We compared A7iv 4k60 VS A7siii 4k60

Our quick comparison video of the Sony a7iv shooting 4k60 crop mode versus the Sony a7siii full frame 4k60.
We compared the Sony A7siii on the 240-70 GM vs the Sony a7iv with the sigma 24-7-mm 2.8 and the results while they were not entirely surprising, we we're shocked how little it mattered.

[@kapilesh14]

Thank you for making this video. I am one of those few who had no issues with a7IV's crop.

[@lumetrymedia]

Same here! Thanks for watching

[@sashlipinski7034]

I'll take the a7iv all day long. Lenses take care of the crop factor, and the color and sharpness is better. Fair trade off for depth of field and crop factor.

[@sidehustlers336]

The A74 is perfect for me. I came from a A6400 so I have all the nice 1.4 primes. So 4k60 in 1.5 crop is awesome for me. Good enough to do slomo for my needs and I get to shoot with my fast sigma trio glass

[@tyzmiller]

Good to know, because I just sold my A6400 for the A7IV

[@krogstudios]

Yes same, it's more important to get some good objectives. Since you will swap camera house from time to time. The only reason I would consider A7siii is for longer recordings (it doesn't stop after 30 min), rolling shutter and 120p 4K.

[@krogstudios]

Good lenses* In Danish we call lenses "objektiver" my bad.

[@meygraph]

Very good, I came from a A6400 too And A74 is awesome

[@1994guardian]

does the a7iv offers better low light performance in crop mode compared with a native crop body (a6400)?

[@livestreamchicagoevents9987]

I actually like the 1.5x crop factor on my a7iv, for my monopod shots i have an extra reach. So when I am doing candid or detail shots during event it comes out looking great.

[@lumetrymedia]

Yupp! It's def a nice feature to have! We love it

[@DirectedbyLee]

This was the video I was looking for

[@mshea5906]

Thanks for the comparison but you missed an opportunity to see the difference in low light!

[@andiyoutube1717]

Exactly, this where the difference is!

[@mrwashur1991]

I’ll take the crop in 60p for better photography. Especially with how many features the a7iv has along with the extra down sampled resolution. I think the worst part of the iv is the rolling shitter

[@CourtesyOfCruz]

is it unusable? worried about the rolling shutter

[@muen1842]

Excellent video. An important question answered properly. The 4k60 is still downscaled from roughly 4.6-4.8k, so I was curious as to if it is sharper than the true 4k from the A7SIII's 12 megapixel sensor. Did you manage to test this?

[@lumetrymedia]

Great point! We didn't test that but I think we'll have to do some more tests between these two cameras. While they match pretty good, they're definitely not the same look in many ways.

[@surf2summitadventure646]

Looks way sharper.

[@fluxcapacitor3273]

i did, A7iv 4k is way sharper & detailed than A7siii 4K.period.

[@FoxxGotuje]

For my latest vacation trip I decided to take only A7IV with me. And to be honest, I really regret that I didn’t bring A7SIII. Why? Crop? Yes, but that’s not the only problem. The main problem for me is - low light. Dual ISO in 7SIII gives SO MUCH headroom for night video (ISO 1600 is the second lowest setting for low noise). In comparison - A7IV has it on ISO 400 which is HUGE difference when shooting evening/night videos. So, for me - difference is not only the crop.

[@ZoulXHD]

huh, what do you mean? A7IV has two base ISOs. If you shoot in a proper picture profiel (S-Log3), you get for the two base ISO 800 and 3200

[@cinematools9621]

Great comparison video, thank you. Did you use the same ISO and WB settings for both cameras? A7IV looks a little darker and more greenish.

[@carltonjones2915]

So what's up with the over heating issues, especially if you are a wedding filmmaker and need to operate the camera all day.

[@franklyvlogging4154]

1. If you have wider shots, you can always crop further in post, but if you have a sensor cropped shot, there's no way you can recover the images that the sensor didn't capture. 2. Many people have the Tamron 28-75. The closest equivalent to that is probably the Sigma 18-50 f2.8, which has an equivalent dof of 27-75 f4, and I believe you can tell the diff between F2.8 and F4 in terms of bokeh. In short, you get what you paid for.

[@surf2summitadventure646]

The f stop isn't going to change, otherwise your lighting would change. The look of the bokeh will change because you would be comparing it to a longer focal length.

[@franklyvlogging4154]

@@surf2summitadventure646 Yup, that's why I mentioned that it's the equivalent DOF.

[@michaelbell75]

You arent cropping into low resolution footage from the a7S III at all unless you like crap looking video. The a7IV downsamples from 7K at 24 and 30 which the a7S III can't even come close to. You can crop into that quite a bit and it still looks great. The best the a7S III can do is 4.2K Start cropping into that and goodbye clean video.

