W♥M: Technology

I’m looking for a new high-end camera so I was hesitating to buy the Sony A9 (used) and Sony A7 IVbecause they were about the same price.

For non-Sony camera enthusiasts, let me explain Sony‘s current camera range in the alpha (a) line. In the market for full-frame mirrorless cameras, Sony basically offers two types of cameras: the A7 and A9 (and its successor the alpha 1).

In the A7 rule there are four subcategories: A7, A7R, A7Sand the new one A7C. The A7R series stands for Resolution, and is focused on still photography and high-resolution images. The A7S series stands for Sensitivity, and is intended for video professionals. The A7C series, a new class introduced a year ago, stands for Compact and aimed at traveling photographers. The standard A7 cameras are basically a jack of all trades, master of nothing.

The A9 and alpha 1 are a different class of cameras, they are very expensive. For example, the retail price of the Alpha 1 is $6,500. That’s not in anyone’s budget… except professionals who swear by it.

Since I didn’t want to buy a used A9 (even though the price was right), this leaves me with one choice: Sony A7 IV.

After using the A7C since a year I begin to recognize some of its limitations. Because the camera is smaller, Sony had to remove some physical buttons and other features (such as an extra card slot, no eyecup, and bad viewer). The camera is not designed as a workhorse, but rather for people traveling and on the go. I knew what I was getting into when I bought it last year.

So the A7IV improves on the popular A7III, adding a 33MP, 4k 30p (downsized from 7k), two card slots (one is CF Express Type A), improved autofocus technology and best of all, the new BIONZ XR chip. This is the same chip found in Sony’s Alpha 1 cameras. The chip is eight times more powerful than its previous generations.

Many photographers who own the 7III said there isn’t enough to upgrade. For early adopters or photographers with pre-production models, they complained that the A7IV overheats. As the pandemic caused delivery problems, not many people seemed excited about the A7IV.

I’m excited about the A7IV because I want the new BIONZ XR… and I’m interested to see how it performs in low-light situations, especially at live concert events. For professionals who have shitted the Sony “flippy screen”, they are idiots.

Since using it on the A7C, I’ve found it to be a million times better than the old “tilt screen”. I’ve used the so-called flippy screen when I need to shoot from above, or when I need low visibility, or even the “selfie” mode… the screen does it all and at all angles!!! When I’m not using the screen, I just put it in “armor mode”, which protects the screen. The flippy screen is simply the biggest advantage the A7C has over any other Sony camera on the market today… and I know I’ll make good use of it on the A7IV.

For video shooters, I’d wait to see what if Sony will release the Sony A7S IVbecause the S-series is due for an update.

For new photographers interested in Full Frame, I still highly recommend the A7C, as it’s the cheapest option and you don’t need any additional features (at least for now). Maybe you can wait for the A7CII, because I’m sure Sony will make a lot of improvements to the original C camera.

Comparison table of Full Frame Sony mirrorless cameras over the past five years. Note: BSI stands for Back Side Illuminated.

Camera	chip	Sensor	Solution	eruption	Price	Publication date
Sony α7 IV	BIONZ XR	CMOS, Exmor R	33MP	10 fps	$2,498	2021-12
Sony 1	BIONZ XR	CMOS, Exmor RS	50MP	30 fps	$6,498	2021-01
Sony α7c	BIONZ X	CMOS, Exmor R	24MP	10 fps	$1,799	2020-10
Sony α7S III	BIONZ XR	CMOS, Exmor HD	12MP	10 fps	$3,498	2020-09
Sony α9 II	BIONZ X	BSI Stacked CMOS, Exmor RS	24MP	20 fps	$4,499	2019-10
Sony α7R IV	BIONZ X	BSI CMOS, Exmor R HD	61 MP	10 fps	$3,499	2019-07
Sony α7 III	BIONZ X	BSI CMOS, Exmor R HD	24MP	10 fps	$1,998	2018-04
Sony α7R III	BIONZ X	BSI CMOS, Exmor R HD	42MP	10 fps	$2,798	2017-11
Sony α9	BIONZ X	CMOS, Exmor HD	24 MP	20 fps	$2,899	2017-05