Introduction

Ease of Use

Front of the Sony A7R IV

It's probably fair to say that the A7R IV is not the new Sony Alpha camera that most fans wanted when it was announced just a couple of months ago.

Instead of the much-anticipated Sony A7S III, with its focus on video, Sony instead chose to unveil the fourth generation of their high-resolution A7R camera, ushering in a number of evolutionary changes, over 50 in total, in particular to the auto-focusing system, that make this an even more well-rounded camera than its three predecessors.

Sony have once again resisted the temptation to make too many changes to the latest generation of the A7R camera, which at first glance looks very similar to the 18-month-old A7R III.

From the front, the new A7R IV has a larger, more pronounced hand-grip than the Mark III, with marginally more space between the grip and the lens, which addresses a common complaint of Sony shooters. If you've got large hands or are wearing gloves, though, there's still not really enough space between the grip and the lens. 

Despite using exactly the same battery as the previous generation camera and despite utilising a more power-hungry processor, the A7R IV ekes out the battery life by another 20 frames to an impressive 670-shots, measured according to stringent CIPA standards, with real-life usage proving to be more than good enough for a full day's shooting.

The other main physical changes have been made on the rear of the camera, where Sony have further refined the thumb-operated joystick that's used to set the AF point, making it bigger and usefully textured with small dots to make it quicker to find with your right thumb.

Accompanying this is another change in the form of an even bigger, more pronounced AF-On button, which makes it even easier than before to back-button focus using your thumb, rather than half-pressing the shutter button, a method that many photographers swear by.

On top of the A7R IV, the exposure compensation dial has usefully gained a lock button at its centre, just like the shooting mode dial, which makes it almost impossible to accidentally change when stored in a camera bag. 

Strangely, Sony have designed the two lock buttons differently. The one for the shooting mode dial has to held down in order to turn the dial, whereas the new one for the exposure compensation dial is pressed down to lock it, then clicked again to release the dial.

Another change has been made to the rear command dial, which has now been relocated to the top of the camera, rather than being embedded in the rear, making it easier to locate and more tactile to use.

Rear of the Sony A7R IV

Weather-resistance is also said to be much improved over the previous generation, with extra seals provided at all the body seams, the battery compartment cover and media slots, although Sony still stop short of guaranteeing it to be 100% dust and moisture proof.

Look under the memory card flap and you'll find not one, but two, SD card slots, and even better, both of them now support the fastest UHS-II standard, something that was sorely missing on the previous model.

Sony have also addressed another common complaint and reversed the order of the slots, so that Slot 1 is now much more intuitively at the top and Slot 2 at the bottom. A minor change, perhaps, but one that shows that Sony really are listening to their existing customer base.

The A7R IV has a plethora of different ports and connectivity options, including a PC Sync port for studio lights, both USB-2 and USB Type-C 3.2 ports, the latter meaning that you can power and tether the camera at the same time, wireless as well as wired tethering, and faster 5Ghz wi-fi.

We'd still have liked to have seen the A9's continuous shooting/bracketing dial, which is located to the left of the viewfinder on the A9, replicated on the A7R IV, especially given its burst shooting rate.

Which brings us on to one of the major attractions of the A7R IV, its continuous shooting speed. The A7R IV offers 10fps burst shooting with full-time AF/AE tracking for up to 68 full-frame Extra Fine JPEG or Compressed RAW images and a whopping 200 frames in APS-C mode. 

If you want to shoot uncompressed RAW files, the rate does fall to 6fps and the buffer to 30 frames. Although the camera's buffer is slightly smaller than on the A7R Mark III, we still feel that it's very impressive given the increased number of megapixels on offer.

If you need even more speed, the 24-megapixel Sony A9 can shoot at a blistering 20fps with full-time AF/AE tracking, but you'll have to sacrifice a whopping 37 megapixels to achieve that blazing speed.

Top of the Sony A7R IV

As with its predecessor, the A7R Mark IV starts-up almost instantly and is ready for shooting in less than a second, and its general operating performance feels pleasingly snappy too.

The camera's auto-focusing system has been significantly upgraded. There are now a whopping 567 AF phase detection points, with 74% frame coverage, up from 399-points on the previous model, and in APS-C mode there are effectively 325 AF points phase detection providing 99% coverage, which should please wildlife photographers in particular.

