Review: Sony A7R IV

March 7, 2020

Jordan Steele

Conclusion

Pros

Larger and deeper grip makes this the most comfortable A7 series body yet
Improved weather sealing and port covers throughout the camera
Buttons, joystick and dials all have improved tactility and responsiveness
Incorporates the recent real-time Eye-AF and tracking AF, making it one of the best focusing cameras on the market
Eye-AF continues to be exceptionally accurate
Excellent 5.7 milllion dot EVF
Extremely customizable interface and controls
In-body IS improvements add another half stop to stability
Exceptional detail from the 60 megapixel sensor
Outstanding dynamic range and color
Good noise control, especially considering the sensor density
Excellent battery life
Good connectivity options including transferring images when the camera is off
Dual UHS-II card slots
10 frame per second shooting with impressive buffer considering the image size
16 image pixel shift can produce whopping 240 megapixel images

Cons

Touch screen implementation still trails competitors
Wi-Fi features can sometimes take a long time to connect or will drop connection
Remote shooting still lacks ability to move focus point
Slightly higher per-pixel noise from previous generation
Still missing an in-camera RAW conversion option
Grip is still just a bit too close to the lens mount, though better than previous iterations
Pixel shift images are impractical in most situations
Some delays in operation, with slow start-up and the need to wait until buffering is complete to change some settings.

The overall quality of the A7R IV is outstanding. The camera has improved on many of the ergonomic concerns of earlier bodies, though they haven’t yet reached perfection. The autofocus system is excellent , and trails only the A9 and A9 II among mirrorless cameras as of this writing. The real-time Eye AF allows you to simply focus on composition, knowing that the final image will be in focus. Sony has also improved the EVF, fixed a few things like ensuring both card slots are UHS-II and somehow keeping the fast burst speed despite enormous RAW files.

But the headline feature of the A7R IV is the incredible detail, high dynamic range and fantastic overall image quality from the new 60 megapixel sensor. Not everyone has a need for a 60 megapixel camera, but boy is it nice to have when you need it. While the majority of shooters will be well served by the standard A7 line, whether it be the current A7 III or the sure to be upcoming A7 IV, the A7R IV fills a niche for those who demand the absolute best in image quality, but don’t want to step into the world of medium-format digital. For those shooters, the A7R IV offers a fully featured body that is as capable for shooting events, sports, wildlife or portraiture as it is on a tripod shooting landscapes. The A7R IV is truly a flagship camera, and it’s worth every penny of its $3,500 price.

Image Samples

Click on an image to enlarge.

Conkle’s Hollow Falls – Sony A7R IV with Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 @ 21mm, f/9, 10s, ISO 100

Ice Wall Through the Trees – Sony A7R IV with Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L @ 73mm, f/16, 5s, ISO 100

Penny’s Meats – Sony A7R IV with Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art @ 14mm, f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 500

Hayden Falls – Sony A7R IV with Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L @ 135mm, f/10, 0.8s, ISO 100

Chickadee – Sony A7R IV with Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 @ 562mm, f/6.3, 1/1000s, ISO 1600

Columbus along the Scioto – Sony A7R IV with Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar @ f/8, 30s, ISO 100

Morning Ice – Sony A7R IV with Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 @ 17mm, f/11, 1/320s, ISO 100 (5 shot focus stack)

Side Falls in Ice – Hocking Hills State Park – Sony A7R IV with Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 Super-Wide Heliar @ f/8, 1.6s, ISO 100

Pause in Reading – Sony A7R IV with Samyang 45mm f/1.8 @ f/1.8, 1/80s, ISO 200

Cave Falls, Conkle’s Hollow – Sony A7R IV with Samyang 85mm f/1.4 @ f/7.1, 8s, ISO 100

Skyward – Sony A7R IV with Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art @ 14mm, f/8, 1/50s, ISO 100

Dry Ice Abstracts – Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro @ f/11, 1/25s, ISO 100

The Eye – Sony A7R IV with Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro @ f/4, 1/160s, ISO 1250

Ohio House – Sony A7R IV with Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art @ 14mm, f/8, 1/3s, ISO 125

Middle Falls, Hocking Hills, Ohio – Sony A7R IV with Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 @ 28mm, f/11, 30s, ISO 100

Galbreath Pavilion – Sony A7R IV with Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 Super-Wide-Heliar @ f/8, 1/160s, ISO 100

Hidden Falls – Sony A7R IV with Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, f/11, 2s, ISO 100

Columbus at Night – Sony A7R IV with Samyang 45mm f/1.8 @ f/8, 15s, ISO 100 (4 shot panorama)

Snow Covered Grass at Sunrise – Sony A7R IV with Samyang 85mm f/1.4 @ f/1.4, 1/5000s, ISO 100

Stairs – Sony A7R IV with Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, f/7.1, 1/8s, ISO 2500

Veteran’s Memorial – Sony A7R IV with Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 Super-Wide-Heliar @ f/11, 1/3s, ISO 100

If you enjoyed this review, check out my other reviews in the Review Index

Tags:

a7r iv, camera, review, Sony

Comments

13 responses to “Review: Sony A7R IV”

Erwin Bodo

March 8, 2020

Thank you for your work and this excellent review. Your findings echo mine. I very much enjoy reading your articles and love your carefully composed and edited photos.

