Sony A7 IV Review

Name: Sony Alpha A7 IV
Brand: Sony

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Main Features

33MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 51200( expands to 50 - 204800)

5-axis Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3″ Fully articulated Screen

3690k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video

10-bit 4:2:2 Video recording

120fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

699g. 129 x 97 x 81 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony A7 III

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Sony A7 IV Overview

First introduced in October 2021 , Sony Alpha A7 IV is a 33.0MP Pro Mirrorless camera with a Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor, built-in Image Stabilization, weather sealed body, Fully articulated touch screen and Sony E lens mount. Sony replaced the older A7 III with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
Compare Sony Alpha A7 IV vs Sony A7 III

Sony A7 IV Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Sony A7 IV is the latest member of Sony's A7 series of cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this series and how their main specs have changed with each new version.

Sony A7 Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Sony A7 IV	2021	33.0MP - Full frame	10.0 fps	129 x 97 x 81mm	699g
Sony A7 III Compare	2018	24.0MP - Full frame	10.0 fps	127 x 96 x 74mm	650g
Sony A7 II Compare	2014	24.0MP - Full frame	5.0 fps	127 x 96 x 60mm	599g
Sony A7 Compare	2014	24.0MP - Full frame	5.0 fps	127 x 94 x 48mm	474g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
Sony A7 IV vs A7 III vs A7 II vs A7

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sony A7 IV PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Sony A7 IV review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Gyroscopic Stabilization

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)

Bluetooth Connectivity

NFC Connectivity

5-axis Image Stabilization

Articulating Screen

4K (UHD) Video

No crop on 4K Videos

10-bit 4:2:2 Video recording

Touch Screen

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

33.0MP - High Resolution Sensor

51.200 Max ISO

759 Focus Points

1.440k dots LCD Resolution

1/8000s High Shutter Speed

10.0fps Shooting

Long Battery Life (600 shots)

External Microphone Port

External Headphone Port

Environmental Sealing

Timelapse Recording

3690kdot Viewfinder Resolution

0.78x magnification - Large Viewfinder

2 Storage Slots

120fps High Speed Video

Wide AE Bracketing Range: ±5 EV

Flash Sync Port

Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD Screen

Dual-axis Electronic Level

Remote control with a smartphone

EV -4 Focus Sensitivity

Real time Animal Eye AF

Compatible with fast UHS-II cards

Compatible with ultra fast Type A CFexpress cards

Webcam Functionality

USB Charging

Full-size HDMI Port

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Buy Sony A7 IV from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

Heavy Body: 699g

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Sony A7 IV Physical Specs

Sony A7 IV weighs 699 g (1.54 lb / 24.66 oz) and has external dimensions of 129 x 97 x 81 mm (5.08 x 3.82 x 3.19″). Considering that the average weight of Mirrorless type cameras is 451g, Sony A7 IV is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 81mm, it is not small either, 29mm thicker than the average of its class.

Weight Comparison

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Sony A7 IV

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Thickness Comparison

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Sony A7 IV

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Here is the front and top view image of Sony A7 IV with the dimensions:

Front and Top View External Dimensions and Size of Sony A7 IV Camera Body

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Sony A7 IV, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Sony A7 IV Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Now let's compare Sony A7 IV size with the camera that it replaced: Sony A7 III. Sony A7 III is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 2mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Sony A7 IV.

Comparison image of Sony A7 IV and Sony A7 III Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Sony A7 IV with its main competitors:

Sony A7 IV Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs A7 IV	Thickness	vs A7 IV
Sony A7 III Compare	650g	49g lighter	74mm	7mm thinner
Sony A7R IV Compare	665g	34g lighter	78mm	3mm thinner
Canon R6 Compare	680g	19g lighter	88mm	7mm thicker
Sony A7c Compare	509g	190g lighter	60mm	21mm thinner
Sony A7R III Compare	657g	42g lighter	74mm	7mm thinner
Nikon Z6 II Compare	705g	6g heavier	70mm	11mm thinner
Sony A7S III Compare	699g	equal weight	81mm	equal thickness
Sony A1 Compare	737g	38g heavier	70mm	11mm thinner

Weather Sealing

Sony A7 IV has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera, providing resistance against the water and dust getting in to the camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Sony A7 IV will serve you well. If you attach one of these Sony A7 IV weather Sealed lenses to your camera, you will have a great all weather kit. }

Sony A7 IV Lens Mount and Lenses

Sony A7 IV has a Sony E lens mount and currently there are 172 native lenses available for this mount. Sony keeps on adding new lenses to its E and FE mount selection and third party lens manufacturers also offer lot of good options. Thanks to its very short flange focal distance, choices of adapting lenses from other mounts are almost limitless. Sony also sells an adapter (Sony LA-EA4) which lets A mount lenses to be used with functionality including AF with E mount cameras. Metabones and Fotodiox also offers adapters which makes use of full range of Canon EF lenses with Auto Focus on E mount cameras.

