Stills only....A7 lV or A7 RlllA

Dave in Wales · Sep 12, 2022

I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

Tristimulus · Sep 12, 2022

Dave in Wales said:
I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

The A7IV has faster auto focus and a really sticky auto focus point. Guess that will deliver more keepers in fast moving environments.

The A7RIIIA offers more resolution.

The rear screen differ, some like the tilt screen, some like the fully articulating screen.

So what do you need? What is a 'no brainer' is a matter of context.

Jacques Cornell · Sep 12, 2022

Dave in Wales said:
I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

As an event shooter, I'd like the IV's newer AF. As a landscape shooter, I like my RIII's higher rez. I haven't followed the latest critiques of the IV, and I'm not sure which I'd choose right now if they were the same price. I got my three mint used a7RIIIs for around $1800 each, so replacing with the IV would cost me about two grand, so not happening soon. I'd be looking closely at a mint used a7RIV for around $2K as well.

UncleVanya · Sep 12, 2022

Dave in Wales said:
I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

So I own the older a7rIII (not the A version). I also shoot no video and very little action - I find the rIII an excellent tool as is without reservations. The dynamic range is one of the very best and better than the a7iv. Detail level is also better but it’s unclear if this will be important in your output as this is rarely visible in normal use of the images for most people.

mreynolds767 · Sep 12, 2022

For landscape use it is a no brainer to go with the R

for all other still photography the non-r likely makes more sense

Nokiron · Sep 12, 2022

If you value autofocus then the A7IV will be so much better. If you need that extra resolution but with the quirks of the previous generation bodies, you can't go wrong with the RIIIA.

UncleVanya said:
Dave in Wales said:

I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

Click to expand...

So I own the older a7rIII (not the A version). I also shoot no video and very little action - I find the rIII an excellent tool as is without reservations. The dynamic range is one of the very best and better than the a7iv. Detail level is also better but it’s unclear if this will be important in your output as this is rarely visible in normal use of the images for most people.

Saying it has better dynamic range is a bit of a stretch. It's as close as can be, even a slight advantage to the A7IV at the second gain level.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Sony ILCE-7M4,Sony ILCE-7RM3

flbdig · Sep 12, 2022

Dave in Wales said:
I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

I own the a7R3 and a7R4 and I would Ignore the a7R4a since thr rear screen is the only difference. I'd without a doubt buy a used like new a7R4 you will be happy. Plus with 26mpix in aps-c mode your lens will be even more versatile.

Nokiron · Sep 12, 2022

flbdig said:
Dave in Wales said:

I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

Click to expand...

I own the a7R3 and a7R4 and I would Ignore the a7R4a since thr rear screen is the only difference. I'd without a doubt buy a used like new a7R4 you will be happy. Plus with 26mpix in aps-c mode your lens will be even more versatile.

Just to note, it's about the A7IV and A7RIII. Not the A7RIV.

Because if you are talking used gear, you can just get an A7IV or A7RIII cheaper anyways.

wpstl · Sep 12, 2022

I recently had the same decision to make but it might have been a bit easier of a decision for me. I realized I don’t need the AF, video, and articulating screen of the 4 so I bought a used R III. After using the R III for the last couple of months I would make the same decision.

No account anymore · Sep 12, 2022

Dave in Wales said:
I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

As an owner of both the A7IV and A7rIII I would recommend the A7IV if autofocus speed is important for your work. Also, the grip is deeper, and knobs and wheels have a noticeable more tactile feeling. I also appreciate the flip out screen for macro and other kind of away-from-the-eye handling of the camera. There is just a slight difference in resolution between 33 and 42 Mp for real world work, so this should not be a concern.

I bought the camera for 50/0% stills and video. Since stills and video are separated with a lever, just leave it for stills. For me, the A7IV is the winner for stills, with a noticeable margin.

BrentSchumer · Sep 12, 2022

As an A7RIII owner, I would go for the A7IV, as it offers amazing tracking AF, dual fast card slots, better menus, better ergos, and a screen that moves in more than one direction. 33MP vs 42MP isn't a big difference. The only benefits of the A7RIII over the A7IV are a longer expected shutter life and slightly higher resolution.

That said, I would seriously look at A7RIII (not As) on the used market. I picked one up for less than $1,800 two years ago on ebay with less than 5,000 shutter actuations, and you'd probably be able to get an even better deal now. Or an A7RIV that would fit in your budget, opening up a gorgeous EVF and some other goodies.

A7RIV vs A7IV is more interesting.

Karl Scharf · Sep 12, 2022

Magnar W said:
Dave in Wales said:

I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

Click to expand...

As an owner of both the A7IV and A7rIII I would recommend the A7IV if autofocus speed is important for your work. Also, the grip is deeper, and knobs and wheels have a noticeable more tactile feeling. I also appreciate the flip out screen for macro and other kind of away-from-the-eye handling of the camera. There is just a slight difference in resolution between 33 and 42 Mp for real world work, so this should not be a concern.

I bought the camera for 50/0% stills and video. Since stills and video are separated with a lever, just leave it for stills. For me, the A7IV is the winner for stills, with a noticeable margin.

Yes, to be able to totally separate stills from video is a great feature that should be incorporated in all future renditions of Sony mirrorless cameras.

The much improved ergonomics of the A7IV is another reason to like this camera for stills in my opinion.

flbdig · Sep 12, 2022

Nokiron said:
flbdig said:

Dave in Wales said:

I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

Click to expand...

