Dustin, as an engineer who does photography on the side, i commend you for giving us an objectively crisp and thorough analysis of any lens or body. Coming from a cynical engineer like myself, that's as much praise as you'll see from me :). Thanks (from a fellow Canadian)
Welco Myself coming from the canon world I agree that it is quite expensive, but I also believe that you are getting what you pay for. Image quality and build quality of all their lenses is top notch and arguably best in class. You should try something newer than a 6000 before you make your final judgment
I love the A7Riv, but seriously, it requires a lot of hard disc space, faster cards, and needs some upgrade in PC if you need to keep your workflow! It’s been my main camera for the past 2 months though, and I’m pretty happy with it! Working on some videos about it as well! Cheers from Japan!
Yeah, definitely it’s overkill in most of the cases! But the camera menu, buttons, water and dust resistance is much better than the A7Riii, so I enjoy more shooting the the IV :) I’ve been telling Sony engineers if they made it possible to choose the size of RAW file, like Canon for example, it will be the perfect camera, as you could just reduce for example to M RAW for some situation! Maybe they will listen one day!
Very nice video as always. I think too many people are stuck on how a camera performance ISO wise. With advanced programs like Topaz Denoise which also sharpens the image, one has the benefit of the a7RIV's ultra-high resolution without the noise associated with it.
Wow, what an incredibly deep dive you’ve done here! Thank you for the many hours you put into this. It’s so valuable to have empirical evidence to balance with the promotional hype.
I'm no pixel peeper, nor am I interested in more than about 22mp sensors even on crop sensor cameras. I am however always interested and entertained by people who know both what they are talking about, and how to put it over to an audience. This presentation is one of the best I've seen on the subject that seems to drive the whole industry and community in 2019. New subscriber here!
@@DustinAbbottTWI well Dustin I'm of an age when cameras were limited by film choice just as much as lens fidelity. So I do find most reviewers always highlight the Mp count without considering pixel pitch and other factors that affect performance. It is a fact that we are blessed with so many great cameras and certain RUclips channels ( not mentioning anyone in an ANGRY way?) simply don't give impartial advice. Keep up the good work.
Finally someone talking sensibly about lenses and what's suitable for a sensor. A sharp lens is sharp no matter what camera, I never understood how anyone thought it'd look worse on a higher megapixel sensor. Thanks for mentioning this, I think a lot of people are confused.
Considering how fast the cards, readers and ports are nowadays, and how cheap are the big storage drives, file size does not scare me. I mean, I recently bought a 6TB drive for like $140. That's about 60'000 pictures of 120MB each and that was not the biggest drive in the store, just as big as I needed. For a professional user (like the one this camera is designed for) that's not a significant sum of money. Plus, they are only going to get cheaper. And about the reviews of 7RIV on this channel - very good job. The comparisons really provide useful info about some technical stuff, that one cannot find easily.
Momchil Yordanov cheap storage is plentiful. However when you shoot a wedding, speed of your drive becomes a priority too. Especially with a library of a few thousand 100+MB files. A RAID array (and a cheaper, large backup drive) is a smart investment.
A bit late to the party here but here's my 2 cents in case it may help. I've had an A7III for about a year, coming from an old Nikon D300 you can imagine the level of improvement! Extremely happy with it and has taken my photography to a whole new place and level (still mediocre of course, but the higher tier of it :D) Just a few days ago one A7RIV became available second hand at my local camera store, and I say second hand mainly because someone had touched it before, but that is it. Less than a 1000 shots on it, all cables, charger etc still bagged and wrapped (even has that new camera smell on it still), for 2500 GBP (that is roughly 1000 GBP cheaper than brand new) and the same store quoted my A7III for 1100GBP (I paid 1200 a year ago and I might have taken between 15 and 20000 photos with it) so, now Im the happy owner of an A7RIV! So far, all the improvements in EVF, AF, ergonomics, etc, vastly outweigh the "problems" of dealing with 61Mpx. I shoot mainly wildlife, birds and the occasional landscape. The A7RIV is effectively two cameras in one, a resolution beast for landscapes if you need it but still the most capable APS-C camera I have ever used. My 200-600mm is now for all intents and purposes a 900mm with 26+ Mpx which, for little birds it is just amazing! So, as promised, my 2 cents. If you shoot small and somewhat predictable wildlife , but also like to shoot and document the places where that wildlife lives, the A7RIV is THE camera (anything like peregrine falcons in flight you probably are in A9 territory). For the occasional user or beginner with enough cash to buy it, I'd say get a used A7III or a A7RIII and invest the difference in a great lens.
That was excellent pretty detailed Dustin looking forward to the final seems amazing so far. Already gone with the A9 speed vs detail. Hope I don't regret it.. Love what you are doing here awesome channel.
Thanks for the feedback. I always say, "Buy the right tool for the job." If speed is what you need, the a9 is a great machine...and a strong value now.
rick porier I’ve thought extensively about upgrading from my A7RII but it’s still such an awesome camera. I decided instead recently to spend less and pick up the 24mm 1.4 gm. But honestly I’m thinking about the A7III...
great reviews. I own the a7r3. Now I wish sony had kept the 42 meg sensor and just improved the af like the a9. Not sure its worth the upgrade to the a7r4 except for af or maybe by a cheap/used a9?
That's become a common position. An improved 42MP sensor along with other improvements would have produced possibly a better camera...but a less marketable one.
Despite the exaggeration of the vintage glass flaws, the higher resolution actually emphasizes the unique character of the older lenses, gave them a very surreal look IMO.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Very true, some people will hate it, some will love it. I think one of the biggest challenges people will face, as you've mentioned is the need for a decent machine to be able to process those large files quickly. Before i upgraded my machine, even RAW files half the size would lag and stress the cpu as it had no discreet graphics card. Anything with an 8th gen or newer core i7 + a discreet graphics card with at least 4gb of vram should be able to handle these massive files. Buying a complete system with those specs can be pricey, building one yourself will save quite a bit and give you flexibility as far as hardware options go. Personally i went with an i7 8700k + nvidia rtx2070 and it blows through my a7r2 RAWs nearly instantaneous, thanks to the 8 gigs 7000mhz gddr6 vram the discreet card has. Thanks for the great work as always been a long time watcher.
Unlike the current tech trend, I am stepping back on resolution these days... I shoot using the A7Riii for landscapes and portraits, but I love using my old RX1R 24MP camera for everyday shooting... I was considering the A7RIV, but now I think I will wait for the A7IV to come out instead, since working on a large mount of uncompressed raw files using Windows 10 and Lightroom makes for a very tedious evening... Thanks pastor. Chazak v'ematz v'yeshua
Again a fantastic video. At the beginning, when you were comparing the noise at pixel level, I was thinking "would be nicer to see them downsampled to the same resolution ... but I guess he'll do that later", and you did :D For me, the greatest benefit of higher MP is portability, I could carry one lens and push a button to enter APS-C mode and have a 1.5x range, so, fewer lenses or cameras to carry, which is great ... but you're right, we REALLY NEED a firmware update that gives us the ability to downsize the 61mp to 26mp for example, without crop. That's the only reason I'm not considering this camera. Also, what you said about the 61mp making lenses' flaws more apparent => it means that you should test the lenses with this camera as well, to see how far the lenses can perform. Say, 2 lenses might have comparable results at 16mp, but might be very different at 61mp, it's useful information and we know if a lens is more "future proof" than another.
Thank you Dustin for covering the point of using older lenses on this camera. I am surprised other reviewers did not mention this point at all in spite of Sony yelling at top of their voices about why they came up with Gmaster series.
Very detailed review with very easy to understand concepts concerning the impact on the existing flaws of the lenses the more the resolution is increasing ==> chapeau 👌👍
Thank you so much for these review they’ve been so helpful to me .. Is better if you shot in full 61mb resolution and then crop image in post processing if you’re shooting something without tiny details and you don’t need eye af for example ? like if I shoot in 400mm lens and then crop to the equivalent of 600mm will I end up with 26mb ? If yes which is better .. I only use aps-c when I need birds to be bigger in EVF
That really depends on your application. In some cases, you may want your results in camera. In other situations you have time to do the cropping in post, which does give you more control.