You can  turn on the APS-C mode via one press of a custom button, automatically zooming in by 1.5x, which is perfect for nature and wildlife photographers who quickly need the extra reach.

Other changes to the focusing system include the addition of real time eye AF, real time AF tracking, and animal eye AF, which have all recently made their debut on other Alpha cameras via firmware updates. 

In practice these improvements practically make the AF joystick almost redundant for a lot of shooting situations, as the camera uncannily locks onto and follows the main subject around the frame, only very rarely losing track of them.

The A7R IV rarely, if ever, missed the moment because of an issue with the auto-focusing. It proved adept at both locking onto and tracking a moving subject, and excelled at portraits thanks to the dedicated Eye AF mode, which instantly recognises, locks onto and tracks a human eye in both the AF-S and AF-C focusing modes, and also for the first time, video recording too.

Note that Eye-AF is instigated by half-pressing the shutter button, rather than via a custom button as on previous A7R models. Instead simply half-pressing the shutter button whilst in the Tracking AF mode activates Eye AF automatically if it detects a face/eye, and it seamlessly switches back to non-specific subject tracking if the eye or face can't be detected, then back again when it can.

Conversely, you can use the system for easier composition of still subjects too. Simply focus on your subject, hold down the shutter button, and the camera will accurately lock onto your chosen subject while you recompose the frame, even if it's in one of the furthest corners.

The Sony A7R IV once again features 5-axis in-body image stabilization, offering the same 5.5-stops of compensation as its predecessor.

The in-body system ensures that the A7R IV can stabilize all kinds of lenses, not just those with the Sony FE designation, although third party lenses without any electronic contacts only benefit from three axes of compensation, and you need to manually input which focal length you’re using.

Connections

The Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode that made its debut on the A7R IIs has been further enhanced with the addition of a new 16-shot mode.

In the 4-shot mode, it still captures four consecutive frames which are shifted up, down, left and right by one pixel each, which can then be combined into a single image using Sony's new  Imaging Edge 2.0 software, resulting in a more detailed image with better tonal gradation.

In the new 16-shot mode, it captures 16 consecutive frames which are shifted up, down, left and right by 1/4 pixel each, which can then be combined into a single image using Sony's Imaging Edge 2.0 software to create a whopping 240 megapixel image, which is almost 1GB in file size!

Note that it neither mode works with moving subjects, though, and the camera needs to be perfectly still too, limiting its usefulness somewhat.

We also found the latest version of the Imaging Edge software to be pretty slow at combining the Pixel Shift images and generally rather intuitive, although version 2.0 represents a marked improvement on the original program.

The A7R IV features an even better electronic viewfinder than the A7R III did, now using a a class-leading 5.76m dot OLED viewfinder, matching the one found on the Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R full-frame cameras. It really is a pleasure to look through and largely silences the "optical viewfinders are better" argument that some DSLR owners still make.

A subtle but very welcome change to the EVF interface is the way in which AF points are displayed. On all other Alpha cameras, they're coloured grey until changing to green when focus is achieved, which made it difficult to predict exactly where the camera was going to focus. On the A7R IV, you now have the choice of red or white points, which are much easier to see.

The LCD screen on the rear has been retained from the A7R III. It's the same 3-inch size and tilts in the same way as on the A7R III, and is again also touch sensitive, which can be used for some elements of operation, including operating the auto-focus whilst looking through the EVF.

Unfortunately Sony have once again stopped short of offering a full touchscreen experience - somewhat inexplicably, you can't use the menu system in this way, press the on-screen icons, or even scroll through images during playback, as on virtually all recent smartphones and many recent cameras. This is really an operational area that we'd like to see Sony quickly address on all future Alpha cameras.

The Sony A7R IV In-hand

The Sony A7R IV can shoot and record 4K video in multiple formats, including full-frame and the Super 35mm formats across the entire width of the image sensor, although it still notably lacks 10-bit recording and 4K/60p, something that is presumably reserved for the much-anticipated A7S III camera.

It can output uncompressed UHD 4K, 3840x2160 pixel video (30p/24p/25p) at a 4:2:2 color depth without down-sampling to either the inserted memory cards or over HDMI to compatible third party recorders.

The HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) video mode supports an Instant HDR workflow, while both S-Log2 and S-Log3 for 14-stops of dynamic range are available for increased colour grading flexibility.

