Sony a7 IV vs a7 V: What Changed and Which to Buy

The Sony a7 V keeps the same 33MP resolution as the a7 IV but adds a faster partially stacked sensor, smarter autofocus, 30 fps bursts, 4K 120p video and stronger stabilization. If you shoot action, wildlife or fast events, the a7 V is the better camera, and if you shoot slower subjects on a budget, the a7 IV is still the better value.

The short version

Sony announced the a7 V four years after the a7 IV, and it is the fifth generation of the midrange a7 series. Sony is not discontinuing the a7 IV, and Digital Camera World expects it to stay on sale as the more budget-friendly option.

Photography Blog sums up the choice as "largely focused on speed," with the newer model boosting continuous shooting and video without sacrificing image quality or battery life. That matches the hands-on comparison by Stefan Malloch, covered by Fstoppers, who says the real story is speed rather than a jump in pure image quality.

Spec comparison at a glance

Feature	Sony a7 IV	Sony a7 V
Sensor	33MP BSI Exmor R CMOS	33MP partially stacked Exmor RS
Processor	Previous generation	BIONZ XR2 with built-in AI unit
Max burst	10 fps	30 fps, electronic shutter, continuous AF
Full-frame 4K	Up to 30p, 7K oversampled	Up to 60p, 7K oversampled, no pixel binning
Super 35 4K	Up to 60p	Up to 120p
In-body stabilization	5-axis, up to 5.5 stops	5-axis, up to 7.5 stops
Rear screen	3-inch vari-angle touchscreen	3.2-inch 4-axis multi-angle touchscreen
Viewfinder	3.68m-dot	3.68m-dot, 120 fps, apparently the same panel
Battery life (CIPA)	520 EVF / 580 LCD	630 EVF / 750 LCD
Weight (body only)	37g lighter than the a7 V	695g
Launch price (body, US)	$2,499	$2,899

What changed: the sensor and processor

Both cameras land at 33 megapixels, so you will not gain resolution by upgrading. The difference is how fast the sensor reads out. The a7 V uses Sony's first partially stacked sensor, paired with the new BIONZ XR2 processor.

Photography Blog says this combination gives 4.5x faster readout than the a7 IV, along with greater dynamic range and less rolling shutter. It lists the a7 V at 16+ stops of dynamic range, one stop more than the a7 IV.

One practical detail for raw shooters: the a7 V can record 14-bit RAW even when shooting continuously with the electronic shutter, which the a7 IV cannot.

Will your photos look different?

Probably not by much. Digital Camera World's reviewer said you would struggle to see any image quality difference over the prior model. Malloch's comparison makes the same point: side-by-side photos will not look like a different class of camera.

That matters if image quality is your main reason for upgrading. The a7 IV already handles noise well: PetaPixel found stable performance up to around ISO 1,600, with ISO 8,000 as the tipping point for usable photos. Its weak spot in Digital Camera World's lab testing was dynamic range, which fell noticeably behind rivals above ISO 400.

Autofocus and burst shooting

This is the biggest change between the two cameras. In Digital Camera World's early tests, autofocus was the largest improvement over the a7 IV, with the reviewer describing it as fast and more confident at recognizing subjects.

Sony claims up to a 30% improvement in Real-time Recognition AF, with 759 phase-detection points covering up to 94% of the frame and focus down to EV -4.0. The a7 V also adds human pose estimation, and it unifies subject detection into one mode, so you no longer pick birds, animals or cars before you shoot.

The a7 IV is no slouch. PetaPixel called its subject tracking in AF-C one of the best experiences its reviewer had with a Sony camera, and noted bird detection worked across more head angles and lighting than before.

10 fps vs 30 fps

The a7 IV tops out at 10 fps, and the a7 V reaches 30 fps with continuous autofocus using the electronic shutter. Malloch calls the a7 IV's 10 fps "fine" and says the a7 V's blackout-free 30 fps opens up a different style of shooting.

There is a catch on the a7 IV. It shoots 8 fps in Hi mode and 10 fps in Hi+, but in Hi+ the viewfinder shows a slideshow of images slightly behind the action, so PetaPixel's reviewer always chose Hi. To use the full burst capability of either camera you need a fast card: the a7 IV's top slot takes CFexpress Type A cards, which Digital Camera World says are needed to exploit its burst range.

The a7 V also adds Pre-Capture. If you shoot birds, kids' sports or anything that moves unpredictably, this and the faster burst are the strongest reasons to pick the a7 V.

Video: where the a7 V pulls ahead, and where it doesn't

Both cameras top out at 4K, and both can oversample 4K from a 7K readout. The difference is frame rate and crop.

The a7 IV shoots 4K 60p only in Super 35 mode, with full-frame oversampled recording up to 4K 30p. The a7 V records 7K oversampled 4K 60p in full frame with no pixel binning, and adds 4K 120p in Super 35.

