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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's title screen is somewhat indicative of the game as a whole. The hypnotic, curvy eye motif and mysterious purple hue are backed by yet another belter of a title screen track; a series staple I'm glad is intact here. The presentation is immediately absorbing, and it's hard to suppress the goosebumps at the feeling that Metroid's 3D subseries is truly back. And then the whole aesthetic is ruined by a massive 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' logo slapped dead center of the display.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: December 4, 2025

Nevertheless, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond absolutely holds up against the games that came before it. It's leagues ahead of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and its Wii Remote waggling gimmicks and unsatisfying exploration. Beyond also returns to an atmospheric feel very much in line with the original Prime.

The usual biomes are all present here - dense jungle, arid desert, abandoned mines, motorcycle dealership, et al - but all feel richly developed with distinctly alien traces. Ancient ruins, industrial installations, and evidence of twisted experiments lend each major area a rich history long before the arrival of protagonist Samus Aran.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Of course, this is helped by just how gorgeous of a game Metroid Prime 4: Beyond really is. Naturally you'll get the most out of it with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and its support for 4K resolution. Returning developer Retro Studios clearly put a ton of work into environmental design, and an impressive amount of detail helps most areas stand out as a real visual treat.

But I can't quite say Beyond stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the GameCube masterpieces that came two decades before it. The large open desert is the feature that Nintendo arguably made the most noise about in Beyond's marketing, but its enormous size and barren nature ultimately make it serve little outside of boring, needless padding.

Enemy variety is alarmingly lacking, too, with just a couple of actually threatening types across all areas. Bosses follow suit; they often share simlar types of attacks and don't make much use of the various power-ups you'll accrue throughout the game.

There's clearly some rustiness on display here, 18 years on from the last mainline Prime entry. But when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is firing on all cylinders, it still delivers a deeply rewarding and satisfying first-person adventure.

Can't complain about the View(ros)

(Image credit: Nintendo)

If you're not caught up on the Metroid Prime games or the Metroid series in general, don't worry; like most games in the long-running franchise, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is designed to be enjoyed as a largely standalone entry. There are callbacks, such as the presence of the Galactic Federation and returning antagonistic bounty hunter Sylux, but don't feel like you have to get up to speed in any sense.

Beyond begins, unsurprisingly, in the same way a lot of these games do. Samus Aran responds to a distress call to aid in pushing back against a Space Pirate invasion at a Galactic Federation base. Things go awry when a mysterious artifact being kept in the base is activated, teleporting Samus and swathes of the base's personnel to the planet Viewros.

Not much is known about Viewros. Like Metroid Prime 2: Echoes' Aether, its existence appears to be something of an anomaly, undiscoverable on any galactic chart. It's on Viewros that we uncover the plight of the Lamorn, a now-extinct alien race that may or may not have invited tragedy upon themselves. The goal, then, is to reactivate Viewros's master teleporter and return Samus and the displaced Gal Fed troopers' home.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I really like Beyond's story. It's pretty unintrusive, and can largely be discovered through data logs and environmental details via Samus's scan visor. Uncovering the dark fate of extraterrestrial factions isn't anything new for Metroid, but the Lamorn are a particularly fascinating species in their aptitude for psychic abilities and technological prowess.

Much, too, has already been made of the Galactic Federation troopers, with fans worrying that their chatty nature might be at odds with the series' trademark feeling of isolation. I'm happy to say they're really not that bad, and a couple are even quite endearing.

Mackenzie is perhaps the worst offender, but not because of his socially awkward quipping. Rather, like a PlayStation Studios character, he has a habit of spelling out puzzle and progression answers to you before you've even properly had a chance to look around.

There's an element of hand-holding that just isn't welcome, especially when you're prompted to open the map to view an annoyingly unskippable animation showing you exactly where you need to go. That really becomes an issue towards the end of the game when you're just trying to do your 100% item and scan cleanup before the point of no return.

Third eye

(Image credit: Nintendo)

In typical series fashion, Samus loses the lion's share of her abilities after being transported to Viewros. The game doesn't really make a song and dance of it this time, which is just as well; it beats the rather contrived ways Samus has undergone her nerfs in the past.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's atmosphere is incredible. Paired with some headphones, the world of Viewros comes alive with wonderful audio design. Gorgeous visuals, lighting, and environmental design all really help ground Samus in this otherworldly setting.

