Sony A7iv Mirrorless Camera – The Good and The Bad
Sony A7iv or A74 Mirrorless Camera
From S$3,300
Pros
- 33-megapixel sensor
- Bionz XR Processor
- Ease of use and Customizations
- Dual Card Slots
- Battery Life
Cons
- Slow shooting speed
- Only 1 CF Express Card
- LCD Screen
Sony Alpha 7iv, the best hybrid camera or jack of all but master of none?
I own one and this for me feels a huge upgrade, at least, coming from A6400, a crop-sensor camera. It feels great in hand, it has good low light capabilities and 33-megapixel images with option to shoot in APS-C mode is an icing on the cake for bird and wildlife photography.
For the Photographers
- 33-megapixel Sensor
- 9 customizable buttons
- Strong low light capabilities
- Two UHS II SD-Cards, with one dualling as CF-Express Type B card
- Switch to APS-C mode
- Up to 10 frames-per-second in lossy Raw format
For the Videographers
- Full width oversampled 4K from 7K, up to 30p
- 4K/60p in Super-35 / Crop (APS-C) Mode
- 10-bit video
- H.265 video and S-Cinetone color mode
- In-body stabilization
- Full sized HDMI port
In General
- Faster Autofocus and Image processing courtesy new Bionz XR processor
- ISO range of 50-204,800, very capable to handle noise up to 12,800 ISO
- Real-time Tracking Autofocus, with Human, Bird and Animal eye-detect feature
- 759 on-sensor phase-detect points supported by 425 contrast detect points that work down to -4EV
- 10fps burst shooting with full AF/AE tracking
- a 3.69m-dot EVF with 0.78x magnification
- It also offers the fastest 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity and in-camera USB streaming
- Easy to navigate new menu system
- Attractively priced at SGD 3,300 at the time of this review.
Noteworthy Features and Pictures
The Sony a7IV is designed around a brand new 33MP Full-Frame Exmor R CMOS Sensor. Up to 10 fps Shooting, ISO 100-51200. 4K 60p Video in 10-Bit, S-Cinetone.
Customizable buttons and dial, fully articulating screen , 3.68m-Dot EVF with 120 fps Refresh Rate and 3″ 1.03m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
Customizable dials and buttons as well as Sensible feature like lock button make the photography workflow a breeze. Better Grip than A7iii.
Dual card slots offer added assurance, faster cards CF Express and UHS II, give virtually unlimited buffer while shooting in lossy raw format.
Full HDMI and USB C port allow easy content sharing and streaming option.
The Conclusion
A true hybrid camera with some notable features for pro-mature level photographer/videographer. But that’s where the distinction lies, Sony’s A7iv can be a great ‘B’ Camera for a professional shooter.
I primarily shoot Bird, Wildlife, Sports and occasional family portraits and events. I needed a camera to reaffirm my faith in Bird and wildlife photography, which I am slowly getting hold of, thanks to A7iv.
Way forward for me is to move to a more capable camera either A9/A9ii or A7r4/A7r5.
So, if you are a budding photographer or videographer with serious intention to learn, you won’t be disappointed with Sony’s A7iv. However, if you have found your niche and ready to pump in some more money, please look elsewhere.