A7 IV also has a Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on A7 IV. Sony claims that the image stabilization of A7 IV is effective up to 5.5 stops. This 5.5-stops IS of A7 IV is an improvement over its predecessor, Sony A7 III which has a stabilization system that is effective up to 5.0-stops. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC.

Sony Alpha A7 IV also features Gyro Stabilization system where the built-in gyro records the data from the sensors inside the camera only to use it during post processing - using a software such as Catalyst Browse - to stabilize the recorded video, although with an extra crop. Using this software based stabilization method that only very few cameras have, can create impressive results even without the use of a gimbal or stabilizer. In order to have the most pleasing results, remember to set your video settings to a high shutter rate though.

Weather Sealed Lenses for Sony A7 IV

There are 77 lenses with weather sealing for Sony A7 IV that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

Here are some of the most popular Sony A7 IV Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Sony E Mount Lenses for Sony A7 IV

Model	Focal Length equiv.	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS	24-240mm	35mm FF	780gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T	24-70mm	35mm FF	426gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS	70-200mm	35mm FF	840gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T	35mm	35mm FF	120gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS	70-300mm	35mm FF	854gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 50mm F1.8	50mm	35mm FF	186gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS	90mm	35mm FF	602gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS	28-70mm	35mm FF	426gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Check our Sony A7 IV Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

Sony A7 IV Sensor and Photography Features

Sony A7 IV has a 33.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz XR processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 7008 x 4672 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. A7 IV has a native ISO range of 100 - 51200 which can be boosted to 50 - 204800 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Sony A7 IV is not the highest resolution Full frame camera. Sigma fp L with its 61.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Sony A7 IV vs Sigma fp L or take a look at Highest resolution Mirrorless cameras list.

Let's look at how the size of the Sony A7 IV's Full frame sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Sony A7 IV Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Sony A7 IV LCD and Viewfinder

Sony A7 IV has a Fully articulated 3.00-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 1,440k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

LCD is Touch screen type, so you can change the settings and set the focus point with your fingertips.

For those of you who loves shooting selfies, self or group photos, Sony A7 IV will make your life easier with its Selfie friendly screen. Another group of users who will take advantage of A7 IV's LCD screen are Vloggers and any video creators who are working in a single-person setup.

A7 IV has a built-in Electronic viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a resolution of 3,690kdots and coverage of 100%. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later. The magnification ratio of the viewfinder is 0.78x (35mm equivalent).

Sony A7 IV Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Sony A7 IV features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11ac (dual band) + Bluetooth) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection. With its NFC feature, A7 IV can communicate with devices such as smartphones which are also equipped with this technology by simply touching each other.Sony A7 IV's Bluetooth connectivity feature comes handy for connecting other devices that supports it. One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our A7 IV. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.

You can connect A7 IV to compatible devices via its HDMI port or Yes (USB PD supported) port.

Sony A7 IV Battery

Sony A7 IV is powered by NP-FZ100 battery which provides a battery life of 600 shots according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Mirrorless type cameras is 374 shots, Sony A7 IV has a good battery life for its class.

Battery Life Comparison in Pro Mirrorless Cameras

Sony A7 IV

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Olympus E-M1X with its 870shots is the model with longest battery life among Pro Mirrorless cameras. Check the comparison of Sony A7 IV vs Olympus E-M1X or take a look at Longest Battery Life Mirrorless cameras list.

Sony A7 IV Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Sony A7 III Compare	3840 x 2160	610shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sony A7R IV Compare	3840 x 2160	670shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Canon R6 Compare	3840 x 2160	360shots	Yes	Yes	No
Sony A7c Compare	3840 x 2160	740shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sony A7R III Compare	3840 x 2160	650shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nikon Z6 II Compare	3840 x 2160	410shots	Yes	Yes	No
Sony A7S III Compare	3840 x 2160	600shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sony A1 Compare	7680 x 4320	530shots	Yes	Yes	No

Sony A7 IV Video Features

With Sony A7 IV, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 60p, 50p,48p, 30p, 25p, 24p fps and save in MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-I, H.264 and H.265 formats. This means that Sony A7 IV provides 4K (Ultra-HD) video. Except some rare 6K and 8K video recording cameras, 4K is the common standard in consumer video world.

A great advantage of Sony A7 IV while shooting video at max resolution of 4K (UHD) is that there is no crop factor so you can use your lens with its actual focal length.

