Sony Releases 33 Megapixel A7 IV?

Sony has added a new model to its much-admired Alpha mirrorless camera series. The Alpha 7 IV (model ILCE-7M4), or A7 IV, comes with a beefy 33-megapixel full-frame image sensor, neatly slotting into the hybrid space where users can switch modes between photography and video, without sacrificing quality. The A7 IV succeeds the A7 III which has a 25-megapixel full-frame sensor.

The new model features many of Sony’s most advanced imaging technologies including the latest BIONZ XR™ processing engine and advanced AF (autofocus) capabilities based on the flagship Alpha 1 model. For the first time, Real-time Eye AF can now track birds and animals’ eye for both still images and movies, in addition to humans. The detection accuracy for human face and eyes is also approximately 30% more improved, compared with Alpha 7 III.

Other features include shooting at 10fps and tenacious Real-Time Tracking and 759 phase-detection AF points.

“The Alpha 7 IV brings together the best of Sony imaging technology to deliver a fantastic experience in both stills and video, meaning that users will be able to capture exactly the content that they want, in whatever situation they find themselves in,” said Yasufumi Machitani, General Manager, Digital Imaging Division, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.

Sony says the new camera was also developed with environment in mind by using the company’s original recycled plastic SORPLAS™ for the camera body and the packaging with recyclable materials and less plastic. Sony says a redesigned structure and lens lock button contribute to enhanced dust and moisture resistance.

The Sony A7 IV 33MP full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R™ CMOS image sensor features an ISO sensitivity range that run from ISO 50-204800. Its 15-stop dynamic range allows a wide expressive range while Creative Look settings can help to create original looks effortlessly for both stills and video.

Sony A7 IV

Great for filming too…

The Sony Alpha 7 IV inherits technology taken from real-world movie production including S-Cinetone™ – adopted from Sony’s highly regarded Cinema Line cameras used by a broad range of filmmakers and content creators – to deliver a rich, cinematic look.

High quality movie clips can be shot in 4K 30p recording with 7K oversampling in full-frame mode while a higher 4K 60p recording rate is cropped to Super 35mm mode. Like the A7S III, new camera also features 10-bit depth 4:2:2 colour sampling to enable natural gradation, XAVC S-I™ intra-frame encoding for more efficient editing workflows and XAVC HS™ for doubled compression efficiency.

To meet the growing need for precise AF performance when shooting videos with Sony AF lenses, the new camera supports focus transitions when using AF and Focus Map that visualises depth of field. In another first for the Alpha series, the new camera features an optional Breathing Compensation to combat focus breathing, maintaining a consistent angle of view throughout focus changes.

Like previous models, the A7 IV has 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation for a 5.5- step[i] shutter speed advantage, as well as an improved grip for greater comfort and a CFexpress Type A compatible media slot to support media with faster writing and clearance. Nice upgrade from the A7III comes in form of a 3.68 million-dot (approx.) OLED Quad-VGA viewfinder which is 1.6 times the resolution of its predecessor.

Active Mode Stabilisation

Enhanced workflow capabilities

By offering a variety of connectivity options, the Alpha 7 IV enables on-the-spot streaming and sharing of high-quality content to meet the growing need for remote communication in real-time without sacrificing excellent image and sound quality. The connection between the camera and mobile application Imaging Edge Mobile™ is simplified via Bluetooth, and fast data transfer is possible by 5 GHz/2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

The camera also has a new feature called “Shot Mark” to enable easy access to the marked scenes in a video clip, within camera and on Sony’s Catalyst Browse/Prepare applications.

Shot mark

Shot Mark

What’s more, the camera has a range of new features to support live streaming and remote communication without the need of dedicated software. UVC (USB Video Class) and UAC (USB Audio Class) turn the Alpha 7 IV into a high-performance live streaming camera when connected to a computer or smartphone. High image quality such as 4K 15p and 1080 FHD 60p deliver realistic video for remote sharing and the Alpha 7 IV’s digital audio interface can be paired with a range of mics and accessories to deliver high quality sound.

Live streaming

The Alpha 7 IV will be available in from November 2021 .

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Written by Yvan Cohen | Yvan has been a photojournalist for over 30 years. He’s a co-founder of LightRocket and continues to shoot photo and video projects around South East Asia.

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