Review: Sony A7 IV
Friday 14 January 2022, 12:21 by Nando Harmsen | 11,376 views | 4 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
I was given the A7 IV by Sony for a review. This successor to the A7 III not only has a new sensor with a higher resolution, the camera has also been improved in several other areas. In this review of the Sony A7 IV, you can read all about my findings.
The Sony A7 III was always a popular camera. This full-frame mirrorless camera may not have had the huge number of pixels of its bigger brothers, but with 24 megapixels it is a perfect choice for most photographers and filmmakers.
Now there is a successor, which has of course been given the name A7 IV. Although the name suggests that it is a camera with only marginal improvements, quite a few changes have been made. The only major drawback is the higher price.
The most important specifications
- 33-megapixel back-side illuminated CMOS sensor
- Up to 10 frames per second with compressed raw files
- Up to 5.5 stops of image stabilisation
- 3.69-megapixel OLED electronic viewfinder
- Improved and more flexible AF system, both for video and photography
- Fully tilting and rotating 1.04-megapixel 3-inch LCD touchscreen
- Dual UHS-II SD card slot, with one also suitable for CF Express Type A
- 4K oversampled video from 7K resolution at 30p
- 4K/60p oversampled video from 4.6K with 1.5x crop
- 10-bit video and H.265 with S-Cinetone
- 10-bit HEIF photos
- New, improved menu structure
- Improved ergonomics
- Live streaming video via USB connection
- Shutter can be closed when the camera is switched off
External differences between the Sony A7 IV and its predecessor
Although the Sony A7 IV looks the same as the previous model at first glance, there are still many changes. The first noticeable feature of this new camera is the fully articulating LCD screen.
You can now also tilt it all the way forwards, which vloggers will find very useful.
The camera is larger than its predecessor. In particular, the handgrip has been better shaped, making the camera more comfortable to hold.
The buttons are in the same places, apart from the movie button. This has been moved to the top of the camera, where the C1 button used to be. In effect, they have swapped positions.
Another important improvement is the new menu structure. This makes navigating the menu more pleasant and faster. The touchscreen functionality also now works in the menu. However, the relative positions of the menu options themselves have changed little or not at all.
As you can see in the photos, the Sony A7 IV has a separate selector switch for choosing between movie, photo and S&Q functions. This means that the PASM options can be retained when switching to the movie functions.
The lockable EV compensation dial no longer has the EV scale printed on it. You can now programme the dial to suit your own needs if you do not need it for EV compensation.
Details of the Sony A7 IV
As mentioned, the C1 button has swapped places with the movie button. Not everyone will like this, but it is a logical choice. Apart from that, there are few changes to the layout. The AF-ON button and joystick are of better quality and easier to use.
The connections on the Sony A7 IV are neatly hidden behind hinged covers. This is much more convenient than the rubber seals found on many other brands.
The HDMI connection is noticeable, as it no longer uses the annoying micro-HDMI format. This promises a better and more robust connection.
The camera can be charged via USB. You can also use USB to use the camera for live streaming. This can be done at 720p or 1080p at up to 60fps. If you want to stream in 4K, only 15 fps is available. You need Sony's Imaging Edge Software for this.
There are two card slots. One accepts both UHS-II SD cards and CF Express Type A, while the other is exclusively for UHS-II SD cards.
The CF Express Type A is effectively only necessary for one slow-motion video option. For all other recording options, a V90 UHS-II SD card is sufficient.
It is no longer necessary to activate the movie options using the PASM dial. Sony has added a dedicated switch for changing between photo, movie and S&Q functions.
This is a good choice, as it allows you to retain the exposure settings regardless of which mode you have selected.
Autofocus improvements
Quite a few improvements have been made to the AF system of the Sony A7 IV. The camera now has eye AF fully integrated into the AF system. It is no longer a separate option that could detect an eye but could not switch to an alternative when the eye was no longer detected.
The Sony A7 IV has the latest real-time tracking system, which responds better to the situation. With eye AF active, it is now possible to switch automatically and seamlessly to the face, head or body when the eye is no longer visible. The camera can also detect the eyes of people, animals and birds.
