Industry News: Sony officially announces the A7 IV and new flashes

[entoman]

Curious why a Canon site would report on Sony cameras. Is there not a Sony rumors site that already does this?

Obviously this site is mainly about Canon imaging products, but it seems perfectly logical to me to mention competing cameras from other brands. Especially if those cameras offer worthwhile features that might cause Canon users to add an extra body that was compatible (via adaptors) with Canon lenses.

One of the nice things about this website is that competing brands can be discussed without people erupting into the kind of brand warfare that ruins certain other sites.

 

[David - Sydney]

Just spent a bit of time reading the DPReview comments for the initial impressions.... I haven't seen the word "c r i p p l e d" used so much
A lot of disappointed people mostly for the price increase with the only key spec being 33mp. A few fans are pushing the benefits where they see them but underwhelming overall.

I am surprised that Sony didn't (or couldn't) push the specs further the the a7iii. It reminds me of the 5Div vs 5Diii introduction.... Incremental improvements all round which were very useful but the spec sheet wasn't a big step up. That said, the 5Div was released at the same USD3500 price as the 5Diii vs USD500 increase for the a7iv. The addition of clog did increase the 5Div's price to USD3600 though.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Just spent a bit of time reading the DPReview comments for the initial impressions.... I haven't seen the word "c r i p p l e d" used so much
A lot of disappointed people mostly for the price increase with the only key spec being 33mp. A few fans are pushing the benefits where they see them but underwhelming overall.

I am surprised that Sony didn't (or couldn't) push the specs further the the a7iii. It reminds me of the 5Div vs 5Diii introduction.... Incremental improvements all round which were very useful but the spec sheet wasn't a big step up.

People and ‘reviewers’ seem to assume the target market for a given camera iteration is owners of the n – 1 iteration. That’s likely not the case (though certainly there will be some who buy every new update to their model, every new iPhone release, etc.).

Far more likely that any given release is targeting owners of the n – ≥2 iteration and owners of lower lines.

 

[jd7]

The A7 IV ticks many of the boxes for things I am looking for in a camera. I like the 33MP sensor resolution, the AF sounds good, 10 FPS is OK with me, and the ability to use FE mount lenses (Sony and third party) is a huge drawcard for me. The body/ergonomics look similar to other Sony bodies (unsurprisingly), so I am sure I would prefer something like the R6 from that point of view, but it seems you can't have everything! Overall, the A7 IV is more appealling to me than what Canon currently offers. However, I am surprised at only 6 FPS if shooting uncompressed raw, and by the price: it seems to be very much an incremental upgrade from the A7 III but it's more than double the price for which I could have bought an A7 III over the last year or so (at least if I waited for a sale), and more expensive than an R6 (and I have never understood the pricing of the R6 at least here in Australia - although presumably Canon sells them even at the price). If Sony had kept the pricing in the A7 III's price bracket (obviously as the new model you expect it to be a bit more than the current A7 III price), I would have been seriously tempted. At over A$4000 though, the decision is much more complicated, particularly given I would be changing systems entirely. Looking like I will remain a DSLR shooter for the time being. Will live in hope that current camera pricing reflects COVID-related supply disruptions and prices will come down again once those disruptions are behind us.

 

[RayValdez360]

Obviously this site is mainly about Canon imaging products, but it seems perfectly logical to me to mention competing cameras from other brands. Especially if those cameras offer worthwhile features that might cause Canon users to add an extra body that was compatible (via adaptors) with Canon lenses.

One of the nice things about this website is that competing brands can be discussed without people erupting into the kind of brand warfare that ruins certain other sites.

I dont know why peopel ask that question. The ownwer of the site can do what he wants to do. Not like people are forced to read anything they dont want to. Sometimes there are reports of Canon lenses i dont care about, i just ignore those stories.

 

[David - Sydney]

People and ‘reviewers’ seem to assume the target market for a given camera iteration is owners of the n – 1 iteration. That’s likely not the case (though certainly there will be some who buy every new update to their model, every new iPhone release, etc.).

Far more likely that any given release is targeting owners of the n – ≥2 iteration and owners of lower lines.

