Sony a7RIV: Real World Review | 4K
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- Sony a7RIV: Real World Review | Photographer Dustin Abbott shares an thorough, real world review of the Sony A7R IV with comparisons to the Sony a7RIII and a9 cameras. Watch the whole playlist: bit.ly/a7RIVplaylist| Read the text review: bit.ly/a7RIVReview | Visit the image gallery: bit.ly/a7RIVig | Purchase the Sony a7RIV @ B&H Photo bhpho.to/2nUgnno | Amazon amzn.to/2oGpVD1 | Amazon Canada amzn.to/2mY8UDW | Amazon UK amzn.to/2n9GWF3 | Amazon Germany amzn.to/2nXhene | Ebay bit.ly/a7RIVda
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Keywords: Sony a7R IV, Sony a7riv, Sony a7r4, Sony a7RIV, Sony A7r IV Review, a7riv review, Sony, A7R IV, a7r 4, Review, 61MP, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Handling, Battery Life, Canon EOS R, Sony a7rIII, Video Test, Sigma 14-25mm F2.8 DN, Tamron 17-28mm F2.8, Sigma 35mm F1.2, Focus, Burst Rate, Tracking, Sports, Portraits, Resolution, High ISO, Image Quality, Sample Images, Photography, 201p, Ergonomics, Sigma MC-11, Metabones, Vello, Sony a9 
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Always appreciate your honest and comprehensive reviews - thanks for taking the time to make them!
You're welcome.
Dustin, that was an excellent review. You are articulate, to the point and very thorough. Thanks so much.
That's great feedback. Tahnks.
Awesome review Dustin, keep up the good work, i cant stop watching your other reviews. :)
No complaints here.
Excellent review. Again, thanks for all your hard work!
You're welcome.
Dustin the nature sample photos that you're showing are unreal, never seen such beautiful images of autumn like what you've shown.. Wow.. Thank you for all the hard long work to bring us the best advice and always make our buying decisions easier.. All the love from Dubai
Hi Hatem, you definitely don't get much of autumn in Dubai!
The best camera equipment reviewer on RUclips ........thank you Dustin
Thank you!
So I looked for the photos and tests and ... what we heard was technojabber
still is :)
The best reviews on the internet. Very professional presentations. Thank you, Dustan!
Thank you very much
DSLR video shooter. Deals with bit rate, and codecs, that's where reality is, along with what the pictures look like, and their capacity to process. This is technical stuff which is what Sony specialises in, much to the detriment of the depth of the information .
All serous and professional reviews. Bravo!
Thanks!
Awesome as always! No one reviews like you!
Thank you.
Excellent review! Thank you for addressing all the concerns I raised in my previous comments. Maybe Sony can address the issues of noise with the equivalent of M-RAW. The file sizes you mentioned would be perfect for my uses. 30 Mega Pixels for events with low light. 45 for wildlife requiring a higher shutter speed, thus higher ISO and still allowing some cropping. 61 for landscape work on a tripod. The APS-C crop mode allows a lot of versatility.
Actually the improved full frame video performance is another plus to this camera.
Once again thank you for the effort you put into your reviews. They simply are the best available! 👍
It's true that an MRAW is often improved for noise as it is a downsampling of the full sensor, unlike APS-C, which is just cropping a portion of the sensor.
there is no Review online like yours my friend! love how deep you go into all these aspects. Keep up the good work and thanks to you I've made a lot of good choices when it comes to lenses and cameras!
I’m so glad that I’ve been able to help
Great review, thank you so much!
You're welcome.
I always appreciate that you take your time with your reviews and break them into a small series, unlike the rapid fire reviews that come out within hours of a cameras release. It’s refreshing and earns trust! Love your videos Dustin. The a7R IV seems like a small iterative step over previous models, but still immensely impressive
Thank you. I occasionally get a push to conform to what others do, but I feel like there are already plenty of people who do that and much fewer that do what I do. It hasn't resulted in meteoric growth on my channel, but I do think my approach has garnered a lot of respect in the industry.
I can imagine it does you no favors with RUclips’s algorithms, where coincidentally you’re the one making rather unique content in my view. I am sure you would appreciate 10,000 highly engaged viewers, who support your channel and website over 100,000 random disengaged viewers. Just my thoughts. Keep up the great work! Just about to watch your new video on the 14mm Samyang, which I’ve been eagerly awaiting. ⛄️
The biggest thing is short attention spans. RUclips tends to encourage people's tendency towards "twitch" watching where short and sensational outperforms thorough and balanced.
Excellent review ! Appreciate your very articulated and honest analysis. I’m a fan !
I appreciate that!
What an excellent review! Thorough and informative, thank you! 😊👍🏻
My pleasure.
Great review, thanks!
You're welcome.
Thanks for a great video. Very informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
really ace reviews everytime, I came back to watch this again because of the firmware update they are working on to shoot smaller RAW files on the mrk4, I currently own a a7r3 and cant find enough reason to upgrade, I still feel as much as this is a lovely camera its not good enough yet, no touch screen, still an old menu system, its not enough to upgrade, I feel, I have to wait 1 - 2 years until Sony really start to be agressive again, many thanks Justin!
Glad to help out.
Hey Dustin. Have you had any interest in testing the 16-55/2.8? I love how thorough your reviews are.