The autofocus functions are no longer reserved for photographers. The functions are also almost fully available when filming. Only the tracking modes are not available as such. Instead, you can tap the subject on the screen, after which the autofocus will follow it neatly.
The sensitivity of the AF system now extends to -4 EV with an f/2 lens. This is a one-stop improvement over its predecessor.
Speed and buffer
The Sony A7 IV is not an extremely fast camera. You can shoot at a maximum of 10 frames per second, provided you use the electronic shutter, compressed raw files or jpeg/heif.
If you switch to uncompressed raw files, the speed drops to 6 frames per second. The maximum speed is also 6 frames per second with the mechanical shutter.
According to Sony, the buffer is large enough for a burst of 800 raw+jpeg images. These figures apply to uncompressed raw files, and therefore to a speed of 6 frames per second. If you shoot in jpeg, the buffer can handle a burst of more than 1,000 images.
The sensor is not the fastest on the market. Reading out the sensor takes about 1/15 of a second. This is 17 times slower than the Sony A1. As a result, using the electronic shutter produces a strong rolling shutter effect, causing vertical lines to become distorted.
Filming at 4K resolution with the full sensor provides a faster readout speed, comparable to other cameras in this price range. As a result, the rolling shutter effect visible when photographing action is almost completely absent when filming.
The performance of the 33-megapixel sensor
The new sensor in the Sony A7 IV is a 33-megapixel back-side illuminated sensor. This is a significant increase over the A7 III, resulting in more detail in photos.
I tested the ISO performance. The camera performs very well up to ISO 3,200, with hardly any increase in noise compared with ISO 400. Higher ISO values are also perfectly usable, up to ISO 12,800.
If you accept a little noise and your exposure is perfect, the Sony A7 IV is even usable up to ISO 25,600.
.jpg "Nando Sony A7 IV ISO performance (1)")
To see how well the sensor performs, I carried out an ISO invariance test. I deliberately underexposed a photo at ISO 400 and later corrected it in Lightroom Classic to see how much noise became visible. I compared these noise levels with the corresponding ISO value.
This test shows that underexposing by as much as six stops and correcting it produces the same noise level as a photo taken at an ISO six stops higher.
This shows that you can safely underexpose and correct a RAW file. Noise levels will remain well controlled. Do bear in mind that this is an uncompressed 14-bit raw file.
Using it in practice
The Sony A7 IV is one of the few Sony cameras with a comfortable grip, making it feel as a camera should. It provides stability and good access to the buttons and dials.
One major drawback of Sony was the old menu. Browsing through the many tabs was time-consuming, and the division of menu options was not always very logical.
Although the latter has not changed, the new menu structure is a huge step forwards. It works faster and more pleasantly in every respect, especially now that touchscreen functionality has also been extended to the menu.
Although the fully movable 3-inch LCD screen is not to everyone's taste, it does make it easier to shoot from unusual positions, both in landscape and portrait orientation. Vloggers will also benefit from it.
The LCD screen resolution, however, lags behind the competition. At 1.04 megapixels, the resolution is low, which is also clearly noticeable with text and symbols on the screen. It is not as sharp as it could be.
The red/orange symbols that appear as an overlay on the screen are also not sharply defined because of the low resolution. As a result, readability is still not ideal. It would be good if Sony paid more attention to this.
Filming with the Sony A7 IV
I used the camera specifically for photography and largely ignored its movie capabilities. Still, it is important to go through the options briefly.
The camera offers an excellent range of movie features, with the autofocus capabilities certainly being an important upgrade over its predecessor. There is little rolling shutter effect, unlike when photographing with the electronic shutter.
The Sony A7 IV can record UHD 4K 30p using the full sensor, or UHD 4K 60p with a 1.5x crop. S-Log2, 3 and HLG 10-bit are available.
The camera has breathing compensation, which maintains the angle of view when focusing. This is only available with a selected number of lenses. To achieve this, the video is cropped to the narrowest angle of view when focusing from the minimum focusing distance to infinity. This leaves room to compensate for breathing.
My conclusion
The Sony A7 IV is a worthy successor to its predecessor. The camera has been improved in every respect, with the ergonomics, menu and autofocus certainly standing out. Sony has brought the A7 series fully up to date.