Drives me crazy that Sony doesn’t offer any medium raw modes on their R bodies. I’d buy them for sure if that was a possibility like on the D810/D850. Instead I’m stuck using the a7iii (and a9). I’d love to have the versatility of being able to use get more MP when needed, but as a wedding photographer, 61MP is just way too much for every shot.
Yes as always a straightforward, thorough and easy to understand video. I had doubts about some lenses would cope with the sensor - I have that Tamron 28-75 - glad you sorted out the facts. I think your channel is the best when it comes to reviews!!
I came from an A7III and the cropping in cannot be compared. It's like a long-range microscope. If you 240MP on still objects, the image quality for cropping goes up even further. You can't really crop an A7III image too much as it would look crap unless you have panoed an image then stitched it together to have more megapixels.
I'm not a pro and so I don't really have to worry about storage or speed of workflow. LR is a bit slower but the files are worth it. To me anyway, the pros far outweigh the cons. My batis 85 is also a 127.mm, my 40 is also a 60 and almost macro, my 16-35 f4 is a 24-47, etc. The focus is outstanding. I have not been concerned with noise, especially not at realistic viewing levels. Zooming 1:1 is overkill with this much res. Love this camera. As a hobbyist fortunate enough to have this equipment, I can take the photos that I want and view them as I choose on whatever device. I like the way my shots look on an iPad pro 10.5 for example. Do I need 61mp to enjoy my photos? Nope, but it's important enough to me to make the investment. Thanks for all your videos Dustin. You are so helpful, and with Mark Galer, influential in helping me modernize my equipment. Now I can focus on shooting and light and composition, and forget about the camera.
As you have done, converting your uncompressed Sony RAWs to .dng files you'll save a lot of storage space. I wouldn't want to shoot at higher than 1600 ISO on the A7R4. Keep on the lower side and it's pretty amazing.
The Sony Tough 300 Mbps card sometimes struggles to buffer out my A7r3 files and now I wonder How long would it take for R4 files to buffer out. Yes, We need to check the reality of these high res cameras when it comes for a Long term use, Storage, processing. nice Content. Dustin is always on the Modest end of doing things. Great
Huge file sizes 😳 glad I saw this because I don’t have the time for this when batch editing. And that green tint no thanks. Deal breaker. With pixel shift the print out of the image and photo taken with pixel shift of that same image would be massive in size. I’m looking into the A74. Seems to be the best for my style at this time. Thanks for the reviews especially on those lenses. It’s easy for people to review camera bodies but to do a proper tech lens review you got to really really know what you are taking about and have been shooting for a long time. Hearing comparisons drawn with other flagship or flagship legacy lenses from other camera manufacturers is especially insightful as many are often contemplating or in the process of switching to Sony and will still adapt lenses or dive headfirst from a totally different ecosystem. No tech chart will ever replace real world experience. No one does it better this channel. Have a good one
Hi Dustin, wow, you really saved me! I was ready to purchase the 7RIV, but I would like to use the vintage glass on it as well. In fact, the same 2 lenses that you tested! That was the stopper. Is the RIII too much resolution as well? Thanks.
I just switched from the a7iii to the a7riii. I love it but the amount of storage and speed it takes to get on as cards is a noticeable difference. Not bad but you’ll notice. I can only imagine 61mp. I’m happy with the Riii
If Sony gave a firmware update option to select say 24, 36, or 42mp when shooting FF Raw, this would be a contender for me. At the moment 61mp in every situation is just too much for processing high volumes of images in a short time.
Exactly, I agree to you: The biggest fault is, that I cannot reduce the file - Size in RAW. And that's the reason, why I refused to buy that camera. It's simply a MUST.
Question, you're doing industrial photography, shooting cars boats or aircraft, you want very sharp resolution in poster size images up to about 24X36 inches, throw in a few sharp landscape backgrounds behind the various vehicles, what system are you using?
Wonderful review! Truth told about excessive resolution! I would like to request you for the next episode to make a small bit of comparison between a7riii & a7riv, to guide photographers with your first hand experience! Many thanks again! Regards from Germany.
Hi . Good job 👌👍 if you could only have one camera a7iii , a7riv and a7riii. What would you pick for portraits and fashion ? Some landscapes on vacation
Thanks so much Dustin for all your reviews on these various cameras and lenses. I'm going to switch over this winter from Canon to Sony. I'm currently on the fence between the a9II and the a7RIV. Question for you - in the crop mode for the a7RIV, the file sizes that I would be importing to my work station would in fact be substantially smaller vs the FF mode?
My a7RIII just took a dive to the concrete the other day (along with my 100-400GM) when my tripod got knocked over, so it's dusted. I used the opportunity to upgrade to the RIV which will come this week. I always shot compressed and was fine with the IQ, so I'm assuming I'll just shoot compressed on the RIV. My computer seems to handle the RIII files relatively easily, and I just picked up a 12TB hard drive a couple weeks ago, so I'm hopeful it'll handle the RIV as well without much issue. Fingers crossed.
This camera must be equipped with lossless compressed raw as well as medium & small raw at the time of its launch. Those two are a huge drawback and in typical Sony manner - they're still showing the software/firmware is their biggest weakness. Dustin, the difference between compressed and uncompressed is not mainly in the detail (as you noted, it is there, but not that big). The biggest thing is that the compressed raw is messing up the highlights and how much of them you can "save" if you need to dial back the exposure in post. Always a pleasure to watch your videos. Professional and straight to the point. Keep up the good work.
i love your reviews so much details and image comparisons. i have a question. did sony improved the mechanical shutter or is it the same. or have they improved the speed of the mechanical shutter. thank you..
Thanks for the excellent review, I think it dismistify a lot of miss conseptions about resolution. I wish you went a bit further to compare where diffraction comes to play, has many people are saying that with 61mp the images would suffer too much from it, and sooner in the f stop. Would be great to see it a9 vs a7riv in that regard. One thing I don't agree with you is the usefulness of pixel shift 16 images. I saw the review on my cell phone and was evident that colours were improved, for me taking a step at medium format files. I'm not sure how close it gets, but being closer to medium format which as always is step improvement, and not night and day, I think will be worth it for some photographers that can't reach medium format but might have tools to start to prove their work on this domain. Fashion photographer will also love it, even with additional work flow. Anyway just my two cents. As I said excellent review, the most complete review on what matters to the field, love it for it. Many many thanks
You're welcome. The problem with continually adding additional pieces is the length of the video. You do stronger evidence of diffraction, though, there's no doubt (even when compared to the a7RIII.)
Nice review! But: Pixel shift isn´t about luminosity resolution, it´s about color resolution. It´s a way to overcome the drawbacks of the Bayer design. Your wood staple testshots do not adress situations, where the advantages might show up! Such as e. g. the perfectly in focus rims of green foliage against a blue sky.
Hi Kurt - one problem with that example, at least. Something like green foliage is going to move in 90% of situations, at least a little, which would impact the final result negatively.
@@DustinAbbottTWI You are right. The foliage example wasn´t the best. I also tend to think that there are few real world situations where pixel shift might show a difference.
@@DustinAbbottTWI In addition: I´m stuck with the A7R-III implementation of pixel shift. In contrast, The IV seems to be increasing even the luminosity resolution (16 pass). Looking at this, your findings are indeed useful!
Hi Dustin! Great review - again. As you are the culprit who forced me into buying Zeiss lenses, would you now be so kind in helping me understand one thing. Currently I'm using 5dsR camera, which in tandem with Otus 55, Milvus 21 and 135 makes wonderful images for me, but focusing is hard, if I need to focus. Usually I do not - for more distant objects I simply memorized distance markings on the lens which provide me the deepest in-focus zone and that works 99% of a time - I never use OVF or LCD. But for close objects, mostly portraits, I need to focus precisely and here is the question - what focusing aid A7RIV provides? I'm mostly interested in EVF - do you have a possibility to quickly magnify to a selected point ? How it works? I bet it had to be something much better than putting a loupe on the rear LCD and using this kind of 'EVF' - that's how I currently do.
