Sony A7IV Review 3 years late

New 2024 v4 Presets out! - ctmltd.sellfy....
RAW file downloads:
www.dropbox.co...
My other channel [Captain Midlife - MotoVlogs] - bit.ly/3W7aTBA
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This video was filmed with:
Mostly a DJI Oslo Action 4
An iPhone 14 Pro Max
And a few clips with my A7IV
Gear I own:
Sony A7IV x2
Sony 24mm 1.4 GM
Sony 35mm 1.4 GM
Sony 50mm 1.2 GM
Sony 55mm 1.8
Sony 85mm 1.4 GM
Tamron 17-28mm 2.8
Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 G2
Fuji X100V

[@itsnottydal]

I love late reviews because when someone like me who is thinking of getting this camera comes along. it's much easier to find a review on it

[@monchikun9935]

And it’s also much cheaper (new and used)

[@astrofotografiaycafe.]

When I started with Sony, I did it with the A mount cameras in 2010 I think, and those were cameras that I still love to this date if I have to be very honest. The ergonomics, the grip was absolutely stellar....but the BEST DETAIL they had, was the screen, not the resolution or brightness, but the way it articulates its movement. On the 77 and 99 models to be precise. Which is basically the one on the a7rV. I just love the decided to come back to that. It is hands down the best way to have a screen.

[@EagerSnake]

I was about to say the exact same thing. Those screens were amazing.

[@kbarrett1844]

Fellow A7IV user here for about the same length of time. The camera just simply works and works very well at many things. I think the LCD screen could be improved and that’s about it for my negatives.

[@mellie2003]

The most expensive piece of hardware I ever bought and will ever buy. Worth it.

[@davecurtis8833]

Great update Chris. I really liked my A7RIV too. I moved to the A7RV which I find is another step up for me for landscape and wildlife.

[@rbrtmllr]

FWIW, I've been using dual ProGrade Digital 256GB UHS-II SDXC (250MB/s read) memory cards in a a7RIV for cheer competitions. ~150 shots in 2 minutes 20 second routines. The camera is buffering but never running out of shots, even when I shoot RAW for difficult lighting. The next team comes quickly and the camera is back to zero.

[@adamwestphoto]

I love my A7 IV's! People bitch about Sony colours and I don't know why.

[@rbrtmllr]

Sony colours are great. Honestly it smells of an ambiguous hard to define specification what people can throw around without any justification. Just ask them to be specific and give examples. They can't.

[@oasean]

People _used_ to gripe about Sony color back when we had switched from Canon 5D and 6D series to Sony α7R II, which offers flagrantly greenish complexions. I haven't seen notable griping about Sony color since about 2020.

[@SamandSteve]

People that don’t know how to edit.

[@zencollectiongallery]

I have a7m4 and I think color is shit. Even a7c has better color I'm really considering selling my m4 now

[@jockturner1547]

It comes from earlier Sony cameras, which really did have awful colours, weird green tinting and strange skin tone. This more of an issue in video than photo. They have massively improved their colour in the past 5ish years though so honestly there isn’t any camera brand out there atm producing poor colour

[@AtomicPixel]

Coming from Fuji’s the a7iv and fx3 have been a beast. The a7iv tracking with back button focus has been mind blowing. Makes wedding and event shooting so much easier. And man, that studio looks dope! Cheers brother!

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Cheers bro

[@rickbiessman6084]

100% agree. I use the A7C and A7CII and it’s nuts on both of them. Suuuper reliable.

[@AtomicPixel]

@@rickbiessman6084 it’s like magic :)

[@stkuj]

Wait till you upgrade to the next gen "AI" chip (i.e. A7RV, A7Cii, etc).. the AF and color processing gets even better!

[@ibrahim.productions]

what do you mean by back button focus?

[@garethafon]

I love my A74's. Enough that im finally not looking to upgrade. Great review Chris.

[@stevenwaldstein2249]

Thank you. At the end of last year when I upgraded my landscape / portrait to the A7RV (from A7RIV) I also sold both my A7IV and A7C and got the smaller A7CII which has that very nice 33 Mpixel sensor and updated AF system. I don’t need a two card solution like you which is why I considered switching. If I need two card slots I use the A7RV or A1 now. Could easily recommend the A7IV to most people all though at this point some other nice competitive bodies have come out. Take care.

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

A7Cii is a great camera, considering one myself

[@SuLu_B]

I learned using my dad's old D750 for like 6 years through highschool and college, and lots of those images still hold up and are some of my favorites I've ever shot. I've been shooting on the a7iv for a couple years now and the biggest upgrade over DSLR is easily the autofocus and physical size. I was actually a bit shocked at how similar the raw images looked the first time I imported Sony raws!