I would be interested in doing it. Sony Canada's review loaner inventory is really small, so I've been working on getting supply set up better. Being in a smaller market does come with some challenges.
Thank you again for your incredible detailed review. I am also looking into get few prime & third-party lenses. In particular 24-70mm and portrait 85mm, please advise. Thank you
Probably the Sigma 24-70 and 85mm F1.4 DN lenses are good choices for you. I own the latter and love it.
Hello Dustin- I appreciate your reviews of gear- always a deeper dive than nearly all other reviewers without the exclaim or nearly effusive attachment to brand or history. Bravo. One quick question- is the scene you demonstrated the cropping ability at about 10:00 in your post- near Apsley, Ontario? Thanks for your reviews.
I think that's accurate. It's definitely along that route somewhere.
Another wonderful review to watch. Always detailed and fun. Thank you :) I do wonder if it will be possible through a firmware upgrade to implement lossless compression and allow for smaller files. I think we probably will see that in the next generation, if at all given their track record for adding more features but not exactly working on some drawbacks.
There's nothing stopping them from adding it via a firmware update, and even on older models like the R3 and R2. It will really depend on how many people ask for that feature.
Let me explain why it's not a problem: the CPU is not an issue here because this step can be performed when clearing the buffer, and it doesn't need to be performed while shooting, so even if that operation takes a long time (relatively), it won't matter and it won't slow down the bust rate. In the worst case scenario, the buffer will clear slower because of that extra step, but as long as it's an optional feature, it's not a problem. And in the best case scenario, the buffer will clear even faster because the files will be smaller so they will be written faster to the SD cards.
I really hope you are right on this comment, as Sony NEEDS to make this a firmware improvement.
Thanks for the clip. I enjoyed watching it. Is it really possible to offer M-Raw via firmware?
I don't know. All I know is that it has never happened on the a7RIII.
Thank you Dustin. Great review!
My pleasure!
Thanks for another great review Dustin. Any plans to review the 90D?
The short answer is yes, though I have to arrange a loaner some way.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Looking forward. The 90d looks like an interesting camera.
Thank you Michael Scott!
LOL - I get that pretty often.
That's what she said!
This is the best review on this camera thank you sir!
Thanks. Glad to hear it.
I started Sony with the a6000, now shooting with the a6500. I've been extremely patient when it comes to upgrading to a full frame camera and will finally make that leap. I'm a portrait photographer and was leaning towards the a7riii but now I think the A7rIV is the one for me.
Amazon have a fantastic deal for $3,499, which is steep but my shoots over the past year will pay for that. I'm a very proud Sony owner and look forward to expanding my knowledge! Fantastic review, you've earned another subscriber!
Enjoy your new camera - it's a winner!
Amazing review and honest feeback as usual. You one of the few I trust out there. I tend to collect information, read and watch review online, rent and take some time before making a decision. You were the one that made my mind on my last two purchases i made, thanks to your professionalism.
This is my next purchase, and this helped a lot.
I wanted to know: when you talked about noise even at lower Iso, are we talking about under iso 1000 or like 3200? This is my last concern, i heard a lot of complain about noises at high iso, but I tend to shoot under iso 3200 and try everything to never go over that number. I’m currently shooting a7rii
I'm glad to have helped out. I don't consider my role to be to sell you something or to tell you to never buy something. It's to help you make an informed decision for yourself.
By far the best review of this camera I've seen. Ironically, it has convinced me that I don't need it for what I do (as good as it is). Thank you!
A review shouldn't be a sales pitch. If it helped to honestly help you realize you didn't need it, I would consider that a quality review.
Excellent review. Thank you for your detailed review and information. I have been shootimg Nikon until 2017, then I moved to Panasonic Lumix M4/3rds high end cameras and lenses. Regardless, these Sony cameras with their sharp and fast auto focus is blowing me away, especually for birds in flight. I will wait for more information and postings. Thank you!
There's a lot of great options on the market, now!
Another home-run review Dustin. Higher ISO noise is there on the A7RIV when you push it up, as you mentioned, but I stumbled across Topaz Labs Denoise A.I. which does what it's name suggests, as either a Lightroom plug-in or standalone app. It's absolutely incredible at removing noise but not giving an "over-processed" look. It's a very effective piece of software.
My Sony 24-104 f/4 G is a favorite general "walking around/travel" lens and it captures truly great images on the A7RIV. I did get the Sony 100-400 4.5-5.6 GM and it is amazing, as well as subjectively feeling lighter than it looks. My biggest gripe is the lack of a fully functional touch-screen... which Sony could largely/completely remedy with a firmware update, although "My Menu" helps a lot in that respect. User selectable RAW image size would be welcomed as well.
Solid feedback.
Thank you so much for this review Dustin. I was sold on the new model but feeling somewhat anxious now. I thought the additional resolution was a good thing since I intend to print my work but I don’t often travel with a tripod. If I mostly shoot hand held, do you think the A7r III is a better choice? I do landscapes mostly.
I think as long as you are careful to not push the extremes of handholding, you should be fine.
A very comprehensive review, answers all my questions. One small remark though: the A7RIV's resolution is NOT 33% more than the A7RIII's but 50% more! Thanks once again, Dustin Abbott!
That's true. I sourced that number off some promotional materials, but it was obviously a mistake.
