
Sony shook the industry with the drop of their newest mirrorless powerhouse, the Sony α7R IV, a whopping 61 MP full-frame camera years ahead of its competitors.
We’re going to watch the product feature video and give you our initial thoughts and reactions to the specs of the α7R IV:
For a more detailed description of technical features and specs read through our announcement article for the camera here.
Here is a quick summary of our initial thoughts on the new Sony α7R IV:
1. Not Everyone Needs 61 Megapixels
The biggest shock factor of this release was this simple number: 61. Yes, not everyone needs that many MPs and quite honestly making files size this big is inevitably going to cost you more in the long run in order to manage file size with your computers and storage systems. However, shooting at 61 MPs gives photographers two main advantages: more detail for large resolution printing and the ability to crop. As long as we have the ability to shoot raw files at different resolutions, having 61 megapixels as an option is a wonderful feature.
2. 15 Stops of Dynamic Range Is a Vast Improvement
There are videos out there that claim that 15 stops of DR is similar to what the eye sees, but it’s realistically somewhere around 20. Sony users are already accustomed to great dynamic range performance but if you are considering jumping from Nikon or Canon, this is a pretty strong reason to do so. I recently shot a challenge video with Lee in Puerto Rico using the α7R III and was extremely impressed with the dynamic range and look of the images so I can only imagine that images produced with this monster will only be even better.
3. Focus Points & AF Are On a Whole Other Level
You know it’s insane when a camera company already known for having one of the best AF functionality on the planet decides “hey, let’s add more AF points and capabilities”. Earlier this year, Sony released a firmware update for Real-Time Eye AF and Animal Eye AF so this was bound to be showcased with the release of this camera. A noticeable difference though is that they are bringing real-time AF to video footage.
4. Dual Card Slot, Praise the Lord
If this function didn’t come with this camera the Internet would have a field day just like they did with the EOS-R. I’m glad we didn’t have to relive that tragedy.
5. The Worst Button Configuration
It mentions that the menu functions and buttons are “highly customizable” and trust me, you will definitely need that. The Sony button setup is an absolute nightmare especially coming from Canon. I wish the menu and the ergonomics would have vastly improved from the α7R III, but it is what it is.
Conclusion
What I love most about this camera is that it is pushing the standards of industry cameras to an almost unattainable level. We’ve seen companies like Canon, Nikon, and Fuji run through this pattern of 3-5 year product cycles and Sony entered the market less than 3 years ago and has cut down that timeframe to 18-24 months – INSANITY.
Retailing at $3,500 USD, I’m even more interested to see what this does for the cost of cameras that are equivalent to the α7R IV. I still think that there are some improvements and strides that Sony needs to make on the lens front to really sell this lineup to the consumer. This innovation in design, tech, engineering, and features place it on a pedestal high above the rest, in fact, I don’t even think there is a viable competitor with camera body specs like this, and there probably won’t be until a couple of years down the line.
Pye Jirsa
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Still line-type AF sensors? It’s one of the weaknesses of the A9.
It’s good they made this new body relatively cheap, since swapping to hi res lenses won’t be.
If that is a weakness everybody should be so cursed. The Sony camera ridiculously out focus Canon. It’s not even close. The Sony’s can follow a flying bird and get 8 of 10 razor sharp while the canon can’t get one. Sony G Master lenses are just as expensive as Canon or Nikon. What were you thinking? The A7r3 is $2500 now; what$3500 for pre-order is no give away.
Still line-type AF sensors? It’s one of the weaknesses of the A9.
It’s good they made this new body relatively cheap, since swapping to hi res lenses won’t be.
If that is a weakness everybody should be so cursed. The Sony camera ridiculously out focus Canon. It’s not even close. The Sony’s can follow a flying bird and get 8 of 10 razor sharp while the canon can’t get one. Sony G Master lenses are just as expensive as Canon or Nikon. What were you thinking? The A7r3 is $2500 now; what$3500 for pre-order is no give away.
Perhaps, in 100 years from now, Sony or another company will launch a 24 trillion pixels camera suitable for, I don’t know, very big crops. Until then, I am very happy with the micro 4/3 system and my sh Sigma DP3 Merrill camera… But I must I agree with the conclusion of the author: It is a clearly big step ahead the competition…and the Sony users will must to change all their computers to handle properly a large number of photos…
You’re happy with second tier gear. Great! And you can’t afford a 8 TB external for $125… ?
Very glad you are doing well with Micro 4/3. For me I love the quiet of the Riii sensor, and so far it appears that the new a7riv is extremely quiet, even more so. Also, that is silly that we all will have to increase computer power, most modern computers can easily handle this. My MacBook Pro can easily do so. And storage is now cheap. Not sure what 24 Trillion MP would be like, but I soon will know how cool it is to have a camera that is both 24 MP crop sensor, and 61 MP FF sensor. 2 cameras in one!
Perhaps, in 100 years from now, Sony or another company will launch a 24 trillion pixels camera suitable for, I don’t know, very big crops. Until then, I am very happy with the micro 4/3 system and my sh Sigma DP3 Merrill camera… But I must I agree with the conclusion of the author: It is a clearly big step ahead the competition…and the Sony users will must to change all their computers to handle properly a large number of photos…
You’re happy with second tier gear. Great! And you can’t afford a 8 TB external for $125… ?
Very glad you are doing well with Micro 4/3. For me I love the quiet of the Riii sensor, and so far it appears that the new a7riv is extremely quiet, even more so. Also, that is silly that we all will have to increase computer power, most modern computers can easily handle this. My MacBook Pro can easily do so. And storage is now cheap. Not sure what 24 Trillion MP would be like, but I soon will know how cool it is to have a camera that is both 24 MP crop sensor, and 61 MP FF sensor. 2 cameras in one!