Unlike the A7R III, this new model oversamples from 6K to Super 35mm format by using a quite aggressive 1.6x crop for 24p footage and an even more aggressive 1.8x crop for 30p footage, which in practice means that you'll need to use even wider-angle lenses to achieve the same angles-of-view that the A7R III was capable of.

The A7R IV continues to support the XAVC S format, which is based on the professional XAVC codec, and can record Full HD video at 120fps at up to 100Mbps, which allows footage to be edited into 4x or 5x slow-motion files, with an S&Q mode (Slow and Quick motion) on the shooting dial providing selectable frame rates ranging from 1fps to 120fps.

Real-time touch tracking, a feature taken from the A6400, is now offered on the full-frame series of Alpha cameras, along with real-time Eye AF for movies, again for the first time on any Alpha camera.

Press the Menu button on the back of the camera and a number of shooting and set up folders appear on screen, with white text on a black background aiding visibility. 

The A7R IV uses the same recently revised menu system as the A6500 and A9, which is clearer and easier to navigate than on previous A7 cameras, although still frustratingly difficult to navigate though, with no less than 41 different screens of options.

As denoted by symbols on the side of the camera, the Sony A7R IV is wi-fi and NFC capable, and it also offers location data acquisition via a Bluetooth connection to a compatible mobile device.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 61 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 20Mb.

The Sony A7R IV has an extensive and very usable ISO range of 50-102,400. ISO 50-6400 is virtually noise-free, while ISO 12800 and 25600 produce more than acceptable results, and even ISO 51200 and 102400 are OK for emergency use.

The RAW samples illustrate just how much processing the camera does by default, as they're much noisier at all ISO values than their JPEG counterparts, wither fewer unwanted colour artifacts.

The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and the Bulb mode offering lots of scope for creative night photography.

The upgraded Pixel Shift Multi Shot mode alllows you to combine four images into one image with more detail or 16 images into one super-resolution photo using the Sony Imaging Edge software, although it doesn't work for moving subjects at all.

The Dynamic Range Optimizer function extracts more detail from the shadow and highlight areas in an image, without introducing any unwanted noise or other artifacts.

The various Picture Effects quickly produce special looks that would otherwise require you to spend a lot of time in the digital darkroom, while the Creative Styles provide a quick and easy way to tweak the camera's JPEG images.

Noise

There are 12 ISO settings available on the Sony A7R IV. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and RAW formats.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 50 (100% Crop)	ISO 50 (100% Crop)
ISO 64 (100% Crop)	ISO 64 (100% Crop)
ISO 80 (100% Crop)	ISO 80 (100% Crop)
ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)
ISO 25600 (100% Crop)	ISO 25600 (100% Crop)
ISO 51200 (100% Crop)	ISO 51200 (100% Crop)
ISO 102400 (100% Crop)	ISO 102400 (100% Crop)

File Quality

The Sony A7R IV has 3 different image quality settings available, with Extra Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

Extra Fine (29.8Mb) (100% Crop)	Fine (16.1Mb) (100% Crop)
Standard (10.6Mb) (100% Crop)	RAW (117Mb) (100% Crop)

Night

The Sony A7R IV's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's also a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography.

Night

Pixel Shift Multi Shoot

In the Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode, the A7R IV shoots either 4 or 16 uncompressed RAW images whilst shifting the image sensor either one pixel or a 1/4 of a pixel at a time. You can then generate images with a higher resolution than is possible with regular shooting by combining the RAW images on a computer using the Imaging Edge (Remote/Viewer/Edit) application.

Off (9504x6336 pixels)

On - 4 Shots (9504x6336 pixels)

On - 16 Shots (19008x12672 pixels)

Off (9504x6336 pixels)

On - 4 Shots (9504x6336 pixels)

On - 16 Shots (19008x12672 pixels)

Image Stabilisation

The Sony A7R IV features built-in 5-axis optical image stabilization worth up to 5.5 shutter speed stops, depending on your hand-holding technique.

Off	On

Dynamic Range Optimizer

D-Range Optimiser (DRO) is Sony's solution to improve shadow detail in photos taken in contrasty light. There are 5 different levels and an Auto option.

Off

Auto

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Creative Styles

There are 13 Creative Style preset effects that you can use to change the look of your images. Note that these can be chosen when the File Format is set to either Raw and/or JPEG.