Put simply - the a7RIV is the best platform possible for your Zeiss glass. The ability to magnify the image quickly in the viewfinder and visually confirm focus is fantastic, as is adding the IBIS to stabilize your lenses. This is probably the camera you should move to.
The resolution of the crop mode on the a7Riv would be helped by the lack of an AA filter, when compared to the a6500. Very informative and insightful video, thanks.
Thank you for the video! I own an a7r4 and as you said I would like the options to take a RAW image with less resolution. If only Sony makes it happen.
Brilliant review. I think I will try and pick up a used a7R III in a year or so as a backup to my a9, definitely don't need 61MP. I just wish Sony had gone all out on a new 42-45MP sensor.
I was literally thinking that as I was watching this..about to pull the trigger on my 1st mirrorless and having a toss up with this, the previous version or the a9ii..or do I just wait it out to see what the a7iv brings If they release it this year. Currently have nikon d850 but wanted a mirrorless as a 2nd camera
Thanks for your very detailed opinions each time. However I guess the reason why there is no mid ground between 26 mega and 61 mega pixel is because of A7R iii with 42 mp. I believe Sony will not upgrade firmware with around 42mp resolution for a while as long as sony want some profit from A7R III. 42MP firware upgrade would kill A7R iii in the market. It is suicide. Sony have very advance technowleges that they could do more. But they are just releasing those one at a time competing with other company. So to make best camera is not they top concern, but the marketing and making most profit out of it is.
I know you touch on it here but have you thought of looking at the performance of the new breed APS-C G lenses from Sony on the A7R 2/3/4 in crop mode? This seems to me to be a compelling proposition since 18mp files are perfectly good enough for most purposes unless you are shooting for JC Decaux.
Essentially, the A7r4 has the performance of a crop sensor, except its full frame and 61MPx instead of APS-C 26 megapixel, its quite impressive but as noted for 20 years now, smaller pixel = more noise.
More resolution means more amplification/magniication of the optical properties of any lens. Essentially this camera gives the possibiity of sensor zoom. The more one knows the properties and how to work with them on a very powerful sensor the better the results so the 61 sensor demands also in a way more application. I actually am geting very good results from all the vintage glass that I have worked with so far. I recently used a canon serenar 50mm f1.8 (designed for rangefinders in 1951) and have been getting beautiful results. The helios 44-2 is much softer than the the helios 44-M which resolves excellently. The real issue is how much as a visual composer one works with processing the soft (extreme highlight)to high detail contrast information. Sony anyway started the 7 series with their range of high low light sensitivity (12mp) to high res at 36. The fact that they are now offering a 61mp which also gives much more low light sensitivity at a relative level is impressive. Software has improved tremendously both in camera & in the sony software. So again how extra information is processed is also in the hands of the user. It has become more of a fetish the boast to work in uncompressed raw instead of understanding the differences in data from each format - be it compressed raw or extra fine jpeg. I bought the R4 because of the sensor & what it does to the level of the eye in terms of heightened perception. I also felt that the R4 in comparison the the fuji gfx or the earlier canon was a much more flexible lightweight ergonomic camera packing a lot of hardware+software & a much better coordinated processor. It actually challenges me to work even more on the frequency levels of visible light and discard all the sloth. Akin to the words of one of myfavorite composers - Jean Sibelius - 'Not one extra note - every note must live'.
I'm going to be doing wedding photogapraphy with this camera and need to get a laptop. Not sure whether to get 1tb or 2tb? Any ideas which storage will be best?
Very helpful video Dustin thank you! Particularly your sample photos showing the resolves resolution on all those different lenses. My only remaining question would be what the “equivalent” ISO would be on the R4 in relation to noise when compared to the a7iii? For example, I’d say, 6400 ISO was the highest I would be happy with on the A7iii, what ISO on the R4 would show a similar level of noise? My understanding is the far greater pixel density of the R4 makes for a worse noise performance, but keen to get a “how much worse” comparative ballpark figure! Thank you!
Hi, now r5 is here and what z your thoughts about a7r4? I’m debating b/w a7r4 vs r5. The only thing I don’t like about a7r4 is the lack of touch screen, articulated screen and lack of multiple raw formats, which are all in r5 with I believe almost close to Sony in eye tracking too. But glasses for r5 ridiculously prized. Being a7s3 announced with all these features, I believe it is best in investing in a7r4 for future proof. What is your thoughts b/w these cameras? I don’t care about video features at all? Thanks in advance.
I’m back again! Love your channel. My one reservation about a7riv is processing times. I’m using a 16GB RAM iMac and have a 8GB MacBook for the road. Will I run into issues with this set up using Sony’s huge files?
I've got powerful workstations, so I don't see anything significant. It looks like you should be okay with your systems, though it will be slower than a lower resolution camera, for sure.
Did you get a7riv for yourself now? How is your workflow when you work with compressed raw files in Lightroom in your 8GB McBook then? Is it too slow to work or is it tolerable?
@@hyunju225 Heya! I didn't get one no, because of the lack of lossless it makes it unworkable unless you have the gear. i HAVE A 16 GB RAM iMac at home, a few photos here and there are ok, but once you load up a sizeable amount in lightroom it goes downhill from there. I am waiting to see what else Sony brings out. The a1 is too expensive, but I hope an a7iv will be weather sealed and durable. The resolution makes a7riv good for rental if you need big prints or if you work with 32gb hardware.
@@Poopdeck1015 Thank you for the answer. I guess that I will also wait for a7iv and see how it is. I was running out of patience to wait for a7iv and wasn't sure if it is really coming out at some point.
@@hyunju225 me too. It’s meant to be our thi year in the second quarter. I’ve put some money aside so I hope so 😆 Sony are really missing out on a huge market.
I think most photographers are settling into an opinion that 24 megapixels is the sweet spot in FF. If you really want the higher resolution you’d benefit by putting the extra resolution into a medium format camera.
All good comments. Bottom line increased noise is a problem but I’ve been able to deal with it via LR. I tend to crop a lot and this has be the best feature for me. What I love about this camera oddly are the menus and options. I think I can better manage the tech aspects with the r4 let’s say over Nikon systems (I switched from Nikon). I shoot some low light but mostly bulb and low iso. Bottom line I get better pics with the r4 over my Nikon.
Hi Dustin. Considering I often shoot at very long distance, not only animals but mainly landscape views (sunset or sunrise, mountains so far away,moon.... with long tele like 200-600) and I already have the a6600, is it really worth a7r4? A6600 or a7r4 crop? What would be better?
@@DustinAbbottTWI for night landscapes I would buy Sigma 14-24 dn. A7r4 still remain the good choice also for night photography? In that situation do you prefer more details ( a7riV) or better high iso performance ( a7iii)?
Great vid 👏👏 At 12:45 are these the same lense but left side is A9 and right side R4? Looks like A9 barely picks up Orion. Also, is R4 compressed as detailed as A9 raw?
Awesome thorough review! Been considering Sony cameras from my current Canon cameras. All this resolution seems overkill for my needs but WOW the detail and ability to crop photos is amazing. Question about the crop mode capabilities perhaps you can consider: say you’re using a 100mm lens and take a shot at full frame resolution then take a shot in the crop mode. How does the cropped photo compare to taking the full frame photo and cropping it in Lightroom in size and detail, etc?
It's roughly the same. The advantage is being able to visually see the framing, and, if shooting JPEGs, to have instantly deliverable results with the desired framing.
