Sony a7V review: Leave it until it's fixed

The Sony A7V should be a big release that will attract new customers.So why is Sony moving away from the entry-level base?

Last time on 12.12.2025.updated by Alberto Lima

Sony's a7V is here, and like the other cameras in the a7 line, the a7V is primarily positioned as an all-in-one camera without delving too deeply into any one specialty.The camera introduced some of the company's flagship features, such as real-time object detection and pre-recording, while aiming for a low barrier to entry.However, after testing and living with this camera for the past few weeks, it's clear that Sony has some work to do if it plans to.repeat the success of previous models of the series.

Content

Big picture: Sony a7 V review results

I've had the Sony a7V for review since the day it was announced.Sony has billed it as the ultimate entry-level full-frame camera for "high-end enthusiasts and hobbyists who shoot primarily," and while I don't think that's an accurate representation of who is most interested in this camera, I feel that if that's their target audience, Sony made some choices that alienate that photographer.

Although some releases, such as open-air video, received criticism in most other circumstances, the fact that Sony's Saturday system is a product of manufacturers with five SHEN sensors is very difficult.I have used a screen from Sony, Tamnon, Viltrox and I also do not support Techt's instruction and they seem to be afraid that it looks like a collaboration with licensed manufacturers.Sony has, until now, been very open to the e-Brate system, allowing interested manufacturers to develop autofocus lenses in the system.However, with the Sony A7V, it seems like a phase.It's not Sony's fault at all, but unless you're only interested in lens photography, I can't recommend this Sony camera, nor the patents or license they make necessary updates to their product.

To us it looks like Sony has become Canon.

I have been watching this review for a few days now.For them, Sony has a history of working with its manufacturing partners.However, as of this writing, Sony is officially silent on the issue, which affects many third-party lenses made in China.Ultimately, your experience with the Sony A7V will depend on your experience with the Sony EcoSystem.Buying an app may mean buying an older model or getting one from a different brand.

We give the Sony A7V two out of five stars.To try one, check it out on Amazon.

- Advantages: improved ergonomics

- Pro: Pre-recording and functions are rendered on the camera with the help of the image processor

- Minus: autofocus does not work with some third-party objects

- Features open for photographers, many improvements similar to name and foograph

- Cons: AF performance similar to the a7IV, may not be worth the upgrade except for very specific types of photography

Note: For our initial review, we tested the Sony A7V with Sony F4As (owned) (owned), viltrox af 28mm f4.5 from Profoto).

If you're familiar with the Sony A7 camera, you'll know that it has the smallest grip of any of Sony's full-frame bodies (the notable exception being the A7C series).When picking up the A7V for the first time, I was delighted to find a chassis that resembled the Sony A7RIV or A7RV - it was large without adding weight to the camera and felt more secure to hold.With gloves.That's not to say I've ever had a problem with the ergonomics of the camera line;It was a welcome surprise to see greater grip on the body.While most Sony photographers may want a redesign that borrows more from the Sony A9 or A1 series, I don't hold it against Sony, as it sees both as ways to differentiate its product line, and I'm sure it does.Keeping costs down while producing the A7 and A7R respectively.

Another notable hardware change is the four-axis, fully articulated LCD screen.If you think you've seen one before, you haven't - it's basically Sony's interpretation of the Lumix screen from the S-series cameras.I'm not a photographer who relies heavily on the rear screen, but I'm not crazy about this new addition.There were also times when I was shooting on the street where this came in handy - allowing me to get low and shoot from low angle angles.While this is a neat addition, I don't think it will ultimately color your decision as to whether or not the A7V is for you.

On the software side of things, Sony said it's short work of a baby A9 III or A1 II.If you use two cameras - a light fast car, a light fast plane, and not for fast dynamics, real-time detection, real-time detection, etc., Sony said that the new Bionf xR2 processor is specially designed to install the Sony A7V, which introduces the possibility of Japanese "subject detection".We asked Sony about their automatic advance calculation.I can't seem to get out.More data requires real processing power to analyze, which Sony seems to be pulling in the AB7N at the moment, but not as real-world, and it's not very cutting-edge.

