The a7 V marks the debut of a new 33MP Partially Stacked BSI CMOS image sensor and Bionz XR2 image processor. The sensor matches the chip in the a7C II and a7 IV in resolution, but integrates memory for a brisker readout speed to support faster frame rates for stills and video alike and reduce instances of rolling shutter motion distortion. It scans from top to bottom in about 12ms for stills (about 1/80-second) and 10ms (1/100-second) for video, both excellent marks. In practical terms, this means that you can use the a7 V in its electronic shutter without having to worry about seeing jello effects for most scenes. It also has a mechanical shutter that passes over the sensor in about 4ms for even more motion-stopping power and 1/250-second flash sync speed.
Sigma 24mm F2 Contemporary, f/5.6, 1/160-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The camera supports a few different image formats. It records 8-bit JPGs that are easily shareable, but are compressed and processed in-camera, so they don’t leave much room for exposure or color edits. Its 10-bit HEIF format captures more color information and looks better on HDR displays. Experts and pros will want to use Raw, which captures 14-bit color and relies on desktop or mobile software for editing and processing, so you can get creative with color, recover a photo that’s over- or underexposed, or adjust highlights and shadows in software like Adobe Lightroom Classic. There are three Raw options from which to choose: Lossless Compressed, Compressed High Quality, and Compressed.
Sigma 150-600mm Sports, 150mm, f/5, 1/500-second, ISO 800 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
The updated sensor isn’t just fast, it also delivers fantastic picture quality. I’m waiting on Adobe to add support for the camera to make an apples-to-apples comparison with other models, but the out-of-camera JPGs impress me. The sensor supports a wide ISO 50-204800 sensitivity range, and shows exquisite detail with very little loss of quality up through ISO 12800. I see some smudging of fine detail at ISO 25600-51200, but not that much. There’s a loss of fidelity at ISO 102400—details are blurry, but colors hold up. I consider ISO 204800 an emergency setting for use in near dark environments, as noise wipes away most fine detail, and colors are a little washed out.
Sony FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS, f/4.5, 1/100-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
I typically use Lightroom Classic to examine and compare Raw images, but it hasn’t yet been updated to support the a7 V’s files. I took a peek at my ISO tests in Sony Imaging Edge Desktop, but its noise reduction isn’t nearly as good as Lightroom so I can’t make a direct comparison with other cameras. Lightroom’s Raw processing typically follows JPG results, but shows stronger detail and more grain at higher ISO settings. Likewise, I haven’t had a chance to see how much dynamic range the Raw images provide for editing, but an early report from Photons to Photos shows that the a7 V is excellent. At base ISO, it delivers more than 12 stops with its mechanical shutter and 11 stops with its electronic shutter. That means you’ll have ample room to open up details in shadows and rein in highlights.
Sony FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS, f/2.8, 1/320-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
If you don’t want to deal with editing Raw images, you can still get stylized color out of the a7 V. In addition to the basic profiles (Standard, Neutral, Portrait, Vivid, Black and White, Sepia), it has three different film look options (FL, FL2, FL3) with high, medium, and low contrast, respectively, an instant camera profile (IN), and a soft highkey (SH) mode. I swapped between FL and the black-and-white (BW) profiles for the most part.