Progression in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, then, is as you'd expect if you're familiar with the series. You'll explore through a number of different areas, encountering roadblocks as you go that require you to discover power-ups elsewhere to progress.

On Viewros, Samus is able to inherit the psychic abilities of the Lamorn race. This lets her do things like open special doors, uncover hidden platforms, and make use of a psychic beam power-up that can be momentarily controlled to activate switches or hit multiple enemies.

Otherwise, power-ups are played safe in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Having the 'psychic' label doesn't stop morph ball bombs, the grapple beam, and various beam cannon types from acting the same than they used to. Even modifiers like fire and ice behave like you'd expect; dealing damage over time or freezing enemies solid respectively.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

My guess is that Retro Studios didn't feel the need to push the boat out too much in regards to Samus's abilities. It's a robust kit that plays to the series' strengths of combat and exploration.

This time, though, the ball has been dropped when it comes to the boss fights. In fact, there's not many bosses to speak of, at least when compared to other games in the Prime sub-series. Unfortunately, this lack of quantity has not translated to a higher level of quality.

Bosses all share a handful of similar attacks, such as generating a wave of energy that Samus must jump over, or rolling around the arena at high speeds. They rarely, if ever, require Samus to make use of her various beam types, and it's not until the truly exceptional final boss that Retro presents a challenging and memorable fight - one of the best in the series, actually.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Level design and progression also isn't quite as ambitious or winding as we've seen in past games. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond definitely leans on the more linear side. That's not necessarily a bad thing; some of the series' best games, including Metroid Dread and Fusion, are fairly straightforward entries.

Like those games, Beyond more than makes up for it in the atmopshere department. The dense wilderness of Fury Green, the derelict, harshly-lit laboratories of Ice Belt, and the impressive industral scale of Volt Forge all lend their own unique atmospheric flavor, and it's a joy to scour these environments for items and snippets of lore.

Some areas are more painfully linear than others. There are rather annoying combat gauntlets in Volt Forge and the Great Mines, for example, that require at least a couple trips through for both story progression and late-game item hunting. Mercifully, you're never required to hop between gimmicky visor types in this game like Prime 1 and 2, but they show an occasional lack of care and ambition in overall level design.

At least backtracking for items is a pretty painless and actually quite enjoyable affair here. Once you have a certain beam power-up, you can activate a droid in each biome that will reveal item locations on the map. This, paired with some really handy shortcuts in each level, make going for 100% completion doable and worthwhile on your first playthrough.

Deserted

(Image credit: Nintendo)

But this leads me onto easily the weakest element of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and it's the barren Sol Valley. This is a massive, arid expanse, in the corners of which sit the game's major locations. And good lord is it dull.

Designed for exploration with Samus's new VI-O-LA motorcycle - which she gets partway through an earlier area - Sol Valley just isn't very interesting. It's simply an enormous stretch of desert with very little in it. Presumably, this is stripped back so the original Nintendo Switch can handle while maintaining 60fps performance.

The motorcycle is fun to drive, at least. It's fast and performs turns and drifts in a satisfying manner. It's even equipped with weaponry to help shoot down a few rather pesky enemy types that periodically bother you while you're out and about.

Unfortunately, the mostly flat terrain of the desert doesn't really play to the bike's strengths. There are a few jumps, and chunks of Green Energy crystals that can be smashed and collected for a handful of optional power-ups, but the desert largely just serves as unenjoyable padding in an otherwise pretty short game.

The good stuff

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I've been pretty critical of many elements in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but I do want to leave this review on a few high notes; things the game does exceedingly well. Samus feels better than ever to control in 3D, with tightened-up movement and improvements to physics in her morph ball form.

When Samus has all her abilities late in the game, and you're uncovering the last few rooms in each major biome, the game really comes alive. Backtracking and 100% item collection is superbly paced, and it feels as satisfying as ever to tear through areas with a fully-kitted bounty hunter.

I also really didn't hate the Galactic Federation troopers Samus partners with at various points in her journey. Yes, it's really annoying when Mackenzie points out the obvious or forces you into an unskippable map animation, but there's good chemistry between each of the team members.