Hi Dustin, I have a question about A7r4 image size: if I use size L it has 61mpx,if i use size M it has 26mpx. So, with 26mpx the image quality in terms of details and noise, it is similar to a7iii, or not? Using M 26mpx, noise at high Iso decrease? Or remain the same?
hey dustin, i'm not a pro but an enthusiast who may be buying into the sony mirrorless system, i shoot landscapes and seascapes mainly, budget of around £3000gbp, which i can get either: 1. Sony A7RIV with the 24-105, or 2. Sony A7RIII with a 24-105 and slightly more than £3000 a 70-200 f4 as well?
I guess the question is whether or not you think you need the higher resolution of the RIV. For me, I'd probably go with the combination with the RIII and more lens options.
Thanks for the rundown! I just entered mirrorless and jumped right in to the 7R iv - I'm in love with the resolution and yes, the 16x has worked for me to get more resolution. - I may do less stitching to achieve my desired resolution for my art prints. But I would also love to see a 1/4 RAW option where 4 pixels are binned to one during readout. Now about your use of the word "ironic" (grammar police, sorry). It is merely a "funny" or "interesting" contrast that whilst there is a pixel shift option that produces large files, there is no downsampled RAW file option. Irony demands cause/effect and/or unintended consequences and/or opposite results. e.g., While researching if pixel shifting could allow for the output of smaller files with better image quality, the actual implementation ironically produces much larger files. More so, pixel-shifting code used up all the firmware space so they didn't also have room to also provide for a downsampled RAW file option, ironically leading to producing ONLY larger files.
Hi Bert, thanks for the feedback, though, as someone with nearly 25 years of experience as a professional public speaker, I'm going to have to reject your "grammar police" arrest. That is a perfectly natural use of the word ironic.
Hello Dustin, great reviews, thats why i am a fan. Question, what do you think about adobe subscriptions for hobbyists, amateurs? I have a A7RIV and the free capture one is very good....
I wish there was the option for lower res raw files. I need hi res from time-to-time, but it’s not my usual requirement. I’d like a camera that let’s me shoot 24Mpix 80% of the time, and then shoot 61Mpix when I need it. Renting cameras where I live isn’t an option
In interiors I find that I need more resolution, pixel shift can be the solution, although I shoot with a A7 R II, not to happy with the result. Im wondering if I go with the R IV or the Fuji GFX 100, I saw the result and it is mind blowing. but I need to invest 14 k . Do you think I will see a satisfying difference btw the R II and R IV. Im going nuts trying to figure this out.
Fantastic video. Very informative. Thank you! Unfortunately, I’m still on the fence as to if I will get the A9ii or the A7iv. If you could decrease the MP and get increased low-light and better high ISO performance then I would get the A7iv. Question; if I shot in ASPc mode will it improve the ISO and low-light performance. I’m guessing no, since it’s the same sensor but I’m no pro at this, like you are.
This is old but you know I thought about the reduced RAW and is that not just another form of jpeg? Take a large file and throw out some of the data to reduce it.
If it is downsampling from the sensor properly, that's not true. You are taking that resolution and compressing it into a smaller area. Canon does it pretty well with something like the 5DsR
Dustin Abbott Well you sir are the expert. I agree with your original review that I would have preferred improvements in other areas maybe better low light if possible, ergonomics that sort of thing, better rather than more megapixels. I read somewhere that the A7sIII has a new file format for Photos could be to address this. Thanks for making smart buying decisions easy.
Dustin, as an engineer who does photography on the side, i commend you for giving us an objectively crisp and thorough analysis of any lens or body. Coming from a cynical engineer like myself, that's as much praise as you'll see from me :). Thanks (from a fellow Canadian)
That is high praise. I'll take it.
best camera and lens reviewer on youtube Dustin, I love your thoughts on the camera and as an owner, I agree fully
I'm glad to help out.
Hey cool :)
I am waiting until the A9 II is out, then decide between the 7 & 9. What do you think about my plan?
Welco Spoken like someone that doesn’t care about image quality. What do you shoot?
Welco Myself coming from the canon world I agree that it is quite expensive, but I also believe that you are getting what you pay for. Image quality and build quality of all their lenses is top notch and arguably best in class. You should try something newer than a 6000 before you make your final judgment
@@loopba
Are you mentioning the 3 cameras that you rented?
I love the A7Riv, but seriously, it requires a lot of hard disc space, faster cards, and needs some upgrade in PC if you need to keep your workflow! It’s been my main camera for the past 2 months though, and I’m pretty happy with it! Working on some videos about it as well! Cheers from Japan!
Definitely true all around. I do think it's a solid camera, though I'm not sure that increasing resolution would have been my top priority.
Yeah, definitely it’s overkill in most of the cases! But the camera menu, buttons, water and dust resistance is much better than the A7Riii, so I enjoy more shooting the the IV :) I’ve been telling Sony engineers if they made it possible to choose the size of RAW file, like Canon for example, it will be the perfect camera, as you could just reduce for example to M RAW for some situation! Maybe they will listen one day!
@@ilkoallexandroff please ask them to light up the buttons (RGB optional) too :D
@@robertktw haha
@@ilkoallexandroff and and plz ask Sony to add electronic ND filter too ^^
Very nice video as always. I think too many people are stuck on how a camera performance ISO wise. With advanced programs like Topaz Denoise which also sharpens the image, one has the benefit of the a7RIV's ultra-high resolution without the noise associated with it.
That's true, though many people aren't interested in having to go through multiple software steps to get their final result.
Wow, what an incredibly deep dive you’ve done here! Thank you for the many hours you put into this. It’s so valuable to have empirical evidence to balance with the promotional hype.
That's what I hoped would be the response.
Methodical, detailed and no fluff! Thank you Dustin.
That's what I shoot for!
I'm no pixel peeper, nor am I interested in more than about 22mp sensors even on crop sensor cameras. I am however always interested and entertained by people who know both what they are talking about, and how to put it over to an audience. This presentation is one of the best I've seen on the subject that seems to drive the whole industry and community in 2019. New subscriber here!
Wow, Alan, that's great (and meaningful) feedback.
@@DustinAbbottTWI well Dustin I'm of an age when cameras were limited by film choice just as much as lens fidelity. So I do find most reviewers always highlight the Mp count without considering pixel pitch and other factors that affect performance. It is a fact that we are blessed with so many great cameras and certain RUclips channels ( not mentioning anyone in an ANGRY way?) simply don't give impartial advice. Keep up the good work.
Finally someone talking sensibly about lenses and what's suitable for a sensor. A sharp lens is sharp no matter what camera, I never understood how anyone thought it'd look worse on a higher megapixel sensor. Thanks for mentioning this, I think a lot of people are confused.
As I mentioned in the video, I think at least some of that confusion comes from the marketing of lens makers.
Considering how fast the cards, readers and ports are nowadays, and how cheap are the big storage drives, file size does not scare me. I mean, I recently bought a 6TB drive for like $140. That's about 60'000 pictures of 120MB each and that was not the biggest drive in the store, just as big as I needed. For a professional user (like the one this camera is designed for) that's not a significant sum of money. Plus, they are only going to get cheaper. And about the reviews of 7RIV on this channel - very good job. The comparisons really provide useful info about some technical stuff, that one cannot find easily.
Momchil Yordanov cheap storage is plentiful. However when you shoot a wedding, speed of your drive becomes a priority too. Especially with a library of a few thousand 100+MB files.
A RAID array (and a cheaper, large backup drive) is a smart investment.
I agree on this point. It's less about the cost of storage and more about the need for better technology to process a high volume of such files.