Standard	Vivid
Neutral	Clear
Deep	Light
Portrait	Landscape
Sunset	Night Scene
Autumn Leaves	Black & White
Sepia

Picture Effects

The Sony A7R IV offers a range of seven creative Picture Effects. Note that these can only be chosen when the File Format is set to JPEG.

Off	Toy Camera
Pop Color	Posterization
Retro Photo	Soft High-key
Partial Color (Red)	High Contrast Mono

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Sony A7R IV camera, which were all taken using the 61 megapixel Extra Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Sony A7R IV enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Sony RAW (ARW) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

The Sony A7R IV may not be the new Alpha camera that Sony fans were expecting or really, really wanted, but nevertheless it's a very worthwhile upgrade of the company's flagship body.

Most of the 50-odd improvements are evolutionary in nature, rather than revolutionary, with the upgraded auto-focusing system, superb electronic viewfinder and of course the 61-megapixel sensor the real stars of the show.

Sonmy have clearly been paying very close attention to feedback from their now not-inconsiderable user-base, taking the opportunity to make a raft of minor improvements that make the A7R IV the best Alpha camera in terms of handling and operation.

Which isn't to say that there's still no room for improvement. We'd really like to see Sony address the touch-operation of the camera, or rather the lack of, which sees it lag well behind its main rivals, and also simplify the overly complicated menu structure.

Videographers won't find too many improvements here, either, with the continued absence of either 4K at 60p or any video in 10-bit quality surely a sign that the much-rumoured A7S III is imminent.

Overall, though, the new Sony Alpha A7R IV offers a compelling blend of out-and-out resolution, surprising speed and enhanced handling that widens its appeal beyond just portrait, landscape and architecture photographers.

The 10fps burst shooting rate and amazing auto-focus system broaden its appeal to encompass sports and wildlife photographers too, which is no mean feat for a camera with 61 megapixels.

With its two main rivals, the Panasonic S1R and Nikon Z7, literally lagging behind in the resolution race, there's a lot to like about the new Sony A7R IV, although the S1R does have the edge when it comes to video.

Full-frame shooters on a budget should also still consider the Sony A7R III, which has dropped to over £$1000 cheaper than the newer, more expensive at launch A7R IV model.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	4

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Sony A7R IV.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Sony A7R IV from around the web.

Specifications

News

The Sony A7R IV mirrorless camera has the world’s first 35mm full-frame 61.0 megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor with the latest-generation BIONZ X image processor.

The Sony A7R IV will be available in August priced at £3600 / €4000 / $3500.

The new VG-C4EM Vertical Grip will ship in September 2019 for approximately £400 / €450 / $400.

The new ECM-B1M Shotgun Microphone will ship in September 2019 for approximately £340 / €380 / $350.

The new XLR-K3M XLR Adapter Kit will ship in October 2019 for approximately £580 / €650 / $600

Sony Press Release

Sony Introduces High-Resolution Alpha 7R IV Camera with World’s First 61.0 MP Back-illuminated Full-frame Image Sensor

World’s first[i] 35mm full-frame 61.0 MP[ii] back-illuminated Exmor R™ CMOS image sensor with latest-generation BIONZ X™ image processor

• 15-stop[iii] dynamic range at low sensitivities, resulting in smooth natural gradations ranging from deep shadows to highlights

• High-speed continuous shooting at up to 10 fps[iv] with full AF / AE tracking for approx. 7 seconds[v] in full-frame mode with an increased buffer memory, and approximately three times more in APS-C mode

• 567 focal-plane phase-detection AF points covering 74% of image area and 425 contrast AF points

• Debut of Real-time Eye AF for movie recording[vi] and advanced Real-time Tracking[vii] plus Real-time Eye AF for still image recording

• Features an APS-C crop mode delivering stunning high resolution of 26.2MPii

• 5.76 million dot UXGA (Ultra-XGA) OLED Tru-Finder™ electric viewfinder with outstanding detail, brightness and contrast

• Upgraded connectivity and operability including high-speed Wi-Fi support, wireless PC remote connectivity[viii], FTP wireless transfer, faster data transfer via USB and more

• Professional 4K movie recording functionality including full pixel readout with no pixel binning in Super 35mm mode,[ix] S-Log3, HDR workflow support

• Multi Interface Shoe™ with digital audio interface deliver the high-quality sound recording with new Sony’s microphones and XLR adaptor

• Additional enhancements to the body design include an improved grip and button for improvised control with compact, lightweight body

Sony today announced the latest addition to its acclaimed Alpha™ 7R series full-frame mirrorless camera line-up; the extremely versatile, powerful Alpha 7R IV (model ILCE-7RM4).