Samus isn't with them for overly long, just a handful of sections. One that really stands out is when she partners with a couple of them to take down a massive gunship. And seeing your base camp in Fury Green evolve over time as troopers file in is endearing; you can even catch dialogue between them if you visit at certain times.

But once again I really just have to gush about how gorgeous of a game Beyond is, in both the visuals and soundtrack department. It's easily the best-looking game on Switch 2 so far, and a 4K 60fps lock (or 1080p at 120fps in performance mode) shows a real technical wizardry on both Retro and Nintendo's part.

Multiple control options are also welcome, and all are a success. You have your standard twin-stick movement more in line with contemporary first-person shooters. Or you can make use of the Joy-Con 2 for gyro aiming. Mouse controls are also excellent, providing a level of accuracy that you can't get on other control types without locking onto enemies first.

Flaws and all, I still think Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a brilliant entry in the series. If the desert was a touch smaller, and there were a few extra rooms to explore in each biome, it'd be on its way to sitting alongside the first two Prime games in quality. But, this is nonetheless a really welcome three-dimensional return for Samus, and I really hope it won't be her last.

Should you play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond?

(Image credit: Nintendo)Play it if...

You want to see what the Switch 2 hardware can do
Beyond is an utterly gorgeous game, to the point where I can't quite believe it's running on Nintendo hardware even with the Switch 2's improvements. Dense, atmosphere-rich environments are backed up by a wonderful soundtrack and audio design, too.

You love the Metroid Prime series
Each game in the Prime series has its own unique set of issues, and Beyond is no different. However, this is still very much a satisfying adventure that holds up well compared to those that came before it.

Don't play it if...

You really don't like massive deserts
Desert-like environments aren't the most inspiring biomes at the best of times, and Beyond's is a real slog to visit time and time again.

You're hoping for a long adventure
At around 15 hours (or less if you're not going for 100%), Beyond is a pretty lean game that may be a bit too short for those looking at the full-fat price tag.

Accessibility

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has some accessibility features worth highlighting, though unfortunately not much. You can enable a background for subtitles for increased legibility, and fully remap button profiles in all control settings. You can also adjust cursor, camera, and stick sensitivity to fine-tune a setup that's right for you.

How I reviewed Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

My playthrough of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond lasted just over 15 hours on Normal difficulty. This was a 100% completion run, with all items and scans collected. That may sound short, but is still very much in line with the length of most Metroid titles, including those within the Prime subseries.

I primarily played in the default control scheme on a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, mixing it up with the support for mouse controls later in the game during some boss fights and item hunts. I also switched occasionally between docked play on an LG CX OLED TV, and handheld play with the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS gaming headset for enhanced audio.

First reviewed November/December 2025

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Sony A7 V: two-minute review

Some photographers, possibly even those working at Sony, see the A7 range of mirrorless cameras as the firm’s entry-level full-frame models. On paper alone, this may seem a reasonable suggestion when comparing the specifications to the most premium models. However, the Sony A7 IV, launched in October 2021, carries a 33-megapixel 36x24mm sensor, ISO50-204,800 sensitivity range, 5.5EV in-body image stabilization system, and a top continuous shooting rate of 10 frames per second. It’s by no means a slouch and this is all available for under $2500, so while it might be one of Sony’s more affordable E-mount bodies, it has been able to give pro-spec cameras a run for their money for several years.

On the face of it, the A7 V seems more of an iterative upgrade to its predecessor, rather than a revolution. However, once you dig deeper, there is a lot of exciting new technology to explore. Debuting the new partially-stacked sensor and new Bionz XR 2 processing engine, this camera represents a significant step forward for photography enthusiasts and semi-professionals. It’s more responsive than the A7 IV, both in focusing reaction time and accuracy, and delivers superior performance from the ground up.

Images are sharply detailed, and noise is well-controlled, especially for a model equipped with a 33MP resolution. It certainly matches or outperforms the current generation of competing cameras, such as the Canon EOS R6 Mark II or Panasonic Lumix S5 II, although I’ll be interested to see how low-light capabilities compare to the likes of the Canon EOS R6 Mark III when it inevitably comes to market, which is likely not too far in the future.

(Image credit: Future/ Peter Fenech)

If you’ve used other Sony Alpha cameras, you’ll fall right into step with the A7 V. Some might call Sony’s conservative approach to design unimaginative, but it means that you can allow muscle memory to play its part on shoots where speed matters most. A few useful practical refinements notwithstanding, the A7 V is very similar to models that came before it, and on picking it up, you get a feeling of coming home, a comforting sensation when other stressful elements of a photoshoot come into play.

