The Sony a7 V: A Fresh Take on Photography

USATue Dec 02 2025
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The Sony a7 V is here, and it's packed with updates. It's been a while since the last model, the a7 IV, and Sony has been busy. They've added a new sensor, a faster processor, and better autofocus. The camera is designed for enthusiasts, but it's got some high-end features too. The design is similar to the a7R V, with a tweaked grip for better comfort. The screen is upgraded, and the electronic viewfinder (EVF) is improved thanks to the new processor. It can now shoot at 30 frames per second without any blackout. The camera is also dust and moisture-resistant, and it has dual card slots. The new 33-megapixel sensor is partially stacked, which means it's faster and better at handling action shots. It's the first Sony Alpha camera to have this type of sensor. The camera can shoot at 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter and 10 frames per second with the mechanical shutter. It also has a composite RAW shooting mode for higher resolution images. The new Bionz XR2 processor is a big deal. It combines image and AI processing, which makes the autofocus faster and more accurate. The camera can detect humans, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains, and planes. It also has AI-based automatic white balance for better color accuracy. The a7 V is faster than its predecessor. It can shoot at 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter, and it has a pre-capture mode that captures frames before you fully press the shutter. This is great for action shots. The camera also has improved image stabilization, promising up to 7. 5 stops of correction. The video features are also improved. The a7 V can record 7K-oversampled 4Kp60 video using the full width of its sensor and 4Kp120 in a Super35 crop. It supports S-Log3, S-Gamut3, S-Gamut3. Cine, and works with user-imported LUTs. However, it lacks internal RAW recording and open-gate recording, which are features offered by some competitors. The Sony a7 V will be available later this month in the United States for $2, 899 and in Canada for $3, 699. It's a solid update, but whether it's worth the price is up to you.