Sony’s highest resolution full-frame camera ever, the new Alpha 7R IV delivers stunning image quality with high resolution and wide dynamic range while maintaining outstanding focusing performance, high-speed continuous shooting and much, much more.

“We are continuing to drive innovation, break boundaries and redefine the expectations of digital camera performance,” said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Director of Product Marketing, Digital Imaging, Sony Europe. “The new Alpha 7R IV combines medium format level image quality with high-speed shooting, extremely fast focusing and a long list of upgrades to design, connectivity and usability. This will allow professional photographers, videographers and all other types of creators to capture content in ways that were simply not possible before.”

A New Level of Image Quality

The new Alpha 7R IV features a newly developed 35mm full-frame back illuminated CMOS image sensor with a resolution of 61.0 MP,ii the world’s firsti of its kind. The new sensor’s back-illuminated structure and effective noise reduction techniques combine to deliver extremely low-noise, high sensitivity performance ensuring the absolute maximum image quality. The camera also boasts an impressive 15-stopiii dynamic range at low sensitivities, resulting in smooth natural gradations ranging from deep shadows to highlights, and utilises algorithms from many of the latest Alpha™ cameras to maintain outstanding colour reproduction.

This new full-frame model is equipped with an innovative 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation system that has been fine-tuned to support its high-resolution shooting capacity, resulting in a shutter speed advantage of 5.5-steps.[x] Additionally, the shutter unit assembly has been carefully re-designed to reduce even the slightest movement that may cause blur.

The Alpha 7R IV also includes Sony’s highest resolution viewfinder in any camera, a 5.76 million dot UXGA OLED Tru-finder EVF. About 1.6x the resolution of the EVF in the Alpha 7R III, this new viewfinder provides an extremely accurate, true-to-life depiction of the scene being framed. The display quality can be set to ‘Standard’ or ‘High’ mode, and to either 60 fps or 120 fps refresh rate to best match the subject and shooting conditions.

Additionally, the new camera features an evolved Pixel Shift Multi Shooting[xi] mode that composites up to 16 full-resolution images. In this mode, the camera precisely shifts the sensor in 1 or 0.5-pixel increments to capture 16 separate pixel-shifted images containing a total of 963.2 million pixels worth of data then composited into a 240.8 million pixels (19008 x 12672 pixels) image using the “Imaging Edge™” desktop application.[xii] Ideal for photographing architecture, art or any other still life photography subject, this enhanced mode produces photographs with a level of detail and colour accuracy that is simply stunning.

Shooting and Focusing Speed

The innovative new Alpha 7R IV full-frame mirrorless camera can shoot full resolution images at up to 10 fpsiv with continuous, accurate AF/AE tracking for up to approximately 7 secondsv in full-frame, full-resolution mode (JPEG / RAW), and approx. 3x seconds in APS-C crop mode delivering 26.2MPii images. These high-speed options ensure that fast moving subjects can be captured with extreme accuracy and incredible image detail.

The upgraded focusing system of the Alpha 7R IV is comprised of 567 focal-plane phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 74% of the image area. There are also 425 contrast AF points that add extra precision and reliability for low light and other situations that are best served by contrast AF. The higher AF sensor density and refined tracking algorithms of the new camera produce a notable improvement in tracking performance, allowing complex subject motion and sudden subject movements to be reliably tracked with greater precision than ever.

The Alpha 7R IV also supports Real-time Eye AF, which employs artificial intelligence to detect and process eye location data in real-time, stay locked onto the subject’s eye with extreme precision. This is available for both animal and human subjects, with an option to select either animal or human Eye AF mode depending on the shooting situation. Additionally, the Real-time Trackingvii feature is available which utilises a newly developed subject recognition algorithm to ensure the ultimate subject tracking and persistence of the focusing system. There is also an anti-flicker shooting[xiii] mode, which automatically detects the presence of fluorescent or artificial lighting in a shooting environment to minimise any impact on the final image.

