Sony has just announced the release of its latest mirrorless camera, the A7 IV. This is an eagerly-awaited release, primarily because of the popularity of the A7 III, which has become one of the most popular mirrorless cameras of all time. Sony has released a couple of other interesting cameras in the meantime, including the A7S III and the already legendary Alpha 1, and Sony fans have been hoping that some of the upgrades from those models trickle down to the A7 IV.
Well Sony fans, the wait is over. And right off the bat I can tell you that the A7 IV has received a makeover very much in line with the A7S III. So you have the video record button on top (instead of the back) and also a proper flip-out LCD screen. Elsewhere the ergonomics borrow heavily from the A7S III, and this is very good news.
Recent Sony cameras have had very strong video features, so it’s no surprise to see that the A7 IV takes things to the next level. It can shoot 4K 60p footage, but unfortunately only in Super 35mm mode, not 16:9. Video can now be recorded with 10-bit depth 4:2:2 color sampling, and this is an important improvement for demanding filmmakers who want to be able to color-grade their footage with maximum leeway. There are a host of other interesting performance upgrades, including autofocus options and a new focus assist mode called Focus Map which helps you visualize depth of field.
True to the A7 III, which a lot of shooters like for it’s ability to shoot video and stills very well (although not simultaneously of course), the A7 IV is also a fantastic still photography camera with a larger 33 megapixel sensor and the the latest BIONZ XR™ processing engine. It can capture 15-stops of dynamic range, and can shoot 828 RAW photos in one burst at 10 frames per second. That is impressive!
There was one other very important feature I was hoping to see but couldn’t find in the press release—the amazing new menu that I was able to try out on the A7S III. Well I reached out to my Sony rep and he confirmed that the A7 IV does indeed come with the new menu. This is wonderful news my friends. The new menu system is so much better than the old one which A7 III users have to live with. (Couldn’t we get a firmware upgrade or something?)
On first glance the Sony A7 IV lives up to all the hype and I am very excited to review it for you in the near future.
Finally I just want to bring to your attention a new lens that Sony has also just announced—the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II. A 70-200mm is a wonderful lens, with lots of uses, from wedding and portrait to sports and action. From any G Master lens you can expect exceptional image quality, and you’ll also notice from the photo above that Sony has packed a surprising amount of functionality into this lens. Time to reach out to my Sony rep and see if I can get one to review I think!
Be sure to check out the full range of Sony cameras available at BestBuy.ca
