Sony A7 V gets release date rumors – and it could be the world’s best all-round camera
It’s been nearly three years since Sony launched the A7 IV, a mirrorless hybrid camera that most still consider the best camera in the world. And now, finally, new rumors are swirling about a release date for its successor.
According to the fairly reliable Sony Alpha Rumors and his “two trusted sources,” the Sony A7 V will “hit the market between January and March 2025.” That’s apparently a bit later than planned, as the camera was reportedly announced in October 2024.
Still, it’s good to hear that an announcement is in the works (possibly late 2024), with Sony Alpha Rumors claiming that “the camera will ship in Q1.” That means, at worst, sometime before the end of March.
What upgrades can we expect from the full-frame camera that our Sony A7 IV review called “the best hybrid mirrorless camera you can buy right now”? Specs are still a bit vague, but Sony Alpha Rumors claims the big upgrades will be related to “speed” and “new AI features”.
We don’t have to look far for a glimpse of what that might be: since the launch of the A7 IV, the Sony A7R V and Sony ZV-E1 have been equipped with an AI chipset that brings some genuinely useful video features. ‘Auto Framing’ crops into the entire frame, intelligently tracking your subject as it moves through the frame, while Sony’s subject detection autofocus remains best-in-class.
Two things we shouldn’t expect, according to the rumors, are 8K video capabilities or global shutter, as seen on the Sony A9 III. For most people, those are relatively niche features, so they wouldn’t be a huge miss – and we’d imagine the A7 V could inherit the A7R V’s handy four-axis touchscreen too.
The new sweet spot?
The Sony A7 IV was particularly appealing because it packed the best features of Sony’s stills and video cameras into one small, accessible body. If the A7 V can repeat that trick, it could be a real contender for the top spot in our guide to the world’s best cameras.
Our only real complaints with the A7 IV, aside from the price increase over the classic Sony A7 III, were its relatively modest burst shooting ceiling (of around 9fps) and its heavily cropped 4K/60p video. If the A7 V improves on these, as rumors predict, while also adding AI features, it could be a near-perfect camera for those who like to shoot an even mix of stills and video.
The only real stumbling block may be outside of Sony’s hands. Canon recently announced in Japan Sony Inc. announced that it was experiencing “shipment delays” for new products like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II due to “the impact of global component supply.” We don’t know if that’s the reason for the A7 V’s seemingly delayed announcement, but Sony has certainly been quiet on the announcement front this year.
Still, Sony Alpha Rumors says that a Sony A1 II is also on the way “within the next 6-7 months,” along with a new 24-70mm f/2 lens and another mystery lens. So it looks like Sony’s camera drought may be ending in spectacular fashion soon, even if it’s all coming a little late for Christmas.
