Sony a7 V vs a7 IV: which to buy?

Same 33MP resolution, four years apart. The a7 V adds a partially stacked sensor, 30 fps bursts, AI subject recognition and 7.5-stop IBIS.

Sony a7 V mirrorless camera — **Sony a7 V**33MP partially stacked · launched at about $2,899 in 2025Photo: Zachariah Chou via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Sony a7 IV body, front, lens removed — **Sony a7 IV**33MP back-illuminated · launched at $2,500 in 2021Image: Sony Electronics

Side-by-side specs

	Sony a7 V	Sony a7 IV
Sensor	33.0MP full-frame partially stacked Exmor RS CMOS; 7008 × 4672	33MP full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS; 7008 × 4672
Processor	BIONZ XR2 with AI processing unit	BIONZ XR
Autofocus	759 phase-detection points (about 94% of the frame); subject recognition for human, animal, bird, insect, car, train and airplane	759 phase-detection points; Real-time Eye AF and Real-time Tracking for humans, animals and birds
ISO	100–51200 (50–204800 expanded, stills)	100–51200 (50–204800 expanded, stills)
Stabilization	5-axis in-body, up to 7.5 stops at center (CIPA)	5-axis in-body, 5.5 stops (CIPA)
Burst	Up to 30 fps blackout-free (electronic shutter), including 14-bit RAW; Pre-Capture up to 1 s	Up to 10 fps (Hi+)
Fastest shutter	1/16000 s (electronic)	1/8000 s
Video	4K up to 60p oversampled from 7K (full frame); 4K 120p in APS-C/Super 35; 10-bit 4:2:2; S-Log3. No raw video or open gate	4K up to 30p full width, oversampled from 7K; 4K/60 in Super 35; 10-bit 4:2:2; S-Cinetone, S-Log3
Viewfinder	OLED, 3.69M dots, 0.78x	OLED, 3.69M dots, 0.78x
Screen	3.2-type, 2.1M-dot touchscreen; 4-axis multi-angle (tilts and swings out)	3.0-inch, 1.04M-dot fully articulating touchscreen
Card slots	CFexpress Type A / SD (UHS-II) + SD (UHS-II)	CFexpress Type A / SD (UHS-II) + SD (UHS-II)
Ports	Two USB-C (one 10 Gbps); full-size HDMI; mic and headphone jacks	USB-C (10 Gbps, power delivery); full-size HDMI; mic and headphone jacks
Wireless	Wi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz), Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz; some regional versions are 2.4 GHz only), Bluetooth 4.1
Battery (CIPA)	NP-FZ100; about 630 shots (viewfinder) / 750 (LCD)	NP-FZ100; 580 shots (LCD)
Weight	695 g with battery and card	About 658 g with battery and SD card
Weather resistance	Dust and moisture resistant design; Sony: "Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof"	Magnesium alloy, weather-sealed (DPReview)
Launch price	Dec 2, 2025; $2,899 body-only (US)	Oct 21, 2021; $2,500 body-only (US)

Specs from our a7 V and a7 IV guides (Sony, DPReview, Engadget), plus Sony's a7 IV specifications page for wireless, the a7 IV weight from Sony's ILCE-7M4 Help Guide specifications and Sony's a7 V product page for dust and moisture resistance; US launch prices from Sony. ✓ = advantage; blank = tie or not directly comparable. The a7 IV is the lighter one, by 37 g (695 g vs 658 g).

Sample photos

Four photos taken with the Sony a7 V and six with the Sony a7 IV, shared on Wikimedia Commons under open licenses.

Village scene in Burgerroth, Bavaria — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

St. Vitus parish church in Tauberrettersheim — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

St. Laurentius church in Bütthard — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Church square and St. Vitus church in Oellingen — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Cave formations in Onondaga Cave State Park — Taken with the Sony a7 IV and Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens. Photo: mostateparks via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)

Air Force tactical air control party members during a NATO exercise — Taken with the Sony a7 IV. Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Katie Tamesis via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)

Dietl Palace building in Kraków, seen from the northwest — Taken with the Sony a7 IV and Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G lens. Photo: Krzysztof Popławski via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)

A French goat cheese roll on a plate — Taken with the Sony a7 IV. Photo: Peachyeung316 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

F-22 Raptor flying at the Toronto International Airshow — Taken with the Sony a7 IV. Photo: U.S. Air Force 1FW by Staff Sgt. Michael Bowman via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)

A duck taking off from Al Qudra Lake — Taken with the Sony a7 IV and Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS lens. Photo: Thejaswinramesh via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Who should buy which

Buy the a7 V if…

You shoot sport, wildlife, birds or kids: 30 fps blackout-free bursts with Pre-Capture and AI subject recognition.
You want 4K/60 from the full frame, or 4K/120 in Super 35.
Handheld low light matters: IBIS is rated up to 7.5 stops vs 5.5.

Buy the a7 IV if…

You shoot portraits, travel, events or weddings and 10 fps is enough.
You prefer a fully articulating screen.

Watch-outs from our guides: the a7 IV's readout is slow enough to distort fast motion with the electronic shutter; the a7 V has no raw video or open gate, and DPReview flags its busy menu. Mostly stills at 24MP? See the a7 III vs a7 IV comparison. Cross-shopping Canon? See R6 Mark III vs a7 V or a7 IV vs R6 Mark II.

Where to buy

Sony a7 V

Sony a7 V · body

Sony: Launched at about $2,899 in 2025 (US)

Check price
Read the full Sony a7 V guide

Sony a7 IV

Sony a7 IV · body

Sony: Launched at $2,500 in 2021 (Sony Electronics release, October 21, 2021).

Check price
Read the full Sony a7 IV guide

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