Best ND Filters for Sony a7 V
The Sony a7 V is a 33 MP partially stacked hybrid with no internal ND. Movie ISO starts at 100. 4K/60 is full-frame, 7K-oversampled; 4K/120 is Super 35. 180° shutter at f/2.8 still raises the speed until 24p looks like a slideshow. The 1/16000 electronic shutter can save a still. It cannot save a clip. Sony does not sell an a7 V ND. The 2026 filter that matches this body is the PolarPro Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II 82 mm 2–5 stop. It is not the FX3’s 6–9 LOG default, and it is not a no-hard-stop 1–10 ring.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Updated September 2026 · a7 V · ILCE-7M5 · 33 MP · no internal ND · 4K60 FF 7K · 4K120 Super 35 · XAVC S-I 600 Mbps · 82 mm first
82-2/5-VND-ED2. Hard-stop 2–5. PolarPro: general photo / video. Zero vignette to 16 mm.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓NIR-TCVND0.3-1.5-82. True Color, hard stops. Swift ND16 expands to 5–9.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓KF01.1805V1. 82 mm, 1–5 stops, no-X claim. Not the ND2–400.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Comparison Table
| Product | Stops | On an a7 V | Thread / note | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PolarPro PM II 2–5 | 2–5 (ND4–ND32) | Default hybrid / S-Cinetone | 82 mm · hard stops · to 16 mm | ~$250 | Check |
| NiSi True Color 1–5 | 1–5 (+ Swift ND16 = 5–9) | True Color; expand for LOG noon | 82 mm · 86 mm front | ~$180–$220 | Check |
| K&F Nano-X ND2–32 | 1–5 | Budget hard-stop 1–5 | KF01.1805V1 · 82 mm | ~$70–$90 | Check |
| PolarPro PM II 6–9 | 6–9 (ND64–ND512) | S-Log3 noon / long stills — Layer 2 | 82-6/9-VND-ED2 · to 16 mm | ~$250 | Check |
| ND2–400 / 1–10 VND | ~1–8.6, no hard stop | X-pattern — skip | Wide-range two-polarizer junk | ~$30–$50 | Check |
Street prices move. PolarPro’s 82 mm Edition II often sits around $250; NiSi True Color 1–5 around $180–$220; K&F Nano-X ND2–32 around $70–$90. ND4 is 2 stops, ND32 is 5, ND64 is 6, ND512 is 9. 180-degree shutter is ≈ 2× fps: ~1/48 at 24, ~1/50 at 25, ~1/60 at 30, ~1/120 at 60, ~1/240 at 120. Sunny-16 at ISO 100, f/2.8, and 1/48 is about six stops — 2–5 is the hybrid default if you can live at f/4 in the hardest sun; S-Log3 near ISO 800 adds about three more and wants 6–9. Electronic stills to 1/16000 are not a video ND. Sony does not sell a circular ND for this body. Buy 82 mm first (FE 24–70 mm GM II and FE 16–35 mm GM II are 82 mm). XAVC S-I 4K 59.94p is 600 Mbps — Slot 1 CFexpress Type A, not an ND problem. Do not stack two variable NDs.
How We Picked These Filters
- What Sony published for this body: ILCE-7M5 spec sheet: E-mount. 35.9 × 23.9 mm Exmor RS CMOS (partially stacked). Approx. 35.7 MP total; 33.0 MP effective stills (7008 × 4672); 27.6 MP effective movies. BIONZ XR2. Up to 16 stops of dynamic range. Stills ISO 100–51200, expandable 50–204800. Movies ISO 100–51200 equivalent, expandable 100–102400. Shutter: electronic stills 1/16000–30 s; mechanical stills 1/8000–30 s, Bulb; movies 1/8000–1 s. 4K 60p full-frame, full pixel readout, no pixel binning — Sony: 3.3× the data required for 4K, i.e. 7K-oversampled. 4K 120p in APS-C / Super 35 (Sony US: reduced angle of view; DPReview: ~1.5×). XAVC S-I 4K 59.94p 600 Mbps / 50p 500 / 29.97p 300 / 23.98p 240, 10-bit 4:2:2. XAVC HS 4K 119.88p up to 280 Mbps 4:2:2 10-bit. S&Q Full HD to 240 fps (Sony: APS-C / Super 35; no audio in S&Q). S-Log3, S-Gamut3 / S-Gamut3.Cine, HLG, user.cube LUTs (PPLUT 1–4). No HDMI RAW (spec: RAW output “–”). Slot 1: CFexpress Type A / SD; Slot 2: SD only. IBIS 7.5 stops center / 6.5 periphery (CIPA 2024, FE 50 mm F1.2 GM). Dynamic active / Active / Standard. EVF 3.69 M dots; 3.2-type 2.1 M-dot 4-axis LCD. Weight approx. 695 g with battery and card, 610 g body. 130.3 × 96.4 × 82.4 mm. NP-FZ100. Dual USB-C. 30 fps electronic stills. Sony does not sell an a7 V ND set. There is no built-in ND, unlike the FX6.