These days, I’m more likely to be blown away by enthusiast-level products than flagships, which rarely offer many surprises, as pro technology trickles down the rankings to more affordable offerings. The niche this camera inhabits has the potential to provide unbeatable value to the greatest range of photographers, and happily, the A7 V fulfills this promise. It’s an impressive upgrade to an already outstanding camera, serving up great responsiveness, useful features and exceptional image quality. I still wouldn’t call it revolutionary, and there are some quirks that I’d like to see refined, but if you’re an aspiring wildlife, event, or travel photographer, I’m confident you’ll fall in love with it, and that it will trouble TechRadar's best cameras and best mirrorless camera guides.

Sony A7 V specsSony A7 V Specs:

Type:

Mirrorless camera

Sensor:

Full-frame (36x24mm) semi-stacked CMOS

LCD:

3.2-inch, multi-articulated, 2.095m dots

Memory:

2x SDXC, 1x CFexpress Type A

Resolution:

33-megapixels

Video:

Up to 4K60p (4K120p in 1.5x crop mode)

ISO range:

ISO 50-204,800

Mechanical Shutter speeds:

30-1/8000sec

Electronic Shutter speeds:

30-1/16000sec

Viewfinder:

3.686m dot, OLED EVF, 0.78x

Processor:

Bionz XR 2

Connectivity:

AX WiFi (WiFi 6), Bluetooth, 2x USB-C, audio

Weight:

659g

(Image credit: Future/ Peter Fenech)Sony A7 V: Price and availability

• Released December 2, 2025
• Body only price of $2,899 / £2,799 (Australia TBC)
• Kit options will be available, including with a new FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II

The Sony A7 V launched worldwide on December 2, 2025 priced $2,899 / £2,799 (body only, Australia TBC), alongside a new FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II kit lens. The lens costs $449.99 / £429 separately (Australia TBC) and will be available separately from February 2026.

Ahead of then, the FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II kit lens can be purchased as a kit with the A7 V for $3,099 (UK / Australia TBC). There will be other kits available, TBC.

This pricing is right on par with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III (and just $100 / £100 more than the Nikon Z6 III was at launch, but which is now available for much less).

• Price score: 4.5/5

Sony A7 V: Design

• Larger 3.2-inch rear LCD
• Versatile multi-pivot articulated monitor
• Hybrid memory card slot

Externally, I’d be very impressed if anyone could distinguish the A7 V from the A7 IV on looks alone. Apart from the name, discreetly emblazoned on the top plate, just to the left of the viewfinder, there isn’t much else to identify the latest iteration. However, a closer inspection reveals a redesigned handgrip. It’s very slight, with a tiny shift to the angle of the shutter button to account for the modest increase in weight from the Mark IV, but it makes a natural refinement to the ergonomics of the camera.

In terms of handling, the A7 V is supremely comfortable to hold, perhaps more so than most other Alpha bodies in the range. Logically, I know there is significant continuity between models, but something about the A7 V felt more balanced to me. I’ve always found Sony cameras to be too boxy for my tastes, especially when shooting for longer periods and when using larger lenses. The A7 V is unmistakably a Sony product, but it just fit my hands a lot better than I remember the A7 IV doing.

Shooting all day around London with the FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens, the setup was perfectly balanced, the center of gravity seemingly right where the optics meet the lens mount. This made shooting one-handed a breeze, even when holding the camera at arm's length over my head to shoot a street performer over the heads of a large crowd.

I appreciated that the playback and delete buttons are located on the same side of the camera body and immediately adjacent to each other on the back plate. This is a personal preference, of course, but I find this makes quickly making in-the-field quality control decisions quicker, rather than having to work two-handed and hunting for a control on the opposite side of the body to preview and delete obviously blurry shots.

(Image credit: Future/ Peter Fenech)

Another excellent feature that seems unique to Sony cameras is dual-function card slots that fit both SD and CFexpress. As someone with more high-performance SD cards than I’d like to think about, I love this. Although I am gradually filling out my stock of CFexpress, I still like to have the choice, and a camera that supports both, while still allowing dual card functionality with either format is hugely thoughtful.