@@DustinAbbottTWI even though it is not relevant, my geek headed attitude tells me to outline that, since resolution is linear and pixel count quadratic, neither numbers are correct ;-) : You have to compare the pixel count of a single dimension not the total pixel count of the entire surface. Therefore the increase of LINEAR RESOLUTION from a7r3 to a7r4 is 19,5%. Let's bear in mind that 10/15% is usually considered to be the threshold in increased resolution that will be noted by humans in real life A/B testing of large prints. Anyway marketing storytelling may vary.
Greetings, which PC/laptop specs would you recommend for a fast workflow with the Sony A7R IV with programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom? Thank you for this amazing review series!
A good amount of RAM and a good video card are probably most important (using an SSD is important as well). I've got a system with 32GB of RAM and a good video card with 3GB of RAM, and I have no problems.
Hello Dustin, may you can test the teleconverter 1,4x 2.0x for the sony a7r4. I know that 50Mpix update to the Canon 5dr make the Canon teleconverter useless, because the Resolution is too high. My it is the same by sony?
I'm afraid my time with the RIV comes to a close with this review, so, for now, no more content unless I purchase one myself in the future.
Very professional review as always. Dustin i am just wondering if u are able to get yourself invited to some of the sony events or release so that u can give your feedback directly to sony and understand the certain shortcoming that they have yet fix over the years. It be extremely valuable if ur feedback is being taken seriously by them.
I have been invited to drop in IF I'm at certain conferences, but this isn't my "main job" and I haven't had the time or money to travel (internationally) to major conventions.
Hi Dustin, are you going to review any of the new RF glass? Thanks!
Hi there, I'm scheduled to start looking at the EF 50mm F1.2L this week, and then hopefully do one every few months after that. I've got a tentative agreement in place with Canon Canada to get loaners (I didn't have a source before), and have purchased an EOS R body to do reviews on. I'm also expecting Samyang's new 14mm F2.8 AF lens in the RF mount later this week as well for review.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Amazing Dustin. Keep up the great work .You're the best reviewer online!
I am speechless. What a professional review. I subscribed and visited your homepage. I am much more confident now. Made me believe in Sony.
I'm glad the review helped.
Awsome review
Thank you!
Great series of reviews, very professionally made. Well done, Dustin. The Autofocus (acquisition, tracking) of the A7R4 is simply great, not like the A9 but close and better than on any other of the A7Rx cameras before, especially with the Lock-on function which I widely use for Wildlife (especially birds). This together with the 61MP make this camera for me the best camera for Wildlife right now and with the Sony 400mm 2.8 GM, Sony 600mm 4.0 GM and Sony 200-600mm 5.6-6.3 you have all you need for Wildlife. I was not a fan of Sony before but with all the changes this company made to their product roadmap the last 1.5 years, I changed my mind.
I agree...particularly on your last point. Sony has become a much more complete system in the past few years.
great review creating from Montreal
Thank you!
Dustin, do you know if the long loading times for 1:1 previews on the cameras can be improved with a faster sd card?
Because when i press the af-on button to see the close up views on my pictures it always loads for 2-3 seconds :/
i only use a uhs-1 card though.
It does help. I use the very good Sony Tough SD cards and get great results. bhpho.to/36BiXjt
..once again ... an Excellent Analysis ...
Thank you very much
Fully agree with your assessment. Having shot with the Riv in both wildlife and NFL environments, I have found that while the af system is improved, it doesn't seem to drive larger telephoto lenses quite as well. I am not sure how all that magic actually happens, but for fast moving sports and wildlife, some lenses work better on the A7R iv than others. As a landscape photographer primarily, that multi "interface shoe" is very very vulnerable. I was splashed by a single wave while shooting seascapes last week.. with the hotshoe cover on, and the new Sony mic will no longer work in the hotshoe, after probably an hour of trying to clean out that hotshoe connection point.. still cant get it to work. I would love to see a more fully weatherproof rubber gasket hotshoe cover option for people like myself that torture our cameras.
That's great info, thanks. I was shooting a very misty waterfall and fully saturated my A7RIV body with water droplets and the live view screen turned off, but the EVF was on. My suspicion is that water droplets were fooling the automatic sensor that switches between EVF and live view screen, making it think my eye was to the EVF but I'm not sure. I ended up retreating from that position to a dry spot and towled off the camera and put it back in the bag. Pulled out my old Canon DSLR and went back, lol. No issues. The next time I took the Sony back out it seemed fine but I didn't know about the hotshot vulnerability so thank you for the tip!
yeah sounds like you had a water drop on the sensor in the eye piece.. quick tip.. if you pull your screen out a 1/8th of an inch, it should fix that.. if thats indeed what the problem was. Nikon makes a hotshoe cover that actually covers the edges of the hotshoe, that I just picked up .. going to see how that does, hoping it does better than the sony supplied one
@@NickPage I saw your video on that piece. I'll be paying attention to see how it works for you! Thank you. Great tip on the screen too, that never would have occurred to me
Ouch. Thats a problem.
Thank you for your useful review, like always is perfect. Just a question: VS canon 5dSR which provides amazing image quality straight away from camera, is this a7Riv good to do same or as i heard always we need to manipulate sony images by editing softwares to get better result? Thank you
At lower ISOs I would say the 5DsR has arguably more punch, but lower dynamic range. At higher ISOs, it isn't even close = a7RIV is way better. The a7RIV is infinitely better for video, and I vastly prefer the focus system, too.