A bit late to the party here but here's my 2 cents in case it may help. I've had an A7III for about a year, coming from an old Nikon D300 you can imagine the level of improvement! Extremely happy with it and has taken my photography to a whole new place and level (still mediocre of course, but the higher tier of it :D) Just a few days ago one A7RIV became available second hand at my local camera store, and I say second hand mainly because someone had touched it before, but that is it. Less than a 1000 shots on it, all cables, charger etc still bagged and wrapped (even has that new camera smell on it still), for 2500 GBP (that is roughly 1000 GBP cheaper than brand new) and the same store quoted my A7III for 1100GBP (I paid 1200 a year ago and I might have taken between 15 and 20000 photos with it) so, now Im the happy owner of an A7RIV! So far, all the improvements in EVF, AF, ergonomics, etc, vastly outweigh the "problems" of dealing with 61Mpx. I shoot mainly wildlife, birds and the occasional landscape. The A7RIV is effectively two cameras in one, a resolution beast for landscapes if you need it but still the most capable APS-C camera I have ever used. My 200-600mm is now for all intents and purposes a 900mm with 26+ Mpx which, for little birds it is just amazing! So, as promised, my 2 cents. If you shoot small and somewhat predictable wildlife , but also like to shoot and document the places where that wildlife lives, the A7RIV is THE camera (anything like peregrine falcons in flight you probably are in A9 territory). For the occasional user or beginner with enough cash to buy it, I'd say get a used A7III or a A7RIII and invest the difference in a great lens.
That's great anecdotal feedback, and you definitely got a great price!
How about a second hand grade 9, less than 5000 shutter actuations A7RIV for £1700? Would you say that's a good price in 2023?
You are the best...I don’t know how you are able to be a husband, father, pastor, a photographer and such a good reviewer...thanks for your work!
LOL - maybe I'm a lousy father and husband ;)
I think this is probably the best RUclips camera review of 2019. Great work.
Wow!
That was excellent pretty detailed Dustin looking forward to the final seems amazing so far. Already gone with the A9 speed vs detail. Hope I don't regret it.. Love what you are doing here awesome channel.
Thanks for the feedback. I always say, "Buy the right tool for the job." If speed is what you need, the a9 is a great machine...and a strong value now.
So, do you feel like you made the right choice? I shoot, everything and I don’t know wether to get the 7iv or the 9ii. I want them both but...
rick porier I’ve thought extensively about upgrading from my A7RII but it’s still such an awesome camera. I decided instead recently to spend less and pick up the 24mm 1.4 gm. But honestly I’m thinking about the A7III...
great reviews. I own the a7r3. Now I wish sony had kept the 42 meg sensor and just improved the af like the a9. Not sure its worth the upgrade to the a7r4 except for af or maybe by a cheap/used a9?
That's become a common position. An improved 42MP sensor along with other improvements would have produced possibly a better camera...but a less marketable one.
Despite the exaggeration of the vintage glass flaws, the higher resolution actually emphasizes the unique character of the older lenses, gave them a very surreal look IMO.
There's some truth to that, so long as you consider that desirable. It's all subjective.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Very true, some people will hate it, some will love it. I think one of the biggest challenges people will face, as you've mentioned is the need for a decent machine to be able to process those large files quickly. Before i upgraded my machine, even RAW files half the size would lag and stress the cpu as it had no discreet graphics card. Anything with an 8th gen or newer core i7 + a discreet graphics card with at least 4gb of vram should be able to handle these massive files. Buying a complete system with those specs can be pricey, building one yourself will save quite a bit and give you flexibility as far as hardware options go. Personally i went with an i7 8700k + nvidia rtx2070 and it blows through my a7r2 RAWs nearly instantaneous, thanks to the 8 gigs 7000mhz gddr6 vram the discreet card has. Thanks for the great work as always been a long time watcher.
Unlike the current tech trend, I am stepping back on resolution these days... I shoot using the A7Riii for landscapes and portraits, but I love using my old RX1R 24MP camera for everyday shooting... I was considering the A7RIV, but now I think I will wait for the A7IV to come out instead, since working on a large mount of uncompressed raw files using Windows 10 and Lightroom makes for a very tedious evening... Thanks pastor. Chazak v'ematz v'yeshua
That seems reasonable to me. No everyone needs ever-higher resolution.
As always, THE best in depth reviews of the internet. Thanks.
Thank you so much!
How would the vintage lenses work in the cropped aps-c mode on the A7RIV?
Technically the pixel density would be the same, through you wouldn't see the result at as high of magnification at the 1:1 level.
I alway gets the feeling of a guy who dosent let a brand love to rule the review. Clean and neutral to the matter. Keep it up.
It's called objectivity, and there isn't much of it on RUclips!
@@DustinAbbottTWI sad but true hard to find in the RUclips world.
Thank you for taking time in preparing the final assessment of the A7RIV
You're welcome
Incredibly well done video. Really like the effort put in and you're a good speaker. Your videos have helped me decide my camera system back then 👍
That's great to hear!
Again a fantastic video. At the beginning, when you were comparing the noise at pixel level, I was thinking "would be nicer to see them downsampled to the same resolution ... but I guess he'll do that later", and you did :D
For me, the greatest benefit of higher MP is portability, I could carry one lens and push a button to enter APS-C mode and have a 1.5x range, so, fewer lenses or cameras to carry, which is great ... but you're right, we REALLY NEED a firmware update that gives us the ability to downsize the 61mp to 26mp for example, without crop. That's the only reason I'm not considering this camera.
Also, what you said about the 61mp making lenses' flaws more apparent => it means that you should test the lenses with this camera as well, to see how far the lenses can perform. Say, 2 lenses might have comparable results at 16mp, but might be very different at 61mp, it's useful information and we know if a lens is more "future proof" than another.
I get your point, though I can't purchase every camera!
The benefits of uncompressed and pixel shift files are in the post processing. Would like a video about that
I get that, but I can only do so many videos on one piece of gear (I'm already at 5!!) because there is also something else I need to get to.
Best reviewer on RUclips. Thank you
Well thank you!
Wow, I wish that more people could watch this video. Very insightful.
That's encouraging to hear.
Thank you Dustin for covering the point of using older lenses on this camera. I am surprised other reviewers did not mention this point at all in spite of Sony yelling at top of their voices about why they came up with Gmaster series.
You're welcome.
Fabulous work Dustin, I am very happy with mine
Enjoy!
Very detailed review with very easy to understand concepts concerning the impact on the existing flaws of the lenses the more the resolution is increasing ==> chapeau 👌👍
Thanks!
Thank you so much for these review they’ve been so helpful to me .. Is better if you shot in full 61mb resolution and then crop image in post processing if you’re shooting something without tiny details and you don’t need eye af for example ? like if I shoot in 400mm lens and then crop to the equivalent of 600mm will I end up with 26mb ? If yes which is better .. I only use aps-c when I need birds to be bigger in EVF
That really depends on your application. In some cases, you may want your results in camera. In other situations you have time to do the cropping in post, which does give you more control.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you
Drives me crazy that Sony doesn’t offer any medium raw modes on their R bodies. I’d buy them for sure if that was a possibility like on the D810/D850. Instead I’m stuck using the a7iii (and a9). I’d love to have the versatility of being able to use get more MP when needed, but as a wedding photographer, 61MP is just way too much for every shot.
Exactly right...particularly for wedding photographers (and other volume shooters)
I use Adobe DNG Converter on my A7R4 RAW's and I save a huge amount of space.
Fontsman sadly, that’s extra workflow...
Yes as always a straightforward, thorough and easy to understand video. I had doubts about some lenses would cope with the sensor - I have that Tamron 28-75 - glad you sorted out the facts. I think your channel is the best when it comes to reviews!!
I'm glad it helped. I felt I needed to do this video before moving on to other projects because I saw so much confusion on this issue.
Great Video! I loved the indepth look at all the aspects of the sensor. Copmparing to the 6500 was a great idea too!
Thank you!
Just outstanding. I have the a7R2 and will be getting the a92. I have 42 mpxls and now want AF speed. Thanks Dustin
Enjoy!
Why is the a92 more expensive?
I came from an A7III and the cropping in cannot be compared. It's like a long-range microscope. If you 240MP on still objects, the image quality for cropping goes up even further. You can't really crop an A7III image too much as it would look crap unless you have panoed an image then stitched it together to have more megapixels.
True enough.
Excellent review. I feel justified in that I didn't trade up from the A7R3 to the A7R4. Thank you.
You aren't the first to say that to me.
