There's a lot to test on the Sony a7 IV. To cover it all, Chris and Jordan took a road trip through southern Alberta to test both stills and video. Watch to find out if the camera lives up to the hype.
Would be great to get some thoughts from Chris and Jordan on how A7IV AF and responsiveness compares to A7RIV. Being a gen 4 body, A7RIV also has the new Sony AF system including real-time tracking AF. Does A7IV improve on that further or is it similar. Given the higher $2500 price tag of A7IV, these two cameras are much closer in price now specially if you buy the A7RIV used. So for some users the A7RIV with its higher resolution and better EVF would be a more attractive option.
Mule deer...not whitetail. You can tell mule deer by their white tails with black tip. Whitetails have tails that are brown on top and white underneath. Mule deer are also considerably bigger than a whitetail and have larger ears too (which is how they got the "mule" name.)
In the section on autofocus, Jordan says that “the system is doing a wonderful job.” But even before Jordan deliberately moves towards and away from the camera, he's moving his head around enough that the camera keeps losing focus.
Perhaps what Jordan meant is that it would be wonderful if the scene were being shot using a slow aperture rather than f/1.2. I'm not sure there are any camera autofocus systems that can produce good results when shooting full frame video at f/1.2.
actually that is what he is saying (though you are right, i guess it should be phrased better) ... he says something like: "this sequence is a stress-test at f/1.2"
what jordan said makes sense for people who shoot video, but i can see how it could be confusing for people who only shoot stills.
that's because af with video is not like af with stills; with video the focus changes must be slow, and in fact some cameras have programmable speed control of the af motor for just that purpose.
so jordan wasn't confused when he said that it's "doing a wonderful job", while the camera was doing slow focus changes... it's wonderful because that's how video is supposed to work, see these examples of slow rack focusing speeds in hollywood movies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8QmEZjcto
one of the most important generalizations about video shooting/editing is that if you noticed that it didn't make sense, the creator probably did it wrong... for example, if the focus is hunting back and forth on the target before settling down, like with cdaf, it's noticeable and therefore wrong... the shots jordan posted did not do that.
There isn’t a single camera on the market today which is worth buying.
They’re all fundamentally flawed, their designers are cretins, and the marketeers are next only to the devil in their deceptive powers.
In the meantime, let’s continue to argue about specification minutiae of cameras most have never handled, let alone lived with, and never once stop to think…
Owning a A7M3, and shooting mostly stills, the higher resolution / better cropping possibilities are attracting with the A7M4. Considering the price point, wouldn't be the A7R4 a better choice ? In ergonomics the touch display is not a plus for me. the rotating display definitively is. (can be turned down for protecting the scree) 10ips ? well... that's more than enough to create an headache during editing sessions
So to answer my own question about banding. Richard Butler says this "The sensor readout takes 66ms (~1/15 sec), so there will be A LOT of banding under flickering lights." He also confirms rolling shutter as being a significant issue. So while the flip out screen and new menus are a clear improvement, shooting weddings etc with the silent electronic shutter is still a problem as are fast moving sports. Yes, a used A9 doesn't cost that much more but it will still have the old menus and a tilting screen.
sony menus are not a problem with the custom "my menu", where you can create your own menu, one button push away.
used a9 is the best bargain on the market for sports shooting, nothing else comes close, and with xlnt eyeaf and a stacked sensor it's also great for shooting weddings.
i don't see much advantage to a flip-out screen for shooting weddings, over the tilt screen, it's low priority.
not sure why you'd have so many banding issues at weddings, but the a9ii would be a winner for that because it has electronic shutter speed control that addresses just about all possible flicker speeds... can't do that with an r5/r6.
... or, you just use the mechanical shutter in artificial light. Thousands of wedding photographers have never even had the option to shoot with a silent shutter.
Sony has a WAY more intuitive AF tracking setup, where you essentially no longer have to think about zones or modes. Nikon breaks up different AF types into different modes and requires button presses for tracking.
Nikon has the better physical layout and menus, though I don't find the Sonys to be deficient.
@ Photo-Art: So Nikon are slow focusing boxes using heavy lenses, from a company that doesn't understand electronics? 😀
Well, since modern cameras basically ARE electronic consumer products, I much prefer the powerful boxes which can track almost anything that is moving. Ergonomics are just fine, and properly set up these boxes are blistering fast to work with!
