Dpreview published the full Sony a7 IV review: “It’s enough to wrest the crown from the R6, which is also enough for it to earn a Gold award”
A7IV at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. FocusCamera. BuyDig.
Here is Dpreviews take on the new Sony A7IV:
The Sony a7 IV is the most expensive model in its series so far, but it’s also the most capable.
The a7 IV’s image quality is extremely good, with excellent levels of detail, extensive dynamic range and attractive JPEG color. However, it’s not significantly improved over its predecessor or its rivals: you’ll get more detail in low ISO situations but this small gain seems to come with slight decreases in dynamic range and high ISO noise performance. The margins are tiny but it’s hard to see a net benefit to the new chip.
Autofocus is powerful and can be very simple to use. For a majority of subjects, you can just point an AF point at your subject (or let the camera choose one), and be confident that the camera will track it and put focus in the right place. We get the sense that it’s not quite as pinpoint accurate as the previous generation of models when it comes to focusing on eyes, but it’s much quicker and easier to use.
Video is similarly impressive, with a host of tools to support high-quality video capture. While video industry-standard features such as waveforms are absent, the a7 IV makes solo shooting easier by extending its impressive AF capabilities to video mode. Only the slightly jerky stabilization counts against what is otherwise a very powerful camera.
The a7 IV’s extensive customization and power come at the cost of complexity, though. Once you’ve explored the camera and configured it the way you want, you can ignore much of what lurks in the menus and just get out and shoot. But the ability to define virtually every behavior can be overwhelming. Even as an experienced enthusiast shooter, it was the simplicity of the AF system I appreciated much more than the extensive (excessive?) level of customization the camera offers.
In the space of eight years, the a7 series has gone from being a low-cost full-frame camera with rough edges and autofocus that lagged its DSLR peers to producing one of the most all-around capable cameras we’ve ever used. There are few photo or video activities the a7 IV can’t turn its hand to, comfortably.
Competition in this space is fierce, with Nikon and Panasonic making very capable, less expensive cameras, and Canon’s EOS R6 going toe-to-toe with the Sony in most respects. Dig deep enough, though and the ways in which the Sony stands out start to add up. It’s enough to wrest the crown from the R6, which is also enough for it to earn a Gold award.
The a7 IV is an all-round capable camera, supporting the photographer in almost any situation. Its video capabilities live up to a similar standard, making it a hugely flexible imaging tool. Its extreme levels of customization can be daunting but its powerful autofocus system means it can be a very simple camera to use.