I'm not a pro and so I don't really have to worry about storage or speed of workflow. LR is a bit slower but the files are worth it. To me anyway, the pros far outweigh the cons. My batis 85 is also a 127.mm, my 40 is also a 60 and almost macro, my 16-35 f4 is a 24-47, etc. The focus is outstanding. I have not been concerned with noise, especially not at realistic viewing levels. Zooming 1:1 is overkill with this much res. Love this camera. As a hobbyist fortunate enough to have this equipment, I can take the photos that I want and view them as I choose on whatever device. I like the way my shots look on an iPad pro 10.5 for example. Do I need 61mp to enjoy my photos? Nope, but it's important enough to me to make the investment. Thanks for all your videos Dustin. You are so helpful, and with Mark Galer, influential in helping me modernize my equipment. Now I can focus on shooting and light and composition, and forget about the camera.
Great feedback, Brandon. That ability to deeply crop is pretty amazing.
As you have done, converting your uncompressed Sony RAWs to .dng files you'll save a lot of storage space. I wouldn't want to shoot at higher than 1600 ISO on the A7R4. Keep on the lower side and it's pretty amazing.
Converting to DNG is definitely a part of my workflow.
Extremely helpful video. You are very thorough, and I appreciate this information and all the hard work you put into creating this video for us.
Glad it was helpful!
The Sony Tough 300 Mbps card sometimes struggles to buffer out my A7r3 files and now I wonder How long would it take for R4 files to buffer out. Yes, We need to check the reality of these high res cameras when it comes for a Long term use, Storage, processing. nice Content. Dustin is always on the Modest end of doing things. Great
I use the Tough cards as well, and the longest buffer dump time I've seen has been about 35 seconds on the a7RIV.
@@DustinAbbottTWI The Card is good has not failed, But It lags sometimes, I wonder if its also something to do with Camera Processing
Huge file sizes 😳 glad I saw this because I don’t have the time for this when batch editing. And that green tint no thanks. Deal breaker. With pixel shift the print out of the image and photo taken with pixel shift of that same image would be massive in size. I’m looking into the A74. Seems to be the best for my style at this time. Thanks for the reviews especially on those lenses. It’s easy for people to review camera bodies but to do a proper tech lens review you got to really really know what you are taking about and have been shooting for a long time. Hearing comparisons drawn with other flagship or flagship legacy lenses from other camera manufacturers is especially insightful as many are often contemplating or in the process of switching to Sony and will still adapt lenses or dive headfirst from a totally different ecosystem. No tech chart will ever replace real world experience. No one does it better this channel. Have a good one
Thanks for the feedback.
I would like to see a print comparrison of a9 vs r4 @ 20x24 or 30x40
You might see a difference in the 30x40.
Hi Dustin, wow, you really saved me! I was ready to purchase the 7RIV, but I would like to use the vintage glass on it as well. In fact, the same 2 lenses that you tested! That was the stopper. Is the RIII too much resolution as well? Thanks.
It's not as extreme. As far as the sensor goes, I do think the RIII is in a sweet spot.
Dustin Abbott did the a7riv low light capability got better in apsc mode?
I just switched from the a7iii to the a7riii. I love it but the amount of storage and speed it takes to get on as cards is a noticeable difference. Not bad but you’ll notice. I can only imagine 61mp. I’m happy with the Riii
It's a sweet spot in terms of resolution, in my opinion.
If Sony gave a firmware update option to select say 24, 36, or 42mp when shooting FF Raw, this would be a contender for me. At the moment 61mp in every situation is just too much for processing high volumes of images in a short time.
100% agree.
I love how you put the Holy Bible on TOP of the Roman Empire , good form sir
:)
Exactly, I agree to you: The biggest fault is, that I cannot reduce the file - Size in RAW. And that's the reason, why I refused to buy that camera. It's simply a MUST.
It is a big deal, for sure.
Congrats for 100k!
Thank you so much 😀
Question, you're doing industrial photography, shooting cars boats or aircraft, you want very sharp resolution in poster size images up to about 24X36 inches, throw in a few sharp landscape backgrounds behind the various vehicles, what system are you using?
Right now I would choose an RIV or the EOS R5, myself.
Wonderful review! Truth told about excessive resolution! I would like to request you for the next episode to make a small bit of comparison between a7riii & a7riv, to guide photographers with your first hand experience! Many thanks again! Regards from Germany.
Hi there. I did that in the "Sensor Wars" episode already.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Oh ya! Thanks for your reply!
Hi . Good job 👌👍 if you could only have one camera a7iii , a7riv and a7riii. What would you pick for portraits and fashion ? Some landscapes on vacation
I've found that the RIII hits the sweet spot for me right now.
@@DustinAbbottTWI still r3?...
Thanks so much Dustin for all your reviews on these various cameras and lenses. I'm going to switch over this winter from Canon to Sony. I'm currently on the fence between the a9II and the a7RIV. Question for you - in the crop mode for the a7RIV, the file sizes that I would be importing to my work station would in fact be substantially smaller vs the FF mode?
That's correct regarding file size. Only slightly larger than a9II file size
My a7RIII just took a dive to the concrete the other day (along with my 100-400GM) when my tripod got knocked over, so it's dusted. I used the opportunity to upgrade to the RIV which will come this week. I always shot compressed and was fine with the IQ, so I'm assuming I'll just shoot compressed on the RIV. My computer seems to handle the RIII files relatively easily, and I just picked up a 12TB hard drive a couple weeks ago, so I'm hopeful it'll handle the RIV as well without much issue. Fingers crossed.
Oh no on your RIII; it sounds like your computer can handle the RIV fine.
Absolutely wonderful review & 120% honest, congratulations Dustin
Thank you!
This camera must be equipped with lossless compressed raw as well as medium & small raw at the time of its launch. Those two are a huge drawback and in typical Sony manner - they're still showing the software/firmware is their biggest weakness.
Dustin, the difference between compressed and uncompressed is not mainly in the detail (as you noted, it is there, but not that big). The biggest thing is that the compressed raw is messing up the highlights and how much of them you can "save" if you need to dial back the exposure in post.
Always a pleasure to watch your videos. Professional and straight to the point. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the feedback.
i love your reviews so much details and image comparisons. i have a question. did sony improved the mechanical shutter or is it the same. or have they improved the speed of the mechanical shutter. thank you..
The feel of the shutter is improved.
just from this video..subscribed........
That's pretty awesome!
Thanks for the excellent review, I think it dismistify a lot of miss conseptions about resolution. I wish you went a bit further to compare where diffraction comes to play, has many people are saying that with 61mp the images would suffer too much from it, and sooner in the f stop. Would be great to see it a9 vs a7riv in that regard. One thing I don't agree with you is the usefulness of pixel shift 16 images. I saw the review on my cell phone and was evident that colours were improved, for me taking a step at medium format files. I'm not sure how close it gets, but being closer to medium format which as always is step improvement, and not night and day, I think will be worth it for some photographers that can't reach medium format but might have tools to start to prove their work on this domain. Fashion photographer will also love it, even with additional work flow. Anyway just my two cents. As I said excellent review, the most complete review on what matters to the field, love it for it. Many many thanks
You're welcome. The problem with continually adding additional pieces is the length of the video. You do stronger evidence of diffraction, though, there's no doubt (even when compared to the a7RIII.)
Nice review! But: Pixel shift isn´t about luminosity resolution, it´s about color resolution. It´s a way to overcome the drawbacks of the Bayer design. Your wood staple testshots do not adress situations, where the advantages might show up! Such as e. g. the perfectly in focus rims of green foliage against a blue sky.
Hi Kurt - one problem with that example, at least. Something like green foliage is going to move in 90% of situations, at least a little, which would impact the final result negatively.
@@DustinAbbottTWI You are right. The foliage example wasn´t the best. I also tend to think that there are few real world situations where pixel shift might show a difference.
@@DustinAbbottTWI In addition: I´m stuck with the A7R-III implementation of pixel shift. In contrast, The IV seems to be increasing even the luminosity resolution (16 pass). Looking at this, your findings are indeed useful!