I liked Magnar better before he received the same firmware update to his brain that all Sony users receive.
Anyway - Sony still can't make truly consistent bodies because they realize how deficient they are in handling. Somehow. After what, 16 or something different FF E-mount cameras.
Yes, if you don't want to think about AF then yes, you can hand it over to the magical toaster. But when it fails, and it will, and you don't know how to fix it, you'll be sad.
Nikon. Tiny differences due to price point between a Z5 (or even Z50, the Zfc is intentionally fun and weird and different) and the pending Z9 (except that the Z9 also has the integrated grip). Back further DSLR families remained very consistent over generations except for adding the joystick.
Canon got drunk and weird with the R and RP but look at a 5D IV versus R6, R5, and now pending R3.
Before Canon released R series bodies, I seriously considered shifting to Sony as I believed mirrorless was the way to go. Tried both the A7III and A7RIII in a camera store in Hokkaido, Japan. One thing about these Japanese retailers, they don't care even if I keep using their display units for hours inside the store. End of the day, the ergo was horrible. Everything else then about the camera was good. Hence my question above. Now the gap is narrower than ever between Sony and Canon. Thanks, Sony for putting pressure on otherwise complacent competitors. And kudos Canon for the R5 and the R6.
I have tried nikon and canon cameras in japan yodobashi as well and always found their ergonomics horrible. I would say this part is personal because otherwise there is no way so many people are buying these two brands.
We should be careful when he assert our subjective views as objective facts, because they are not.
No look if you try something for a few hours and it doesn't click it's clearly fatally flawed industrial design. All of those other people who enjoy the handling just never thought to pick up a canon camera. /s
BrentSchumer - you know what, that's exactly how it felt. I mean the grip was too close to the barrel of the lens. The edges were jagged. And since cameras rest on my right palm a lot when I am handholding them, this was a show-stopper for me as far as those Sony cameras are concerned. But other than that, those were very good photographic tools. However, what's the use of that if I won't like using them because they hurt my fingers and hand? I heard Chris say that it handles nicely this time but did not really dwell on it further. Let's see. That does not change the fact I am thankful to Sony for having pushed the reset button on otherwise complacent competitors.
@ Larawanista: Some can' t understand why others accept or even like something they strongly dislike themselves.
Ergonomics is about how things work on a regular basis when you are used with it, NOT that something feels different from what you are used with.
Go from Sony to another brand. Just as weird first feeling as the other way around. Also, det up a Sony camera properly, and you can work blistering fast! Almost like magics.
I shoot Sony A9 most of the time and have it customized to my needs. If I pick up the same model without these customizations (after reset or rent) then it feels like a completely different camera, absolutely unusable.
So I doubt that one can adopt to a different system within hours if not using both systems constantly over a longer period.
@JoFa, why label clueless this discussion when in fact were talking about camera handling? We're not even attacking Sony. It's labeling like you that makes the net so damn toxic these days. I never complained about the system. The menu was fine for me, having used an NEX-5/7 in the past and I loved those cameras. It's the ergonomics. It's how the camera felt in the hands and how the fingers wrapped around it and how they would move in operation. The mount is so close to the grip. The edges could have been smoothened. It's those small things.
@cbphoto123, I've used Sony NEX in the past, as I did Lumix. I'm ok with menu systems across all brands. When I started using DSLRs and bigger mirrorless bodies, I started exploring a number of options. And Sony almost had my money as I was prepared to ditch Canon, until I had time to hold these bodies. Anyway, we should not defend ourselves to anyone just as we're not questioning anyone who likes Sony in their hands.
@ Larawanista: This is mainly about what you are used with. Also, the form factor of the NEX-7 is very different from the full frame cameras. But cameras are about personal preferences, and there are lots of very good brands and camera models to pick among, which is just great.
For context, one time I contested mount clearance issues here and someone insisted that I was holding my hand differently intentionally to hide the issue.
It cuts both ways.
I have yet to run into clearance issues with large hands but also don't shoot 600mm primes or anything like that. As always, I encourage people to rent a combination and check for personal fit before plunking down $10,000 or more.
