The Sony A7 V is here – but the launch of Sony’s newest full-frame mirrorless isn’t a death sentence for the older Sony A7 IV. While the Sony A7 V brings improvements with a partially stacked sensor, upgraded processor, and design tweaks, the Sony A7 IV will stick around as a budget option.
We cut through all the marketing speak behind the Sony A7 V launch and, coupled with our Sony A7 V hands-on review, narrowed down what the key differences are between the new A7 V and the old Sony A7 IV.
Sensor
- A7 V upgrades to a partially stacked sensor
- Sony says the A7 V has better dynamic range and ISO performance
At first glance, the sensor appears to be unchanged between the two models, but in reality, the two cameras have several differences in the sensor despite sharing a 33MP resolution and full frame size.
That’s because the sensor on the A7 V is partially stacked, whereas the A7 IV’s is not. The partially stacked sensor leads to a significant improvement in performance, but we’ll get to that next.
First, does the change in the sensor on the A7 V lead to any improvements in image quality? Actually, yes, though the differences are more subtle than the performance boost. Sony says the A7 V has better noise reduction and better dynamic range at up to 16 stops. We’re still testing our A7 V review sample, but haven’t spotted anything contrary to what Sony claims.
The other way that the sensor update impacts image quality is that it’s better at reducing the rolling shutter artifacts. The A7 V reads the sensor faster, so the distortion that skews fast-moving objects when using the electronic shutter is reduced on the A7 V. Both cameras still have both electronic and mechanical shutters, so photographers can still choose whether they need the most speed or the least distortion.
Processor and Performance
- Upgraded from BionZ XR to BionZ XR2
- A7 V has superior subject recognition and AF speed
- Burst speeds jump up to 30 fps, up from 10 fps
The camera’s processor plays a role in both image quality and performance, and the Sony A7 V moves to an entirely new processor, the BionZ XR2, where the A7 IV has the BionZ ZR.
The BionZ XR2 actually integrates the AI processing chip directly into the processor itself, which is a different approach than the separate AI processor on high-end cameras like the A1 II and A9 III.
Sony says that integrating the AI processor into the processor as one unit improves the subject recognition, autofocus, and adds human pose estimation, both improvements compared to the A7 IV. On the A7 V, photographers no longer need to choose which type of subject; everything is unified into one mode, so you can quickly move from photographing birds to photographing cars.
In our early tests of the Sony A7 V, autofocus was the biggest improvement compared to the IV. The camera’s autofocus is lightning fast, but it also feels more confident and accurate at recognizing subjects.
While autofocus feels like the biggest improvement between the IV and V, there are a few specs that remain the same – there’s still 759 autofocus points, and the low light sensitivity is rated down to -4 EV.
The new stacked sensor, processor, and autofocus enhancements give the Sony A7 V a significant advantage in photographing the fastest-moving subjects. The other piece of the equation? The burst speed. The Sony A7 V can get up to 30 fps, still using continuous autofocus, with the electronic shutter. The A7 IV topped out at 10 fps.
Design
- A7 V has an improved grip
- A7 V has a larger, tilting screen
- A7 V has a blackout-free viewfinder at 30fps
Place the A7 IV and the A7 V side-by-side, and it’s like one of those “find the difference” puzzles because the two cameras have a very similar design. There are, however, a few notable differences.
Sony says the grip on the A7 V is improved – it feels more like the grip on the A7R V than the one on the A7 IV. Grips have been a gripe of mine on some Sony cameras, so this feels like a potentially significant change.
Both cameras have a tilting LCD screen, but the A7 V screen tilts on four axes, while the IV has a vari-angle style. The A7 V also bumps the resolution up to 2,095,104 dots from 1,036,800 dots, and the screen is a bit bigger at 3.2” rather than three inches.
The viewfinder sports the same resolution and size; the only noticeable difference is that the A7 V can shoot those 30 fps bursts without blacking out the viewfinder between shots.
The Sony A7 V also has a notable improvement in battery life, despite using the same battery, thanks to increased efficiency. It’s rated to 750 shots per charge compared to the IV’s 520 shots.
Video
- The Sony A7 V bumps the 4K to 120fps
- Stabilization improves on the A7 V to 7.5 stops
The Sony A7 V is designed in part for hybrid shooters, but it heavily favors still photography. Both the Sony A7 IV and the A7 V max out at 4K, and both are capable of oversampling the 4K from 7K for more detail.
But, there are still some new features on the A7 V lacking on the IV. The A7 V’s 4K reaches 120p, and the reductions to rolling shutter and improvements to autofocus will impact video performance as well. The improved 7.5 stops of stabilization at the center and 6.5 stops on the edges improve video as well, along with improved digital stabilization modes.
The A7 V has a new AI autoreframing, where creators can leave the camera on a tripod, and the camera will crop to automatically keep them centered in the frame as they move. Creators can set a crop level in the camera’s menu to avoid heavy crops that drastically reduce quality.
The A7 V also gains more in-camera audio noise reduction features for better blocking of background noise.
The newer camera also has more internal recording formats with 4:2:2 10-bit footage in S-Log or S-Log2. Booth cameras lack RAW video and open gate.
Value
- The A7 IV will remain as a more affordable choice
Like with the A7 III and A7 IV, Sony isn’t killing off the A7 IV just because the A7 V exists. The Sony A7 IV will remain around as a more budget-friendly option. As of this writing, the Sony A7 IV is selling for around $1,998 / £1,699 / CA$2,699 / AU$2,848. The price may change a bit with sales, but is expected to remain significantly less than the new A7 V.
The Sony A7 V retails for $2,899 / £2,799 / CA$3,699 (Australia pricing not yet announced).
That leaves a fairly significant price gap between the old and new, big enough to cover the cost of some lenses.
Another thing to note is that, if you buy the kit instead of the body only, the A7 V includes a new kit lens, the Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II, which is designed to keep up with the faster autofocus speeds on the A7 V.
Verdict
The Sony A7 V makes several significant leaps forward, so much so, that it’s beginning to no longer feel like any entry-level full-frame camera. Instead, the A7 IV is better posed to take on that moniker.
With both cameras still available, the choice largely comes down to both budget and genre. The biggest changes to the Sony A7 V are to performance, so photographers shooting sports and wildlife will see the most significant improvement. The better ISO, more accurate eye detection autofocus will be helpful for genres like portraits, but feel less drastic considering the price difference.
We’re still testing the Sony A7 V – for example, we have yet to have the software support to look at the RAW files. But based on our initial hands-on, the Sony A7 V is the better option for genres that need the fastest performance and the most accurate autofocus.
The Sony A7 IV, on the other hand, remains the better value. The Sony A7 IV feels more like Sony’s entry into full-frame, while the A7 V creeps more towards mid-level territory. Just because the A7 V exists doesn’t mean the A7 IV is a bad buy, particularly on a tight budget and in genres where speed is less of a priority.
Additional Sony A7 V coverage
- Read the news on the Sony A7 V launch
- Read the initial Sony A7 V review
- Or, read about the new Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II kit lens
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