Enhanced Connectivity for Professional Workflow

Sony’s new Alpha 7R IV full-frame camera is equipped with a variety of advanced connectivity features designed to enhance professional workflow. The new model includes wireless LAN functionality to support the conventional 2.4 GHz band as well as a high-speed 5 GHz[xiv] band for faster, more stable data transfer. Wireless PC remote connectivity (wireless tethering shooting)viii is also available on the new Alpha 7R IV, a first for Sony cameras. Requested by many working professionals, this will allow for much more freedom in studio and location shoots, where the photographer can move around freely without restriction.

In addition to high-speed Wi-Fi® and wireless PC connectivity,viii the new full-frame camera is equipped with a SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.2 Gen 1) USB Type-C™ connector that supports extremely fast wired data transmission, with almost doubled data transfer speed achieved in combination with Imaging Edge software compared to the Alpha 7R III.It also supports FTP data transfer with background transfer capability, allowing photographers to send images to a specified FTP remote server while they are still shooting or reviewing images.

To support an efficient, high-speed connected professional workflow, Sony has announced version 2.0 of “Imaging Edge” desktop applications (‘Remote’/’Viewer’/’Edit’).xiii The ’Remote’ application allows users to control cameras and monitor live shooting on their PC screen; the ‘Viewer‘ application is used to quickly preview, rate and select photos from large libraries and the ’Edit‘ application can develop RAW data into high-quality photos for delivery.

To maximise convenience in image transfer, when utilising the latest version of Sony’s Imaging Edge Mobile™ application,[xv] the camera can now transfer images to a connected smartphone even if the power is set to OFF.[xvi]

High-resolution 4K and Professional Filmmaking Features

In addition to its impressive still image capabilities, the new Alpha 7R IV performs exceptionally well as a serious filmmaking tool, offering 4K (3840x2160 pixels) video recording and full pixel readout without pixel binning in Super 35mm mode.ix This ensures high-quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth. S-Log 2 and S-Log 3 are also available to maximize colour grading flexibility, with S-Log 3 offering a total of 14-stops of dynamic range. HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma)[xvii] is also available on the Alpha 7R IV to support an Instant HDR workflow.

For video autofocus, the versatile new full-frame camera utilises a refined Fast Hybrid AF system that achieves faster, smoother, more stable autofocus during video shooting – even if an object temporarily moves in front of the intended subject. The camera also includes Touch Tracking functionality during movie shooting, allowing the user to simply touch the screen on their intended subject for instant acquisition.

The new Alpha 7R IV debuts Real-time Eye AF for movie shooting,vi a first in any of Sony’s cameras. When activated, the eye of a subject is automatically tracked with high precision and reliability, allowing the shooter to focus on the content itself as opposed to what is in focus or not in focus. The Touch Tracking functionality will also automatically initiate Eye AF when a human subject is selected.

Another notable video feature is the addition of a digital audio interface to the camera’s Multi Interface Shoe™ (MI Shoe), allowing direct connection of the new ECM-B1M Shotgun Microphone or XLR-K3M XLR Adaptor Kit for clear, low-noise and high-quality audio recording. Interval shooting for creating time-lapse videos is available, as well as full HD recording at up to 120 fps, Slow and Quick Motion[xviii] functions and much more.

Enhanced Build, Design and Customisability

The new Alpha 7R IV has several upgrades to its design and usability, with many adjustments being implemented directly based of the voice of Sony’s professional community.

To maximise durability, the new Alpha 7R IV features upgraded dust and moisture resistance,[xix] with additional sealing provided at all body seams, the battery compartment cover and media slots. The camera is built with an extremely lightweight and durable magnesium alloy, and has an upgraded six screw, extra-firm mount.

Additional enhancements to the body design include an improved grip for greater comfort and a surer hold within the hand; an increase in the diameter and feedback for the ‘AF-ON’ button; a new multi-selector joystick design for improvised control; an exposure compensation dial lock button and a redesigned shape and new position for the rear dial. A strong request from many professional users, the new camera also includes two UHS-II compatible media slots, allowing for higher overall capacity and faster read/write speeds.

For added convenience, camera setting registration is expanded. Now, almost all camera settings can be saved to and read from an inserted memory card. Up to 10 combinations can be saved to any individual card and loaded into any camera body of the same type.