[@maruwaanmoses]

​@@michaelbell75 False. I crop in post all the time with my A7SIII and the image is still great!

[@michaelbell75]

a7IV all day, thats what I chose. Crop vs full frame is hugely overrated for video. Most every ARRI and RED camera. as well as the Sony and Canon cinema cameras have sensors roughly the same size as an APS-C sensor, the same size the a7IV is using in crop mode. Its a non issue as long as you have the proper lenses to factor in the crop. Id MUCH rather have the downsampled 7K resolution in 4K 24 and 30 than the A7S III's 4.2K Its just much sharper and cleaner.

[@AllCarsUnited]

I'd rather have 120 fps full frame. Sharpness is overrated

[@michaelbell75]

@@AllCarsUnited you slow all your footage down 4 times? 120 is pretty much useless. Most every serious filmmaker is shooting at 24fps the vast majority of the time.

[@boxemail6697]

Hello sir could you tel me witch lens i choose for a7iv 4k 60fps crop to cover 4k 60fps full frame without loosing resolution?

[@Jesscloma]

16-35mm GM

[@boxemail6697]

@@Jesscloma thank you sir

[@CarcareenaDetailing]

Great test. However i am also looking for low light impact. Does crop 1.5means they perform worse than FF? Thanks.

[@earlderrd2735]

Guys! Its all about the reliability, there are tons of A7IV overheating issues around the globe. I wonder if you guys could share me some wisdom on this.

[@RetroZone]

The Sony A7IV overheats when working with 4K 10 bits 4:2:2. If it is 60p, it will overheat in 2-30 minutes, if it is 24-30p, it will last for a maximum of 60 minutes without downtime. Unfortunately, the battery also overheats the body and shuts down at maximum quality. It lasts longer without downtime when using an external battery.

[@Musica-zp7zn]

@@RetroZone Thanks for that.. I think I'll have to choose Sony FX30 instead, sadly.

[@NibariVisuals]

that's balboa park!! you guys are from san diego too?! I Subbed!! 😁😂

[@ariesoliva8909]

Great video. 😆How about the low light test for A7iv 4k60 VS A7siii 4k60?

[@plextor12]

please do A7RV and A7iv

[@mohbati9139]

I thought a74 is a Full Frame!! I have a6400 and thinking of upgrading but still confused what to get next

[@THELIFEOFCB]

Great video with all the fuss surrounding this situation you guys made me happy about my purchase

[@angwk]

Wao, how come the color and sharpness under A7IV crop mode is superior as compared to A7SIII's full frame, that's so unreal. I am willing to trade off slightly lesser bokeh anytime for sharper and better image color.

[@michaelbell75]

Its higher resolution video. Crop vs full frame is hugely overrated for video. Most every ARRI and RED camera. as well as the Sony and Canon cinema cameras have sensors roughly the same size as an APS-C sensor, the same size the a7IV is using in crop mode. Its a non issue as long as you have the proper lenses to factor in the crop.

[@Yupthereitism]

It’s the editing, they can look exactly the same

[@NT_1]

So glad I came across this.

[@kanohane]

What lens is closest to the Sigma 18-35, but I want AF for the A7siii? I do not understand lenses at all...someone help me... 😭

[@firpofutbol]

The crop changes the lens choice and positioning but you can still get the same shot.

[@karam_nassar]

I sold my canon 250d 3 months ago Now I’m switching to Sony a7iv.. I see that it is one of the best cameras out there, with a mid price range it's the best. I may use the extra thousand to buy a monitor and dji stabilizer which I may pay for the S one!

[@Alex_Cid]

Hey, how about lowlight and rollingshater?🤷

[@photosplusbypeter6877]

So any needs to update the firmware so this new camera has no crop

[@Stallzyx]

I know a lot of this comparison focused on depth of field, but the a7iv has much more clarity and sharpness if you look at the trees, grass, and the railings at 3:51. Throughout, I would say the a7iv has the sharper image, but it's harder to spot on the other shots

[@Rzai1989]

True! Even with 1.5x crop its sensor records 24 MP videos while A7siii records 12 MP.

[@vpocg]

Excellent video! Thank you guys! I personally feel people focus too much on gear. Work with what you have and just create. Period LOL

[@lumetrymedia]

Agreed. I too personally feel the longer you're in the industry the less the impact gear and G.A.S. will have on you. Thanks for the comment!

