I spent a few hours shooting on the new Sony A7 V, and here are my first impressions (spoiler alert: it’s great)
A couple of days ago, Sony announced the A7 V, its latest full frame mirrorless camera which succeeds the Sony A7 IV. The fifth iteration of mainline Alpha 7 bodies, the A7 V is packed with notable upgrades, such as a 33MP partially stacked sensor, 30fps blackout-free burst shooting, faster autofocus with more subject detection modes, and so on. When I heard the news, I was itching to get my hands on the camera — and it happened yesterday when Sony U.K. & Nordic invited me to London, U.K.
I spent a day learning about the cutting-edge technology packed into the A7 V. Sony says that the A7 V is an “entry-level professional” camera — the middle-ground between an enthusiast and professional body. The A7 V has borrowed tech from pro cams, such as the A1 II, while introducing some new, nifty features. In our press briefing with Sony’s U.S. team, they described it as a “baby A1 II”.
Once all the pleasantries had been exchanged and formalities were done, I went hands-on with the A7 V at Tower Bridge, one of the U.K.’s most iconic landmarks. Sony had graciously hired three models who we were free to photograph, which I did, and I captured the London skyline too. Spending time with the camera confirmed a couple of things for me — one of them being that the Japanese giant is actually the king of autofocus.
A quick rundown
- What is it? The Sony A7 V is the latest addition to the Alpha 7 lineup, and it succeeds the A7 IV which came out four years ago in 2021. The A7 V now sports a chunkier grip for better handling, a 33MP partially stacked sensor, a new image processor/AI-processing BIONZ XR2 chip, 30fps blackout-free burst shooting, and 7.5-stop IBIS, amongst other things.
- Who is it for? Sony says that the A7 V puts “professional edge within your reach” and to that effect, it has borrowed some features from its pro cams. 30fps blackout-free shooting which is found in the A1 II is now featured in the A7 V, along with the A9 III’s 1-second of pre-capture. The A7 V, then, is for photographers stepping up from APS-C to full frame, upgrading from an older camera and requiring fast performance, or for aspiring pros needing a reliable workhorse for their paid work.
- How much does it cost? The A7 V’s body is priced at $2,899 / £2,799, which is $400 pricer than the A7 IV at launch. But this isn’t surprising, given that the A7 V features a new sensor, processor and stabilization architecture, and it checks out since it’s an “entry-level professional” camera. Also accompanying the new camera is the FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II kit lens, available for $449 / £429 on its own, or $3,099 as a kit in the U.S., although U.K. kit prices haven’t been confirmed yet.
- When is it available to buy? The A7 V body will go on sale later this month on December 18, with the kit available in February 2026.
Chunkier grip = Fantastic handling
Compared to its predecessor, the Sony A7 V now sports a chunkier grip which is suitable for all hand sizes, as was made clear to me by one of the product leads claiming the camera is perfect for his large hands. I have medium-sized hands and I had no issues using the camera. My fingers wrapped well around the grip and due to its size, I could confidently hold it with just one hand too.
The A7 V is a little heavier than its predecessor (24.5oz vs 23.2oz) but it doesn’t feel unruly or uncomfortable to handle or wear around your neck, even with a lens mounted. I didn’t get to try the new FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II lens (since it isn’t launching until February), but I used a couple wide-angle lenses as well as a gigantic, heavy FE 600mm F4 GM OSS lens (which made me realize I need to start hitting the gym).
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Wielding the A7 V with a massive lens didn’t feel like a mammoth task, though, and I was able to capture a stunning photo of the nearly-full moon from Tower Bridge, as well as part of the beautiful, lit-up London skyline.
30fps blackout-free burst is a win
I love photographing wildlife, and one thing that a good wildlife photographer needs to get stellar photos is high speed burst shooting. The Sony A7 V features 30fps burst shooting (versus 10fps on the A7 IV) — and then some. When I reviewed the Sony A1 II, I thoroughly appreciated its blackout-free burst shooting, and the A7 V features just that, thanks to its partially stacked sensor.
This basically means that the camera provides a shooting experience free of interruptions as the camera writes image files to cards — this allows you to keep tracking your subjects constantly as they move, which is fantastic for wildlife, sports, and dance. Combine the 30fps blackout-free burst shooting with a faster autofocus system and AI subject recognition and you’ve got a winning formula for high speed work.
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I tested the autofocus and high speed drive while photographing the models and dancers at Tower Bridge, and it worked exceptionally well. The photos above were taken in burst mode and I think they’ve turned out fantastic! Even though they are stills, you can make out the movement.
The A7 V feels like a complete, all-round camera, and one that’s more accessible and affordable than the (much) pricier A1 II. Putting blackout-free shooting within easy reach of amateur or semi-pro photographers is a big win in my books.
AI-powered subject detection has received a bump too, with Sony promising 30% improvement, and not once did I lose track of my subject when I attended the hands-on event. Of course, we will test this out more thoroughly by photographing an array of subjects — including wildlife — when we get our review unit.
Bright, beautiful, bold colors never looked better
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As a Fujifilm owner, I absolutely love the brand’s color science, but I can’t deny the fact that Sony produces some of the best life-like colors I’ve ever seen — and the same holds true for the Sony A7 V. In the photos of the model, Emma, above, not only are the greens in her coat vivid, but the details in her face and hair have come out lovely too. All of these photos were shot in the Standard color profile, and they’re straight-out-of-camera JPEGs — I haven’t edited them one bit (except for cropping)!
The A7 V’s BIONZ XR2 processing chip delivers incredible colors in images, as you can see above. Sony also claims that auto white balance (AWB) performance has been improved as it now uses deep-learning technology for “light source color estimation.” According to this, the camera should very quickly adjust the white balance even in changing conditions.
I can’t wait to test this out, especially out in the field where birds often emerge from the dark and into bright light, so it’ll be interesting to see the results, and compare this performance to the A7 IV’s.
Sony A7 V: Outlook
Even though I’ve spent just a few hours with it, the Sony A7 V has already impressed me. It takes what the Sony A1 II does really well and stuffs it into a more accessible body, all the while introducing a 33MP partially stacked sensor, 7.5-stops of IBIS, and a chunkier grip — all of which are missing from its predecessor.
It remains to be seen whether the A7 V can hold up in real-world use, such as while photographing wildlife and birds in action, and we’ll find that out when we test the camera fully for review. Keep an eye out for our full Sony A7 V review!
The new Sony A7 V’s body retails for $2,899 / £2,799 and it’s available to pre-order now, with shipping expected on December 18. The kit lens will be available to purchase in February 2026, with a retail price of $449 / £429.
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