My personal gripe with Sony ergos is how close the EVF is to the thumbstick as a left-eyed shooter. My pinky hung off until I added an L Plate, which I like anyways.
But with how cheap and varied third party lenses are, it was basically Sony or nothing.
@ cbphoto123: Why are you asking me? I have no strong opinions on how the camera would balance if the distance between the grip and lens was expanded. What is your thoughs on this, as a non-Sony user?
Hint: Just ask the question in general so that you can get relevant answers from as may as possible on the forum.
The idea that camera bodies vary greatly is as silly as "color science," "toy camera," and "menus"! It is simply refusal to adapt by the elderly population that uses cameras.
@ cbphoto123: You are asking for my opinion on an aspect of Sony cameras that I don't care about at all, and my answer is straight above your last post here. Just read it! Then read it again. What is the part you don't understand?
People here on the forum can't do anything to help posters who are unable to differ between subjective opinions, personal judgements, and simple technical questions that can be answered with yes or no.
This is the polite version of my explanation of my answer to you above.
@ cbphoto123: Just ask the question in general on the forum, and you will get lots of answers from people who have opinions on this. Then you might get some more insight about how spreading the lens mount and the grip would affect balance and other factors for camera users.
The fact that you demand an answer from me and no others, says that you are NOT interested in the answer! You are persecuting people (not just me), and your agenda is most likely to continue the harassment you have committed so often in the past. Just like a stalker, who need to find someone to love or put down.
CB, I have used 4 Sony bodies now and have had zero problems with any of them with my fingers. I have hypothesized lately that since 70% of some western countries are either overweight or obese, perhaps this has more to do with the supposed space problem.
I am a little over 25 bmi, and so in the overweight range, but I don't have any issues like I said.
Well, there goes that theory then. I have used the sony bodies with gloves as well. I use photograohy gloves that let you pull back the thumb and pointer. Also haven't had any problem. It must be that we are gripping it differently. I will watch the video to see how he is holding it when I get back home.
I watched the video. I also took out one of my two sony bodies, which had the 100-400 attached. My fingers, especially when actively gripping, show a small gap between camera and lesn. I have used fat lenses like the 135 gm, on multiple bodies, without issue. It could be that I have weirdly skinny fingers despite being overweight myself. I know that sony keeps slowly making their cameras bigger(I prefer the smaller a9 body tbh). I have nothing truly against them making the camera a miniscule amount wider there...though my concern is the trend of continuing to make the cameras bigger, as small and lightweight is one of the reason I chose Sony in the first place.
Also, I don't understand what your "user error" comment is referencing.
His fingers were there, but it didn't seem like it was uncomfortable to him. I picked up my camera with the 100-400 to take a look. Visually, it looks close, but I do not feel the lens, as there is still a small gap there. And like I said, I have never observed any issue even with fat lenses like the 135 gm. They keep making the cameras bigger, which I do not like, in order to accommodate what some people want.
What I didn't see was him showing close ups where his fingers are rubbing or bothering him. And it never even dawned on me that anyone would have problems with any of the Sony cameras from the riii(when I switched to Sony) onward. I think you have to also understand that there is a very vocal minority that never has any intention of buying or using a Sony camera, that leaps from one "complaint" to another, always a nebulous and personal one, such as "ergonomics."
I am not sure what else I can offer. What you view as a "design error," most people have no issue with.
Ok? I mean, Sony has 30% market share of mirrorless. This is not a widespread problem or people wouldn't continue to buy their cameras. Accusing me of lying is just childish.
Did chris complain about this body generation or a previous one?
I think it's just a difference between people who learned on one system then using another just for a review saying "this is wrong" when it's just a different setup.
I remember one video where Tony Northrup insisted that he was accidentally releasing lenses due to the button placement.
That could very well be it. It is same as the "menus" complaint. To me, you learn and adapt. It is just a menu system here... Not rocket science.
I dual wielded panasonic and sony and now sony and fuji, with different generations of sony bodies...and I have absolutely no issues. A camera is a camera. They really aren't hugely different from each other. Unless, of course, they are the integrated grip type, which is a completely different beast.
Then again, photo hobbiest skew elderly, and elderly often have the most trouble adapting.