With a Canon EOS R5 Mark II, for example, you need to take a supply of both card types if you want the benefits of in-the-field backups, while the Canon EOS R6 Mark II requires two SD cards only, delaying investment in CFexpress until a future upgrade (which will no doubt be an expensive ordeal). On Sony cameras, there are no such compromises.

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It’s a shame the A7 V only has one of the two slots capable of accepting CFexpress Type A, but perhaps this is what you pay the extra money for when buying a camera like the Sony A7R V.

Another excellent design flourish is the extra control wheel above the Auto Exposure Lock button, which by default is set up to adjust exposure compensation in P, A or S modes. I enjoy not having to hold down another button to change this, and the additional dial allows you to amend the aperture and image brightness with single controls each. Naturally, each dial can be reassigned a custom function from within the A7 V’s Operation Customize menu, found under Setup.

(Image credit: Future/ Peter Fenech)

The build quality is of an exceptionally high standard. I didn’t have the opportunity to test the camera’s weather resistance – unusual for a British reviewer in November – but nevertheless, there are no obvious compromises in the integrity of the construction. Apart from the hollow battery and memory card bays, no other part of the body reverberates excessively when tapped, giving the sensation of it being milled from a single piece of metal.

All of the dials are beautifully knurled and easy to twist, but with enough resistance that it isn’t too easy to nudge them by accident.

We also can’t talk about the design of the camera without mentioning the versatile dual-hinged main LCD. Sony has gone back and forth with its approach to screen articulation over the years, and as far back as the A99 II DSLR camera, the multi-point design has allowed the user to both tilt and swivel the LCD. Some photographers prefer the vertical tilt format, while others like myself appreciate a full swivel function.

Users of the A7 V don’t have to choose – unlike with the A7 IV which is single-axis vari-angle only – which I found useful when shooting ground-level street photos of graffiti artists under Waterloo Station. It’s a clever strategy also found in recent Lumix cameras, and which I’d like to see more brands adopting.

• Design score:4.5/5

Sony A7 V: Performance

• New Bionz XR 2 processor
• No dedicated AI autofocus processing engine
• Long 750-shot battery life

Speaking of LCD screens, the model featured on the A7 V is both larger and more detailed than its predecessor. It measures 3.2 inches, up from 3 inches on the A7 IV, while resolution has doubled the 1,036,800 dots previously available. I found it to be very crisp, and colors look natural. This is a attribute of camera screens that isn’t talked about enough. Monitors might be super contrasty and saturated as standard, but this won’t always give the most useful preview of the images about to be captured.

The touch sensitivity is just right, and I found it to be more responsive than both the Mark IV and the A7R V, demonstrating the difference that three years can make. It’s not that those cameras were particularly unresponsive, but this latest monitor gave me no sense that it was standing between me and the settings I wanted to access.

I especially liked the reaction time for touch focus; with a single tap the camera activates the AF and immediately snaps to the object selected. I don’t always use touch focus features, but combined with the versatile LCD pivot points, I found myself using them frequently during my testing of the A7 V.

Autofocus itself is smooth and super-fast. Built around a new system of 759 Phase Detection AF points that cover 90% of the frame, the A7 V can focus in lighting as low as -4EV. Although the camera did slow down as ambient lighting dropped, with the rate of focus hunting increasing, it still did a sterling job of finding and tracking the subject. It’s also incredibly precise.

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Changing the AF subject recognition mode to Animals, the A7 V could easily keep track of this squirrel's eye (Image credit: Future/ Peter Fenech)Image 2 of 3

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Interestingly, the A7 V doesn’t feature a dedicated AI processor, as found on the Sony A1 II. This might surprise many industry observers, in an age where AI is king and excluding such features might seem a retrograde step. However, the new Bionz XR 2 moves all AF computations on-chip, instead of dividing the workload between two units.

Sony says the up-specced processor brings the same benefits of a separate AI engine, namely better AF target recognition, but with the added advantage of reduced heat emissions, superior speed, and improved battery life. After all, powering one chip is better than supplying two.

I didn’t have an A1 II body available to test the cameras side-by-side, but rarely did the A7 V struggle to locate my subject. There are plenty of options to customize subject recognition, and the camera coped well with human figures, cars, and airplanes, in the chaos of Central London and at Heathrow Airport.

