Launched in 2018, the Sony A7 III could have been getting just a little bit lengthy within the tooth, however it’s nonetheless one of the vital standard and broadly used full-frame cameras in the marketplace. Then got here the Sony A7 IV, which shunned the notion of a lightweight refresh and marks a strong improve on its predecessor, starting with a surprising new sensor. However is it sufficient to warrant promoting your A7 III and making the bounce to the brand new mannequin? On this Sony A7 IV vs A7 III comparability we sought to take a deeper look primarily based on our assessments of those cameras to see how they really stack up.
Sure, all of our requests for the A7 IV have been granted by Sony, however the Sony A7 IV price ticket not has that very same eye-catching attraction that its predecessor did. Let’s see how they evaluate.
Sensor
- Sony A7 IV: 33Mp full body (35.9 x 24.0mm) BSI Exmor R CMOS sensor
- Sony A7 III: 24.2Mp Full body (35.6×23.8mm), Exmor R CMOS sensor
The most important and most blatant distinction between the Sony A7 IV vs A7 III is the brand new sensor design. Sony has upgraded its all-rounder full-frame digicam with a brand new 33-megapixel back-illuminated Exmoor R CMOS sensor to exchange the 24-megapixel chip within the Sony A7 III. General, this makes a 37.%% enhance in pixel depend for the Sony A7 IV.
With the brand new sensor and increase in decision, Sony has additionally upgraded the A7 IV’s processor, introducing the identical Bionz XR processing engine discovered within the Sony A7S III and Sony A1. Sony says the brand new sensor and processor combo assist management noise higher within the A7 IV.
Video
- Sony A7 IV: 4K video at as much as 60p
- Sony A7 III: 4K at as much as 30p
The Sony A7 IV is able to capturing 4K video at 60p in Tremendous 35mm mode. If you wish to use the total sensor for filming 4K, then your body fee drops to 30p. Nonetheless, you may shoot with 7K oversampling. Sony has additionally constructed the A7 IV with a heat-dissipating design that allows the digicam to shoot 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 video repeatedly for greater than an hour without having a relaxation.
The A7 IV additionally presents XAVC S-I intra-frame encoding for extra environment friendly enhancing workflows and XAVC HS for higher compression effectivity. What’s extra, you may shoot in S-Log2 or S-Log3 for larger dynamic vary and grading in post-production, or you should use Sony’s S-Cinetone mode or considered one of its Inventive Look presets on your footage.
One thing else Sony has added to the A7 V is a brand new change beneath the publicity mode dial that makes it simpler to change between publicity modes if you’re capturing video.
The Sony A7 III, by comparability, can file 4K video to a reminiscence card at as much as 30p. Customers even have the choice to shoot in S-Log2 and S-Log3, and there’s a Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) image profile for displaying video direct from the digicam on HDR (HLG) suitable televisions.
The A7 III additionally oversample recordsdata – gathering round 2.4x as a lot knowledge as wanted – to supply 4K footage with higher dynamic vary.
Autofocus
- Sony A7 IV: Hybrid AF with 759 section detection factors and 425 distinction detection factors
- Sony A7 III: Hybrid AF with 693 section detection factors and 425 distinction detection factors
In addition to its processor, the Sony A7 IV additionally inherits the A1’s hybrid AF system with 759 section detection factors and 425 distinction detection factors. Sony’s standard Eye AF can also be on board within the A7 IV and may detect Human, Animal or Chook eyes with real-time monitoring. And for the primary time these Eye AF modes can be found when capturing video in addition to stills.
Different new AF options embody AF Help, Focus Map (just like focus peaking, however color coded to assist customers visualise depth of discipline) and Respiration Compensation. This latter mode makes use of knowledge for suitable lenses (there are presently round 15) to use a slight crop in order that the framing of the picture gained’t change with the main focus distance.
The Sony A7 III, in the meantime, employs a hybrid AF system comprising 693-point section detection factors and 425 distinction AF factors. In whole, these factors cowl 93% of the imaging space. The digicam’s AF system is delicate right down to -3EV.
The A7 III additionally has Eye AF built-in, and choices for Human and Animal have been added later through new firmware. Nonetheless, these aren’t out there in video mode.
With extra section detection factors and the choice to make use of Eye AF for stills and video, the Sony A7 IV appears to be like to have an improved AF system over the A7 III.
General, the A7 IV has a slight edge right here in having the ability to file 4K footage at 60p. Nonetheless, one edge the Sony A7 III has vs the A7 IV is in battery life, significantly when filming.
Viewfinder
- Sony A7 IV: 0.5-inch 3,686,400-dot EVF
- Sony A7 III: 0.5-inch 2,359,296-dot EVF
One other clear improve within the A7 IV is a brand new 0.5-inch 3,686,400-dot viewfinder that exhibits 100% discipline of view and gives a refresh fee as much as 120fps.
The Sony A7 III additionally presents a big 0.5-inch EVF that provides a transparent view of the scene. Nonetheless, at 2,359,296 dots its decision is kind of a bit decrease than the EVF on the A7 IV.
Display screen
- Sony A7 IV: 3-inch 1,036,800-dot vari-angle touchscreen
- Sony A7 III: 3-inch 921,600-dot tilting touchscreen
The Sony A7 IV inherits the identical 3-inch 1,036,800-dot vari-angle touchscreen as discovered on the A7S III. Not like the touchscreen on the Sony A7C and A7 III, this touchscreen is extra responsive. Now you can navigate menus and make settings changes, whereas earlier than with the A7 III you have been primarily restricted to tapping to set the AF level.
See our information on one of the best cameras with flip-out screens.
Stabilisation
- Sony A7 IV: 5-axis giving as much as 5.5EV compensation
- Sony A7 III: 5-axis giving as much as 5EV compensation
Each the Sony A7 III and A7 IV supply built-in 5-axis in-body picture stabilisation. Nonetheless, the system within the A7 IV gives as much as 5.5 stops of shutter pace compensation, in comparison with 5 stops for the A7 III.
It is a slight distinction, however one other benefit for the Sony A7 IV. For extra, try our information on which cameras have IBIS.
Physique & Weight
- Sony A7 IV: 658g; 131.3 x 96.4 x 79.8mm
- Sony A7 III: 650g; 126.9 x 95.6 x 73.7mm
When evaluating the physique design of the Sony A7 IV vs A7 III, the 2 cameras look virtually similar. There are some slight variations, although. The A7 IV inherits the deeper grip from the Sony A7R IV and A1, and naturally the A7 IV additionally has the vari-angle touchscreen. Sony has additionally moved the mic port to the highest of the facet of the digicam the place the display flips out in order that they don’t intervene with one another.
On account of these tweaks, the Sony A7 IV is ever so barely heavier (simply 8g) and barely chunkier. In sensible use, although, you gained’t discover these slight variations all that a lot.
Ought to I Promote My Sony A7 III?
We’re now on the level within the evolution of digital digicam expertise the place new digicam fashions aren’t the massive leap ahead over the predecessor that they as soon as have been. We’re now within the period of sunshine refreshes, however what’s refreshing this time is that the Sony A7 IV marks a really clear improve in virtually each space however battery life over the Sony A7 III.
From our Sony A7 IV vs A7 III comparability you may see that even in areas resembling video the place the upgrades are slight, resembling utilizing Eye AF modes in video, they nonetheless make a big effect in your on a regular basis sensible use. This coupled with the substantial updates in sensor, processor, AF and different options means you must actually take into consideration promoting your Sony A7 III and upgrading to the A7 IV.
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