@ Thecylon: Those saying "it must be bad" and "it must be wrong" are those strongest bound to their own habits and what they are used to themselves. I don't think it is much about age. It is about mind set, and how flexible you are if you have to adapt to something different or new.
LOL how can he say the 7IV's sensor is a bit slower than the R6 when it's 1/15s vs ~1/50s, it's chalk and cheese in stills. Video scan rate is probably closer no doubt, but the 7IV is a big failure in not being able to improve scan speed for what was already terrible in the 7III, 7RIII, 7RIV. It means ES is utterly useless for action unlike the R6 where it is usable.
Yes, its as bad as the initial eos r for which canon got a lot bad feedback. Sony has it for generations that bad, maybe people have to complain louder?
@MILC man Making the newer sony even worse as it has a 4 times as long readout. Meanwhile the R5 and R6 offer 12fps mechanical, which is 1DX level making them still suitable for sports shooting. In case of the R6 even for a lower price.
I also wouldn't say don't use as e-shutter of them is still capable for sports shooting but you need to know when to switch to mechanical for those certain situations. Its the job of the photographer like choosing a proper shutter speed or composition. With 1/15s you don't have that option except for panning shots but you don't even have a speed gain so what are you actually trying to say?
r5/r6 both fail with electronic shutter because they don't have stacked sensors, period... as the elongated football pic proved, r5/r6 sensor readout speeds are too slow for serious work, and crying about sony won't fix that.
you can't shoot at 12fps with most of the 1st-gen canon lenses, per canon itself, and the r5 in particular has serious overheating issues, plus the fps rate drops like a rock when the battery is partially discharged, etc... it's just not a professional platform, but i think that canon improved on that with the r3, albeit at a ridiculous $6000 price.
then there is the abject lack of 3rd-party lenses for rf-mount, including no 600mm superzooms in rf-mount, etc.
I love talk from people that have never used the R5 or R6 talking smack. Thousands of birders are using the R5 and R6 in ES mode for BIF with great success despite the lack of stacked sensor. Canon at least made the effort to greatly improve sensor scan speed that was crucial to AF performance.
"I love talk from people that have never used the R5 or R6 talking smack."
Is not thousands of people using sony cameras too. If people using them is any criteria then sony could do no wrong since they are so bug and here for long time.
@Magnar well, in the EOS R forum there are a number of people who use both Sony and Canon mirrorless FF bodies. And on specs, they'd even give Sony the upper hand. But on ergo, it's a different story. Cameras are held in the hands and used for hours, sometimes over days. This is not about losing a Blackberry keyboard and getting used to the touch screen keyboard. Thus is something as basic as jagged edges and the mount being too close to the grip, among others.
@MILC man It doesn't need to be a stacked sensor, what are you talking about? If another technology achieves a fast enough speed it also will deliver. After over 300k photos with e-shutter for animals, I can tell you that it is fast enough even for running cheetahs. Well I can shoot with 12fps even with my L prime from last century so which lenses do you mean actually? Also previous gen lenses of those listed by canon still offer it (they excluded compatible predecessors in it).
I also get the 20fps with a battery having a red performance rating (the lowest possible displayed meaning the battery is pretty much end of life) and not fully charged. I thought it will fall to 14fps but no it maintained pretty well last time I checked (counted the photos in one second of running animals). My Sigma lenses also work adapted with 12 & 20fps, don't know why sony has a software 3/10/15 fps limit depending on the body.
@Larawanista: You're saying that people who choose to post on the EOS R forums prefer EOS R handling? Shocking! Shocking I tell you! Definitive proof! Unless we ask the Sony FE forum, then it might be a tie.
@PredatorsPrey - "It doesn't need to be a stacked sensor, what are you talking about?"
the subject under discussion was the o.p. claim: "It means ES is utterly useless for action unlike the R6 where it is usable"
r5/r6 are not suitable for action shooting, the sensor readout speed is too slow, per the video i posted, so yes it does need to be a stacked sensor, that's why canon put a stacked sensor in the r3, and nikon put a stacked sensor in the z9:
Rolling shutter is no problem or a minor problem in most situations.
Sure the A1/R3/Z9 stacked sensors are even better for action shooting, but that doesn't make other cameras useless. What did we do before the stacked sensor? Never get action shots?
