Sony A7R IV
Versatile, Mirrorless, 61-megapixel Camera
Review by Steve BaczewskiCompany: Sony Corporation of AmericaPrice: $3,499.99 (body)Rating : 4Hot: Handling/performance; IQ; EVFNot: Menu organization; touch technologyThe shiny object in Sony’s new mirrorless A7R IV camera is their
new BSI 61-megapixel sensor. For now, if you’re looking for more
pixels, the next stop is medium-format. Landscape photographers
will find the image detail and ease of cropping in post hard
to resist.
But this isn’t a one-trick pony. Sony has made other changes,
including physical improvements to the body that add to the
overall performance, making it an all-around professional camera
for sports, architecture, modeling, and the studio. For example,
the textured grip is deeper and, in conjunction with the A7R IV’s
built-in, 5-axis image stabilization, enables hand-holding long
lenses more practical and less reliant on tripods. Handheld, the
A7R IV provides for a wonderful, fluid shooting experience. The
buttons on the A7R IV’s body are larger and more tactile than
previous versions, and the exposure compensation dial now has
an optional lock to avoid unintended changes. The rear control
dial is repositioned on top of the body for easier access and, when
adjusting the aperture or shutter speeds (both the front and rear
control dials), there’s a sense of precision, with a more distinct
click between stops. In addition, the weather seals and gaskets
are more prevalent and evident around compartment doors.
Sony has also added more and faster-reacting phase-detec-
tion points to the sensor: from 399 points on the A7R III to 567
points on the A7R IV, and they’ve increased the area covered from
approximately 45%–75% of the sensor. The results are that AF,
whether shooting single or continuous, is faster and more accurate.> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ MARCH 2020[ 112 ]
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