True and this is particularly the case for the a7/a7ii users. The difference in this case is that the a7iii is still on sale and could be seen as a bargain compared to the 25% price increase to the a7iv.
In comparison, the 5Div was released at the same USD3500 price as the 5Diii (plus USD100 when clog was added)

 

[Aussie shooter]

Some good. Some bad. Pros and cons. I would say it is the equal of the R6 although it falls short in some specs and exceeds in others.

 

[ConanRumours]

Seeing as I probably wouldn't shoot electronic shutter much and don't care about video, that doesn't matter to me. I wish Canon had a 30 MP camera for that price. I don't need the 45 MP of the R5. The R6, while a nice camera seems like a step backwards, but I will probably give in and buy an R6 anyway for the stabilization and focusing as finally make the plunge to step up from 5D IV's.

Athough amazing cameras, the stabilization on the canon r5 and r6 is actually worse than the latest from Sony and just for 1 reason which is frustrating: the infamous background wobble which renders footage unusable for clients. Matti Haapoja covered this extensively and switched from Canon just because of that. The gyro data + active stabilization was a very smart move from Sony.

 

[Sporgon]

Just spent a bit of time reading the DPReview

I am surprised that Sony didn't (or couldn't) push the specs further the the a7iii. It reminds me of the 5Div vs 5Diii introduction.... Incremental improvements all round which were very useful but the spec sheet wasn't a big step up.

The upgrade from the 5DIII to the IV provided some of the most entertaining comments on the web at the time. These were broadly based upon those who criticised the III for its ‘lack of DR’ and then subsequently the IV for not providing enough improvements in spec to make updating worthwhile.
Inadvertently proving to themselves that DR was never really an issue in the first place. Just as DPR found with the D5

 

[EricN]

The upgrade from the 5DIII to the IV provided some of the most entertaining comments on the web at the time. These were broadly based upon those who criticised the III for its ‘lack of DR’ and then subsequently the IV for not providing enough improvements in spec to make updating worthwhile.
Inadvertently proving to themselves that DR was never really an issue in the first place. Just as DPR found with the D5

Some people just like to complain...

 

[neuroanatomist]

The upgrade from the 5DIII to the IV provided some of the most entertaining comments on the web at the time. These were broadly based upon those who criticised the III for its ‘lack of DR’

EPISODE III
Attack of the DRones​

It is a dark time for the Rumors Forum. Although the 5DeathII Star has been destroyed, Canon troops have driven the dynamic forces from their hidden troll caves and pursued them across the galactic range.

Evading the dreaded Canon Market Share, a group of freedom fighters led by Mikael Residal has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of SonyAlpha and dispatched thousands of DRone Warriors armed with D800 blasters into the far reaches of interwebs….

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Curious why a Canon site would report on Sony cameras. Is there not a Sony rumors site that already does this?

The site migrated to a photography site several years ago and reports on high end models for the major brands. The emphasis is overwhelmingly Canon, but lots of Canon users like to know what others are doing and to compare. I like to read about other brands occasionally, its good to know what is going on in the photography world.

 

[peters]

Canon have the R, which has an excellent 30MP sensor and is a lot cheaper. It can’t match the Sony in terms of burst speed or dynamic range, and it doesn’t have IBIS or twin card slots, but it’s a great camera to use. Canon have said that they won’t bring out a MKii version. Instead, I think they’ll bring out a pro-grade APS-C body with 30MP+ in RF within a few months.

But lets be honest - the R is a complete trainwreck for any kind of video work.
The crop is disapointing, but what truly makes it garbage for video is the completely insane rolling shutter. Its the same as in the 5D IV (I had both). Its CRAZY, realy. Any kind of camera motion looks incredible aweful.
Also the incredible bad downscaled Full-HD Image...

I think the only reason I would recommend the R, is if someone looks for a enthusiasts portrait- or travel camera. Thats where this camera shines. But only if you can get it used super cheap.



Great upgrade in the Sony Lineup. Its an affordable camera with an INSANE amount of features. It delivers just the way Sony does in the last 5 years - allways the most stuff in the camera that is possible at the pricepoint.