I own the a7R3 and a7R4 and I would Ignore the a7R4a since thr rear screen is the only difference. I'd without a doubt buy a used like new a7R4 you will be happy. Plus with 26mpix in aps-c mode your lens will be even more versatile.

Click to expand...

Just to note, it's about the A7IV and A7RIII. Not the A7RIV.

Because if you are talking used gear, you can just get an A7IV or A7RIII cheaper anyways.

I read pretty good.

I know that the OP mentioned. But since you can get a like new a7R4 for Less money than the a74 and just a short time ago the a7r4 was the Best Camera that Sony made I suggested it. If that's OK with you.

UncleVanya · Sep 12, 2022

Nokiron said:
If you value autofocus then the A7IV will be so much better. If you need that extra resolution but with the quirks of the previous generation bodies, you can't go wrong with the RIIIA.

UncleVanya said:

Dave in Wales said:

I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

Click to expand...

So I own the older a7rIII (not the A version). I also shoot no video and very little action - I find the rIII an excellent tool as is without reservations. The dynamic range is one of the very best and better than the a7iv. Detail level is also better but it’s unclear if this will be important in your output as this is rarely visible in normal use of the images for most people.

Click to expand...

Saying it has better dynamic range is a bit of a stretch. It's as close as can be, even a slight advantage to the A7IV at the second gain level.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Sony ILCE-7M4,Sony ILCE-7RM3

I had not looked in a while. Early data seemed a little more in the a7RIII’s favor but the current data looks like a wash. Good catch.

razorfish · Sep 12, 2022

Good question. I’m really happy with my A7Riii, can’t complain about the AF, and an RRS plate improves the grip greatly. I skipped upgrading to the A7Riv because it’s still the old user interface. But if I could switch today at no cost, that modernized A7iv at 33 mp would be very tempting. The difference between 33 and 42 mp isn’t great. If you never print big the A7iv is the obvious choice in my opinion. I order large prints pretty regularly so that resolution actually matters but between 33 and 42 I still think it’s marginal.

deednets · Sep 13, 2022

Dave in Wales said:
I have NEVER, EVER shot video and never will.

Recommendations please, I'm considering one of the above with a 24-105mm.

I'm aware of the vast difference in file size, and price is about the same.

Is it a 'no brainer'...does the A7 RlllA win hands down or are there other considerations I'm unaware of.

TIA.

I have used a variety of SONY cameras over the last few years. One of the issues I felt was the issue of colour. Greens in particular I found were not - let's just say - to my liking.

I had the A7C and the A7RIIIA alongside for a while and constantly found images at default settings more appealing on the A7C.

In the end I felt like it was a choice of giving up the A7RIIIA and simply get the A7C - or move on a tad and get the A7IV.

Let's just say that I am very happy with the colours. Hardly any work needed.

A7C

A7RIIIA

Since it's winter, not a shot in the grass but find the colours excellent on the A7IV:

A7IV

In my opinion the A7C and the A7IV colours were a wash, both I find good. Both the A7III and the A7RIIIA I thought were a bit off at default.

Now, the old "no brainer" adage regarding "more is better" in landscape photography: I would not discard the colours!

A7C (was just in the same folder, sorry)

Good luck with your decision!

Ah, yes, about the resolution:

7000 versus 7950px. At 300dpi those cameras would get you:

A7IV: 7000:300 = 23.33 inches or 59.26 cm.
A7RIIIA 7952:300 = 26.50 inches or 67.31 cm

What's that?? 12%?

Deed

pollup · Sep 13, 2022

BrentSchumer said:
The only benefits of the A7RIII over the A7IV are a longer expected shutter life and slightly higher resolution.

Do we have any information about the A7iv shutter rating?
I couldn't find anything.

BrentSchumer · Sep 13, 2022

pollup said:
BrentSchumer said:

The only benefits of the A7RIII over the A7IV are a longer expected shutter life and slightly higher resolution.

Click to expand...

Do we have any information about the A7iv shutter rating?

I couldn't find anything.

No, only that the A7RIII was rated for a much longer life than the A7III. My assumption is that Sony has continued the bifurcation.

UncleVanya · Sep 13, 2022

BrentSchumer said:
pollup said:

BrentSchumer said:

The only benefits of the A7RIII over the A7IV are a longer expected shutter life and slightly higher resolution.

Click to expand...

Do we have any information about the A7iv shutter rating?

I couldn't find anything.

Click to expand...

No, only that the A7RIII was rated for a much longer life than the A7III. My assumption is that Sony has continued the bifurcation.

It is also equally possible the shutters are close in design and performance since a reduced number of shutter designs is likely cheaper to maintain a pipeline of parts for which became more important than ever during Covid supply disruptions.

BrentSchumer · Sep 13, 2022

UncleVanya said:
BrentSchumer said:

pollup said:

BrentSchumer said:

The only benefits of the A7RIII over the A7IV are a longer expected shutter life and slightly higher resolution.

Click to expand...

Do we have any information about the A7iv shutter rating?

I couldn't find anything.

Click to expand...

No, only that the A7RIII was rated for a much longer life than the A7III. My assumption is that Sony has continued the bifurcation.

Click to expand...

It is also equally possible the shutters are close in design and performance since a reduced number of shutter designs is likely cheaper to maintain a pipeline of parts for which became more important than ever during Covid supply disruptions.

We have no idea until more information comes out. Does anyone know what Sony did differently with the A7III vs A7RIII shutters?

Stills only....A7 lV or A7 RlllA

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