[@TomasRamoska]

D750 was ahead of the game. I remember I was shooting with 5D mkiii and my friend's Nikon D750 Raw file quality was way ahead of my Canon's. Even today that camera can rival new Sony or Canon bodies.

[@SuLu_B]

@@TomasRamoska LOL when I was in college for filmmaking I would have killed for the 5D mkiii video! Sounds like we should have traded 😂

[@Reviews4fun1]

A7iv been great for me so far!

[@MurrayMcMillan73]

Great video Chris. I actually watched your videos on it when I switched 2 years ago from Fuji, based on my pal Steve’s recommendation. It’s an incredible camera, and I couldn’t be happier with the 50mm 1.2 GM, 35mm 1.4 GM, and 24mm 1.4 GM. Away from weddings I’m using my Leica Q3, which is my fave camera ever, and I’m now integrating that into weddings too.

[@MrSnooooze]

Better late than never man, always enjoy a break from editing to watch a new CTP vid

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Thanks mate

[@Revan89]

I had my A7iv for 2.5 years. Only for weddings photos. I agree with 90% of your review. My only complaints are: -LCD resolution. Pictures look really dull in the camera, but awesome in the computer. -Change the hard plastic on the grip for a more rubberized and grippy material like my old Nikons. In the summer, with the sweat, the camera becomes slippery. It has fallen out of my hand a couple of times. -The black paint gets easily scuffed. I never had that issue on my D750 and Canons. It hurts the resale value. -I still have a hard time getting great consistent colors from the RAW files, compared to my Nikons. My wishes for a A7V would be: -The A7Rv screen mechanism -Better EVF and LCD resolution. It's good enough, but I would happily pay extra for a better experience. -Please add the option tu use our own LUTs for the JPEGs. Like the Panasonic S5II real time LUT feature.

[@antwilk1981]

I switched from the nikon D850 which was a great camera. I only switched to Sony because Nikon were nowhere near in the mirrorless at the time. I couldn't be happier with the switch.

[@DieHardEddieEdwards]

The only negatives are the crop in 4K/60 and how slow the readout is on the sensor. The electronic shutter is pretty much unusable in most situations.

[@megamastah]

This.

[@manuelwidl7245]

Totally agree with you! Thank you for sharing your opinion!!!

[@joshuaaruiz]

Great review! Lately I’ve been almost upset with what the a7IV offers for video with all the new updates and the 4K 60p crop, but after seeing this you reminded me that it is a beast of a photo camera and that’s half the reason I got it to begin with lol. Lately I’ve just done more video so I tend to forget how great it is

[@tek_soup]

hard to believe its been 3 years, great camera!

[@nickwilliams7867]

One thing you did not mention, but I noticed in your hand is the Sony 45RM flash. I own one and absolutely love it. I also own two Godox V1's for when I need extra power, but they are just so much bigger than the Sony 45RM. The little Sony flash just feels so much more balanced on the cameras. As I'm often shooting at F1.4 to f2.8 the 45RM has plenty of power.

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Yeah I might make a video on my lighting setup soon

[@mattlau]

Better late than never! And honestly, it just means you actually know the camera inside out. Way more authentic, thank you! This camera is on my radar right now. I currently have the Fujifilm XT4, but the autofocus and low light performance is bothering me a bit. Missed a few shots once it got darker and the autofocus has been on and off. I actually had the A7 before, so now that they have the new menu system, it may be a good consideration. Is this a worthy upgrade from the Fuji ecosystem?

[@EuroRSN]

Love the camera but my A7IV started developing shutter issues at 60xxx clicks which was unfortunate. Scared to buy one again and I think ill just wait for the new release next year.

[@cdavey7654]

From what I can tell, the a7III and a7IV use the same (potentially unreliable) shutter. Hope they fix/change that with the a7V otherwise that seems like a big fail. I would not buy another a7IV if you want a shutter you can trust (in my opinion) - Have seen plenty of a7IV's with broken shutters in the Sony groups, one guy had his fail with only 12k clicks or something crazy...

