The Sony A7 V is a camera with an identity crisis. I was there when Sony launched the original A7, and five generations later, I never would have imagined this

Sony A7 V camera held in a person's hands.

I was in Nashville, Tennessee, with a Sony A7 in hand in 2013 when Sony changed the direction of modern mirrorless cameras by announcing the first mirrorless cameras with a full-frame sensor. Sitting here at my desk with the newly launched Sony A7 V in front of me, however, I can’t help but feel like Sony’s original entry into full-frame mirrorless has gone off the rails – but not in a bad way.

The Sony A7 series has always been one of Sony’s more affordable full-frame mirrorless cameras next to options like the A7R, but bestowing the title of “entry-level” or “prosumer” on the 33MP stacked sensor camera feels wrong. Many of the Sony A7 V’s specs, like the 30 fps bursts and subject detection autofocus, belie the title of entry-level and feel more like a budget pro tool that could dabble in nearly any genre of photography.