However, bringing it up to date has not made the camera surpass its closest competitors. In terms of specifications, the camera has been brought up to the same level in many areas, but in other respects it falls behind. That does not mean it is a bad camera, far from it.
Unfortunately, Sony has raised the price of the A7 IV to 2,799 euros, which is no less than 800 euros more than its predecessor. Considering the specifications and what the competitors offer, the price has become rather high.
What I like about the Sony A7 IV
- Improved ergonomics
- New menu structure
- Full touchscreen functionality
- Fully articulating LCD screen
- Can be used as a live-streaming camera via USB
- Sensor resolution increased to 3.69 megapixels
- Large buffer for 800 compressed RAW+jpeg or 1,000+ jpeg images (at 6 fps)
- Eye AF with real-time tracking is now usable in all conditions
- Eye AF for people, animals and birds
- Separate switch for movie/photo/S&Q function
- EV compensation dial is programmable
- Breathing compensation with selected lenses
- IBIS up to 5.5 EV
- Good battery capacity, although less good than the A7 III
- Both memory slots accept UHS-II SD cards
- Rolling shutter effect when filming is almost absent
- Full-size HDMI connection
- Shutter can be closed when the camera is switched off
- Good ISO performance
What could be improved
- Speed on the slow side, maximum 10 fps under certain conditions
- Rolling shutter effect when photographing with the electronic shutter
- More logical division of menu options
- LCD screen still has a low resolution
- Text and symbols on the LCD screen are difficult to read in some situations
- 1.5x crop when filming in 4K 60p
- Price is on the high side
Gallery
A number of photos taken with the Sony A7 IV.
About the author
Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.
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4 comments
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Matt wrote on Monday 17 January 2022 at 09:48 | replyNog een aanvulling op deze uitgebreide test: de A7 IV biedt volledige ondersteuning voor de LA-EA5 adapter, i.t.t. de A7 III. De A7 IV biedt dezelfde ondersteuning voor deze adapter als de A1, A7R IV en A6600.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.
Je kunt met de LA-EA5 adapter vrijwel alle A-mount lenzen gebruiken met behoud van alle autofocus functionaliteit. Dit geldt voor zowel de lenzen met ingebouwde focusmotor als de screw-drive lenzen. Alleen de Minolta Xi serie lenzen (deze hebben een powerzoom ipv manuele zoom) zijn onbruikbaar. -
4BYE
wrote on Tuesday 18 January 2022 at 13:55
| reply
Ik keek enorm uit naar de A7 IV ter vervanging van de A7R III zodat mijn vrouw een betere camera zou hebben voor wildlife, actie, BIF e.d. Hoewel ik de A7R III erg waardeer voor portretten, landschap en meer statische onderwerpen, is dat het punt waar hij minder presteert. Minder leuk nu we samen o.a. vogelhutten en vogelshows bezoeken en ze steeds meer geïnteresseerd is in fotografie. Mijn tweedehands A9 is al van uitzonderlijke klasse voor dat soort van fotografie.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.
In een "test" waarbij wij onze jonge katten naar de camera lieten hollen, bleek dat de snelheid van de A7 IV wel erg beperkt is met 5-6 fps en maximaal 10 fps met lossy gecomprimeerd. Ook de tracking AF viel enorm tegen. Waar hij meteen de kattenogen detecteert, is in een sequence waarbij ze naar de camera hollen alleen de eerste foto scherp. Uiteraard hetzelfde gedaan onder de zelfde omstandigheden met de A9 en A7R III. Zelfs de A7R III presteerde nog beter terwijl het niet Animal EyeAF én tracking tegelijkertijd kan doen. Het is gezien de korte afstand en snelheid niet de makkelijkste test voor een camera, maar konden wel duidelijk het verschil zien.
Uiteraard zijn er veel zaken verbeterd aan de A7 IV, maar daar hangt dan ook een flink prijskaartje aan. Ik vraag mij dan ook af of men, los van onze persoonlijke eisen, veel verschil gaat merken in het eind resultaat tussen deze nieuwe A7 IV en bijvoorbeeld een (tweedehands) A7 III/A7R III. Voor diegenen die wel snelheid in fps, AF en tracking e.d. nodig hebben is een (tweedehands) A9 ook nog steeds een geweldige optie.
