If you can afford it though, the A7 IV delivers.With the Sony A7 IV, you can be as creative as you want. That's $500 more than the previous A7 camera (though there is now the smaller A7C, which is $1,800). The not-so-good news is that this release is priced less like an entry-level model: $2,500 for the body. The autofocus system is good enough that you'll miss fewer shots, and it has more video options than previous releases. Its sensor produces sharp images with impressive dynamic range. If you're a wedding photographer, you probably should carry a spare in the bag, but the days of the A7 line requiring a sling of batteries to get through a day are thankfully behind us. It's a substantial battery that Sony rates at 520 shots, but in practice, this battery will get you through the day. The A7 IV uses the same battery as the A7 III. I primarily shoot RAW, but sometimes it's nice to have really good JPGs that require no post-processing, and the A7 IV does a better job here than most Sony cameras. I also found the color rendition in JPG files to be better than on previous models. If you're a shutter-mashing addict, you'll be happy. The combination of the new sensor and CFexpress card slot gives the A7 IV an essentially unlimited buffer capacity. The A7 IV’s buffer capacity is impressive. There are some other smaller things to like as well. ![]() The A7 IV's autofocus is an exception-this really will help you capture better pictures. Let's face it, with yearly upgrade cycles, it's rare that the latest model of anything is really much better than the one before it, when it comes to the images you actually create. The second is also that it works.Įverything else that's new about the A7 IV pales next to the autofocus system. This has two advantages over the lock-on-style systems you'll find in other cameras: The first is that it works. This means that when the subject moves across your frame, the camera continues to track it, adjusting the autofocus points to keep your subject in focus. All you do is put your autofocus points on the subject, then "half-press" the shutter button as you would with any camera, but then the camera will lock not to that area of the frame, but to the actual subject. Sony's subject tracking makes it easy to highlight your subject, and then the camera tracks it. Similarly, Sony's new autofocus system is remarkably good not because it's fast (it is), but because it's simple. All I have to do is turn the barrel of the lens. I don't have to remember to switch modes as situations change, or move autofocus points using a touchscreen. Those are important, but the second reason is that it's simple. First, there's practice and the muscle memory it builds. The reason for my success with manual is two-fold. (Sony claims it's up to eight times faster.) I did not have an A7 III around to compare the two, but it never felt like the A7 IV bogged down. The new processor also makes the A7 IV quite a bit speedier than its predecessor. The A7 IV gets a similar boost, offering 15 stops of dynamic range, which opens an incredibly rich range of post-processing possibilities. While the sensor is new, the A7 IV's processor comes from the video-centric Sony A7S III, where it was notable for its dynamic range. It's worth noting that we'll likely see the A7 IV's sensor in the successor to the A7C, which I would expect later this year-you should wait for that if you want a smaller camera body. In terms of resolution, the A7R IV, with its 60-megapixel sensor, remains in a class of its own. ![]() The new sensor is a step up from the A7 III (which had a 24-megapixel sensor), as well as what you'll find in rivals like the Canon R6, Nikon Z6II, and Panasonic S1.Īt the same time, the A7 IV is still very much the entry-level camera in Sony's lineup. The A7 IV uses a new 33-megapixel, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, which provides better resolution and potentially better image quality in low-light situations. ![]() What's new and noteworthy about the A7 IV is mainly on the inside. That's a good thing, too, because Sony's menu system is still labyrinthine, and the less time you spend there the happier you will be. It's enough external controls to ensure you really only need to dive into the menus once to set everything up the way you want. There's a four-way multi-controller that can also act as a dial, a joystick to position the autofocus point, and six buttons which are all programmable. The controls on the back remain fairly close to what you'll find on other recent A7-series cameras.
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