[@Airbender131090]

3 years?! man ...time flyes

[@Modality]

Bought my A7iv last year and I am still happy with it. There were a few times where I wanted to upgrade but then realized that it wasn’t worth spending the extra money especially since photography is just a hobby and not a job. It’s probably going to be like how I treat my phone. Buy the newest one AT LEAST every 5 years but if it ain’t broke why fix it so I could see myself using this camera for a long long time unless something game changing is justifying me paying whatever crazy prices come out years from now 😂

[@I922sParkCir]

I really appreciate your review! I'm rocking a couple of A7RIV's and I see that you were using them in the past. Do you notice a significant difference in auto-focus between the A7RIV and the A7IV?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Yeah definitely better autofocus on the A74 but a7r4 still has great focus

[@thomasuriarte3182]

I am about 100 wedding in with my a7iv’s. So true about the shutter sound. I just shot at a very dark church and I also needed to use flash. The shutter and bulb sounds were definitely distracting 😂 One of the few times I truly felt intrusive while working.

[@cdavey7654]

I follow a few different Sony a7IV groups, and sadly it seems that the a7IV uses the same shutter as the a7III and is having some of the same early failure issues for many... I seriously hope Sony corrects this with putting in a better quality shutter into the a7V (whenever that happens). I'm hoping they use a 500k rated shutter like they do in the a1, a9, a7R bodies. I know some peoples shutters last a decent amount, but it seems more just luck of the draw with a7III and a7IV bodies.. I would have gladly paid a bit more money for my a7IV IF it had a better shutter. As it is, I mostly use it with electronic shutter mode when I can, but that is not ideal.

[@strippedlist]

Amazing video man, spot on...well explained

[@AdamKozak100]

I have two. big leap from my old Nikon z5, which is basically a mirrorless d750. I hope to simply change the shutter when it gets too high, and keep it going for many, many years

[@kevinheg8814]

Sony A7IV is almost perfect. For me the Grip is not that ergonomic as Canon. But all the technical specs are great. 4k60 crop is a bit lame but if you need a wide angle you can also use the aps-c lenses 😉 And I love the E-Mount with alle the great Tamron, Sigma and other third party lenses. ❤️

[@jamessann193]

Disagree on the overheating issue. Although, it really depends on the environment and how long you are shooting for in 4K 4:2:2. Had the warning and camera shut down for longer recordings (over 15-20 mins) and tried all the tricks to stop the issue. Still occasionally does it for those longer situations, especially indoors with warmer rooms. Just something to flag that it does occur for some users.

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Yeah I can only speak for my own experience

[@whiteciv]

Really like your images. Very nice work.

[@zeebass2690]

Great review. Such a good camera !

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

🙏

[@MustafaHassona]

Nice.. How did you graded this video.. do u use a specific lut?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Yeah it’s my own LUT I will put it out soon I just don’t want to spam people with stuff for sale lol

[@TopshelfJunior]

I haven't purchased a Sony since the A7MK1... What should I do in 2024.. A7CR ? A7IV ? A7RV ?

[@oasean]

Those very two complaints about α7 IV-the noisy shutter and the flip screen-had made me opt instead for α9 II.

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

I would have kept my a92 if it had slog

[@The-Tall-Photographer]

A noisy shutter? You should hear the a7r iii which is way louder.

[@oasean]

Actually, I have never heard α7 IV's shutter. Still, I don't see how α7R III's shutter could louder, let alone "way louder." In 2018, I moved from Canon DSLR to Sony mirrorless via α7R II, which 2015 model debuted Sony's quiet shutter. In 2019, I got α7R III, which 2017 model perpetuated Sony's quiet shutter. In 2020, I got α7 III, whose noisy and clunky shutter, alike DSLR mirror slap, promptly appalled me. And in 2022, when α7 IV debuted, multiple sources, including Chris Turner, reported that it perpetuates α7 III's loud shutter.

[@The-Tall-Photographer]

I love your presets. I use an A7r iii and I'm torn between this and maybe side - stepping the 7IV

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Thanks mate appreciate it. A7Riii is great. Definitely better than the A73 imo.

[@cochisevanherk8961]

Nice review! What is your set up for this season?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Video coming soon haha

[@_rhapsodist]

you forgot to mention the silent shutter at the cons section 🤪

[@shaquillenoeltv]

Thanks for the review would you recommend getting it in 2024 or go for the a7cii?

[@eliaspap8708]

Thanks for sharing When u say you don’t use more than 2 batteries on a full day wedding, is that per camera body or across both? and roughly how images would u take on say a 10 hour wedding or similar?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Per camera yeah. Probably about 4000 all up with both cameras. Usually I’d use one and a half batteries per camera

[@eliaspap8708]

@@ChrisTurnerPhotographer wow, still thats pretty good & thanks again for doing this video gives us a lot of confidence with this model especially coming from a working Pro that understands the pressure cooker environments and the trust you need with your gear unlike many other youtubers reviews.