Dustin Abbott i got my answer for the first part of my question, thank you. But what about the second part: do you have a high image quality straightaway from camera or you have to be depends on image processing after shooting to make it as you want?!
As someone who owns the A7r lll, I would've been happy if Sony would have put out an A7r 4 with an improved 42 mp sensor along with all of the other improvements. but I totally agree with what you said in this video. Sony needs to have different Raw options of less Mp. if the A7r 4 had 61mp with the option to shoot 42mp and 30mp full frame, it would be amazing, and it would make the camera way more desirable. and Sony would sell way more of the cameras. and what you said about the A9 was also spot on. if it came out with 30 or 36 mp and still performed the same, people would've been really excited to buy it. but the way things stand now with Sony is you either have to buy a 24mp camera or a 61mp camera if you want the new models. and if you want 42mp you have to buy an older model without the improved ergonomics and weather sealing and realtime tracking. I heard that Sony can't ad the new focusing system with the realtime tracking to the A7r lll with a firmware update, but I keep hoping that they will still do It somehow. because for now I do not plan on getting the A7r 4, but if they give the A7r 4 a firmware update for smaller Raw option I might have to buy that camera. but right now I am planning on waiting until there is an A9lll or an A7r 5, or maybe an A74. and like everyone else, I am really curious to see what the new A7s lll will offer.
They definitely need the RAW options. I can also see the a7IV moving into that 36MP space, moving up in price a little, and then leaving Sony room for a budget option at 24MP.
Hey Dustin, I have a D800E that I love but always wanted faster AF. I’m happy at 36mp, a little more is ok. Does this camera focus better in low light? Does it have better dynamic range? Could I use any of my Nikon glass on it? (I have old lenses I love the “film look” of....like my 135mm f/2 dc:)) Thanks! It would be great to have a camera to do stills as well as nature/birds in flight for example and it seems this and the A9II fit the bill. Better AF than the Z system? Thanks!!!
I haven't really heard of a lot of success with F mount lenses on Sony. It's doable, but primitive. The Sony's definitely have better AF than the Z system, but on Z you'll be able to better adapt your existing lenses. If you go Sony, you probably need to go all in and buy native lenses.
Hi Dustin, owning a A9 for several months now, and looking for a 2nd/different additional camera to complete my gear, do you recommend the A7R iv? I am not professional but very passioned about photography 😀 thanks!!
I liked the pairing of the lower resolution sports body with the higher resolution R series myself.
In your opinion, is it possible for a standard zoom lens like the 24-70 2.8 GM to fully display the 60 Megapixels of the a7R IV?
According to Sony, yes. Most lenses are, though higher resolution definitely reveals more flaws.
Thanks so much Dustin. One thing that is still not clear to me: Does the A7R4 autofocus system have any advantages for photography over the A7R3 other than more PDAF points and greater coverage? Is there any functional difference? This is potentially the game changer for me and probably others as well. Thanks!
There's definitely a functional improvement. It is noticeably improved for tracking action and even for using adapted lenses.
Hey Dustin! I have a serious question. I am a pro and I do a lot of indoor events I often use bounce flash. I have the xt3 and a Canon 5DMKIV. The Canon is realy responsive using flash. When you press the shutter it fires. With the XT3 it focusses real quick (and the focuspoint is nice and visible) but there seems to be a bit of a lag when I press the shutter. I was wondering about this with the Sony A7RIV and the EOS R. Have you tried it? Greets and thanks Steven.
PS I need to go full mirrorless because my eyesight is getting worse. Often I can not find the focuspoint on the 5D.
That can be a problem with certain systems, and I'm not always sure why. I get fine results with a7RIV and EOS R.
Hi, I have a laptop and its an i7 8gb ram. would this be suitable for running 60mpix files?
You'll probably see some slowdown at times, though it should work.
Hi Dustin, thanks for your comprehensive review. I have been primarily a canon shooter and starting with Rebels, 40D, 7D, and 5DIII. I am due for an upgrade. Thinking of switching over to Sony system and starting off with Sony A7RIV. I bought a Sony RX10IV superzoom one inch sensor super zoom and impressed with Sony auto focus, video handling compared to the 5DIII. Understand different types of cameras. My only concern is the glass. I have the 70-200f2.8 and three other L lenses. Do you think that the L lenses will work well adapted to the Sony body using metabones are similar adapter? I am torn between scrapping all my glass at a financial loss versus practicality of using an adapted system. Any advice would be appreciated.
Your lenses will work fine for now, and if you need more AF performance, you could slowly transition over to Sony glass.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for replying and have a wonderful weekend. I appreciate it
I was hoping for more performance as well coming from the A7RIII that is what I was hoping for. They did improve the sealing and grip, which I felt was needed.
High resolution is frequently misunderstood by people. There are certainly significant advantages (and some disadvantages), but people often expect more sharpness at a 1:1 pixel level, which isn't really accurate.
Great review. I’m torn. Mostly just want the better autofocus, grip, and buttons. Don’t really want 61 mpx. Mostly because I hate image noise. How did you find the noise pattern when using the camera in crop mode? If the camera can produce very clean images at higher iso in crop and let me use my higher res files for tripod or “daylight” work, I think the switch becomes more compelling. A 40mp raw mode would make this camera a no brainer. But, may have cannibalized a9ii sales. I mean great res and much improved autofocus..... I think it was a strategic move to keep the cameras separate.
