viewfinder.
These are both impressive figures for a camera in this class, especially given that the CIPA-defined tests tend to significantly underestimate the number of shots most people find they actually get. Everyone's usage differs, of course, but so long as you don't spend lots of your time reviewing the images you just shot, it's not unusual to get double the rated number of shots.
Video
The Sony a7 V records full-width UHD 4K footage at up to 60p, downsampled from 7K capture, and also offers 4K 120p recording from an APS-C-sized region of the sensor.
The camera can also use the sensor's extra resolution to power its AI Auto Framing mode, which will recognize a human in the scene and crop in on them, like a camera operator might if they were zooming in and panning around to keep a subject in frame. You can configure how tight you want the framing to be and how quickly you want the camera to move the frame to keep up with the subject. Similarly, the highest tier of digital stabilization also has a 'Framing Stabilizer' option, which aims to keep your chosen composition locked onto a selected subject, even while the camera is moving.
There's also a slight caveat to the full-width 4K 60p mode; to actually get full-width recording, you have to turn on a mode called Angle of View Priority, which Sony says turns off in-camera noise reduction. The company claims it doesn't affect dynamic range or oversampling, but we'll have to test it out more once we have a production unit.
Sony includes its S-Log3 and S-Cinetone color modes in the a7 V. The former is designed to capture as much dynamic range as possible, but will require color grading before delivery, while the latter is designed to have a subtle, movie-like appearance that's flat enough to provide a little editing latitude.
Recording Modes
Compared to its competitors, the a7 V actually has relatively few recording modes, since it only records compressed, 16:9 video. However, it offers a few choices of codecs and compression types, which you can choose between depending on what you're shooting and how capable your editing computer is.
Resolution
Rates
Crop
Compression Type
3840 x 2160
23. 98, 25, 30, 60*
1. 0x
H. 265 Long-GOP
H. 264 Long-GOP
H. 264 All-I
120
1. 5x
1920 x 1080
23. 98, 25, 30, 60, 120, 240
1. 0x
Sony's menus for choosing your recording mode aren't the nicest to navigate, but they get the job done. You start by choosing your file format to determine your resolution and compression, and which are named using Sony's somewhat cryptic branding (XAVC HS 4K for 4K H. 265, XAVC S-I 4K for 4K H. 264 All-I, etc). Then, you can go into a separate menu to choose your frame rate and bit rate/depth and chroma subsampling settings.
*1. 0 crop only with Angle of View Priority on
Rolling shutter
As with other partially stacked sensors we've seen, the a7 V manages to get excellent rolling shutter rates for video. In 4K/24, it reads out the full-width of the sensor in 14. 5ms, with similar results for its 4K/60 modes. The 4K/120 mode with its APS-C crop is, obviously, much faster, reading out in 6. 9ms.
Temperature limits
While the a7 V doesn't have a fan, it has the graphite heatsink introduced with the a7S III built into the IBIS unit for better thermal performance in the camera's more demanding video modes. At roughly room temperature (20°C, 68°F), the company says you can expect to get around 90 minutes of recording time at 4K/60. At a torturous 41°C (105°F), the company claims it should still be able to manage up to 60 minutes of 4K/60. Though it doesn't specify, we assume these figures are for indirect heat and with the overheat warnings relaxed.
Initial assessment
by Richard Butler
The a7 V should mean no Sony user need look jealously at other brands. But the reverse is also likely to be true.
The Sony a7 V looks like a hugely capable all-rounder, promising high resolution for its class, paired with fast shooting, the latest AF features and the ability to shoot fast, smooth video. It represents an appreciable step forward for Sony shooters, and perhaps it needed to.
Mitchell's take
"The a7 V fills a gap in Sony's lineup; it's had a camera that's good at video, a camera excellent at stills, but the only one that really did both well cost $7000. Now, you can get a genuine hybrid priced for mortals. " – Mitchell Clark
The a7 IV was the first mid-range full-frame camera to push beyond 24MP, but this somewhat undercut the video, where any gain in detail was offset by levels of rolling shutter higher than its preexisting rivals. And while, back in 2021, you could fairly confidently address the impossibly complex question: "which of these models has the best autofocus" with the simple answer: "the Sony," much has changed since then.
In the four years since its launch, the rival offerings from Canon and Nikon have caught up in term of generic subject tracking, and moved ahead in terms of the range of subjects they recognize. Both brands have also made big advances in video, offering faster speeds, smoother readout and Raw video capture. Canon's recent EOS R6 III finally matched the a7 IV's remaining standout quality: photo resolution.
Sony FE 35mm F1. 4 | F1. 4 | 1/1000sec | ISO 100
Photo: Mitchell Clark
The a7 V moves the series forward in several ways. It maintains the resolution of its predecessor but adds a lot more speed. We'll need to confirm Sony's claims that there are no image quality costs to its move to a faster, 'partially stacked' CMOS sensor, but it's certainly not impossible, given what Panasonic achieved with the S1 II. This speed is backed up by the arrival of the company's latest subject recognition modes, along with a tunable Auto subject mode to make it easy to make the most of them. All of which should be welcomed by Sony stills shooters, because it'll only expand the range of photographic scenarios at which the a7 V should excel.
E-mount video shooters also gain some significant improvements. Frame rates and rolling shutter performance are given a boost by the faster sensor and processor, and the a7 V gains the clever auto-cropping mode from the full-frame ZV-E1 vlogging camera, which should be good for single-person projects. These improvements, supported by good battery life and promises of decent thermal performance make should make the a7 V's video competitive with its peers.
It's worth noting, though, that options such as open gate shooting, native resolution video and internal Raw capture that are becoming common elsewhere aren't present here. Maybe Sony (perhaps correctly) doesn't believe enough mid-market hybrid shooters are going to need these features, or perhaps they're being saved for a future FX series camera. Either way, it feels like the a7 IV story all over again, with the a7 V looking competent, rather than excellent for video.
That's why I keep stressing the a7 V's appeal to existing Sony shooters, because while it looks to do pretty much everything very well, there's not a lot, beyond its impressive battery life, that you can point to that screams "it's better than its peers at. . . "
Maybe we're past the point at which each new camera reaches greater heights than the competition, but Sony's latest feels like a camera that clears the current bar, rather than raising it. The Sony a7 V looks like a hugely capable all-rounder, but that's likely to be more exciting to Sony users than to the wider market, because so do its peers.
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2025-12-4 17:00