Hi Dustin! Great review - again. As you are the culprit who forced me into buying Zeiss lenses, would you now be so kind in helping me understand one thing. Currently I'm using 5dsR camera, which in tandem with Otus 55, Milvus 21 and 135 makes wonderful images for me, but focusing is hard, if I need to focus. Usually I do not - for more distant objects I simply memorized distance markings on the lens which provide me the deepest in-focus zone and that works 99% of a time - I never use OVF or LCD. But for close objects, mostly portraits, I need to focus precisely and here is the question - what focusing aid A7RIV provides? I'm mostly interested in EVF - do you have a possibility to quickly magnify to a selected point ? How it works? I bet it had to be something much better than putting a loupe on the rear LCD and using this kind of 'EVF' - that's how I currently do.
Put simply - the a7RIV is the best platform possible for your Zeiss glass. The ability to magnify the image quickly in the viewfinder and visually confirm focus is fantastic, as is adding the IBIS to stabilize your lenses. This is probably the camera you should move to.
The resolution of the crop mode on the a7Riv would be helped by the lack of an AA filter, when compared to the a6500. Very informative and insightful video, thanks.
That's true. You're welcome.
Thank you for the video! I own an a7r4 and as you said I would like the options to take a RAW image with less resolution. If only Sony makes it happen.
Yes, exactly
@@DustinAbbottTWI why don't they? Can't anyone just hack their OS and release an unofficial update?
Brilliant review. I think I will try and pick up a used a7R III in a year or so as a backup to my a9, definitely don't need 61MP. I just wish Sony had gone all out on a new 42-45MP sensor.
I agree.
I was literally thinking that as I was watching this..about to pull the trigger on my 1st mirrorless and having a toss up with this, the previous version or the a9ii..or do I just wait it out to see what the a7iv brings If they release it this year. Currently have nikon d850 but wanted a mirrorless as a 2nd camera
Would like to see the noise difference between A7RIV crop mode and A6400 at ISO800 or higher. I have a feeling the A6400 will do better.
I'd have to check it, though I've kind of hit the limit of the number of videos I can dedicate to this outside of the final review.
I was looking for that too. Would be great to see that comparison. Great work DA!
@@DustinAbbottTWI Just tell us :)
Great video! for the video features does it offer much of an advantage?
It doesn't, really. An a7III will give you equally good (if not better) performance.
Thanks for your very detailed opinions each time. However I guess the reason why there is no mid ground between 26 mega and 61 mega pixel is because of A7R iii with 42 mp.
I believe Sony will not upgrade firmware with around 42mp resolution for a while as long as sony want some profit from A7R III. 42MP firware upgrade would kill A7R iii in the market. It is suicide.
Sony have very advance technowleges that they could do more. But they are just releasing those one at a time competing with other company. So to make best camera is not they top concern, but the marketing and making most profit out of it is.
Perhaps...though this is a basic feature that their main competitors have had for as long as I have been doing photography.
Excellent review Mr. Dustin.
Thank you
Great review as usual Dustin...kinda separate note are you adopting the Samyang AF lenses? And if yes, does the AF work with the MC-11?
No - these are native Sony lenses. You can find reviews of them on my channel.
Outstanding video! Very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
I know you touch on it here but have you thought of looking at the performance of the new breed APS-C G lenses from Sony on the A7R 2/3/4 in crop mode? This seems to me to be a compelling proposition since 18mp files are perfectly good enough for most purposes unless you are shooting for JC Decaux.
If I were to buy an a7RIV, I would actually replace both my a6500 and my a7RIII with it and use the RIV's crop mode when I test APS-C glass.
Essentially, the A7r4 has the performance of a crop sensor, except its full frame and 61MPx instead of APS-C 26 megapixel, its quite impressive but as noted for 20 years now, smaller pixel = more noise.
Fair enough
More resolution means more amplification/magniication of the optical properties of any lens. Essentially this camera gives the possibiity of sensor zoom. The more one knows the properties and how to work with them on a very powerful sensor the better the results so the 61 sensor demands also in a way more application. I actually am geting very good results from all the vintage glass that I have worked with so far. I recently used a canon serenar 50mm f1.8 (designed for rangefinders in 1951) and have been getting beautiful results. The helios 44-2 is much softer than the the helios 44-M which resolves excellently. The real issue is how much as a visual composer one works with processing the soft (extreme highlight)to high detail contrast information. Sony anyway started the 7 series with their range of high low light sensitivity (12mp) to high res at 36. The fact that they are now offering a 61mp which also gives much more low light sensitivity at a relative level is impressive. Software has improved tremendously both in camera & in the sony software. So again how extra information is processed is also in the hands of the user. It has become more of a fetish the boast to work in uncompressed raw instead of understanding the differences in data from each format - be it compressed raw or extra fine jpeg. I bought the R4 because of the sensor & what it does to the level of the eye in terms of heightened perception. I also felt that the R4 in comparison the the fuji gfx or the earlier canon was a much more flexible lightweight ergonomic camera packing a lot of hardware+software & a much better coordinated processor. It actually challenges me to work even more on the frequency levels of visible light and discard all the sloth. Akin to the words of one of myfavorite composers - Jean Sibelius - 'Not one extra note - every note must live'.
I completely agree with your first statement.
Excellent breakdown as always Dustin. I'm disappointed to hear that vintage glass doesn't do so well. How do they perform on the A7Riii?
Slightly better, though they will be most competitive on lower resolution bodies where the optical flaws are less obvious.
Do you have a video on the noise level of the Nikon D750 ?
I'm afraid not. I'm not a Nikon reviewer.
I'm going to be doing wedding photogapraphy with this camera and need to get a laptop. Not sure whether to get 1tb or 2tb? Any ideas which storage will be best?
You'll probably want to invest in a good size external drive. They are an inexpensive way to add a lot of extra storage.
Very helpful video Dustin thank you! Particularly your sample photos showing the resolves resolution on all those different lenses.
My only remaining question would be what the “equivalent” ISO would be on the R4 in relation to noise when compared to the a7iii? For example, I’d say, 6400 ISO was the highest I would be happy with on the A7iii, what ISO on the R4 would show a similar level of noise? My understanding is the far greater pixel density of the R4 makes for a worse noise performance, but keen to get a “how much worse” comparative ballpark figure! Thank you!
I would say it is probably at least a stop difference. You might get a similar performance at ISO 3200.
@@DustinAbbottTWI fantastic thank you very much Dustin! That’s really helpful! Keep up the brilliant work! 👍
Excellent review, most helpful thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a way. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Hi, now r5 is here and what z your thoughts about a7r4? I’m debating b/w a7r4 vs r5. The only thing I don’t like about a7r4 is the lack of touch screen, articulated screen and lack of multiple raw formats, which are all in r5 with I believe almost close to Sony in eye tracking too. But glasses for r5 ridiculously prized. Being a7s3 announced with all these features, I believe it is best in investing in a7r4 for future proof. What is your thoughts b/w these cameras? I don’t care about video features at all? Thanks in advance.
I haven't had a chance to test the R5 yet, but I can say that I have every intention of adding one to my one personal kit.
Thank you for your prompt reply. Do you anticipate to get these updates of menu, touch screen and multiple raw formats as a firmware update for a7r4?
I’m back again! Love your channel. My one reservation about a7riv is processing times. I’m using a 16GB RAM iMac and have a 8GB MacBook for the road. Will I run into issues with this set up using Sony’s huge files?
I've got powerful workstations, so I don't see anything significant. It looks like you should be okay with your systems, though it will be slower than a lower resolution camera, for sure.
Did you get a7riv for yourself now? How is your workflow when you work with compressed raw files in Lightroom in your 8GB McBook then? Is it too slow to work or is it tolerable?
@@hyunju225 Heya! I didn't get one no, because of the lack of lossless it makes it unworkable unless you have the gear. i HAVE A 16 GB RAM iMac at home, a few photos here and there are ok, but once you load up a sizeable amount in lightroom it goes downhill from there. I am waiting to see what else Sony brings out. The a1 is too expensive, but I hope an a7iv will be weather sealed and durable. The resolution makes a7riv good for rental if you need big prints or if you work with 32gb hardware.