Na wat gesteggel over het retourneren van de A7 IV heb ik net een in nieuwstaat verkerende demo A1 op de kop getikt. Hele andere klasse, mogelijkheden en helaas het prijskaartje, hoewel er al een flinke hap af is en ik de A7R III verkocht heb. Uiteindelijk toch wel enorm blij mee, gezien de prille resultaten, mogelijkheden en gezien mijn huidige lenzen die ik in kan zetten.
Waar ik nog niet uit ben, en dat is ook van toepassing op de A7 IV, is de mogelijkheid om bij lenswisseling, wanneer je de camera uitschakelt, de sluiter voor de sensor laat plaatsten om stof op de sensor te voorkomen. Ik heb echter diverse mensen horen waarschuwen om dat niet te gebruiken. Dit lijkt mij echter vreemd, gezien het feit dat stof op de sensor een dingetje is t.o.v. de spiegelreflexen. Zou dus erg welkom zijn, maar ga mij wel verder verdiepen in deze kwestie. Men is namelijk bang dat de sluiter kapot zou gaan en uiteindelijk kwetsbaarder is dan sensor. Misschien dat er hier mensen zijn die al iets meer weten? -
Rino wrote on Tuesday 18 January 2022 at 20:15 | replyWeer een fijne recensie. Toch moet mij wat van het hart, en dat heeft meer te maken met de tijdgeest dan met de recensie. Toen ik 36 jaar geleden vers van de foto opleiding kwam, ben ik gaan werker bij een fotopersbureau. Van mijn baas kreeg ik een Nikon F3 mee om een voetbal wedstrijd van de zaterdag amateurs te verslaan. Ik had 20 min, 36 opnames en maar 6 beelden per seconde tot mijn beschikking. Toch is het gelukt om met bruikbaar materiaal terug te komen. Mijn punt, niet de ontspanknop indrukken en wachten tot het juiste moment voorbij komt, maar afdrukken op het juiste moment.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.
@4BYE
Al meer dan 40 jaar fotograveer ik met mijn trusty Minolta XD7. Daar zit zo'n mechanische sluiter in. Nog nooit problemen mee gehad. Ja maar daar zit dan een spiegel tussen bij een objectief wissel, helemaal waar. Maar bij een film wissel niet. Die dichte sluiter lijk mij dus geen probleem en een goede methode om de sensor stofvrij te houden.
Rino -
4BYE
wrote on Wednesday 19 January 2022 at 14:10
| reply
@Rino dank voor je response.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.
Afdrukken op het "juiste moment" is in sommige gevallen heel erg lastig. Neem een vogel o.i.d. en dan wachten tot hij wegvliegt voor een mooie actie foto. Op het moment dat hij aanstalten maakt ben je al te laat. Olympus (ik gebruik dat voor macro/focus stacking) heeft ook ProCapture. Op het moment dat je de sluiter half indrukt maakt hij in het geheugen tot zo'n 30 opnames die steeds ververst worden. Op het moment dat je dan afdrukt heb je ook de voorgaande 30 afbeeldingen (of minder, je stelt dat in). Ideaal om iets vast te leggen waarop je niet of nauwelijks kunt timen of anticiperen. Bij bepaalde situaties kunnen meer beeldjes per seconden net het verschil maken in een actie sequence waardoor je meer keuze hebt om net die ene er uit te halen. Gelukkig is de digitale prullenbak geduldig in tegenstelling tot het filmtijdperk. Uiteraard heb je dat voor heel veel segmenten van de fotografie niet nodig, maar voor andere kan het weer er fijn zijn. Als je ziet wat er vanaf mijn Praktica MTL 3 tot nu toe inmiddels mogelijk is geworden zijn dat toch hele fijne stappen.
Ik heb inmiddels wat extra filmpjes e.d. gekeken betreffende de sluiter dichtdoen t.o.v. stof. Er wordt daarin gewaarschuwd om op te passen, wat natuurlijk logisch is maar bij normaal gebruik zou het volgens mij geen problemen moeten geven. Zoals je al zegt, vroeger bij film inleggen had je hetzelfde idee.
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