What To Know BEFORE You Buy the Sony A7 IV | Hands-On Review

Your Questions, Answered.

I’ve spent quality time with the Sony A7 IV and can confidently say it’s one of the greatest hybrid video and photo cameras Sony has produced yet. I’ve recorded two YouTube videos that outline my initial thoughts and opinions — one where I briefly showcase case features and one where I answer all of your questions.

The Rolling Shutter

The camera does showcase a bit of a problem — the rolling shutter. Many Sony users know this slightly annoying feature and its striking similarity to the issues displayed on the Alpha 7 III. However, in more practical terms, the rolling shutter doesn’t pose a huge problem compared to Sony’s APS-C cameras in 4K. When vlogging, I didn’t notice terrible wobbliness as much as I thought I would, especially with the active in-camera stabilization. It’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s going to be a problem.

Weather Resistance

While it’s challenging to test weather resistance in a short amount of time, I did find myself in various situations while traveling in Hawaii. The weather is generally beautiful on the island, but the camera did get soaked during random bursts of rainy wind. Thankfully, the camera still performed beautifully and ensured my confidence in the quality build of Sony’s Alpha lineup.

Cropped Sensor and General Overheating

The camera's crop in 4k 60FPS mode begs the question of whether or not it will overheat during extended use. I could run 4k 24FPS for over an hour and didn't get an overheating symbol, even when shooting in a room with hot overhead lights. The camera performed beautifully without question in regular-use situations in Hawaii, even under warmer and humid conditions. One thing with Sony cameras that many people forget to do is set it to the "High temperature" mode, which ensures the camera will stay on during a warm sprint. However — It makes me wonder if they could have put the 4K 60FPS in full-frame rather than in crop. They've done an excellent job with the camera's heat dissipation, considering the sensor's similarity to the Sony A1, so I'm a bit bewildered. During my time in Hawaii, there were multiple times, like while inside the helicopter, where the cropped sensor in 4K 60FPS felt too tight and, therefore, pretty restrictive. Again, this is a problem you must decipher for yourself and your shooting habits.

Higher Megapixel Count?

While I don’t usually shoot a ton of astrophotography, I did manage to capture the Northern Lights outside Edmonton here in Alberta. I shot photos of the A7 IV and the A7 III to compare the noise patterns. Generally, they look very similar — so if you’re looking for a considerable bump in image quality from a higher megapixel count, you won’t find it with the A7 IV. The images from both cameras look incredibly similar, with only slightly added room for cropping.

Skin Tones on Video

Let’s compare the skin tones displayed on the A7 IV, A7 III, and FX3. I found only slight differences in skin tone quality among the same settings. The A7 III seemed to be the most contrasted and saturated in the standard profile, while the A7 IV had more greenhouse to it when compared to the other two. When slightly overexposed, the A7 IV’s 10-bit codecs also allowed for better-optimized tones. Overall, the skin tones on this camera are true to life and master a beautiful output.

1080P Quality — Good or Bad?

I’ll be honest — this isn’t something I thought about when I first saw the camera body. If I can shoot in 4K, that’s what I predominantly utilize. I realize many people still prefer the ease and accessibility of 1080p, so I took some tests for reference. The results impeded sharp detail and retained integrity in the lower frame rates.

Bluetooth Monitoring

I went through the camera’s menu system and found no way to monitor your audio using Bluetooth headphones. If someone has had the chance to try that out, let me know in my video's comments.

Bit Rate Options

Bit rate options will vary depending on which codec you use: XAVC S, XAVCS-I, or XAVC HS. Much of the time, I’m using the XAVCS-I, which boasts 240mbps in 24fps, 300mbps in 30fps, and 600mbps in 60fps. If you shoot XAVC HS, which is the same codec we used in previous cameras — you now have it in 10-bit, which we saw on the A7S III and A1. You’ll see 100mbps in 24fps, 140mbps in 30fps, and 200mbps in 60fps. Finally, for the XAVC HS, you have 10-bit, which you’ll see 100mbps in 24fps and 200mbps in 60fps (there are no 30fps in this mode). All of these have lower bit rates if you’re shooting in 8-bit 420, so you can get smaller file sizes if you’re willing to sacrifice color quality or bit depth.

Due to this camera's higher megapixel count, you can use cropped lenses and retain exceptional frame quality. Below are examples of the A7 III, A7 IV, and FX3.

Low Light and High ISO Performance

Once again, I’m comparing the likes between the three camera bodies as above. The FX3 is still the better photography camera of these three options, but the A7 IV holds up pretty well. I noticed the A7 IV had a lot less color shifting as I pushed toward a higher ISO, whereas the A7 III started to shift toward a magenta hue the higher I went with ISO. You’ll notice a lot of noise in the darker parts of the images when you start pushing close to the 51200 settings.

SD Card Mode Restrictions

The Sony A7 IV has two memory card slots. Slot One is CFexpress Type A and UHS-I and UHS-II (SDHC/SDXC) SD cards, and Slot Two uses only UHS-I and UHS-II (SDHC/SDXC) SD cards. The modes you can shoot in with the SD card versus the CFexpress Type A differ. You don't need anything faster than a V90 SD Card with this particular camera. Even on my FX3, I only shot with V90 SD cards. If you're trying in S&Q, which automatically slows down your footage from 60fps to 24fps in XAVCS-I, you will need the CFexpress Type A card. I never shoot that way anyway, but it's still important to note.

In Detail

A newly developed 33MP (approx. effective) full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R™ CMOS image sensor achieves superior image quality and a wide ISO sensitivity range expandable to ISO 50 - 204,800. The high resolution enables the Alpha 7 IV to express smooth gradation, fine details, and textures of the subject while reducing noise, and its 15-stop dynamic range allows a wide expressive range. At the same time, Creative Look settings can help create original looks effortlessly for both stills and video.

So… Is it Worth the Upgrade?

That’s a loaded question and is highly dependent on your shooting style. This camera offers several quality-of-life upgrades; new menu systems, flip screens, updated autofocus, and a ton of fantastic fresh features. On the video side, you have a 10-bit video (which is HUGE for video production) 4K 60FPS that looks wonderful in the crop.

For build quality? Yes. For video? Do it. For photography image quality? I don’t think an upgrade is necessary with this camera; better for filmmakers and vloggers wanting a worthwhile investment. The image quality between the A7 III and the A7 IV is far too similar and wouldn’t make much of a difference in that area, specifically.