Let's face it: some will spin just to build up their preferred brand and denigrate others.
BTW if one claims that the R5/R6 are not suitable for actions shots, then the far slower A7 IV is certainly not suitable for action shots.
@TRU: "What did we do before the stacked sensor? Never get action shots?"
Well we had mechanical shutters and still have. So I don't know if the A7IV is "suitable" for action using the mechanical shutter. I suspect that the focus system is not up to speed for real action stuff but let's see.
I know that "some people" are using the R5 for action but I guess they would prefer the R3 if resolution is not the aim.
Every time I'm photographing someone whose face is small in the frame, and I can't see the expression on their face, or whether their eyes are open and mouth is closed, because they're obscured by a score of buzzing green bees, I just wanna shake Sony by the neck and yell, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???"
So Chris, when you say the R6 has a big advantage of "20 fps in electronic shutter mode", hadn't you just finished saying you (we) don't want to shoot anything moving in electronic shutter mode?
Trouble is for Chris he hasn't seen the the results from thousands of bird shooters alone that use the R6 and R5 in ES mode and find rolling shutter is not a deal breaker and it rarely causes problems like deformed wings.
@MILC man Maybe because it offers a 50% fps gain? Updated eye af? new innovation with eye control af? big robust body for large batteries while R1 is not ready? Trying out the sensor tech before having it ready for high mp? Offering still a lower MP class body for the plain sports press shooters while having a high mp high fps body for the flagship? And of course, readout speed for situations where r6/r5 might have limits but you mostly wont have that in many sports or animal photos, just special cases for higher speeds. Even running cheetahs are pretty well possible with e-shutter unlike with the new Sony.
@PredatorsPrey - "big robust body for large batteries while R1 is not ready?"
the r3 only holds one battery, it's a "big robust body" that can't be made smaller, it's not a removeable grip, which doesn't make sense.
@PredatorsPrey - "Offering still a lower MP class body for the plain sports press shooters"
press shooters? sony won both of the biggest press agency contracts, r5/r6 can't fix the numerous shortcomings of the rf-platform when it comes to reportage.
canon is off in the weeds with cheap f/11 primes and such, that don't make sense for pros or serious amateurs, and neither does a 24mp r3 that's way overpriced when compared to the sony a1, which has 2x higher pixel count and 2x faster sensor readout speed.
This is the way it always is. Canikon users don't think ibis matters...until they get it and now it is a big deal. Autofocus tracking via the a9 is unimportant...until Canon finally gets it and now it is important. Blackout free silent shooting with fast readout speed won't be important until they finally get it and see what Sony users have understood since 2017.
@Thecylon I haven't know Chris is such a Canikon boy. From where do you have it?
And well the IBIS thing didn't change, it's a nice to have but not important thing if you're mainly using long lenses (as I do). But one should understand, after rubbing at each possible way under peoples noses how good the ibis was one shouldn't be surprised that people had enough of it and making fun of Sony still not being able catching up with canikons first try after so many years of experience. Don't be surprised if ppl give you an echo if you annoyed them for years at each possible situation.
Wait, so Canikon fans don't care about tech until they finally have it themselves...but the true fault of this is sony fans, because they praised the new tech when it came out? Makes sense.
And the way this works, is that I responded to the person directly above me, which made no mention of Chris. Not everything is about you.
Great review and comparisons. I was pretty excited about this camera, but looking at the price increase, the A7RIV that is often discounted to $3k might be a better choice for photographers.
I do have the A7RIV as addition to the A9 and I find the focus performance disappointing. Especially that some tracking modes are not available with animal eye-af. So I would expect the A7IV to perform much better on this at least until us start shooting. After the first picture in a burst focus performance lags behind any of the the stacked sensors.
So is the banding as problematic as on the a7iii? You said we'd get the same rolling shutter which is disappointing. Presumably Sony wants to sustain the distinction with the a9 series.
Once the A7 IV is fully available (next year?), I think the A7R III will probably see the biggest decline in sales amongst Sony's lineup... It was already a bit behind the A7 III in AF, and the resolution gap has narrowed now. In some ways the A7 IV straddles those two lines now, pricing adjustments will probably account for that (A7R III should be back on sale as soon as the A7R IV is back to $3K, etc.).