Despite its 1.5x pixel count, the battery life has also been improved – with a CIPA measurement of up to 670 still images per charge using LCD monitor,or530 images with EVF). For even more uninterrupted operating time, the new optional VG-C4EM Vertical Grip holds two NP-FZ100 batteries, and the optional Multi Battery Adaptor (NPA-MQZ1K) can hold up to four Z batteries. The body can also be powered via the USB connector.[xx]

New Accessories

Sony has released a variety of new accessories to compliment the new Alpha 7R IV camera, including:

VG-C4EM Vertical Grip – provides same operation, handling and design as the Alpha 7R IV camera, including upgraded dust and moisture resistance;xx doubles battery life and allows USB battery-charging via the camera body.

ECM-B1M Shotgun Microphone[xxi] – Eight high-performance mic capsules and advanced digital signal processing provide three selectable directivity patterns in one compact microphone of approx. 99.3mm (4 inches) in length with Super-directional pick up; when connected to the Alpha 7R IV via its Multi Interface Shoe with digital audio interface support, audio is directly transferred to the camera in digital form so that the highest possible quality is achieved without noise or degradation.

XLR-K3M XLR Adaptor Kit[xxii] – Two XLR/TRS combo connectors and one 3.5mm stereo mini jack for microphone and line input, with extensive control that helps facilitate the post processing workflow; connected to the Alpha 7R IV via its Multi Interface Shoe with digital audio interface support, audio is directly transferred to the camera in digital form so that the highest possible audio quality is achieved without noise or degradation; supplied extension cable for Audio provides extra flexibility for camera attachment with rig, cage or bracket.

SF-M series TOUGH

Ultra-Tough UHS-II SD card with ultra-fast speed up to 277MB/s (read) is ideal for shooting in extreme conditions and streamlines the post-shooting workflow; supplied with file recovery software (supports both macOS and Windows).

MRW-S3

Fast USB for PC hub with UHS-II SD/microSD reader, supporting USB 3.1 Gen 2 and 100W USB Power Delivery (USB PD), contributes to efficient workflow by ultra-fast, stable backup to PC or SSD.

Pricing and Availability

The new Alpha 7R IV Full-frame Interchangeable Lens Camera will ship in Europe in August 2019, priced at approximately €4000

VG-C4EM will ship in September 2019 for approximately €450

ECM-B1M will ship in September 2019 for approximately €380

XLR-K3M will ship in October 2019 for approximately €650

For full product details, please visit: https://www.sony.co.uk/electro...

[i] As of July 2019, based on Sony survey of digital cameras with a full-frame image sensor

[ii] Approximately, effective

[iii] Still images. Sony test conditions

[iv] Up to 10 fps in continuous “Hi+” mode, and up to 8 fps in continuous “Hi” mode. Maximum fps will depend on camera settings

[v] In JPEG (Extra fine / Fine) or compressed RAW mode

[vi] This function does not track animal eyes

[vii]“Tracking” in the menu. This function does not track animal eyes

[viii] Image Edge desktop application Ver. 2.0 or later is required

[ix] Super 35mm 4K recording results in a slightly narrower angle of view

[x] CIPA standards. Pitch/yaw shake only. Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA lens. Long exposure NR off

[xi] The Imaging Edge (Remote/Viewer/Edit) desktop application Ver. 2.0 or later is required for compositing. Image compositing may not be successful if camera or subject movement causes blur. Some restrictions apply to flash and other device

[xii]‘Remote’/’Viewer’/’Edit’ version.2.0 will be released in August 2019

[xiii] Only 100 Hz and 120 Hz flicker is detected. Continuous shooting speed may decrease. Flicker-free shooting is not available during silent shooting, BULB exposure, or movie recording

[xiv] Models sold in some countries/regions support IEEE 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) wireless LAN only. 5 GHz communication may be restricted in some countries and regions

[xv] Imaging Edge Mobile version.7.2 will be released in July 2019

[xvi] Imaging Edge Mobile Ver. 7.2 or later is required. “Cnct. during power off” setting in camera must be turned ON and the camera and smartphone must be paired using Bluetooth® technology via the Imaging Edge Mobile application

[xvii] Connect this product to an HDR (HLG) compatible Sony TV via a USB cable when displaying HDR (HLG) movies

[xviii] Sound not recorded. Class 10 or higher SDHC/SDXC card required

[xix] Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof

[xx] A battery must be installed in the body when power is being supplied via the USB connector

[xxi] Refer to the Sony support page for details and camera compatibility information https://www.sony.net/dics/b1m/

[xxii] Refer to the Sony support page for details and camera compatibility information

https://www.sony.net/dics/k3m/

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First Impressions

We've spent some time shooting with the exciting new Sony A7R IV full-frame mirrorless camera. Here are our initial first impressions...