- Why ISO 100 still needs glass — and why 2–5 is Overall here: Movie shutter on this body goes to 1 s, not 1/16000. 180° at 24p is ~1/48. Sunny-16 at ISO 100 / f/2.8 / 1/48 is ~6 stops; at f/4 it falls inside 2–5. PolarPro prints 2–5 for general photo / video and 6–9 for LOG / ISO over 400. That split matches this hybrid: S-Cinetone and Creative Look live at ISO 100; S-Log3 on this sensor is typically exposed around ISO 800 (CineD’s a7 V lab used ISO 800; reviews list a second native around 8000 — night, not noon). 33 MP stills can use 1/16000 instead of ND for a frozen portrait; 2–30 s water and clouds cannot. 4K/120 still wants ~1/240 and still has no iris inside the body. Dynamic active Mode is a crop-ish stab, not an ND. A no-hard-stop 1–10 VND draws an X on a 16–35 at 16 mm.
- 82 mm, the a7 IV trap, and the FX3 trap: Standardize on 82 mm: FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM II and FE 16–35 mm F2.8 GM II. Step-up 77 mm (24–105 G, 70–200 GM II) and 67 mm (35 / 50 GM). PolarPro Edition II claims zero vignetting to 16 mm; front is unthreaded. NiSi True Color 1–5 uses an 86 mm front and a Swift ND16 for 5–9. K&F hard-stop 1–5 is KF01.1805V1; ND2–400 is the skip. a7 IV 4K/60 was Super 35; a7 V 4K/60 is full-frame 7K-oversampled — do not reuse an a7 IV filter article as this page. FX3 Cine EI is 800 / 12800 and that body’s Overall ring is 6–9; this URL is the a7 V. Do not buy drone snap-on glass.
Best ND Filters for Sony a7 V: Detailed Reviews
PolarPro Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II 82mm 2–5 Stop View on Amazon View on B&H
| SKU | MFR 82-2/5-VND-ED2 · PolarPro SG-EDll-82-2/5 · UPC 817465026007. 82 mm rear thread. Density 0.6–1.5 (ND4–ND32). CinemaSeries. Haptic clicks. Defender360. ~56 g. Street ~$250. |
|---|---|
| On a7 V | PolarPro: 2–5 is the general photo / video ring. Matches ISO 100 S-Cinetone and most stills that are not 10-second water. Front unthreaded. Printed zero vignetting to 16 mm. |
| When 2–5 runs out | Hard noon at f/2.8 / 24p / ISO 100 is ~6 stops — stop to f/4 or step to 6–9. S-Log3 near ISO 800 is a 6–9 job. Do not stack a second VND on the unthreaded front. |
| SKU trap | Edition II 6–9 (same money, LOG / long-exposure ring — Layer 2). Helix MagLock. 77 mm on an 82 mm zoom. Edition I. |
Why it fits the a7 V. This is a 33 MP hybrid, not an FX3. PolarPro already split the catalog: 2–5 for general, 6–9 for LOG. Buy 82 mm once; step-up the 77 mm and 67 mm primes. Buy NiSi first if True Color and a Swift expander matter more than haptic clicks. 1/16000 stills do not retire this filter — movie shutter still tops out at 1 s, and 180° is 1/48. 600 Mbps XAVC S-I is a Slot 1 CFexpress Type A choice.
Skip this if every clip is S-Log3 in parking-lot sun — PolarPro 6–9. Skip a 77 mm copy when the 24–70 GM II is 82 mm.
