Why The Sony A7 MkIV Will Be A Unique Camera - Here's Our Review
It's been over two years since the release of the Sony a7 MKIII, which has been popular with pro photographers and vloggers alike. When news came out that the Sony A7 MkIV would be released in mid-2021, there was a lot of excitement in anticipation.
Unfortunately, a chip shortage has been eating into the global manufacturing industry, affecting everything from the availability of the PS5 to the MkIV. Until this much-awaited camera is launched, we can only build up our excitement about its unique features. So, what do we know about the soon-to-arrive member in the family of Sony mirrorless cameras?
The Rumoured Specs Of The Sony A7 Mkiv
Word on the grapevine is that the camera we're waiting for is the one registered by Sony in China as WW734234. Let's take a look at the specs we've discovered so far.
New Image Processor & Sensor Combo
The full-frame mirrorless camera is likely to be fitted with a brand new 30MP BSI CMOS sensor. This upgrade is likely to need a new processor, which is expected to be the Bionz XR. This will be a welcome upgrade in 2021 from the 24MP that was in the Sony A7 III and has been around in other Sony cameras for a while.
One of the things we're looking forward to is the video capabilities of the new camera. Lots of people have been happy with the A7 III for video. The Sony A7 MkIV is going to offer some of those excellent 4K codecs that are in its predecessor. With a higher resolution, we can expect the best of both worlds in video and still photography in the upcoming model.
However, we expect 4K video will be capped at 60fps and 1080p will be capped at 240 fps to match the expected price point of around the US $2499.
The Bionz XR image processor has been around since the Sony Alpha 7S III. It has eight times the processing power of the Bionz X, which is on many much-loved Sony Alpha cameras, like the Sony Alpha 7 and the Alpha a6000. This new processor has lots of great features, like support for new frame rates, video codecs, and new card formats. A better viewfinder resolution and fixed lag are features to look forward to.
Sensitivity
The sensor sensitivity is likely to be a native ISO 100 to 51200. It's likely to be expandable from ISO 50-204,800. This flexibility will give you an extra stop of light at either end when you find yourself shooting in extremely low light. New mirrorless cameras with powerful processors tend to be better able to handle these expandable ranges with less noise than DSLRs.
Autofocus
The camera is going to have the hybrid autofocus of the Alpha 7 III with 693 phase-detection points. The wide AF coverage will be supported by 425 contrast-detection points for better focus.
As in its predecessor, we expect focus control to be touchscreen, so you can drag the focus frame with a finger.
There's another excellent relatively new feature on the Sony A7 MkIV, and that's the Real-Time Eye AF for animals. If you're into wildlife or pet photography, you'll find the animal eye detection and tracking feature gives excellent results. This AI-driven AF feature has been around since 2019, adding to the human eye AF feature that's been around for a little longer.
Image Stabilisation
Photographers have been hoping to the Active Image Stabilisation and the Gyro Data Rec features in the new camera. If you've used the Sony ZV-1 or the AS III, you'll know what this stabilisation combination feels like.
Although it doesn't replace a gimbal, Active IS and Gyro Data work well together. The performance comes close to shooting with an actual gimbal. We're keeping our fingers crossed that Sony brings these features into the camera.
However, there's also the possibility of finding the 5-axis IBIS feature that works well enough on cameras like the Sony a6600 and other well-performing mirrorless cameras.
Touchscreen & EVF
Speaking of the touch screen, the new camera is expected to have a 3-inch 1,440,000-dot vari-angle flip-out touchscreen. The flip-out screen is a feature we're all looking forward to. The Sony A7C, the A7 SIII, and some other Sony cameras have this flip-out screen. This feature will make the camera attractive to vloggers.
Are there going to be new touchscreen menus? The answer is likely no. The same familiar menu as the Sony A7S III is possibly going to be carried forward into this model.
One question on everyone's minds is: will the new Sony cameras have a different EVF? The answer to that is probably No. Sony wants to keep the new camera as affordable as possible, with all its new features.
The same 0.5 inches, 3.69 million-dot OLED EVF from some of the older models is going to keep the camera within the announced price range.
Ports
There are high chances that Sony will put a full-size HDMI port in the new A7 MkIV. This will be a welcome change from the standard micro-HDMI port that is easy to crack.
Sony has already used the full-size HDMI in the 7S III, A1, and other cameras. This gives us the hope that the full-size HDMI will make life easier in the Sony A7 MkIV as well. The new port will be easier and cheaper to repair.
Body & Battery
The new camera body is likely to be very similar to the A7 SIII. Some changes expected are a thicker grip and clickier buttons.
Sony has been using the same NP FZ100 battery for its recent models, but with better battery life with successive releases. It's highly possible the battery on the Sony A7 MkIV will be more efficient with the new processor.
When Can We Expect An Announcement?
Sony has said the new camera is likely to be announced in September 2021. But the announcement was already delayed once, due to the unavailability of parts. It's quite possible that we'll finally see the Sony A7 MkIV only in the first quarter of 2022.
Like most Sony launches, this camera is also expected to be unique. We expect it will make its own spot in the lineup of cameras that take Sony E-mount lenses.
The Bottomline
The Sony A7 MkIV is going to see several upgrades from the a7 III, that will place it at an affordable "professional" position. With its 3.6M-dot resolution, the A7 Mk IV will straddle the fence between semi- and professional ranges. This will enhance the overall shooting experience. The image quality is expected to be top-notch, despite the cheap LCD.
We're looking forward to the mid-range megapixel capabilities of the camera that won't affect the high-ISO noise performance too much. The new sensor is bound to give us a camera that will have noise performance at least as good as the A7 III.
The full-frame camera will take E-mount Sony lenses. Overall, at the higher price point that's still less than pro prices, 4K/60 p recording should balance out the features for most videographers quite well.
The Sony A7 MkIV is going to be a unique blend of some solid specs and balanced features for those who enjoy Sony mirrorless cameras.