With the new Alpha A7R IV, Sony are promising to “Revolutionise Professional Photography”. Let's take a detailed look at what the new model has to offer...

Resolution

The A7R IV has a 61 megapixel back-illuminated sensor, the highest resolution ever on a 35mm full-frame camera, rivaling many medium-format cameras, but physically being much smaller, more portable and more weather-proof.

It can also capture 26 megapixels in APS-C mode, thereby providing more resolution than most APS-C mirrorless cameras too and further adding to its all-round versatility as a camera that can be used both inside the studio and out.

You can turn on the APS-C mode via one press of a custom button, automatically zooming in by 1.5x, which is perfect for nature and wildlife photographers who need the extra reach.

ISO Range

The native ISO range has been improved to 100-32,000, expandable to 50-102,400. Take a look at our Sample Images to see examples of the full ISO range.

IBIS

The IBIS system provides up to 5.5 stops of compensation,just like the A7R III.

The Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode now automatically takes 16 images and stitches them together to create a whopping 240 megapixel image, which is almost 1GB in file size! That should be more than enough resolution for even the most demanding landscape photographer.

Dynamic Range

The new 61-megapixel back-illuminated sensor provides an impressive 15-stops of dynamic range, and 14-stops when recording movies.

Burst Shooting

The A7R IV offers 10fps burst shooting, for up to 68 images full-frame and 200 frames in APS-C mode, which is very impressive given the number of megapixels on offer.

Auto-focusing

There are 567 AF phase detection points, with 74% frame coverage.

In APS-C mode, there are effectively 325 AF points providing 99% coverage.

Other stand-out focusing features include the addition of real time eye AF, real time AF tracking, and animal eye AF, which have all recently made their debut on other Alpha cameras via firmware updates.

Sony also told us that these updates will make there way to the A7R III in a future firmware update.

Viewfinder

The A7R IV has a class-leading 5.76m dot OLED viewfinder, matching the one found on the Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R full-frame cameras.

Movies

The A7R IV is no slouch when it comes to video recording, although it still lacks 10-bit recording and 4K/60p.

It offers 4K movies, oversampling from 6K to super 35mm format, with real-time touch tracking, a feature taken from the  A6400.

Other standout movie features include Slog3 for 14-stops of dynamic range, Hybrid log gamma, no time limit on recording, plus real-time Eye AF for movies for the first time on any Alpha camera.

Ergonomics

The A7R IV finally has dual UHS-II slots, with slots 1 and 2 more logically switched around from their previous location.

There's also a bigger joystick and AF-on button, an exposure compensation lock button, an improved grip that's larger with more space between the lens, all resulting in a slightly bigger and heavier body overall. 

The new hand-grip is a definite improvement over the previous Alpha models and something that we'd like to see featured on future models.

Weather-sealing is also said to be much improved over the previous generation, something that we weren't able to test out in sunny Ireland, so we'll have to take Sony's word for it for the moment.

Connectivity

Wireless tethering, a USB Type-C port, a Sync terminal for studio lights and 5Ghz wi-fi are the connectivity highlights.

Overall, there are over 50 improvements from the previous A7R III model, which should be enough to warrant the upgrade for current A7R owners.

Pricing

The Sony A7R IV will be available in August priced at £3600 / 4000 Euros / $3500.

Accessories

There's also a new vertical grip, the VG-C4EM, and a clever digital microphone, the ECM-B1M.

Hands On

Want to see exactly what the new 61-megapixel Sony A7R IV mirrorless camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony A7R IV full-frame mirrorless camera, including a look inside the camera, all the new accessories and every single menu screen!

A gallery of hands-on photos of the new Sony A7R IV mirrorless camera.

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Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some sample images taken with the Sony A7R IV camera and the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM, FE 12-24mm F4 G, FE 135mm f/1.4 GM and new FE 35mm f/1.8 lenses, including the full expanded ISO range from 50-102,400. The Sony Alpha A7R IV is a new premium mirrorless camera with a 61 megapixel, 35mm full-frame sensor.

A gallery of JPEG and RAW sample images taken with the Sony A7R IV camera.

Sony A7R IV Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Sony A7R IV enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Sony RAW (ARW) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

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