Noise performance is not better in APS-C, as, unlike an MRAW or SRAW where the full sensor resolution is downsampling, the APS-C mode is just a cropped portion of the sensor.
Dustin Abbott ahh I see. That is disappointing.
Can Sony G rated lenses handle 61mp if you plan to print large prints or should you stick with GM rated lenses for this camera?
Some of the G lenses are incredibly sharp, actually.
What to do in Oct 2020? I still have an A7RII and use it for mostly landscapes up until recently. I started doing a lot of traveling lately and have a need to occasionally shoot wildlife including birds. I have shot with a 200-600 and may purchase it in the future. At the moment I do have a 100-400 GM and a 1.4 TC. The A7RII is a great camera but the buffer and autofocus is not good for moving subjects as we all know. Shall I sell the R2 and buy an R3? Or do I keep the R2 and buy a A9 or even a crop sensor like the a6400? Thanks!
I do think the RIII is a great value at this point and is still an extremely competent camera.
Another excellent review series. I part exchanged my A9 and A7III for my A7R4 and do not regret doing so at all. The 61MP is fantastic for wildlife and macro and the AF is very fast and accurate. Cropping with this camera in FF mode is so good I have yet to use the APS-C mode, or my SEL14TC with my 200 - 600mm lens. For the first time in 30 years I own a single camera. If I decide to purchase a second it will be another A7R4, rather than an A9II.
That's pretty amazing.
What is FF mode
@@BrookviewLabs. Full frame. It is a full frame camera with a 26MP APS-C mode So up till now I have used it in it's default FF setting and not i'ts APS-C optional mode.
pete draper thanks. Too many acronyms 😂
@@BrookviewLabs. Guilty as charged.
Dustin, long time viewer and this is excellent as always. The choice is becoming more difficult as many will already have a Sony body. I have the a7R2 and don’t need more for portraits and landscapes. However, for wildlife and birds, my R2 is far from optimal. I’ll be buying the a92 and would love to see your thoughts on the a9 cameras. Thanks as always.
I will be releasing an a9 review in two episodes starting next week. I will look at the a9II, but it will be dependent on when I can arrange a loaner.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks, you really are the best reviewer. You also come over as a very genuine and decent person!
Good video. G Master lenses still a step above though? Guessing they go to a lower aperture among other benefits? Also guessing your comment was aimed at more casual people spending more money than they need to?
That depends on the G Master lens. They aren't always the best, and no, it is rare that they have an aperture advantage over competition (the one exception could be the 135mm F1.8, though Sigma also makes a 135mm F1.8.
Hi Dustin,thanks for review. Agree 61Mp nice to have, but that a smaller RAW option file would be good for when one doesn't need uber large file sizes (e.g. record shots, just low grade web pics etc). I think I will need to use a few of my APS-C lenses or crop to force lower sizing when more appropriate. Agree if S could implement via firmware upgrade then it would be neat.
Another thought - could 4 adjacent pixels be electronically 'ganged' together for 1/4 resolution with much better noise handing at higher ISO? Clearly not currently but if done via firmware then it could further improve this and make it into a truly superb 'all round' master camera, great for almost anything.
Interesting idea about the "pixel-ganging". I honestly don't know if something like that is possible.
Hello Dustin I wish you and yours a very safe happy and prosperous 2020. I enjoy watch your very detailed review on the Sony A7RIV because I'm seriously contemplating on purchasing the A7RIII or the A7RIV. You have made my choice of which camera should I invest in much easier with your great review. You have an uncanny way of presenting your painstaking and very through content without being boring. I too agree with a lot of people that Sony should have concentrated on other things instead of resolution but however I'm pleased with the improvements that Sony made over the A7RIII. My dilemma is is the resolution worth the $1000 plus? I have extra an grip for an AR7II is another cost factor that I have to add in because that's an extra $400 to consider too in the overall decision. I'm also truly hoping that Canon and Nikon really take this mirrorless thing seriously in 2020. I know that Canon wouldn't have brought the RF line of glass on unless they're planning on bringing more high mirrorless bodies. I'm hoping sooner than later but not rushed as I felt that they did with the EOS R. Nikon? I'm not so sure. I'm all for good strong stiff competition. Thanks Dustin.
That's a difficult question. I would say that if you can find a great price on an a7RIII it might be a good bridge for a few years and then you can reevaluate the landscape. I decided to hang onto mine for now, though if Sony would add a MRAW option, I would probably take the leap. Frankly, though, I don't need more resolution than 42MP
Planning to move from the D850 to the R4.
Thoughts?
Love your channel!
I am not really a Nikon shooter, so I personally liked the RIV better than the D850. The video and live view tech on the D850 is definitely outmoded, so I think the RIV is the more complete camera.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I really love the D850, but it's like having a microwave around your neck haha. So the fact that I can get the same or even better results in a smaller form factor makes me consider switching.
Thanks for your answer, You are so kind. :)
Very helpful video as is usually the case with your reviews. However, the actual percent increase in pixels going from the A7RIII to the A7RIV is approximately 45% and not 32% as you stated in two of your four videos on the A7RIV.