It'll be interesting to see how well the A7 III and A7C hold up if they start to see increased competition from new models tho (Z5 II? hasn't a lower cost Canon RF been rumored for a while?). That might be the biggest issue with pricing the A7 IV up rather than whether the A7 IV itself is enough of a good value. I think the A7 IV is likely to tempt a ton of people on mk bodies.
I only find the 5 fps with lossless RAW compression at the end of 2021 for 2799 EUR especially abysmal. (For Birders or Sports Photographers).
The Nikon Z6 II looks like quite a bargain now, also the Z5 for fullframe starters, into contrast, and despite not feat. the same AF system, quite faster fps (up to 14 fps, depending on the mode and bit depth) via Z6 II, excellent WR and IBIS, only the Canon R6 does have better IBIS in this class).
The price however, for Sonys latest "entry Level" A7 Series is horrible.
Queue someone shooting an action scene in a blacked out warehouse and pointing at how that one zipper artefact on the corner of the window in the background totally ruined the shot because of lossless RAW compression... 😂
Yeah for the vast majority of instances it's not gonna be a big deal, the super deep buffer for a body in this price class seems far more noteworthy... 800 shots? That's not common AFAIK, Nikon stated a 3.5x improvement on the mk I's buffer with the Z6 II, and the original had a 30-35 shot buffer (as did the A7 III w/uncompressed RAW FWIW, 2x that with lossy compression).
So the A7 IV seems to have a buffer that's over 6x as large, I guess you have to pick between faster burst speeds or a far larger buffer if you're solely looking at that metric between those bodies (and ignoring MP count, AF, etc.).
BTW, the Z6 II drops to 10fps if you want 14-bit RAWs. 14fps is with 12-bit RAWs (with lossless compression, buffer depth is about 125 shots in that mode).
This obviously isn't the camera for you, and that is 100% fine. If we were all the same things would be a bit boring. I will suggest though- take a similar picture in ok light with lossy and lossless compression (brand of camera doesn't matter), try the same with a photo in poor light. Compare and even edit them. I'd bet you'll not see a difference. It's a spec of mostly irrelevance
@marc petzold - "I only find the 5 fps with lossless RAW compression at the end of 2021 for 2799 EUR especially abysmal. (For Birders or Sports Photographers)"
this is milc not dslr, people who are serious about sports or bif want stacked sensor cameras, aka a9/a9ii/a1/r3/z9.
@marc petzold - "The Nikon Z6 II looks like quite a bargain now"
not for the sports/bif market you just mentioned; it's not a stacked sensor, and nikon still doesn't have any target acquisition system that is comparable to sony real-time tracking, which this a7iv has.
the rumors are that nikon will finally get it with the z9, we'll see.
Is there an option for an auto EFCS on/off setting past a certain shutter speed? I don't think this made it unto the A1 so I doubt it's here but it'd be nice if Sony would tweak that, it's one of the few complaints I had immediately after I started shooting Sony and something most manufacturers are now handling better...
Also, is there any in camera RAW processing? I get why older A7 bodies didn't have that, they really were quite slow at generating JPEGs, but ever since the A1 and/or new processors it sounds like that was resolved.
I guess for my purposes it'd be kinda moot with a buffer as deep as the A7 IV's, only reason I'd want that on my A7R IV is because the buffer clearing time takes quite a hit shooting RAW + JPEG vs RAW only. That focus map tool seems really neat, and 2hrs+ of recording time is really solid.
I wish Sony would address low hanging fruit like this tbh, they're easy things to fix in firmware that most other manufacturers do somewhat better and add some convenience.
I thought Nikon did have an option to turn EFCS off past a certain shutter speed? Maybe I got them mixed up with Canon, I'm certain Oly and Fuji do (well on the former it's not an option, it just happens, but still).
The downside to EFCS at faster shutter speeds when shooting a bright prime (I think most zooms are too slow to be impacted) is that it basically ruins the bokeh you've paid for, the uneven plane of the 1st curtain and the electronic one ends up causing an uneven exposure for defocused highlights so you get truncated bokeh balls and a more busy rendering.