[@KrzysPalacz]

Chris i want to go a1 with 24 1.4 and 50mm 1.2 to use it on crop and a7cr2 as backup and private camera, what do you think? now im using 2x a9 with 24/35/55/85

[@bobceffo]

I was cleaning my gear and I decided to make a video.... I always start with "I was cleaning my gear, when I had a better idea"

[@draganmikki5688]

I need help with this camera form users!!! I have been using this camera for three years, but every time I turn the camera off, before changing the lens in order to close the shutter and minimize access to dust, the camera takes 5-7 seconds to close the shutter. Is this normal, and if it is, what does camera do after you cut off the power to it? If this is normal function, this camera is not fit for professional use! I had the camera serviced by Sony UK and they say it is normal but cannot explain why, and what does camera do for those 5-7 seconds. I spoke with Sony Technical department but they didn't know any better either. Can any of you users check if your camera does the same and let me know?

[@fohx]

Great review! When do you think they will release the A75? Or hard to tell?

[@IgorsPlay]

Must be end of the year :D

[@rbrtmllr]

I bought mine (edit: a7RIV) hoping a firmware release would give us down sample RAWs. Damn! Called that one wrong.

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

It did. You can choose small medium and large now

[@rbrtmllr]

@@ChrisTurnerPhotographer Sorry, a7RIV. The 7 got it out of the box (if I recall) so I purchased the R expecting to get it in an update. It never happened AFAIK.

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Ah yeah

[@ethanlowryphotography]

Noice. 🙌

[@RahulVanganicreations]

A7iv has taken my client work to the next level, especially in terms of video, coming from an a7iii. However, I do wish Sony adds a few features in the a7v which they intentionally left out in the a7iv. I am sure you know which features I am talking about ;)

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

thanks for your thoughts but i don't know which features were left out of the Sony IV. care to share? tia

[@RahulVanganicreations]

@@smalltalk.productions9977 This is just my personal opinion, however since you asked, following are the features I feel I miss using the a7iv: 1) Tilt up screen which we had in the a7iii. I think the a7rv screen mechanism is perfect! Can’t hip shoot on streets with the a7iv as easily as a7iii. 2) 1.5 times crop with 4k60p is sometimes too much when shooting indoors. 1.2 times would be reasonable. 3) The option to shoot with Luts and presets is missing which other brands are now offering. This feature can be a game changer for Sony users!

[@RahulVanganicreations]

@@smalltalk.productions9977 Hi, this may be a personal opinion, however, I miss the following features on the A7iv: 1) the tilt up screen from the A7iii, which I truly miss specially during street photography. I know that a7 iv is meant to be a hybrid camera but it still isn't perfect. Cant hip shoot easily. I think the screen on the A7R5 is perfect, and this will probably come to the A75 as well. 2) the ability to shoot with luts and presets. Honestly, this can be a game changing feature for Sony users. Few brands are already offering it including Panasonic and I don't see any reason for Sony not to have it. 3) the 1.5 times crop on the 4K 60 sometimes feels just a bit too much and limiting specially in indoor shoots. A 1.2 times crop factor can still be reasonable.

[@harshyknuckles1824]

Just picked one up used for $1,800.

[@orhansnake9824]

Im still Shooting with my A7 m3! I dont buy the 4! Am waiting for the A7 m5! What do you think about the Release?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Haven’t heard anything at all

[@elevatedmediafl3398]

Please send a link for that meike grip!!

[@KrzysPalacz]

Hoły cow its there for 3 years? ;o

[@beingsolo80]

Good buy in 2024?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Definitely

[@artmaltman]

Are you tempted by A7R5 ?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

Nah I’ve already owned it. Epic camera though. Just too many megapixels for my work haha also the low light is no where near as good obviously which is a little more important to me.

[@emil6101]

I am very new to photography but I found a A7 iv with no lenses included for £480, is it worth getting?

[@Mr_Optimist_UZ]

Getting an aps-c would be more appropriate choice for a beginner. £480 is too low for this camera, I think.

[@stevebarclayfilms]

Cant you silence shutter?

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

You can but you have to worry about banding and rolling shutter in photos. Most churches or venues you can’t use silent shutter because of the lighting.

[@philippenguyen7339]

Whata your opinion versus Lumix S5II

[@ChrisTurnerPhotographer]

I’m not a fan of the LUMIX series for photo but they are great for video. Still don’t think I’d pick one over the Sony but that’s just me. Nothing wrong with the S5ii and it has some features the A74 doesn’t have

[@scampifingers]

Now do A7C ii loool

[@oriomenoni7651]

Hi, all your photos seem to have a strong yellowish/orangish tint, is it the camera, or your color grading? I have to be honest, these colors don't appeal to me at all.