[@geodude4real]

2:33 - the science doesn't work like that... A) Focal length isn't something that changes. A 20mm APSC and 20mm Full Frame, if you got aruler out and measured it, both have a 20mm focal length. It's just an equivalent thing for a very rough help. But, importantly - by doing what you did here, you've not taken into account the distortion or bowing you'd get from an "equivalent" focal length that matches your framing. A way to think about this - put a popsicle stick in front of your eye, close the other. And frame the popsicle stick so you get 1/3 room, 1/3 popsicle, 1/3 room. Now move the popsicle stick back so that you've zoomed out a 1.5x equivalent, now in your mind zoom that new shot in without moving the popsicle stick back toward you. In that new 1/3 room section both to the left and right of the popsicle, you have less Room, and almost see Around the object more than before. That is why this doesn't work to compare.

[@bastian.michel]

Doesent low light capabilities suffer also?

[@redhorze25]

Ahhh i learn something new today!! Great review, love the comparison.. -from a nikon guy🤪

[@lumetrymedia]

Thanks checking it out!

[@המסעההוליסטי]

Thank you :) Great compression :)

[@ZacBarnesMusic]

great video. well thought out and executed.

[@Arkadiusz4321]

quality is the same, only depth of field is a difference I can see in IV cause of crop, 120fps fhd is also pretty close to 4k 120fps in s3, a7 IV not to bad camera, and make awesome photos.

[@ItsChrisAngeles]

Very informative. Thanks guys!

[@lumetrymedia]

Thanks for watching. Your vids are inspiration!

[@jkagwen]

People here are getting carried away by their preferences. The A7IV is really good but its a hybrid. The A7S3 is a way better professional video camera. RAW OUTPUT, perfect rolling shutter, super slowmo, better screen and EVF. It doesnt mean the A74 is bad, it just means its meant for a different purpose but people should stop saying the A74 is better

[@davidvictory9764]

Wait I thought both were fullframe I am confused

[@robertadams3666]

A7IV is sharper which I expected. Sharper isn’t always a good thing although I do like the A7IV image for sure.

[@lumetrymedia]

Agreed.

[@JinKazama92]

sharper is better cuz when you denoise for High ISO footage, you don't have to worry about losing detail.

[@user-kc9rh8kw7c]

a7iv colors are way better out of the box + you can use 4k crop mode

[@edgardbmedia]

Call me crazy but I actually like the color on the A7 IV more than the A7S iii in these samples

[@lumetrymedia]

agreed!

[@PresCEO]

This was a great video!!!

[@myblacklab7]

Don't wide lenses have their issues? Compensating for crop in 4K60 by using a pseudo-fisheye lens is not a very good solution for anyone who is serious about shooting video.

[@Yougetwhatyoupay]

Thanks for the video.

[@avicreates]

what was the F stop on the 24mm that was on the a7iv

[@marcelkrownmotorworks9842]

Since you guys seem to have lots of experience, i do have a question. When filming in 4k 60 and using for example a Tamron 28-70 F2.8, does the Aperture change in the crop mode? do i have 2.8*1,5? Woule be nice to get an answer, since this still holds me up from buying this cam.

[@InfJova]

No it doesn't change. The light enters in the lens the same way. It also keep same amount of light on each captor areas. Camera just ignore a part of border information. A 28-70 F2.8 is just a 42-105 F2.8 in crop mode :)

[@xzch_]

@@InfJova Nope its different. Light is coming only on the cropped area of the sensor. So theres less light

[@InfJova]

@@xzch_ And how is it supposed to happen? Crop mode just "switch off" border sensor areas. The new cropped sensor just crops out a different area from the illuminated circle. Even if we could change the crop factor, the exposure properties would always be the same regardless of the crop factor. Even better! As border informations are ignored in crop mode, you avoid vignetting wich only takes place on sensor corner areas. So at high aperture, you get more light in corners!

[@xzch_]

@@InfJova Thought that too, but try to get settings like i said, and youll see identical image.

[@zyxyuv1650]

Yes you absolutely need to multiply the aperture. Infinity Jova is wrong and what he said is impossible and it's a common mistake that has to be explained to newbies many times on forums. He arbitrarily over-simplified it to "The light enters in the the lens the same way" which fails to understand the issue and does not even matter because that's not the problem. Most of the light exiting the lens is discarded because it's projected onto an area outside of the APS-C coverage area, therefore you cannot gather as much light. Some people try to fix this by using something called a Speed Booster with cameras like the GH5/GH6. The Speed Booster decreases the aperture of a lens while projecting the image circle onto a smaller area, I.e. a 0.71X speed booster would multiply both the focal length and aperture by 0.71X. Imagine trying to use your same lens except attaching it to a smartphone sized sensor instead and discarding 95% of the light. According to Infinity Jova, it would still be F2.8 even while 95% of the light is discarded from being projected onto a tiny sensor, which is illogical. APS-C is not a special case scenario, the same applies as would happen if you used a tiny sensor. There's a calculator called mmcalc you can search for, it will give you an exact calculation. In APS-C mode your lens is a: *42.8-135mm F/4.28*

[@sstteevveenn77]

The depth of field is something people keep forgetting about. If you have say a 24mm f2.8 lens on the a74 and you use 4k60 crop you essentially now get a 36mm f4. You can definitely tell the difference. But if you don’t care about bokeh (which some ppl don’t) then its a non issue. However if you paid big money for those big aperture lenses then you might be disappointed

[@anthonyjalbert3123]

How's f2.8 become f4 at the crop? could you clarify or give the reference?