FWIW I don't think this was widely known until a few years ago, although there's a note about it in manuals for bodies like the A7 III. I've seen better examples but these are two I was able to Google quickly:
And further, the A7 IV IBIS is even worse then the 2018 released A7 III, according to the Northrups, which was already worse vs Pentax, Nikon & Canon into general - sorry Fanboys.
I am using many brands, Canikon, Sony, Pana & Olympus, Pentax...even it's old gear by todays terms. For instance, the Z6 II LCD is 2 MP, the A7 IV for much money, less. And the EVF from the Z6 II might being better, because into the past, Sonys 3.68 MP EVF showed the full resolution only after being active into special cases, like playback...and less good from the lenses in front of the EVF panel, whereas you look through.
The A7 III EVF is not that much different (same tech), but then T* coatings...from the original A7/II.
A few thoughts: - Many great improvements - Shame about the price increase. Given supply constraints, I guess it's better for them to raise the price from the A7iii and they could always lower it in the future - Shame about the slow scan rate and rolling shutter - Does anybody know if Sony is going to continue to offer the A7iii alongside this new camera, like they have done in other camera series of theirs?
in terms of inflation-adjusted $$$, this a7iv is only $500 more than the a7iii was at it's release, and given all of the improvements, this a7iv is well worth the price increase.
Given the price, I think it's almost guaranteed they'll keep selling the A7 III at $2K or less, a lot of people still debate between it and the A7C so I imagine they'll wanna keep offering either option...
yes, these comments we are seeing indicate that most people don't understand why the a7iv is so much better.
same problem that sony had when the a9ii was released, it was loaded with improvements, but skewed towards a target sports shooter market that most people don't know anything about.
Wondering if this camera has improvements in weather-sealing (like the 7RIV?). Disappointed that the rear screen is not the new, high-res version in the A7RIIIA, especially considering the big price hike. Better autofocus is always desired and welcome, but 5fps on raw and compressed/lossless raw is kind of a downer at the same time...
I think it can do 10fps with lossy RAW compression no? Same as older A7 bodies, I doubt you'd notice any IQ impact during most action scenes vs lossless RAW compression tbh...
Hopefully it just switches that on it's own rather than forcing you to fiddle with compression settings when going to faster burst speeds (eg it goes from lossless RAWs to lossy when enabling burst shooting then back to lossless on it's own).
I like it. No, no stacked sensor but an incredibly flexible tool at what's now a reasonable price.
A friend of mine keeps wanting the best of the best for stills - and I keep telling him just start with the Tamron trio and maybe a 35 f/1.8 and then figure out where you want to go. Can't beat that combination for the price.
No stacked sensor? How much do you want to pay for an A7IV?
Presumably if you got a 33mp stacked sensor you’d also expect the camera to take advantage of its capabilities to deliver the kind of performance you get with a Sony A1 or there would be no point putting a stacked sensor in the IV? That would require things like an upgraded shutter mechanism.
So before you know where you are, the price of the A7IV would probably be close to that of an A1.
The competition is the Canon R6, Nikon Z6II and Panasonic S5 none of which will be be being replaced by a camera with a stacked sensor anytime soon. Certainly not at this price point.
I don't know that an improved shutter would be absolutely necessary for a stacked sensor, or at all really, they could just leave the mechanical at a max of 10fps and then let e-shutter take over at faster speeds. Heck that's still an improvement in the shutter implementation of the original A9, if anything a stacked sensor makes the shutter mechanism far less important.
Anyway, that aside, I never really expected a stacked sensor at this price point, at least not yet. It'll happen eventually but probably not untill well after it's become table stakes for all the high end sports bodies. A stacked sensor on an A7 would've made the A9 II irrelevant instantly and I imagine the sensor itself still incurs a premium as large or larger than what this carries over the mk III.
They did improve a lot of things around their pipeline tho, an 800 shot buffer is like a 15x (or more) improvement over the A7 III's buffer.
Nice video as always. I had to smile at the mention of the of the exposure compensation dial can now be re-purposed and then Chris said "but I left it set at exposure compensation". I suspect that is what 99 out 100 people will do. It's a solution looking for a problem in my opinion.
I also think it's a shame they took the exposure compensation markings off. Just because you might use it for some other function doesn't invalidate leaving the markings on for the default function. You can't change the text next to other customisable buttons when you make them do something different.