Also new to the A7 V are the options to change AF responsiveness and to select an extra small or large AF point. While I didn’t find much need to alter these settings during my test, I could see where this might be of huge benefit. Turning down AF responsiveness if it’s likely that other objects will pass between the camera and the subject, like when shooting across a busy road or players on a football field, will help keep the focus sticky on your subject.

I can also vouch for the stated 750-shot battery capacity. After 300 frames, in the relative chill of a winter afternoon, I still had 75% charge, and by 650 shots, this sat around the 40% mark. This excellent, rival-beating performance included shooting both long still exposures and video.

In terms of shooting speed, the A7 V is one quick camera in operation. Startup is near instantaneous, and exposure assessment is now done at twice the number of calculations per second compared to the A7 IV.

Using the electronic shutter, it’s now possible to capture images at up to 30fps, up from 10fps on the previous camera. Pre-capture is also possible up to a user-selectable 30fps, meaning the camera is always ready and able to cover the action in the briefest of moments. Without wanting to sound like an advert for Sony (remember, this review is completely independent), there were times when I felt I was having to keep up with the camera. This isn’t something I encounter often, and it kept me on my toes.

It’s a very minor point, but I found the shutter release to be just a little too sensitive for my liking. There were a few occasions when I was simply trying out a composition and accidentally fired off a burst of shots – a bit of a laborious situation when the camera makes 30 frames every second! I’d definitely recommend re-assigning focussing to the AF-ON button to work around this.

• Performance score: 5/5

Sony A7 V: Image quality

• Excellent Dynamic Range
• Superior high-ISO performance
• Ultra-effective IBIS system

One of the headline features of the A7 V that is certain to get people talking is the new semi-stacked sensor. This CMOS design has developed somewhat of a bad rep because of its deployment in other cameras with limited success, such as the Nikon Z6 III. There is a risk of significant trade-offs in dynamic range for the additional readout speed a semi-stacked (or partially-stacked) sensor provides. Sony is confident enough, however, to claim a DR of up to 16-stops with the A7 V – that's an additional stop versus the A7 IV – so I couldn’t wait to see how the camera performed in the real world.

I’m not entirely convinced by the 16EV claim, as there were times when there was less highlight texture than I had anticipated, and clipped shadows where I hadn’t expected. However, the results were still impressive. In the majority of shots, there was recoverable detail across the range. From memory alone (and not having yet taken the A7 V into the lab for testing, that’s all I have to work on), I would place the dynamic range on an even footing with models like the 24MP Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Nikon Z6 III. Clearly, Sony deserves some applause for this, as it’s a clear indicator that the A7 V is a next-gen competitor.

Now let’s talk about color. Traditionally, this hasn’t been my favorite aspect of Sony cameras. I’ve always felt that, compared to Canon and Fujifilm models, Sony color science was a bit sterile. Accurate, maybe, but lacking warmth and ‘flavor’. These traits are present in the A7 V, as is to be expected, but I noticed colors seemed more organic than I’ve seen from its stablemates.

The auto White Balance system hardly ever missed a trick, even when shooting wall art comprising overlapping primary colors in mixed natural and artificial lighting: quite possibly a condition that cameras have nightmares about. The A7 V handled the situation beautifully. I could wax lyrical here for three more paragraphs, but I’ll summarize with this: if the camera could cope this well under these conditions, it could cope anywhere.

Dynamic range might not quite manage 16-stops in every image, but matches lower resolution cameras from competing brands (Image credit: Future/ Peter Fenech)

I don’t always believe rumors, but in this case the suggestion that Composite RAW capability was to be included on the A7 V has turned out to be true. Previously seen on the Sony A9 III, this mode captures a sequence of RAW files that are then combined to produce a higher-resolution file with reduced noise. It works nicely and does what it says on the tin – if you shoot landscapes or in the studio, this is a great feature for squeezing every oodle of quality out of the sensor.

Of course, it works less well with moving subjects, even when shooting at a high frame rate, so I chose not to use it for street photography. If you can support the camera, it would also be beneficial for capturing poorly-lit interiors at higher sensitivities.