High-Speed Video

A7 IV features a high speed mode where it captures videos at 120fps which helps to create slow motion videos. If you shoot a video at a frame rate of 120fps and play it back at 24fps, the video will be 5x slower and longer than normal.

A7 IV has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker. Sony A7 IV also has a port for an external microphone and a headphone port for connecting external headphones which make Sony A7 IV a very suitable camera high quality videography.

Sony A7 IV Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Sony A7 IV can shoot continuously at max speed of 10.0 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately A7 IV doesn't have a built-in flash but it has a flash shoe for mounting external flashes.

Focusing

Sony A7 IV features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 759 points to choose from.

Sony A7 IV also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically. In addition to the face detect AF, A7 IV has a more sophisticated feature called Eye Tracking AF which detects and locks focus to the selected eye of the person in the frame accurately and tracks as the subject moves. Eye tracking AF of Sony A7 IV is a perfect feature for shooting portraits and is especially useful when fast lenses are used and the depth of field is very narrow.

What type of Photography is Sony A7 IV Good for?

In this section, we review and score Sony A7 IV in 5 different photography areas.

Sony A7 IV for Portrait Photography

Sony A7 IV has a score of 72 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 33.0MP
Image Stabilization

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7 IV for Portrait Photography

Sony A7 IV for Street Photography

Sony A7 IV has a score of 93 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully articulated LCD Screen

Image Stabilization
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7 IV for Street Photography

Sony A7 IV for Sports Photography

Sony A7 IV has a score of 78 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
759 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 600 shots
Good Low Light ISO

Wireless Connection
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Anti Flicker feature

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7 IV for Sports Photography

Sony A7 IV for Daily Photography

Sony A7 IV has a score of 92 for Daily Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Environmental Sealings
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body

699g
Body Thickness 81mm

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7 IV for Daily Photography

Sony A7 IV for Landscape Photography

Sony A7 IV has a score of 52 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Mirrorless Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 33.0MP

Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7 IV for Landscape Photography

Sony A7 IV Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Sony A7 IV compares with other Mirrorless cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Sony A7 IV alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Sony A7 IV

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Sony A7 IV amongst Camera Decision readers.

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Sony A7 IV Alternatives in DSLR Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Sony A7 IV with DSLR Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked DSLR cameras in Sony A7 IV's price range.

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Sony A7 IV Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Sony A7 IV has an Overall Score of 88/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Sony Alpha A7 IV is ranked #23 out of 224 in Mirrorless cameras (Top 20 Mirrorless), and ranked #23 out of 1235 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#23 out of 1235 in Top Ranking Cameras
#23 out of 224 in Top Ranking Mirrorless Cameras
#22 out of 58 in Top Ranking Pro Mirrorless Cameras
#18 out of 91 in Top Ranking Full frame Sensor Cameras
#5 out of 175 in Top Ranking Cameras with Selfie friendly Screen
#8 out of 38 in Top Ranking Sony E Lens Mount Cameras
#30 out of 358 in Largest Viewfinder Magnification Cameras (0.78x)
#29 out of 44 in Lightest Mirrorless Cameras with Full frame sensor(699g)
#5 out of 130 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fully articulated Screen
One of only 6 Cameras to have a Gyro Stabilization

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sony A7 IV

Does the Sony A7 IV have Image Stabilization?
Does the Sony A7 IV have RAW support?
Does the Sony A7 IV have Weather Sealing?
Does the Sony A7 IV have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Sony A7 IV?
What is the Sensor Size of Sony A7 IV?
is the Sony A7 IV a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Sony A7 IV have Touch Screen?
Does the Sony A7 IV have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Sony A7 IV?
What is the Weight of Sony A7 IV?
What are the Dimensions of Sony A7 IV?

Sony Alpha A7 IV Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Sony
Model	Sony Alpha A7 IV
Announced	2021-10-21
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony E
Number of Lenses	172
Focal Length Multiplier	1x
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fully articulated
Screen Size	3″
Screen Resolution	1,440k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	3,690k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.78x
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/8000s
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	1/200s
Flash Modes	no built-in flash
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested
DxO Color Depth	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	BSI-CMOS
Sensor Size	Full frame
Sensor Dimensions	35.8 x 23.8 mm
Sensor Area	852.04mm²
Sensor Resolution	33 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	7008 x 4672
Max Native ISO	51,200
Max Boosted ISO	204800
Min Native ISO	100
Min Boosted ISO	50
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	759
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	3843840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC HS, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 600 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 500 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 300 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 250 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 240 Mbps, XAVC S-I, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p /
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-I, H.264, H.265
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In
HDMI
USB	Yes (USB PD supported)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	699g
Physical Dimensions	129 x 97 x 81mm
Battery Life	600 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	NP-FZ100
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots
Storage Slots	2