@@Poopdeck1015 Thank you for the answer. I guess that I will also wait for a7iv and see how it is. I was running out of patience to wait for a7iv and wasn't sure if it is really coming out at some point.
@@hyunju225 me too. It’s meant to be our thi year in the second quarter. I’ve put some money aside so I hope so 😆 Sony are really missing out on a huge market.
I think most photographers are settling into an opinion that 24 megapixels is the sweet spot in FF. If you really want the higher resolution you’d benefit by putting the extra resolution into a medium format camera.
Hmmm, I don't think I would agree. I would prefer something in the range of 36, which gives you more flexibility without getting into silly range.
Dustin Abbott What extra flexibly....crops?
Great video as always.
Thank you!
All good comments. Bottom line increased noise is a problem but I’ve been able to deal with it via LR. I tend to crop a lot and this has be the best feature for me. What I love about this camera oddly are the menus and options. I think I can better manage the tech aspects with the r4 let’s say over Nikon systems (I switched from
Nikon). I shoot some low light but mostly bulb and low iso. Bottom line I get better pics with the r4 over my Nikon.
The deep crop ability on the RIV is simply fantastic!
I quite like the image captured by the Helios 44mm F @ 12:32. Looks like a classic album cover for a psychedelic rock band.
Interesting. There is always character to Helios shots!
Hi Dustin. Considering I often shoot at very long distance, not only animals but mainly landscape views (sunset or sunrise, mountains so far away,moon.... with long tele like 200-600) and I already have the a6600, is it really worth a7r4?
A6600 or a7r4 crop? What would be better?
I personally would go with the RIv and use it's crop mode instead of an APS-C camera. I like the ergonomics better of the full frame bodies.
@@DustinAbbottTWI for night landscapes I would buy Sigma 14-24 dn. A7r4 still remain the good choice also for night photography? In that situation do you prefer more details ( a7riV) or better high iso performance ( a7iii)?
The R4 is a good choice for night photography. You typically don't have to shoot above 6400 for that.
Great vid 👏👏
At 12:45 are these the same lense but left side is A9 and right side R4? Looks like A9 barely picks up Orion.
Also, is R4 compressed as detailed as A9 raw?
It's the same lens but not taken at the same time or under the same conditions.
Dustin Abbott ahh ok - thanks again for the video(s) great details and the reply of course👏👏
Awesome thorough review! Been considering Sony cameras from my current Canon cameras. All this resolution seems overkill for my needs but WOW the detail and ability to crop photos is amazing.
Question about the crop mode capabilities perhaps you can consider: say you’re using a 100mm lens and take a shot at full frame resolution then take a shot in the crop mode. How does the cropped photo compare to taking the full frame photo and cropping it in Lightroom in size and detail, etc?
It's roughly the same. The advantage is being able to visually see the framing, and, if shooting JPEGs, to have instantly deliverable results with the desired framing.
Hi Dustin, I have a question about A7r4 image size: if I use size L it has 61mpx,if i use size M it has 26mpx.
So, with 26mpx the image quality in terms of details and noise, it is similar to a7iii, or not? Using M 26mpx, noise at high Iso decrease? Or remain the same?
First of all, the M size is only for JPEGs, but I do think you'll see less ISO noise.
Thanks and what's your opinion
About the S1R?
I haven’t reviewed it, so don’t have an informed decision.
Good video, hiring a A7Riv out soon. Il maybe not use my vintage lenses to much.
Play with them and see how you like them. Some might surprise you.
hey dustin, i'm not a pro but an enthusiast who may be buying into the sony mirrorless system, i shoot landscapes and seascapes mainly, budget of around £3000gbp, which i can get either: 1. Sony A7RIV with the 24-105, or 2. Sony A7RIII with a 24-105 and slightly more than £3000 a 70-200 f4 as well?
I guess the question is whether or not you think you need the higher resolution of the RIV. For me, I'd probably go with the combination with the RIII and more lens options.
I'd be interested to see the noise floor on the a7rmk4 when the image is scaled to the same size as the image from the a9
At what ISO?
Shooting a range of ISOs scalling A7mk4 images to same size as a9 images and seeing which camera starts to produce more nosier images at 100%
Did you find that you'd use faster shutter speed for pin sharp images on this high a resolution?
You certainly benefit from adding a little extra shutter speed.
Thanks for the rundown! I just entered mirrorless and jumped right in to the 7R iv - I'm in love with the resolution and yes, the 16x has worked for me to get more resolution. - I may do less stitching to achieve my desired resolution for my art prints. But I would also love to see a 1/4 RAW option where 4 pixels are binned to one during readout.
Now about your use of the word "ironic" (grammar police, sorry). It is merely a "funny" or "interesting" contrast that whilst there is a pixel shift option that produces large files, there is no downsampled RAW file option. Irony demands cause/effect and/or unintended consequences and/or opposite results. e.g., While researching if pixel shifting could allow for the output of smaller files with better image quality, the actual implementation ironically produces much larger files. More so, pixel-shifting code used up all the firmware space so they didn't also have room to also provide for a downsampled RAW file option, ironically leading to producing ONLY larger files.
Hi Bert, thanks for the feedback, though, as someone with nearly 25 years of experience as a professional public speaker, I'm going to have to reject your "grammar police" arrest. That is a perfectly natural use of the word ironic.
@@DustinAbbottTWI No thanks to Alanis Morissette, lol! 😜 (See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony, "Misuse")
Hello Dustin, great reviews, thats why i am a fan. Question, what do you think about adobe subscriptions for hobbyists, amateurs? I have a A7RIV and the free capture one is very good....
If you’re happy with what you have...stick with it!
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yes i will but what do you think about the price for amateurs
I’ve been using the subscription model for years, and it is worth it to me
I wish there was the option for lower res raw files. I need hi res from time-to-time, but it’s not my usual requirement. I’d like a camera that let’s me shoot 24Mpix 80% of the time, and then shoot 61Mpix when I need it. Renting cameras where I live isn’t an option
Exactly right. Sony should have (at least) matched the 26 and 16Mb options they give on JPEGs.
In interiors I find that I need more resolution, pixel shift can be the solution, although I shoot with a A7 R II, not to happy with the result. Im wondering if I go with the R IV or the Fuji GFX 100, I saw the result and it is mind blowing. but I need to invest 14 k . Do you think I will see a satisfying difference btw the R II and R IV. Im going nuts trying to figure this out.
You will see a difference going to the RIV.
Fantastic video. Very informative. Thank you! Unfortunately, I’m still on the fence as to if I will get the A9ii or the A7iv. If you could decrease the MP and get increased low-light and better high ISO performance then I would get the A7iv. Question; if I shot in ASPc mode will it improve the ISO and low-light performance. I’m guessing no, since it’s the same sensor but I’m no pro at this, like you are.
I completely agree on your first point. Unfortunately shooting in APS-C mode does not change anything as it is just cropping part of the sensor.
APSC mode would actually make the low light performance worse because you capture less light when using only part of the sensor.
Thank you. This was Very informativ🙏
You're welcome.
great review
You're welcome.
This is old but you know I thought about the reduced RAW and is that not just another form of jpeg? Take a large file and throw out some of the data to reduce it.
If it is downsampling from the sensor properly, that's not true. You are taking that resolution and compressing it into a smaller area. Canon does it pretty well with something like the 5DsR
Dustin Abbott Well you sir are the expert. I agree with your original review that I would have preferred improvements in other areas maybe better low light if possible, ergonomics that sort of thing, better rather than more megapixels. I read somewhere that the A7sIII has a new file format for Photos could be to address this. Thanks for making smart buying decisions easy.
I own a canon 5DS 50meg camera. One issue I have is panoramas. Anything more than 5 photos and my computer bogs down
That's true. Huge resolution does create some challenges.