It’s been a very quiet year forSonythus far in regards to camera gear. It announced the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G in February, the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G in April, theZV-E10 IIand E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II in June, and then the FE 85mm F1.4 G Master II in August. While those lenses and the ZV-E10 II are all worthy products, the tech giant has yet to release a more advancedmirrorless camerain 2024, which is rather surprising.
It’s been three years since theSony A7 IVwas released, so it seems about time for Sony to follow up with an updated model.Sony Alpha Rumorsrecently said that he was told the camera was supposed to be announced in October but that the announcement has been delayed, likely to Q1 2025. This could be a result of a bottleneck in production impacting the entire industry, whichCanon Japanrecently announced was the reason for delays with the EOS R5 Mark II.
Even though the A7 IV is now three years old, it remains one of the best hybrid cameras available. I reviewed the A7 IV when it first came out and was seriously impressed by it in almost every regard. It offers a sweet spot of photo and video features, making it the ideal choice for creatives who need it all. The photo and video quality is superb, and Sony fixed some of the menu system issues, making it easier to use. That said, some things could use fixing to make the camera even better. It doesn’t seem likely that there will be any groundbreaking shifts in the A7 V, but we hope to see improvements in a few key areas.
The best cameras for photos and video
No matter your experience level or goals, the best cameras will help you create stunning images and videos.
Sony A7 IV
The Sony A7 IV is a truly great all-rounder for those who do a bit of everything. It shoots fantastic videos, takes great photos, and is well-built to handle whatever you throw at it.
5Uncropped 4K60 video capabilities
A modest but key upgrade for videographers
While the A7 IV’s video capabilities are excellent in most regards, with plenty of recording options and superb quality, the heavy crop in 4K60 is rather frustrating. If Sony could bump 4K60 to full-frame, it would solve one of the biggest complaints of the A7 IV when it comes to video specs, making an already great camera even better.
If Sony could bump 4K60 to full-frame, it would solve one of the biggest complaints of the A7 IV when it comes to video specs, making an already great camera even better.
While we would like this slight boost to recording modes, we don’t expect Sony to bump the video quality to 8K or even 6K video. The A7 lineup fits in a nice spot for enthusiastic hobbyists and professionals who are true hybrid shooters but don’t need the absolute highest video quality. Professional or even semi-professional videographers and cinematographers who want higher quality video would likely go with something in Sony’s cinema line or even the A7S. Because there are so many other choices, it doesn’t make sense to have that carried into the A7 V. Plus, an increase in video quality would bring up the camera’s price a fair amount, which would take it beyond the current target market.
4Better heat management for video
A way to cool the camera when shooting 4K
Another video-related upgrade we hope Sony addresses is heat management. The A7 IV is prone to overheating when shooting video, which can be limiting for certain videographers. Overheating is only an issue in certain situations, such as at the max video quality with the screen closed to the back of the camera, so it isn’t an issue for all videographers. But it can be really limiting for some. Anyway, any improvement to thermal management is appreciated with new cameras. Having more flexibility to shoot as you need to without limitations is never a bad thing, after all, so hopefully Sony can address this in its new camera.
3Faster burst shooting for action
Keeping up with the competition
One area in which the Sony a7 IV lagged behind its closest competition, even on release, is in burst shooting. It’s only capable of 10 frames per second (fps) with lossy raw and 6 fps with uncompressed raw. The buffer rate is quite large, so that helps get more out the camera in terms of continuous shooting, but it still isn’t as fast as Canon or Nikon. For example, the new Nikon Z6 III offers up to 20 fps with the electronic shutter in raw format.
While we don’t expect a massive jump, doubling the continuous shooting rate to 20 fps would be an appreciated addition to the Sony A7 V. It would put it more in line with the competition and keep the camera an extremely well-rounded option for creatives who do a bit of everything.
2An added dedicated AI chipset
Autofocus and video tools will benefit
One of the few rumors going around about the upcoming A7 V is that it will receive “new AI features,” according to Sony Alpha Rumors. This is a likely addition since everything is getting new and more AI tools in 2024. The Sony A7R V and Sony ZV-E1, released after the A7 IV, both feature an AI chipset that provides some useful video features like Auto Framing, which crops into the full image and tracks the subject as they move around the frame.
Sony’s subject-detection autofocus is consistently the best across the industry, and an AI chipset would unlock even better autofocus performance for stills and videos. We expect Sony to want to keep its autofocus crown and hope that the trend of useful autofocus features continues with the latest camera.
1A four-axis touchscreen with better resolution
Even more flexibility when shooting
While I absolutely loved the A7 IV when I had a chance to review it three years ago, one simple feature that bugged me was the rear display. The A7 III, my primary camera, uses a tilt-out display, while the A7 IV offers full articulation. That movement is helpful for vloggers recording themselves or for low-angle shots in portrait orientation, but it isn’t great for mostly horizontal shooting or those who stick behind the camera.
With the A7R V, Sony used a four-axis touchscreen, which offers the best of both worlds. You can tilt the display without flipping it out to the side of the camera or flip it out and around for self-recording. Although it’s a relatively minor detail, I hope Sony carries this over to the A7 V. Additionally, the resolution of the LCD on the A7 IV (1,037,000 dots) lags behind its competition, so it would be nice to see Sony improve its quality.