Yes, I've heard that in an email from someone. I can't remember if I got that figure from Sony promotional materials or simply by dividing 42 x 61?
@@DustinAbbottTWI Increasing from from 42 megapixels to 61 megapixels is an increase of 19 megapixels. 19 (the increase amount) divided by 42 is a 45% plus increase for the A7RIV versus the A7RIII. The 32% figure is actually the amount of 'decrease' in megapixels going from the A7RIV down to the A7RIII. Or, 19 megapixels divided by 61 megapixels.
I was searching for hours and hours and I still dont know which is the best Low Light 4K Video Camera.I want to record Nighlife videos.
Do you think Sony a9 is the best option? Or what can you recommend me for best Low Light 4K Videos Camera +Lens.
Thank you!
If that is your priority, go with the a7III. It's currently Sony's best low light performer when you consider ISO.
Does the image noise diminish when you scale down the final resolution on your final output JPEG?
The apparent noise will diminish some, for sure.
Hi Dustin and thanks for another good review. I have a 5D mk4 and many lenses. EF500 mk2 - EF 8-15 and I need one more camera body. I shoot a lot of birds, landscapes, and Handball to our local association. Do you have any idea on a body that can handle my lenses? I was going to buy a 1DX mk2 but start looking at Sony. Best regards /Tommy from Sweden
The a9 might be a nice alternative for birding, though if you are looking at high resolution options (along with the APS-C crop), the RIV is a great choice.
Ok. I'll look at that. Do they work well with an adapter for my EF lenses then?
What do you prefer for photography only btw R4 or the IV
Are you asking about the a7RIV vs the a7IV? If so, I haven't had a chance to test the a7IV yet, so I can't answer that.
How do you feel about the color science for the A7RIV vs the A7RIII?
If you'll look at the text review, I hit that in more detail. Essentially slightly detuned saturation levels - more like the a7III.
I'm interested in pixel shift actually. At least in DPReview's testing, the 16 shot pixel shift is on a similar level as the gfx 100, which is a significant step up. Most of my shots are stationary objects indoors with a tripod and the idea of being able to get gfx100-level resolution without gfx100 level pricing sounds enticing.
Hi Erica, I didn't find a big difference between the 4 image and 16 image Pixel Shift in my tests, but it could just be the particular subject I tested.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yeah, I noticed in the last video. It was kind of surprising. I'm not sure. I compared files that weren't downsampled though so maybe that was the difference.
Thank you Mr Abbott
You're welcome.
I wonder if Sony already had the 50mp Alpha 1 in mind when they pushed the 61mp on the a7r mk4 and kept the a9 mk2 at 24mp.
Very likely.
Hello Dustin: As always I am learning more about the speed and shareness effects from the quality of the lenses. My Sony RIV has arrived; yet, might even go towards the Apha A 1 and let it be for a number of years. I still might get a Fuji Film X-T4, because of the weight. I listened to you saying with the lens and body of an X-T4 can weigh more than a Sony with a 3rd manufactured lens. I had been carrying the S-X10 (returned) across the chest and shoulder (my favorite position of straps). I saw a video of you with some kind of harness on your torso and am interested in knowing what it is. It looked like it was made of a tan leather. Can you tell me what that is? Are the Sony's a7SIII, a1, a7RIII, and a7RIV body all the same weight?
I do not know if you know who Loyld Chambers is, but a B&H Video tech guy suggested him. In one of his newsletters, he said his computer requires a memory of 32 GB to process the large files. Do you find that to be true? My iMac is already outdated for the X-S10 I was using. So I am purchasing another computer.
Hi Sally - this is the strap I used: ruclips.net/video/tXw9X3Ge5x0/видео.html | All of those cameras don't have identical weight, but they are all within 100g of each other (so not meaningfully different. The Alpha 1 is the heaviest, but I don't really notice a difference). Lloyd is definitely a very smart dude and does a lot of deep dives into aspects of photography. I'm skeptical that the language you are using about what he said is a precise quote, however. You can certainly process the files with much less RAM than that. More RAM is going to allow for much faster and more efficient processing, however, and if you were to use the PixelShift feature with 16 files, that might bog down an underspecced machine and it might not be able to process it, but that wouldn't be true of the normal, individual files. My laptop has about half that amount of RAM and can process the files, though not as quickly or efficiently as my more powerful workstation.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you, Dustin. That is good to know about the files’ size. I also watched your video on the gimbal Cross Air 2 which it looked like you were using a Sony for your demonstrations. Is there any Sony/lenses combo where it is too heavy for the gimbal?
Hi Sally, nothing too heavy, though big, long lenses can't make full rotations for obvious reasons. I'm actually in the process of selling my Air Cross 2 since I have multiple gimbals and don't need it. Send me a message if you're interested in purchasing it for a good price.
@@DustinAbbottTWI What is your price?
From the top of me head to the tip of my toes, unconditionally the best camera review I ever saw Dustin. I want to thank you sharing your experience through you utmost thorough touch on everything, pros and cons you will find days about resolution= IQ. Thanks a lot.
One more thing. This review just cements the fact you are one of the best if not the best objective reviewer we know on YT today.
Thank you for the kind feedback.
I absolutely agree.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Awesome work as always Dustin - really like the lighting in this video, is it the AEOS ? What colour temp did you have it set / any diffusion ? Looks really nice!
cheers
Dustin, hello from Northern Ireland!
