Sony A7 V leak gives us our first glimpse of imminent flagship camera – as Sony reveals launch date

• Sony Alpha Germany reveals image of upcoming A7 V
• Sony's main Instagram account confirms imminent launch event
• A7 V is expected to have 33MP full-frame sensor and AI smarts

It looks like Christmas is coming a few weeks early for gear-starved Sony fans. The brand has officially announced an Alpha camera event for next week, as well as teasing an image showing the silhouette of what appears to be the long-awaited Sony A7 V camera body.

The silhouette image was posted as a Story on the official Instagram account of Sony Alpha Germany, and is actually a repost of an image originally posted by Jonas Wakewood, a Munich-based photographer and videographer.

We have to assume that Wakewood has been given a pre-release version of the Sony A7 V to use, and has posted the image with Sony's full approval (if not outright orders!). Unfortunately, the Instagram Story seems to have now disappeared, but Sony Alpha Rumors grabbed and enhanced the image (below).

The image is a dramatically-lit silhouette showing only some details of a camera body bearing a full-frame sensor and A7 logo, plus the caption "New Gear". It can only be the long-rumored Sony A7 V, which would be the first all-new A7 model released since 2021's Sony A7 IV.

The main Sony Alpha and Sony Electronics accounts, meanwhile, have both teased details of an upcoming Alpha event with the phrase "Chase your dream" (below). It's due to take place on December 2 2025 at 9am EST / 2pm GMT / 11pm JST, which is midnight AEST on December 3 – and we'd be absolutely shocked if it wasn't the Sony A7 V being officially unveiled.

What can we expect?

We have previously reported on rumors surrounding the Sony A7 V and its potential specifications and features, and we're eagerly awaiting official confirmation from next week's event – as well as pricing and release date news. It's even possible that camera fans will be able to pre-order the A7 V from December 2.

Current speculation suggests the A7 V will use a 33MP full-frame sensor, which would be the same resolution as seen on the A7 IV. We suspect it won't be the exact same sensor, however, and will have some tweaks to improve performance – potentially faster read out speeds or improved image stabilization.

The A7 V is also tipped to come with a dedicated AI chip which will bring advanced subject detection and tracking to the autofocus system, plus a more powerful image processor for faster burst and longer continuous shooting. Video quality might get a bump too, offering 4K at up to 120fps.

It looks like we don't have long until we find out the truth. Check back here next week when we'll bring you all the confirmed details about Sony's upcoming camera.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

The best video cameras

➡️ Read our full best video cameras guide
1. Best overall
Panasonic Lumix S1 II
2. Best budget
Fujifilm X-M5
3. Best vlogging
DJI Pocket 3
4. Best filmmaking
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K