- Hard-stop 2–5 matches PolarPro’s hybrid / non-LOG line
- Zero vignette claim to 16 mm
- Haptic stops; Defender360
- Front unthreaded — no screw-in stack
- Short for S-Log3 ISO 800 noon and 10 s stills
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
NiSi True Color ND-VARIO Pro Nano 1–5 Stop 82mm View on Amazon View on B&H
| SKU | NIR-TCVND0.3-1.5-82 · EAN 6972949372941. 1–5 stops (0.3–1.5). Nano coat. Removable lever. 86 mm front. Street ~$180–$220. Swift 1–9 kit: NIR-TCVNDSWIFT-KIT0.3-2.7-82 (~$309–$339) if the ND16 should land in the same box. |
|---|---|
| On a7 V | Same hybrid range as PolarPro 2–5, plus one extra stop at the bottom. True Color is the reason it is Value on a 33 MP / S-Gamut3 body. Swift ND16 (4 stops) is NiSi’s 5–9 path without an X. |
| Wide glass | NiSi / B&H language on this 1–5 is conservative on ultra-wide. PolarPro is the ring that prints 16 mm. On a 16–35 GM II at 16 mm, PolarPro is the safer wide claim. |
| SKU trap | Older NiSi ND-VARIO 5–9 Enhanced (NIR-VND1.5-2.7-82) — not True Color; NiSi recommended 35 mm+. 77 mm on an 82 mm zoom. |
Why it is Value, not Overall. Cheaper True Color hard-stop VND, and the Swift ND16 is a real expander when this hybrid goes S-Log3. PolarPro 2–5 still wins the default because of the 16 mm sentence and haptic stops. Buy this if color on a 33 MP still and a 10-bit S-Log3 clip matters more than clicks.
Skip this if the 16–35 lives at 16 mm and you want that printed — PolarPro 2–5.
- True Color + hard stops under PolarPro money
- Swift ND16 expands to 5–9 for S-Log3 noon
- 86 mm front thread
- 16 mm claim is PolarPro’s
- Swift kit can cost more than one PolarPro ring
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
K&F Concept Nano-X ND2–32 Variable ND 82mm View on Amazon View on B&H
| SKU | K&F CONCEPT Nano-X / Nano-Xcel ND2–32 82 mm KF01.1805V1. 1–5 stops. Japanese AGC glass, 28-layer coat, ~7.3 mm ring. K&F: no X-cross in this range. Street ~$70–$90. Use an 86 mm cap. |
|---|---|
| On a7 V | Same 1–5 math as NiSi without True Color / Swift. Fine for S-Cinetone and most ISO 100 hybrid days. S-Log3 near 800 in sun still wants 6–9 — stop down or add a fixed ND, do not “upgrade” to ND2–400. |
| SKU trap | KF01.1393V1 / SKU.0887V1 ND2–400. KF01.1466 1–9 Nano-X. ND2–32 + Black Mist / CPL 2-in-1 as the first a7 V ND. 77 mm on an 82 mm zoom. |
Why it is Budget. Hard-stop 1–5, 82 mm, one cheap invoice. You give up CinemaSeries and True Color. The only way this pick fails is Amazon merging it with ND2–400. 33 MP stills will show a cheap cast faster than an 10-bit FX3 file — if the week is paid S-Log3, spend the extra.
Skip this if the listing says ND2–400, 1–9, or 1–10 with no hard stops.
- Named 1–5 SKU under $90
- K&F no-X claim in the ND2–32 range
- Not enough for S-Log3 ISO 800 noon
- Amazon will also show ND2–400
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
If You Need Something Else
These two are not cheaper versions of the Top 3. One is PolarPro’s LOG / long-exposure ring. One is the wide-range VND Amazon will try to sell next to the Nano-X.
PolarPro Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II 82mm 6–9 Stop View on Amazon View on B&H
| What it is | MFR 82-6/9-VND-ED2 · SG-EDll-82-6/9 · UPC 817465026038. 6–9 stops (ND64–ND512, 1.8–2.7). Same CinemaSeries, haptic, Defender360, 16 mm claim, unthreaded front, ~$250 as the 2–5. |
|---|---|
| When it wins | PolarPro: 6–9 for LOG and ISO over 400 at f/1.4–f/2.8. S-Log3 near ISO 800 in sun. 2–30 s water and clouds on a 33 MP still (electronic 1/16000 does not help a two-second shutter). Pair with 2–5 if the a7 V does both recce stills and graded clips. |
| Not the FX3 default on this URL | FX3 Cine EI 800 / 12800 makes 6–9 the first buy on that body. a7 V movie ISO starts at 100. Do not copy the FX3 cart onto this hybrid unless the week is actually S-Log3 noon. |
Buy this after 2–5 is in the pouch, or when every job is S-Log3 parking lots. Do not buy it as the only filter if the week is ISO 100 S-Cinetone.
