Camera tech changes a lot in the span of a few years. As such, companies need to regularly put out new models to ensure they manage to keep up with everything that’s constantly coming out. After four years, Sony is finally giving its mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera a fresh update in the form of the Sony A7 V.
As you can probably guess, this fifth-generation model gets many of the upgrades Sony has put in their new cameras in the years since the A7 IV came out back in 2021. That means, there’s a lot more AI chops here to make capturing stellar photographs easier than ever. It does, however, steer clear of the new camera body found in the higher-end A9 III and A1 II, instead maintaining its enthusiasts form factor while coming with improved ergonomics and comfort for those times you’re not mounting it on a tripod.
The Sony A7 V houses a new 33-megapixel partially-stacked image sensor that boasts a significantly faster rolling shutter compared to the previous generation (15ms versus 70ms) and 16 stops of dynamic range. It can take burst shots up to 30 fps at full resolution, making it so much more useful for sports and wildlife photography, while offering a memory buffer that can store up to 94 compressed RAW shots in a row. Prefer using the mechanical shutter? Not a problem, as it stays pretty fast in that mode, as well, allowing it to shoot up to 10 fps.
The image sensor, by the way, is paired to a new Bionz XR2 processor that combines image and AI processing in a single chip. Yes, it’s the first of Sony’s cameras to incorporate this chip, though it’s definitely not going to be the last. According to the outfit, the XR2 enables the camera to have the outfit’s fastest, most accurate subject-detect autofocus ever, which boasts 759 phase-detection points with 94 percent coverage of the image area. It’s also pretty versatile, able to recognize a wider variety of subjects compared to the last generation.
The Sony A7 V can capture 4K video at 60 fps, with support for the 10-bit S-Log3 video format. Do note, it requires you to turn on the Angle of View Priority setting to get the full width framing in 4K 60 fps, which turns off the in-camera noise reduction. It also offers 4k at 120 fps for slow-motion footage, albeit with an APS-C crop. Equipped with a new graphite heatsink, the camera can record in 4K 60 fps continuously for up to 90 minutes at a time. Sadly, there’s no RAW capture, so it’s still a photography-first camera, rather than a full-featured hybrid.
Around the back, you get a 3.69-million dot OLED EVF similar to its predecessor, along with a rear monitor that offers four axis of articulation to maximize shooting flexibility. Other features include five-axis in-body image stabilization with up to 7.5 stops in the center frame, a battery rated at up to 750 shots when framed with the monitor (630 shots with the EVF), Sony’s Dynamic Active Mode stabilization, four-channel 24-bit audio recording, and in-camera audio noise reduction.
The Sony A7 V is now listed for preorder with a December 18th ship date. Price starts at $2,899.
