Sony A7 IV Is it worth upgrading from A7IV to A7V? (2025)

[candasulas]

Hello everyone,
I haven't shared anything here for a long time. According to AlphaRumors, the A7V is said to be released in early 2025. According to two reliable sources, this has been leaked.

RUMOR: The new Sony A7V is expected to be launched in Q1 2025! – sonyalpharumors

www.sonyalpharumors.com

I have been using the A7IV for about two years. I switched from the A7RIII and I am quite happy with it. I really liked the faster processor, focus, object tracking, CFExpress, controls and the new menu when I switched. Is it worth switching to the A7V for you? As far as I know, AI features will be added, the rear LCD screen will be like the A7RV. Maybe they will increase the shooting speed to 15FPS.
Frankly, I don't do any video work. I only shoot things like streets, landscapes, animals and portraits.

I don't know if I should start allocating a budget to switch to the A7V for an amateur user like me.
I wanted to get your opinion.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Probably not IMO. You may get a slightly better AF system, but don't expect more resolution or anything remotely useful or groundbreaking.

 

[iamdlewis]

I don't know if I should start allocating a budget to switch to the A7V for an amateur user like me.

Why not? If the A7v comes out and the feature set doesn't look like it will be worth the upgrade you don't have to spend the money or you could spend it on a lens or a trip somewhere or something not camera related at all.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

According to two reliable sources, this has been leaked.

I wouldn't describe the rumour sites as reliable sources! an a7v is probably inevitable, so it is a safe rumour. The when and what is pure guesswork.

I wondered why anyone was even going to discuss it at this stage... but yes, I do get that such things have to be saved for. I will not be buying one if-and-when. I've had my a7iv only a year or so, and there's no way that'd I'd buy another alpha-full-frame-price camera within several years. Not even saving up for one.

What will it have? Probably the latest "AI" autofocus. Plus some stuff that only video people know the meaning of. I don't do video at all, but it is very important to Sony to appeal to that market for a "hybrid" camera. Basically, it is going to be an a7Rv without the high resolution. A good question might be, what features of the a7Rv do you find tempting?

Whilst the a7iv does what you want/need, is it worth "upgrading" at all? GAS is real, but you could always give yourself more time for saving by planning on buying that new camera when it is 2-3 years old. The a7iv in 2003 was the highest I could go in the Sony price range, but I thought it was quite a good deal and didn't mind that I was not getting the very latest stuff.

From an a6500, I find the a7iv incredibly easy to use. No doubt, the next generation of AF would be even easier, with an even lower failure rate. But I can already point and snap with an amazing success rate (technically: the artistic side might still be way off. But that's not the camera's fault).

What I'd like is already there in the a9iii: the ability to go fully silent, in any light, with no banding issues. A whole new technology in full-frame cameras. If they made that affordable to me, I might start saving!