The old markings gave a useful visual reminder if you have left exposure compensation set. I quite often miss the fact I have set on my little Sony R100VII despite the viewfinder showing the +0.3 or whatever.
For manual shooters it would be very convenient to have that dial set to ISO. Then you can adjust SS A and ISO without taking your eye away from the viewfinder.
Only problem with a label is it might not always be consistent thru a power cycle unless the body remembers the relative EC position at all times (doubtful)... So you might place it to +2 or whatever but if the camera eventually forgets it's at +2 or resets your EC for whatever reason then your sticker is now off. I think, no?
I would've liked to see the permanent markings stay as well, but I imagine plenty of people might remap it if they want access to f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO with the three most accessible dials. I'd probably still go with auto ISO and use it for EC but that's just me, it's nice to have options.
Right, that's why I'm saying the label wouldn't be a solution on the new one unless somehow it remembers the EC position even thru battery swaps etc. I guess if it forgets the position and somehow lets you zero out the dial/label with a battery pull or a quick mapping change it'd be workable, still kludgey.
What about the support for the LA-EA5 adapter on this camera? More specific: Does the A7IV + LA-EA5 support AF on screw-driven A-mount lenses, like de A6600, A7RIV and A1 do.
I own about 25 screw drive Minolta and Sony lenses, the ones I use frequently are the Sony-Zeiss 1.8/135, Sony 2.8/50 macro, 2.8/20, Minolta 2.8/16 fisheye, 2/28, 2/35, 2/100, 2.8/200 and 4/300. I will never be able to afford the equivalent offerings in FE-mount, so being able to use these lenses is a paramount issue for me. I'm hoping, since it appears to be using the same processor as in the a7sIII and A-1, that support for the LA-EA5 with screw mount lenses should be expected. But waiting for the confirmation from someone who can definitively say, Yup it works.
I'm a Minolta/Sony enthusiast, naturally, I acquired plenty of great optics throughout the years: - Minolta AF 16/2.8 Fisheye - Minolta AF 28/2 - Minolta AF 50mm F1.4 RS - Minolta AF 100/2.8 Macro - Minolta AF 200/2.8 HS-APO G - Minolta AF 300/4 HS-APO G - Minolta AF 400/4.5 HS-APO G Everything in great condition for an attractive price!
I was expecting a really necessary improvement for the stabilization (for still shots, it's really useful in low light conditions and it's much better in competing cameras). I'm quite disappointed.
I also was surprised. But I expect that better stabilization comes with a price of greater cropping. I would like to know how the different camera makers do their cropping and what technological trade offs are required behind the scenes.
Gah, I don't want to turn my comment into a system vs system comment, but when it comes to video it still seems lacking. My MILC is M4/3, and the G9, E-M1II, and the 'newer' E-M1III all have nutty stablization before even applying digital I.S.
I've been skipping FF MILCs until that personal issue for me gets resolved. Almost fell in love with the Z5, but that was my dealbreaker :(
It should be (easier to stabilize smaller sensors)... Although the a6600's IBIS isn't very impressive either.
I'd still grab my Oly body if I'm filming a lot of a family event or whatever, for most other purposes I don't miss M4/3 IBIS as much when shooting my A7R4, tho being able to nail something like a 2s handheld exposure with ease was kinda nice.
I just view Sony IBIS like something that lets me shoot a high res body handheld without a lot of additional care. On M4/3 I'd use it often in static scenes just to drag out the shutter and it made up a little for the sensor disadvantage, but that only applied to static scenes and required some extra care.
For video it really is game changing to have really smooth video without external stabilization tho, really stable okay quality video beats super high quality shaky cam any day. I imagine most pro videographers have are just reliant on gimbals etc at this point.
Handheld, static shots, slow movement maybe, once you get going IBIS isn't gonna do much. If your intention is professional looking videos then handheld and IBIS are never gonna be a replacement for gimbals or fluid heads.
I don't think it's that binary, there's plenty of situations where the average user would really appreciate better video IBIS. For instance Jordan has shot on an Oly body at times for DPRTV when they were doing more rushed videos or walking around in locations where he didn't wanna carry a tripod.
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