Thank you very much for your in-depth reviews regarding this camera and the FE Sony ecosystem.
Based on your wonderful work I have ordered this camera body. My heart thanks you but my wallet does not, haha.
LOL - I’ve heard that before!
I don't need 61 mp and I don't want that size of RAW. But I like the other upgrades, so I will wate and see what an A7mk4 will be.
You're definitely not the first to tell me something very similar.
Would you say the focus advantage with Canon lenses between the A7R3 vs A7R4 are the additional focus points? Or is there something in the software and hardware that is additional to the added points that the A7R4 has a strong advantage over?
I ask this as I don't need 61mpixels(Although I would like it) and considering a A7R3 (upgrade to me A7R2)...But I use mostly Canon glass with metabones(maybe I need to get the Sigma-mc11), and want better focus than I get now with the A7R2 I use....
I am disappointed with the A7R2 general performance regardless of native lens.
The lens mount is sloppy and has play,
The electronics are bad where the battery dies and the settings go back to last turned on vs last used.
The lockup during buffering, menu system...etc
Having said that I do love the files and mirrorless advantages.
So, is the A7R4 worth another $1000+ or am I already just a bit closer to the CanonR5 and drop the Sony glitchy system (I think this was mostly issues in the A7R2) and go back to Canon....at now almost $2000 more (at about the same resolution as I currently have?!! (I still use the 5D3body as well, as I cannot rely on the A7R2 in events, and hoping the A7R3 or 4 can be relied on with Canon glass. I wonder and hope you get a chance to read and understand my delima and have some mind bending feedback :-)
Love your work Dustin.
If most of your lenses are still Canon, then the R5 is very likely the best option for you. The RIII is much better than the RII with adapted lenses, and the RIV better still, but the performance on the R bodies is pretty much like native.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yes, but the R5 is too much money right now. If it were low $3K maybe. So its either the A7R3 or 4...or nothing for a while. Lots of photo has died a painful death with Cv19. Thanks Dustin! ...I do wonder if Sony will release some firmware for A7R4 making smaller RAW resolution files and helping the buffer along with it.
Another fantastic review!
Thank you
Does 61 MP resolve more Details or just a resolution increase ?
I've got videos about this that may help you understand. It's some of both, and really depends on how you use the resolution. Watch this video - specifically on this topic: ruclips.net/video/ESxWSZeW2xU/видео.html
AWESOME REVIEW BUT I'LL WAIT FOR SONY TO COMBINE THE A7R4 WITH THE A7S3 (4K AT 120FPS + 61MP). HOPEFULLY ADD A ZOOM FEATURE TO.
That's a pretty significant presumption that such a thing will actually happen.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IT WILL SELL LIKE HOT CAKES
excellent ......but you posted this high resolution video at 360p ? lol
That's a RUclips issue. It takes a long time for them to render high rez content and I just finished the video this morning. I actually took it off line for a while while it rendered. It should be high resolution now.
Of note about the dust: the 2.0 firmware adds a menu option to close the shutter when the camera is off.
That's a great update.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yeah. Not available yet for the A7R4 AFAICT, but was recent for the A9 and should be included for the next A7R4 version IIRC.
Don't understand why some complain 61mp on a FF is too much, but never really hear any complaints about 24-26mp on an aps-c.
Because while some problems are similar (pixel density), the file sizes and issues around that are non-existent. It's not an apples to apples comparison at all.
@@DustinAbbottTWI yes, I understand the difference in file sizes. I'm referring to the pixel density and complaints about noise and high ISO performance of the A7RIV. I rarely see these same complaints made about the XT3/XT4 (26mp). Btw, I wasn't saying that you were making these complaints. Sorry if thats how my comment came across.
Hi Dustin.
Can you help please me? So I recently got the Sony a7R IV, but whenever I take an image, it is only sent to the card in SLOT I. I’m using the same card in both SLOT I and II: SanDisk Extreme Pro 128 GB 170 MB/s (SCXC). I can’t seem to find anyone when I search for it, so I hope that you might know. (1) Is it because this card isn’t compatible in SLOT II? I’m sure none of the cards are broken of any kind, as they both work once I put one of them in SLOT I, but whatever is in SLOT II, isn’t saving images. If it isn’t (1), is it (2) because I have some function turned off in the menu, (3) the cards somehow lock inside, or (4) another reason? Like I mentioned, both cards work once placed in the SLOT I and will fully read images, but the SLOT II is not sending images to whatever is placed in it.
You need to look for a setting that influences how recording is done. Right now it sounds like camera is defaulted to recording to one card and then switching when it is full. You just need to choose what you want recorded to each card. Look for the sixth menu on the toolbox tab and select "Record Media Settings" right up at the top.
Dustin Abbott
Thank you!
I’m not so familiar with Sony’s menus yet, but I figured it out with your help and a bit of searching. I can now record RAW images to both cards at the same time. I’m going to photograph my sister’s wedding this saturday, and I was afraid that one card eventually would fail. Well, it’s nice to have it figured out.
Stay well.
I would love to see a video AF comparison between the Sony A7R4 vs the EOS R w/ new AF firmware. I felt like the video AF of my A7R3 was better than my EOS R but that AF update by Canon really improved the responsiveness of the AF and well as improved eye AF in video. Feels like the EOS R video AF is now much better than the A7R3. Not a scientific test though.
