Upgrade Guide
Sony A7R II→Sony A7R V
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Worthwhile
Clear improvements over the A7R II. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.
What's new in the A7R V
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Resolution61MP vs 42MP (+19MP)
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StabilisationImproved — 8-stop IBIS
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Burst rate10fps mechanical / 7fps electronic vs 5fps
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Battery life530 shots (CIPA) vs ~290 shots (CIPA)
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Generation7 years newer (2022 vs 2015)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | A7R II | A7R V | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +1.8 | ||
| Street | +0.7 | ||
| Travel | +0.8 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +2.8 | ||
| Filmmaking | +1.8 | ||
| Documentary | +1.8 | ||
| Sports & Action | +1.9 | ||
| Landscape | +1.7 | ||
| Wildlife | +1.5 | ||
| Casual | +1.4 | ||
| Food | +2.0 | ||
| Macro | +2.3 | ||
| Architecture | +2.2 | ||
| Astrophotography | +1.0 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A7R II | A7R V | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £420 used | £2,999 | |
| Released | 2015 | 2022 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R | 61MP full-frame BSI CMOS | |
| Resolution | 42MP | 61MP | ↑ |
| Video | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p | 8K/25p, 4K/60p | |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection | AI subject recognition AF, 693-point phase-detect | |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) | 8-stop IBIS | |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps mechanical / 7fps electronic | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~290 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 625g (with battery and card) | 723g (body only) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots | |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | 3.2" multi-angle touchscreen | |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (E-mount) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See A7R II and A7R V next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A7R V against your specific genres — not just specs.
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