Skip this if the week is Creative Look / S-Cinetone — PolarPro 2–5.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
ND2–400 / “1–10 stop” variable NDs View on Amazon View on B&H
| Why it shows up | Amazon titles say “82mm Variable ND” next to the Nano-X. K&F Nano-Klear / Nano-Basic ND2–400 is KF01.1393V1 / SKU.0887V1, about $30–$50. No hard stops at 5 or 6. That is where the X-pattern lives — worst on a 16–35 at 16 mm, and louder on a 33 MP still than on an 10 MP cinema file. |
|---|---|
| On a7 V | S-Log3 and 33 MP RAW will show the cast and the X. Buy KF01.1805V1 (1–5) or PolarPro 2–5. Same skip: generic 1–10 VNDs, stacking two variables, a 67 mm filter as the only size on a 24–70 GM II, and any listing that implies the a7 V has FX6-style internal ND. |
A $40 1–10 is not a 2–5 with haptic clicks. If the camera in the bag is an a7 V, the cart says 82-2/5-VND-ED2, NIR-TCVND0.3-1.5-82, or KF01.1805V1.
Skip this if the body is an a7 V and the lens is wider than 35 mm. Buy PolarPro 2–5, NiSi True Color 1–5, or K&F ND2–32.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Frequently Asked Questions
What ND strength the a7 V needs
There is no internal ND. Movie ISO starts at 100. 180-degree shutter is ≈ 2× fps: about 1/48 at 24p, 1/60 at 30p, 1/120 at 4K/60, 1/240 at 4K/120. Sunny-16 at ISO 100, f/2.8, and 1/48 is ~6 stops — 2–5 covers it if you can sit at f/4 in the hardest sun. S-Log3 is typically worked near ISO 800 on this sensor (about three more stops) — that is PolarPro 6–9 or NiSi 1–5 plus Swift ND16. Electronic stills to 1/16000 can replace ND for a frozen portrait. They cannot replace ND for video or for a 2–30 s still.
2–5 vs 6–9 on this hybrid
PolarPro: 2–5 is general photo / video; 6–9 is LOG / ISO over 400 / long exposure. a7 V is a 33 MP hybrid with a 100 ISO movie floor, so 2–5 is the first ring. FX3 Cine EI 800 / 12800 makes 6–9 the first ring on that body — do not copy that cart here unless the week is actually S-Log3 noon. A second native around ISO 8000 is for dark sets, not a reason to skip ND at lunch.
82 mm vs buying one filter per lens
Buy 82 mm first. FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM II and FE 16–35 mm F2.8 GM II are 82 mm. Step-up rings take 77 mm and 67 mm up to that one VND. A 67 mm filter will not mount on the 24–70. PolarPro Edition II’s front is unthreaded; NiSi True Color 1–5 has an 86 mm front.
a7 V vs a7 IV vs FX3 glass
Same E-mount, same 82 mm recommendation. a7 IV 4K/60 was a Super 35 crop; a7 V 4K/60 is full-frame 7K-oversampled. FX3 has no EVF, no 33 MP stills, Cine EI 800 / 12800, and HDMI 16-bit RAW — its Overall ND is 6–9. This page is ILCE-7M5. Sony does not put electronic ND in any of these three. The FX6 (1/4–1/128) is a different body.
The 600 Mbps codec, 1/16000 shutter, and ND
XAVC S-I 4K 59.94p is 600 Mbps; Slot 1 takes CFexpress Type A. That does not change f/2.8 or 1/48. Electronic stills to 1/16000 are a stills feature (30 fps bursts, Pre-Capture). Movie shutter is 1/8000–1 s. Dynamic active Mode is stabilization. ND is for 180° video and for long stills. No HDMI RAW on this body — do not buy an ND “for external RAW.”
Final Verdict
For most Sony a7 V kits, buy PolarPro 82-2/5-VND-ED2, shoot 82 mm with step-up rings, and keep 180° shutter at ISO 100 without raising the movie speed. There is no internal ND. 1/16000 stills are not a video ND. S-Log3 near ISO 800 in noon sun is PolarPro 6–9 (or NiSi 1–5 plus Swift ND16). Same 1–5 cheaper? K&F KF01.1805V1. Skip ND2–400, skip stacking two VNDs, skip the FX3 6–9 cart unless the week is actually LOG. 600 Mbps is a card. This page is the a7 V, not the a7 IV or the FX3.