And don't expect a Sony A1 II until next year, either
(Image credit: Future)
According to a trusted source of Sony Alpha Rumors, Sony might not be releasing an a7 V until next year. The same source also claims we'll have to wait until 2025 to see a successor to the Sony A1, with both rumors being given a 90% chance of being correct.
On the one hand it could be argued that we're overdue a 5th generation 'standard' Alpha model, as while both the original a7 and a7R launched in 2013, we've had the a7R V since late 2022, yet a fifth generation a7 is still nowhere to be seen. However, Sony clearly doesn't release new camera generations simultaneously across its model tiers, as historically the a7R series has had the most frequent release schedule, and the a7S series the slowest, with the current a7S III dating back to 2020.
But despite strong competition from Nikon and Canon, the A7 IV can still hold its own in the performance and specs stakes, and it continues to sell well, despite being older than the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Nikon Z6 III. Sony's well-established lens line-up and extensive third-party lens support also are bound to help drive sales of Sony bodies, as many consumers new to the Sony ecosystem will likely value the extensive lens choice over a slightly more modern body.
The Sony a7C II - a possible alternative if you can't wait for an a7 V (Image credit: Gareth Bevan / Digital Camera World)
What's more, Sony is able to bolster the aging a7 IV with other cameras in its arsenal. Though not a direct replacement for an a7 camera, the a7C II is newer, has a slightly higher resolution and is a little cheaper than the a7 IV. There's also the A7R IVA, which isn't prohibitively more expensive than the a7 IV, yet boasts a 61MP sensor and plenty of pro-grade features.
Now while there may well be little need to replace the a7 IV this year, I'd say the Sony a1 is more in need of a successor. It's been around for well over three years and, though a spectacular camera, the launch of the Canon R5 Mark II has highlighted the age of Sony's flagship as the new Canon outperforms the a1 in terms of outright resolving power and continuous shooting speed, while being capable of cinema 8K video capture.
But though the a7 and a1 series may not be getting new models this year, that's not to say Sony won't launch any new cameras until 2025. As mentioned, we're due an a7S IV by now, and if that doesn't materialize, a new ZV-series camera never seems to be far away.
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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.