I'm actually negotiating to purchase an EOS R body right now so that I can do RF reviews, so I will definitely be looking at the improved AF performance if all goes according to plan.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Those RF lenses look 👌. I'd love to see some Abbott style tests and reviews on them!
just some basic maths: from 42 to 61 MP is an increase of almost 45%; meaning that the surface of our prints can be almost 50% larger. That is enormous. Of course I just made the mistake to assume that every pixel of the sensor prints as a pixel, while ignoring the basic rule ofthe weakest link of the chain. So the key question is: how does this translate into the real world, with many links in a complex chain. Including the optics. Including the fact that the depth of field becomes narrower. Including the higher sensitivity to shaking and the role of IBIS. Etc. Meaning that in real life Dustin's number might be closer to reality: can we see 32% more resolution?
Having said this, I agree that this is by far the best review up to now. This is why I took the time to make such a long content.
That figure seems to be a hard one to derive. I can't recall if I calculated it initially or pulled it from promotional literature. There are a number of different perspectives on how actual resolution is calculated.
Worth noting that Nikon Z cameras can do timelapses in-camera too. Some of their cameras have been able to do them since at least 2012, actually. (The D4 is the oldest I can find that can do them. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)
That's about the same time frame for Canon cameras, too.
I'm not going to lie I think the high iso performance compared to other high resolution cameras is incredible. In my opinion it still beats the d850 and s1r and 5dsr in low light at significantly higher resolution
I agree. They've done a good job mitigating this potential downfall
DXOMark has the dynamic range of the Mark iv of 14.8 which is a full stop more than you opined.
Call me skeptical. I didn't see any real world improvement over the RIII in real world use.
Is there focus stacking feature on this model ?
I'm not aware of any automated focus stacking. If someone else is, feel free to chime in.
it seems to be the one thing that these Sony cameras are missing... it would be great if they added that feature in a firmware update just like how they added the intervalometer and animal eye af
Thanks again Dustin loved the final video as well there's so much relevant info packed into it. It's an amazing camera I'm sure also going to own but the Sony A9 can already do almost all that I want. Love the thought of the crop mode when I'm doing birds and need the reach and still have more Mpix than my Canon crop camera.
That crop mode is pretty compelling.
I'm surprised Sony would not have sent you an A74 to review yet...
I keep repeating the search every other week :)
I'm surprised it has taken this long, too.
Fantastic review, thanks :)
I am currently torn between getting Mark3 or Mark4. I definitely don't need the 61mp sensor but all other small improvements in ergonomics are really tempting, even if they just seem minor. It's been probably said a thousand times, but a Mark4 body with Mark3 sensor would've been absolutely perfect.
I think we all pretty much agree.
Is it better than the nikon d850 term of image quality sharpness ?
I didn't directly compare them, but theoretically it should.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks broo im exited!
The only thing still stopping me from upgrading to a7RIV (from the RII) is the increased noise levels.
There's one work-around the higher noise I stumbled upon (though didn't test it personally, but from dpreview studio image comparison) is that even at higher iso if using the pixel-shift and down-scaling the resulting 240+mp image to a 42~60mp one eliminates a TON of the noise. So much that I don't think any other camera can do it currently.
Of course pixel-shift is very situational feature, and can be used when shooting completely still scenes with a tripod.
But if your target shot satisfies these reqs and you're ok with the needed post-processing of 240mp images (ie close to 2GB of images) it looks like fantastic.
You can check it on dpreview studio image comparison page, select the a7rIV switch to RAW and 6400 ISO (and don't switch to low-light shots) and of course add some other cameras you want to compare with.
Very few shots in dpreview are done with pixel-shift, so you'd better start with the options I just gave you. But if you have the camera you can play with it yourself - I think we'll all be very interested to see more real-life tests!
That's a LOT of work to get less noise.
@@DustinAbbottTWI , true
You keep making the point about the increased resolution and how people don’t need it. I think file size is a moot point. More storage costs ? Storage is cheap. Amazon prime will store raw files unlimited amount. If my disk gets full I can archive to that.
You are refuting the point based on file size, and that is frankly the least relevant point. Yes, file storage is cheap, but that doesn't mean that photographers need (or even want) 61MP. Some do.
Well the resolution is very important to me but one think that I think Somy has to seriously work on is their color science and, it still not comparable to Nikon or Canon and need quite a bit of work in my opinion
Fair enough, though truthfully when I compare the most recent cameras (like the A1 and Canon EOS R3), I don’t see a significant difference.
Is it the best full frame camera on the market ?
That's a broad question, but it's certainly close.
Great review, and I really hope Sony listens to you for their next firmware update!!
One nitpick: at 6:12, you said that going from 42 to 61mp is about a 32% resolution INCREASE, actually it's 45%: for example, when you go from 10 to 20, it's a 100% increase, right? You do (20 - 10) / 10 = 100%, so here you do (61 - 42) / 42 = 45%.
However, going from 61 to 42 is a 32% resolution DECREASE :)
I caught that too...45% increase.
Resolution is a linear metric. The sensor area is not linear.
I can't remember where I got (or calculated) that statistic from. Frankly, it seems like a hard statistic to pin down, as there are a variety of different metrics that "determine" resolution, with one number as small as 19% difference.