The a7 IV was already a big step for video. It records 10-bit 4:2:2, with Long GOP or All-Intra encoding. Digital Camera World notes that 10-bit capture makes S-Log3 much more useful for color grading.

Other a7 V video upgrades

• Sony says the a7 V can record 4K 60p 4:2:0 8-bit continuously for around 90 minutes, helped by a graphite heat-dissipation part built into the stabilization unit.
• New audio noise reduction offers Wind NR and Noise Cut settings for built-in and external mics.
• Active and Dynamic digital stabilization modes add a slight crop, and Digital Camera World found them effective for handheld footage.

The a7 V still lacks open gate recording, which Digital Camera World flags as a limit for editors cutting for multiple platforms. It also called video the key area where rivals are showing up Sony's omissions. Photography Blog gives the Canon EOS R6 Mark III a possible edge over the a7 V for more advanced video recording.

Stabilization, screen and handling

Both cameras have 5-axis IBIS, rated up to 7.5 stops on the a7 V and 5.5 stops on the a7 IV. Because it is in the body, the a7 V can stabilize lenses without Optical SteadyShot and even adapted third-party lenses.

The rear screen grows from a 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen to a 3.2-inch 4-axis multi-angle design that combines tilt and flip-out movement. That helps if you shoot stills at waist level as often as you film yourself. The a7 IV's rear LCD was a sore point for PetaPixel, which said its 1.03 million dot resolution made it hard to judge focus in playback.

The viewfinder does not change. Newsshooter reports the a7 V uses a 3.68m-dot, 120 fps EVF that looks to be the same one in the a7 IV.

The a7 V is slightly thicker and heavier, at 130.3 x 96.4 x 72.3mm and 695g, 37g more than the a7 IV. Malloch points to a larger grip and more customizable controls. Otherwise, Digital Camera World says you might not spot the difference without the name on the top plate.

Battery, cards and connectivity

Both cameras use the same NP-FZ100 battery, so spares carry over if you upgrade. The a7 V's more efficient processor raises battery life to 630 shots with the viewfinder and 750 with the LCD, versus 520 and 580 on the a7 IV.

Card slots are similar. The a7 IV has twin UHS-II SD slots, with the top slot also taking CFexpress Type A. The a7 V also offers UHS-II SD and CFexpress Type A support.

The a7 V adds 6GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, 4K 30p USB live streaming and dual USB-C ports. Its Wi-Fi supports 5 and 6 GHz bands with 2x2 MIMO for transfers, remote control and wireless tethering.

Price

The a7 V launched at $2,899 body only, or $3,099 with a redesigned FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II lens. The a7 IV launched at $2,499 body only in 2021. At the time of Digital Camera World's comparison, the a7 IV was selling for around $1,998, and the site expects it to stay significantly cheaper than the a7 V.

The a7 V kit lens is worth a note if you buy the kit. Sony says the FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II supports up to 120 fps AF/AE tracking with compatible cameras and adds breathing compensation.

Which should you buy?

Buy the a7 IV if

• You shoot portraits, landscapes, travel, products or interviews, where 10 fps is plenty.
• You want the most full-frame camera for the money. Digital Camera World calls it the better value, especially on a tight budget and in genres where speed matters less.
• You film mostly at 24p or 30p, where it already uses a 7K oversampled full-frame readout.

If you buy one, start with the a7 IV first-time setup guide and the a7 IV video settings guide. If you are getting soft shots, the guide to a7 IV blurry photo causes and fixes covers the usual settings culprits.

Buy the a7 V if

• You shoot wildlife, sports, kids or events, where 30 fps, Pre-Capture and stronger tracking pay off.
• You want full-frame 4K 60p or 4K 120p slow motion.
• You shoot handheld video and want up to 7.5 stops of IBIS.

Photography Blog calls the a7 V the best do-it-all camera for enthusiasts that Sony currently offers. Keep expectations realistic: Malloch draws a clear line between the a7 V and top-tier bodies like the Sony a1 II, calling it a big improvement, not magic.

Rigging the a7 IV for video

If you plan to add a monitor, mic or handle to an a7 IV, a cage gives you mounting points without screwing everything into the hot shoe. The SmallRig HawkLock quick release cage below is sold for the a7 IV, along with other Alpha 7 bodies. Because the a7 V body is slightly thicker and heavier, check compatibility before assuming an a7 IV cage will fit it.

Lenses and other Sony options

Whichever body you choose, the lens shapes your results more than the upgrade from IV to V. Both bodies stabilize non-stabilized and adapted lenses in-body, which widens your choice of Sony and third-party glass. For specific picks, see the best lenses for the Sony a7 IV guide.

If both cameras are beyond your budget and you are weighing a ZV-E10 instead, read the ZV-E10 vs ZV-E10 II comparison or the wider best Sony cameras for beginners roundup.