Its not interesting for me, since I am happy with my 2 R5s for both, photo- and video related work. But competition is always a good thing

 

[entoman]

But lets be honest - the R is a complete trainwreck for any kind of video work.
The crop is disapointing, but what truly makes it garbage for video is the completely insane rolling shutter. Its the same as in the 5D IV (I had both). Its CRAZY, realy. Any kind of camera motion looks incredible aweful.
Also the incredible bad downscaled Full-HD Image...

Video isn’t my thing, so I’ll leave others to comment on that...

I think the only reason I would recommend the R, is if someone looks for a enthusiasts portrait- or travel camera. Thats where this camera shines. But only if you can get it used super cheap.

The R is currently available new for £1220 body only, which is “super cheap” - a great bargain for any stills photographer. I use a R5 as my main camera, and a 5DMkiv as backup, but as I’m slowly switching over to RF mount lenses, I’ll probably sell the 5DMkiv and replace it with an R. It makes an excellent and very affordable backup to the R5, has a near identical control layout, and the specs and performance are more than good enough for 90% of the wildlife, nature, travel and landscape work that I do.

Great upgrade in the Sony Lineup. Its an affordable camera with an INSANE amount of features. It delivers just the way Sony does in the last 5 years - allways the most stuff in the camera that is possible at the pricepoint.

I agree that the Sony a7iv makes a great addition to their line-up. Obviously as a new late 2021 model, it’s going to have a superior specification and marginally better image quality than Canon’s 3 year old first attempt at an FF MILC, but the Sony is twice the price.

Sony make excellent cameras and gave Nikon and Canon the much-needed kick up the backside that they needed. But given the choice between the a7iv and the similarly priced R6, I’d definitely go for the Canon. Similarly, given the choice between the R5 and the £6000 Sony a1, the canon for me is the better choice. Sony cameras are very full featured and perform very well, but IMO they are very overpriced.

It’s great that we have so much choice these days, there literally is something for everyone, no matter what their requirements, and with FF MILCs starting at £950 and going up to £6000+, there is something for everyone’s budget too.

As for brand, it’s very much a personal choice, as you often find 2 cameras with near-identical specifications that have entirely different handling characteristics. I’m happy with my choices, and I hope Sony and Nikon (etc) users are equally happy with theirs.

 

[peters]

Video isn’t my thing, so I’ll leave others to comment on that...

The R is currently available new for £1220 body only, which is “super cheap” - a great bargain for any stills photographer. I use a R5 as my main camera, and a 5DMkiv as backup, but as I’m slowly switching over to RF mount lenses, I’ll probably sell the 5DMkiv and replace it with an R. It makes an excellent and very affordable backup to the R5, has a near identical control layout, and the specs and performance are more than good enough for 90% of the wildlife, nature, travel and landscape work that I do.


I agree that the Sony a7iv makes a great addition to their line-up. Obviously as a new late 2021 model, it’s going to have a superior specification and marginally better image quality than Canon’s 3 year old first attempt at an FF MILC, but the Sony is twice the price.

Sony make excellent cameras and gave Nikon and Canon the much-needed kick up the backside that they needed. But given the choice between the a7iv and the similarly priced R6, I’d definitely go for the Canon. Similarly, given the choice between the R5 and the £6000 Sony a1, the canon for me is the better choice. Sony cameras are very full featured and perform very well, but IMO they are very overpriced.

It’s great that we have so much choice these days, there literally is something for everyone, no matter what their requirements, and with FF MILCs starting at £950 and going up to £6000+, there is something for everyone’s budget too.

As for brand, it’s very much a personal choice, as you often find 2 cameras with near-identical specifications that have entirely different handling characteristics. I’m happy with my choices, and I hope Sony and Nikon (etc) users are equally happy with theirs.

Completely agree

I like the canons a bit better when it comes to photography. The handling and the images "feel" a bit better. Though I had the Sony a7r IV for some time and the resolution was truely astonishing (at this time I had a 5d IV and 1dx II). Especialy for travel, landscape and product photography these 60mp certainly shine.