[@KrysztalowyDomDuszy]

@@anthonyjalbert3123 2.8 x 1.5 (sensor crop) = 4.2 so F2,8 cropped is F4,2

[@xzch_]

@@KrysztalowyDomDuszy 100% Agree! Thats why its darker and less blurred background on cropped, you should multiply aperture too

[@426Studios]

@@xzch_ the lens is still f2.8 so the exposure is still the same but the bokeh would be affected

[@timboh8776]

Fantastic guys!

[@imranalijafar]

Can you recommend one lens that i can get serve me in full frame and in apsc crop mode for a7IV? i am thinking 17-28 Tamron since it will give me 25-42 in crop mode.

[@casianosd]

That's a solid choice for it's versatility but I feel lens selection heavily depends on what type of photography you and style you're shooting.

[@SevenTakeVideo]

Sigma Art 14-24mm 2.8

[@MODESTYXO205]

Would you prefer the canon r6 or the Sony a7iv?

[@braynz4796]

I have both. Just got the a7iv. Im instantly in love. Selling my r6 next week. Good cam but the a7iv is giving me everything the canon didnt.

[@braynz4796]

I will say though. The a7iv already overheated. First day.

[@MODESTYXO205]

@@braynz4796 you like the A7iv better correct? What lenses you use?

[@braynz4796]

@@MODESTYXO205 Yep. 16-35 GM

[@inspiration151]

@@braynz4796 Bummer! Did you change the auto power off temp setting to high?

[@aim_qat]

thank you for this video: i have use Sony a7iv- a7siii Amaizing! but:🙃 a74: if you shoot 4k with 60fps-it will be crop 1.5 !! with max 60fps ... a7siii: no crop until 120fps it will crop 1.1 only ( i need 120 for shooting horses-4k) so: i have sold a7iv and get A1 😃

[@raalaa121]

If you want FULL FRAME 4K 120p where the actual magic is you need the A7S III

[@thanyawong]

It might be a way of product positioning to separate A7IV and A7Siii. If Sony will be kind to update firmware to unlock feature of 4K 60 full frame, it will be a big surprise. This is just my imagination 😁

[@cd43]

Should be noted that the a7siii’s colors are much more flat than the 7iv

[@sols9449]

A7s3 colors are nicer straight out of camera which means less work on the computer.

[@jamesssten]

Pardon, but if the result have to be fair, you have to use two same lenses.

[@JinKazama92]

what about low light :O

[@mrclarky]

Literally only talked about the crop and focal lengths.... What about detail, noise, colours, dynamic range. Might as well have just been texting the same camera just in ff vs s35 mode...

[@Arelaxedguy]

I’m not gonna lie the A7IV is shitting on the A7SIII….especially if you’re a hybrid shooter… Imagine someone with a google pixel taking a sharper photo than your $3000 camera…. 🚮

[@loveinmotion82198]

Get the a7iv instead of a7siii, save yourself $1000, then add $200 and buy yourself the Sony 14mm 1.8, now you have a camera shooting 4k 60 with 21mm lens

[@pastoringrealestate]

very good guys :)

[@northparkfilms3045]

The a7 iv overheats and Is unreliable at 4k60fps seems like a pointless comparison

[@safedChaadi]

Happens in high iso only

[@Gloomwithaview]

shoot all day long in 4k 60 never overheated. turn high temp setting on

[@frankfeng2701]

It is a sneaky business move to sell more lenses and even cameras.

[@lumetrymedia]

Hey Frank, can you elaborate? Are you saying Sony is being sneaky by doing a crop to force you to purchase the a7siii? or perhaps more lenses to compensate? I could see that........

[@ryszardzokowski812]

No its not. A7s3 using 12 mpx sensor and A7 IV as hybrid photo camera uses 33 mpx sensor. Crop is only way to prevent camera from meltdown because scaling from 33 mpx to around 9 mpx (4k resolution) requires much more procesing power. Thats why A7s3 using low resolution sensor, make it possible to use 4k60 and 4k100 without aditional downscaling, pixel binning etc. You must remeber that A7 iv is mainly photo camera, but many People seems forget about that and treat this small photo bodies as cinema cameras.

[@nahkanukke]

Overkill A7IV

[@adilakreyi7225]

Fx3 the best