Best regards,

Erwin Bodo

Reply
1. Ludwig Heinrich
  
  March 8, 2020
  
  Just what you said 🙂
  
  Reply
Eric Wojtkun

March 15, 2020

Wow. Some folks at the big box sites should take a lesson on what artwork should look like in a review article. Amazing images. I know it is too much camera and lens to haul around for me all the time, but it certainly can perform.

Reply
Dave Van de Mark

March 16, 2020

Regarding sample images made with the Sony A7R-IV, I notice you have several sample shots made with the Sigma 14-24 but not yet a review. You also have sample shots using the Tamron 17-28 but your review only included using the A7 III. Of these two lenses, which did you generally find exploited the Sony’s 60MP the best?

Reply
1. Jordan Steele
  
  March 16, 2020
  
  My review of the Sigma should be posted sometime in the next day or two. I have it 99% written…just cleaning things up. My Tamron review was written before I got the A7R IV. As a bit of a preview…let’s just say the review of the Sigma is, well, glowing.
  
  Reply
Chris Sinner

March 31, 2020

Hi Jordan, are you going to or have already switched to the A7r4 away from the A7 III? If so what were your key motives for doing so?
Thanks for your review work, it is always a refreshing read!

Reply
1. Jordan Steele
  
  March 31, 2020
  
  I did. I switched back in December and sold my A7 III. Main motive was that I got a great deal on a new A7R IV and couldn’t pass it up, and the big motivation was the real-time Eye AF and tracking. After using it on my a6400, not having it on my A7 III felt like a huge step down in AF functionality. It’s not that the A7 III is bad at focusing…far from it, but the compositional freedom that the upgraded tracking system offers is just so nice to have.
  
  After using it for a while, the 60MP files are a bit intoxicating too. 🙂
  
  Reply
Chris Sinner

April 2, 2020

Thanks Jordan for your feedback. I thought Sony had updated the Eye-AF of the A73 to A6400 level?

I am still debating whether to upgrade from my ailing single camera setup A6000 with A6400/6600 and the Sigma primes or go for the A7-III and the Tamron zooms. Price is not that different as weight is. However, I am not on your Pro level :-).
Do you have any recommendations regarding that choice?

Reply
1. Jordan Steele
  
  April 2, 2020
  
  The AF updated on the A7 III brought improvements to EyeAF, including animal Eye AF, which is part of the a6400/a9 style focusing, but it did not bring the real-time Tracking AF, which makes all the difference. The A7 III still required you to have the focus point generally in the vicinity (though with Eye AF, you could use zone focusing and have it pick eyes out in general.) The tracking AF, combined with Eye AF is what is really revolutionary….it will follow your subject around the frame, and not lose them if they hide their face, but switch to tracking them as a whole, then re-acquire the eye once it reappears. It’s also super useful for other types of shooting that don’t require Eye AF.
  
  As to choosing between the crop bodies and the A7 III, it’s really a personal choice. The A7 III image quality is going to be better, with more dynamic range and better noise control, though only you can know if that really makes a tangible difference for your shooting. If you don’t shoot a lot of low light, or you don’t print very large, it’s unlikely you’ll see any real difference in output in day to day usage. The A7 III will show improvement when the sensor is stressed, such as wide dynamic range applications and the such, and has a bit smoother tonal rolloff. However, the overall improvement isn’t something that will likely jump out at you. The a6400/6600 are definitely much smaller, and consequently are lighter to carry around, especially as a kit with smaller lenses, though they also aren’t as comfortable to shoot with. Personally, I preferred my A7 III to to the a6400, but it really is a personal choice.
  
  The Full frame system certainly has a better overall lens selection, and while you can buy FE lenses for use on the a6400, they generally aren’t not well suited ergonomically, and sometimes may not be quite sharp enough for you, though that is dependent on each lens…the best lenses will be just fine on the denser a6400/6600 sensor. I will say I wouldn’t go for the Tamron zooms on the crop bodies. First of all, they make for very awkward focal lengths (26-42mm and 42-112mm), but they also aren’t going to be quite as good image quality wise as something like the new Sony 16-55mm f/2.8, which is what I’d get if I were investing in an APS-C only system as a standard zoom. That will cover most of the range of the two Tamron zooms and do so with a lens that is geared towards the smaller sensor.
  
  The Sigma f/1.4 primes are outstanding, though. I own the 30/1.4 and 56/1.4, and they’re great. The 56/1.4 is astonishingly good.
  
  Reply
Jose Albert Andrade

May 19, 2020

Excellent review and astounding images Jordan….. I’ve really enjoyed your site and the real world reviews you have done…. Straight with no chaser…… I’m not quite there yet, just having finally upgrading from my A99 to A7Rii, I along with both Tamron’s 17-28 / 28-70, and the Batis 25. I’ve been chopping at the bit to get out and shoot once the NP’s open up again and after looking at your images just intensified those feelings.

Reply
Jakub

August 2, 2020

Thank you for review Jordan. How would you rate AF accuracy difference in lower light (indoor lights) with f/1.4 or f/1.8 primes between A7iii and A7Riv? For cases where placing AF point over subject is not a problem (so real time tracking advantage of A7Riv does not matter). Is it about same or is there a difference?

Reply
1. Jordan Steele
  
  August 3, 2020
  
  I don’t notice much of a difference, if there is any at all. Both focus very well.
  
  Reply
  1. Jakub
    
    August 5, 2020
    
    Thank you.
    
    Reply