I also do video work. Since I dont want to buy 2 photo cameras and 2 video cameras (which is the minimum I need for my work), I am allways super interested in Mirrorless cameras. Especialy since they offer fullframe sensors with great performance.
In my opinion the R5 was the first camera where Canon finaly catched up with sony in that regard. Before that, there was simply no DSLR or DSLM that offered the all-around versatility of the Sony A7 line.
But I sticked to canon most of the time (with an additional Lumix S1H for video) and didnt regret it so far.

Currently, I think the a7 IV is the best allrounder, when I look at these specs. For people doing both (photo and video) and on a limited budget, its a great choice.

Exciting times with so many great options from all brands =)

 

[entoman]

In my opinion the R5 was the first camera where Canon finaly catched up with sony in that regard. Before that, there was simply no DSLR or DSLM that offered the all-around versatility of the Sony A7 line.

Agreed.

With mirrorless, Sony has always been at the front regarding features, specification and sensor performance, but has lagged a long way behind Canon in terms of ergonomics and usability, at least that’s my opinion, although Sony users may disagree, which is fine.

Canon (with the R5/R6) have now caught up and in some areas surpassed Sony. It wouldn’t surprise me for a second if Nikon’s Z9 became the next mirrorless king. Panasonic have still to overcome their DFD limitations, but the S1H still seems to be the best overall video-orientated hybrid.

The gap between brands now has narrowed so much that our choices are made primarily on the basis of handling, compatibility with our existing lenses, and availability of specific features such as 8K or motorbike-AF, rather than on image quality or general performance.

 

[dlee13]

Just spent a bit of time reading the DPReview comments for the initial impressions.... I haven't seen the word "c r i p p l e d" used so much
A lot of disappointed people mostly for the price increase with the only key spec being 33mp. A few fans are pushing the benefits where they see them but underwhelming overall.

I am surprised that Sony didn't (or couldn't) push the specs further the the a7iii. It reminds me of the 5Div vs 5Diii introduction.... Incremental improvements all round which were very useful but the spec sheet wasn't a big step up. That said, the 5Div was released at the same USD3500 price as the 5Diii vs USD500 increase for the a7iv. The addition of clog did increase the 5Div's price to USD3600 though.

The A7III was so feature packed as it had an important purpose, convent Canon and Nikon users before both brands released their Mirrorless offerings and I was one of those made the switch.

The Canon R6/R5 are now out and Sony have really changed their releases. They’re not only doing more incremental updates, but also started to slow down release cycles too.

Here in Aus, most stores are selling the A7IV for $3999 AUD but you can also get the A7RIV for only $300 more so for stills shooter, that may be an attractive option.

If I had waited for the A7IV and not swapped to the R6 I’d be pretty disappointed, especially since after selling the A7III I’d still need to pay 2k out of pocket for the upgrade.

 

[padam]

A7IV: high res (no AA filter), no overheat problems, video codecs, dual native ISO, better dynamic range, IBIS with wide-angle, breathing compensation
R6: minimal 4k60p crop, ergonomics, faster shooting, better buffering, stronger IBIS, better LCD, quieter shutter, better electronic shutter, EF lenses
AF strong on both, too difficult to judge based on various settings and many other factors

 

[tbgtomcom]

Obviously this site is mainly about Canon imaging products, but it seems perfectly logical to me to mention competing cameras from other brands. Especially if those cameras offer worthwhile features that might cause Canon users to add an extra body that was compatible (via adaptors) with Canon lenses.

One of the nice things about this website is that competing brands can be discussed without people erupting into the kind of brand warfare that ruins certain other sites.

Perhaps the site should be renamed to "CameraRumors".

 

[GoldWing]

It's a slow camera with so-so IQ. But better resolution than the R3... And miles behind the Z9

Wondering where the R1 is in development? Seems aside from the Z9 nothing exciting going on in the FF market.

Fuji MF now dominates with their 50s and 100s..... Leaving Hasselblad to figure out how to justify a $47,000 USD body.

Canon where are you?????? The R1 could fill gaps not only where the Z9 leaves off, but bridge the gap to the Fuji market.....

We sit... we wait....