One such feature is Sony's Composite RAW support for HDR and NR shooting modes.Depending on the desired effect, the camera takes up to 16 images at 30 frames per second and then combines them using Sony Imaging Edge Desktop to create the final images.Finally, it helps you preserve black/shadow details with NR Shooting and up to 16 stops of dynamic range for HDR.However, it will only be compatible with using their desktop app, which after trying it on its own, isn't worth it.

I'm not trying to be alarmist, but hear me out. Over the years, many shops, including this one, have applauded Sony for making their camera platform available to third parties interested in developing autofocus lenses for the system. It was that openness to the platform that helped them grow by leaps and bounds, especially in the early days of the a7 and a7II.quality glass from companies other than Sony made my second journey into event photography possible.I write with great sadness that this no longer seems to be the case with the Sony a7V.While focus worked well with Sony's own glass, as well as with the Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD and 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD, none of the Viltrox lenses I was able to test, nor the TechArt M-mount to E-mount with AF adapters, allowed the camera to perform reliably even when tested in real-world scenarios.It's worth mentioning that Sony partially owns Tamron;we've even noticed that many Tamron lenses perform better on Sony cameras. So while we fully expect the Tamron lenses to work without a problem, that doesn't excuse the cherry that goes on. Sony, if you're reading this, please work more closely with all manufacturers for the sake of your users.

To make it clear, the lenses previously worked fine until we replaced them.We also updated the water sensors on each and cleaned the lens contacts to make sure this issue doesn't occur.

In limiting the number of parties and content during this review, the A7v has focused on most subjects without problems.However, we found that slow and a little like the singer ZeiS Sonyar T * 55 mm F1.8 No.In real-world testing, the significant difference in actual testing is insignificant - even at night.In the case of benart t * 55 mm, this is after cleaning the people behind the lens more fixed;It almost gave me a heart attack because it was a crime to lose this lens so much from the Fe-Tarup lottery.

While it works if it does, if it doesn't work with the type of lens that a "high end enthusiast" or "hobbyist" might buy, then this camera doesn't work.The truth is, if Sony is sincere about catering to this type of photographer, then they should know that more of this group's budget will be looking for Chinese-made lenses for their systems.

Images are right where you'd expect for a nearly $3,000 camera.Right now, we're basing our judgment primarily on the JPEG files from this camera.Capture One and Lightroom still don't support RAW files from the a7V, and while they're technically great, they're not exactly spectacular.Improvements like improved auto white balance and improved subject tracking are nice, but may not be a compelling enough reason to upgrade over its predecessor.It has helped me become a better bird photographer (admittedly not my strongest skill), but again, it seems more of the same.

Ironically, some of the biggest effects of these changes on camera color reproduction are often noticed when used with our Wiltrox lenses.It's a real shame that some of the equipment this camera shines with can be useless.I hope this changes in the future, but for now, do whatever you want.

Here are some JPEG samples straight from the camera:

And here are some edited JPEG images:

As we are unable to test RAW files at this time, we will post additional edited samples in a future update.

- Pixel number (number): approx. 35.7 megapixels

- Number of pixels (effective): still image: max. 33.0 megapixels*, movie: approx. 27.6 megapixels*

- *Effective pixel count varies depending on lens installed and camera settings.

- Processors: BIONZ XR2

Sensor Type: 35mm Full Frame (35.9 x 23.9mm), Exmor Rs CMOS Sensor - Focus Type: Fast Hybrid AF (Phase Detection AF / Contrast Detection AF) Face.

- AF Point: Additional Picture: Max .759 points (Face Detection AF), Movie: Max .759 points (Phazes Detection AutoFocus

- Recognition Target (Still Images): car, person, animal, bird, insect, car, train, plane.

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