The Sony a7 IV is an all-arounder that goes beyond basic, with excellent stills and video capability. The Sony a7 IV is a sophisticated hybrid mirrorless camera with high resolution and AF performance for photographers, as well as strong 4K 60p video recording for filmmakers and content creators.
Key Specifications
- Full-frame 33MP BSI CMOS sensor
- Shooting in lossy Raw at up to 10 frames per second with a large buffer
- Up to 5.5EV of in-body stabilization
- In Super35 / APS-C mode, full-width oversampled 4K from 7K, up to 30p 4K/60p (from 4.6K capture)
- Capture 10-bit video or HEIF stills
- S-Cinetone color mode, H.265 video
- OLED viewfinder with 3.69 million dots
- 1x CFe A/UHS-II, 1x UHS-II SD (1x CFe A/UHS-II, 1x UHS-II SD)
- Bluetooth LE connection is active all of the time.
The Sony a7 IV is a fascinating full-frame camera for creatives, with a stabilized 33MP sensor, 10-bit 4K, and rapid focusing.
The Sony a7 IV has a recommended price of $2499, which is $500 more than the Sony A7 III’s launch pricing.
Sony a7 IV Sensor and Processor
Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor, 33MP
The back-illuminated design of the newly designed 33MP Exmor R full-frame sensor enables exceptional clarity, low noise, and vivid color representation. Working in low-light circumstances is made easier with this design, which has a sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 51200. The sensor’s architecture also provides a dynamic range of about 15 stops, and files can be captured in raw, JPEG, or 10-bit HEIF formats.
Sony a7 IV BIONZ XR Processor
- High-speed image processing capabilities are offered for rapid continuous shooting, 4K video recording, and enhanced AF tracking performance thanks to the flagship-class BIONZ XR engine. For the clear representation of moving subjects, the rapid processing also helps to reduce rolling shutter and other motion aberrations.
- The sensor and processor enable up to 10 frames per second shooting with either the mechanical or electronic shutter with AF/AE enabled. When utilizing a CFexpress Type A card, the buffer also allows you to record up to 828 uncompressed raw + JPEG frames in a row.
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Sony a7 IV Video Recording
10-Bit 4K 60p Video Recording
- UHD 4K 30p XAVC HS 10-bit recording is available using the full width of the sensor, delivering 7K oversampling for remarkable sharpness and realism, thanks to the high-resolution 33MP sensor and quick processing capabilities.
- There’s also oversampled 4K recording, which uses a 4.6K capture area and a Super 35 cut to provide UHD 4K output up to 60p in 10-bit.
- There is no recording time limit, and the camera’s physical design has a better heat-dissipating structure to enable extended recording times; for example, more than one hour of continuous 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 recording.
- XAVC HS, which uses HEVC/H.265 encoding to maintain more information at lower bitrates, and XAVC S-I, an intraframe codec for consistent performance and quality at bitrates up to 600 Mb/s, are two codecs used by the Sony a7 IV to suit diverse workflows.
Sony a7 IV Color and Gamma Controls: S-Cinetone, S-Log3, and Others
- S-Cinetone is based on technologies from professional Cinema Line cameras, such as the VENICE, and may be utilized to give unique colors and healthy-looking skin tone rendering that matches the FX9 and FX6 cameras, as well as the a1 and a7S III. Natural mid-tones, soft colors, and notably well-controlled highlights are all features of this color profile.
- HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) compatibility allows you to record in a wide color gamut and produce HDR-ready material right from your camera.
- S-Log3 is also available for achieving a 15+-stop dynamic range and improved grading control in the image’s shadow to mid-tone regions.
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Sony a7 IV Fast Hybrid AF System
Autofocus with Artificial Intelligence
A Fast Hybrid AF system with 759 phase-detection points covers roughly 94 percent of the image area for rapid and precise focusing in a variety of lighting conditions with sensitivity down to -4 EV. This focusing mechanism works in all recording modes, making it useful for both video and still applications.
Real-time Eye AF with Real-time Tracking
The Sony a7 IV includes customized tracking and subject identification capabilities that lock onto targets rapidly and refine focus precisely on identified eyes and faces of subjects, borrowing from the flagship AF system:
Real-time Tracking is an AI-based subject recognition system with excellent accuracy and focusing speed. It recognizes color, pattern, and subject distance information.
Real-time Eye AF does more than just track targets; it fine-tunes focusing accuracy and identifies human, animal, and avian eyes for vital sharpness. Real-time Eye AF keeps a subject’s eye in focus even when they leave and re-enter the frame, allowing for more spontaneous shooting circumstances.
Additional Focusing Modes and AF During Video Recording
- During video recording, real-time Eye AF is fully supported for subject detection and tracking of human, animal, and bird eyes.
- Seven-step AF transition rates and five-step AF subject shift sensitivity adjustments help you fine-tune how rapidly focus switches from point to point and how smoothly focusing shifts occur during recording for additional control.
- Focus Map is a unique technique of displaying depth of field that works similarly to peaking by overlaying a colorful overlay of the picture that displays which portions of the scene are in front of and behind the focus point depending on the aperture used.
- When working with AF, AF Assist, a function brought over from the FX6 digital cine camera, allows you to effortlessly switch to manual focus control for modifying focus position. While recording, this is a rapid way to switch selective focus between multiple subjects in a scene.
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Sony a7 IV Streaming and Wireless Connectivity
- Built-in Wi-Fi allows for remote camera control and image sharing to mobile devices for direct internet sharing, and support for both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands allows for wireless tethered shooting. This connection also allows you to control your camera from afar.
- Bluetooth allows the Imaging Edge mobile app to maintain a stable connection between the camera and the mobile device.
- Supports Visual Story for quick cloud-based delivery of photographs and videos just after they’re taken.
- By connecting the camera to a computer or compatible mobile device via USB, live streaming is enabled, allowing the camera’s video and audio capabilities to be used for live social networking and video conferencing.
- There are recording settings for 4K 15p, FHD 60p/30p, and HD 30p, as well as inbuilt Creative Look and Soft Skin enhancements for a refined image quality right from the camera.
- While live broadcasting, internal recording to a memory card is supported.
- For greater picture and sound quality, while streaming, the UVC and UAC standards are supported.