Review: Sony A7 IV

Sony's new A7 IV full-frame mirrorless camera is one of the best “entry-level” mirrorless cameras on the market. Yes, there are higher-resolution sensors, and you won't find some high-end video features, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a better all-around hybrid photo and video camera.

This update adds a new 33-megapixel sensor, an insane, nearly unlimited buffer capacity—meaning you can pretty much keep shooting uncompressed RAW/JPG until the battery runs out—a much improved autofocus system with better eye tracking, and support for more video capture modes, including Hybrid Log Gamma for playback on HDR TVs.

Physically, the A7 IV isn't much different from its predecessor, though the grip is considerably larger, giving the camera a chunkier feel. The new grip is very similar to what the A7S III uses. I found it less comfortable than my A7RII, but how it feels will depend on the size of your hands. I suggest checking one out at your local camera store if you can. Despite the increased size, this is still one of the more compact full-frame cameras in our Mirrorless Camera guide.

The controls on the back remain fairly close to what you'll find on other recent A7-series cameras. There's a four-way multi-controller that can also act as a dial, a joystick to position the autofocus point, and six buttons which are all programmable. It's enough external controls to ensure you really only need to dive into the menus once to set everything up the way you want. That's a good thing, too, because Sony's menu system is still labyrinthine, and the less time you spend there the happier you will be.

What's new and noteworthy about the A7 IV is mainly on the inside. The A7 IV uses a new 33-megapixel, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, which provides better resolution and potentially better image quality in low-light situations. The new sensor is a step up from the A7 III (which had a 24-megapixel sensor), as well as what you'll find in rivals like the Canon R6, Nikon Z6II, and Panasonic S1.

At the same time, the A7 IV is still very much the entry-level camera in Sony's lineup. In terms of resolution, the A7R IV, with its 60-megapixel sensor, remains in a class of its own. It's worth noting that we'll likely see the A7 IV's sensor in the successor to the A7C, which I would expect later this year—you should wait for that if you want a smaller camera body.

While the sensor is new, the A7 IV's processor comes from the video-centric Sony A7S III, where it was notable for its dynamic range. The A7 IV gets a similar boost, offering 15 stops of dynamic range, which opens an incredibly rich range of post-processing possibilities. The new processor also makes the A7 IV quite a bit speedier than its predecessor. (Sony claims it's up to eight times faster.) I did not have an A7 III around to compare the two, but it never felt like the A7 IV bogged down.

Along with the processor and sensor, Sony's new autofocus system—first seen in the flagship A9—finally comes to the A7 line. The improvement here is difficult to overstate. This system, which Sony calls “real-time tracking,” is really smart and really fast.

I test half a dozen high-end mirrorless cameras a year, each one promising to be faster at autofocus, yet most are largely indistinguishable when judged by results. I will confess that, on my own time, I only shoot with manual-focus lenses. I've been shooting manually since I picked up my first Minolta SR-T in 1988, and I'm reasonably fast at this point. In most situations—excluding wildlife and sports—I get fewer out-of-focus images focusing manually than I do with the latest and greatest autofocus. That is, until the A7 IV.

The reason for my success with manual is two-fold. First, there's practice and the muscle memory it builds. Those are important, but the second reason is that it's simple. I don't have to remember to switch modes as situations change, or move autofocus points using a touchscreen. All I have to do is turn the barrel of the lens. Similarly, Sony's new autofocus system is remarkably good not because it's fast (it is), but because it's simple.

Sony's subject tracking makes it easy to highlight your subject, and then the camera tracks it. All you do is put your autofocus points on the subject, then "half-press" the shutter button as you would with any camera, but then the camera will lock not to that area of the frame, but to the actual subject. This means that when the subject moves across your frame, the camera continues to track it, adjusting the autofocus points to keep your subject in focus.

This has two advantages over the lock-on-style systems you'll find in other cameras: The first is that it works. The second is also that it works.

This is the first focusing system I've been able to trust to the degree that I stopped thinking about focusing at all and was able to just concentrate on composition and lighting, even with a subject in motion as I swung the camera around to follow it. That freedom to, ahem, focus your attention elsewhere, enables you to compose better images.

Everything else that's new about the A7 IV pales next to the autofocus system. Let's face it, with yearly upgrade cycles, it's rare that the latest model of anything is really much better than the one before it, when it comes to the images you actually create. The A7 IV's autofocus is an exception—this really will help you capture better pictures.

There are some other smaller things to like as well. The A7 IV’s buffer capacity is impressive. The combination of the new sensor and CFexpress card slot gives the A7 IV an essentially unlimited buffer capacity. If you're a shutter-mashing addict, you'll be happy. I also found the color rendition in JPG files to be better than on previous models. I primarily shoot RAW, but sometimes it's nice to have really good JPGs that require no post-processing, and the A7 IV does a better job here than most Sony cameras.

The A7 IV uses the same battery as the A7 III. It's a substantial battery that Sony rates at 520 shots, but in practice, this battery will get you through the day. If you're a wedding photographer, you probably should carry a spare in the bag, but the days of the A7 line requiring a sling of batteries to get through a day are thankfully behind us.

The A7 IV is an all-around great camera. Its sensor produces sharp images with impressive dynamic range. The autofocus system is good enough that you'll miss fewer shots, and it has more video options than previous releases. The not-so-good news is that this release is priced less like an entry-level model: $2,500 for the body. That's $500 more than the previous A7 camera (though there is now the smaller A7C, which is $1,800). If you can afford it though, the A7 IV delivers.