Headline features for the Sony A7 V included a new ‘partially stacked’ sensor design for faster readout speed, improved video features and faster burst shooting. There’s also a new BIONZ XR2 processor which incorporates Sony’s latest AI technology, faster autofocus and AF tracking, improved color science with a claimed 16-stop dynamic range and improved AI-powered white balance control.
You’ll see that all the advanced are based around speed and video. The sensor offers the same 33MP resolution as the Sony A7 IV launched way back in 2021. For photographers, the new camera’s higher burst rates, faster AF and potentially improved dynamic range and color may be significant, but they are tilted towards quite specialized areas of photography, specifically sports and wildlife.
Interestingly, in a footnote to the specifications, Sony notes that the 16 stops of dynamic range offered by the new camera only applies when using the mechanical shutter. If you use the electronic shutter, which is the key to this camera’s super-high burst rate, the dynamic range is clearly not the same.
With the electronic shutter, the A7 V now offers burst rates of up to 30fps with full AE/AF tracking. That’s pretty good for a mid-range hybrid camera, though by no means unusual compared to similarly priced (or cheaper) rivals.
For videographers, the improvements are more significant. The previous Sony A7 IV could shoot full width 4K 30 video, but had to drop to its cropped Super35 (APS-C) format to offer 4K 60. That seemed a bit of a weakness even at launch. The A7 V fixes that by now offering full-width 7K oversampled video at 60p, and even shoot 4K 120 in Super 35 mode.
But full-width 4K 60 video is not really pushing back the frontiers of filmmaking technology. Rival camera brands do this already. Many now offer 6K open gate capture, which the A7 V does not. Once, Sony led the field for video with hybrid cameras, but that now seems a long time ago. The Sony A7 V does at least catch up, mostly, with its modern hybrid rivals.
One other bit of news alongside this release is a new and improved kit lens. The Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II is an updated version of Sony’s original cheap kit lens, and the chief improvement seems to be the addition of a linear motor to speed up the AF so that it can keep up with the new camera’s high-speed burst shooting and video frame rates. There’s no mention of any changes to the optical formulation.
The Sony A7 V’s release has been a bit of an open secret, with plenty of rumor-mongers getting the final specs largely correct. It does bring a series of worthwhile improvements for specific user types, notably sports photographers and videographers, but will perhaps be of less interest to regular photographers, especially given its price. It’s available for pre-order at B&H for $2,898 and in the UK at Wex for £2,799.
No, that’s not a mistake. This is an expensive camera, given its specifications, costing around $1,000/£1,000 more than the A7 IV, which is still on sale. The pricing puts the A7 V right up against the Canon EOS R6 III, which offers 7K open gate video, full width 4K 120 (albeit with line-skipping) and 40fps burst shooting.
- Get the Sony A7 V at B&H (body only): $2,898
- Get the Sony A7 V at Wex (body only): £2,799