Even without Composite RAW active, the signal-to-noise ratio will put a smile on your face. I spent most of my shoot at ISO 6400 and above, and the camera delivered a commendable balance of sharpness and grain. I wasn’t blown away by the in-camera treatment of JPGs though, and as low as ISO 800, there was smudging of detail through quite aggressive noise reduction. Weirdly, this didn’t seem to get much worse up to ISO 3200.

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Further proof that the dynamic range is noteworthy is highlight retention at the extended low ISO settings. At ISO 50, which is essentially an overexposed image with the exposure digitally reduced, there was still data present at the right side of the histogram.

One of my favorite features of the A7 V is the IBIS system. Compensating for up to 7.5EV of shake in the center of the frame and 6.5EV at the edges, up from 5.5-stops on the A7 IV, the stabilisation enables hand-held shots at ridiculously slow shutter speeds. I was able to capture usable images at exposures of around one second – unthinkable just a few years ago. This enabled me to capture the movement of objects within the frame while rendering static areas sharp. It’s one of my go-to street and urban photography techniques.

It doesn’t quite match the 8-stop hybrid IBIS-lens-based system seen in the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, Canon EOS R3, and Canon EOS R7 on paper, but it performs exceptionally well.

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(Image credit: Future/ Peter Fenech)

• Image quality score: 4.5/5

Sony A7 V: testing scorecard Sony A7 V

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

The A7 V is another example of how pro features are becoming increasingly more affordable. It's not cheap, but you get a hell of a lot of camera for the money

4.5/5

Design

There are no surprises from Sony. You might call the similarities with other Alpha cameras unimaginative but why fix what isn't broken?

4.5/5

Performance

The IBIS is superb, allowing hand-held long exposures, while AF is responsive, customizable, and accurate.

5/5

Image quality

Low-light quality is superb, as is auto White Balance. Jpeg processing is heavy-handed, but overall, the camera sets a new standard for enthusiast products.

4.5/5

Should I buy the Sony A7 V?Buy it if...

You want an affordable full-frame camera

It might not be the cheapest camera with a full-frame sensor on the market, but you get a lot of camera for your buck. The A7 V has everything an enthusiast photographer could hope for or need.View Deal

You shoot both stills and video

Like the A7 IV before it, the new camera delivers exceptional video features too, with 4K resolution, 60fps without a crop, and S-Log available for high-end grading.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You are a beginner

There is a lot of camera here. Novices are unlikely to get the most from all of the features available, and the mammoth toolset might even be off-putting. View Deal

You just bought an A7 IV

Let's be clear, the A7 V is a significant upgrade to its predecessor, but with a similar resolution, equal sensor size, and advanced features, the A7 IV is a great camera on its own merits. I wouldn't suggest there's enough difference between the two for an upgrade just yet.View Deal

Also consider Canon EOS R6 Mark II

The EOS R6 Mark III builds on the 24MP Canon EOS R6 Mark II with improved resolution that matches the A7 V, now 33MP. Sony and Canon take different priorities; the A7 V has the partially stacked sensor and video recording up to 4K 60p, while the EOS R6 Mark III's sensor isn't stacked at all, but there's open gate 7K video recording. Both feature incredibly powerful IBIS and autofocus performance. This is a close call. Note, at the time of writing we're still working on our EOS R6 Mark III review.

Nikon Z6 III

Nikon's all-rounder, the Z6 III also features a partially stacked sensor, but with a resolution of just 24MP. That said, video recording is up to 6K 60p, and the Z6 III is blazing fast, also being supported by powerful in-body image stabilization. Launched in July 2024, it has come down in price and can be had for much less than the A7 V.

Read our in-depth Nikon Z6 III review

How I tested the Sony A7 V

• I tested a full production model
• The A7 V body was accompanied by the FE 20-50mm f/2.8 G and FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II
• Images were taken in a range of lighting conditions, using each ISO setting so noise levels could be compared throughout the range

I always like to push a camera to the edges of its capabilities and, to that end, I shot using the extremes of the ISO range. In bright light, I set the camera to the extended low ISO of 50, and then explored several low-light locations to test the camera all the way up to the expanded high setting of 204,800. I left the White Balance set to auto throughout the review to see how the camera responded to different lighting conditions. I also shot in RAW+JPG mode, so I had unprocessed files and compressed images for the sake of comparison.

• First reviewed December 2025

Bang on cue, the Sony A7 V has arrived and it blurs the lines between enthusiast and pro cameras forever

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