Sony Announces Formidable New Flagship

Flexing its muscles as the class leader in the newly crowded full-frame mirrorless (FFM) category, Sony has announced a fourth generation—designated IV—of its high-resolution A7 model, the A7R.

The biggest news about the A7R IV is the 61-megapixel backside-illumination (BSI) CMOS sensor, which betters (by the numbers, anyway) several so called "medium format" cameras (which are really large format in digital terms. I know, all very confusing). When it ships in September it will be the highest-resolution 24x36mm camera extant.

...Which makes me recall that my 24-MP Sony A900 was the highest-resolution 24x36mm camera extant when it came out in 2008, whereas 24-MP cameras are now about as common as icewater in restaurants. The A7R IV offers more resolution than that in APS-C crop mode. And in case 61 MP isn't enough, the A7R IV also has Pixel-Shift Multi-Shooting mode for full color information at every pixel site, which reportedly results in the equivalent of 240-megapixel images. It's almost like cameras have enough resolution now, or nearly so.

The camera will have 567 phase-detection AF points with 74% frame coverage, offer 10 FPS for up to 68 images, and, significantly, ups the resolution of the UXGA OLED electronic viewfinder to a whopping 5.76m dots, which should set a new standard in viewfinder clarity and, dare I say it, beauty. The world through this viewfinder might well look prettier than, well, the world. The camera has two UHS-II SD card slots and of course offers in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and Sony's lovely Eye AF, which recognizes eyes and locks focus on them, sometimes in a manner that seems close to magic. It's also weather sealed.

Dynamic range is said to be 15 stops.

It's also being said that the design and ergonomics of the body have been further improved over previous A7 models in response to criticisms. And then we're also gonna hafta talk about that $3,500 price tag. But I'll leave those two topics till later.

The camera is not yet available for pre-order.

Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Roger Overall: "Two hundred and forty megapixel images? I remember writing an article on spec when everyone was marveling over six-megapixel cameras in which I said we'd one day see the likes of cameras that would give us 250-megapixel images. I think the piece was laughed out of the editorial office. I'd like to say, 'Hah! Told you so!', but I can't remember which magazine it was for."

Mike replies: Hate to say it, but whatever magazine it was, it might be out of business today.

Comments

[Jeff]

The Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R (L mount) cameras already include a 5.76m dot EVF.

[Speed]

Mike wrote, "And then we're also gonna hafta talk about that $3,500 price tag."

A Canon 5D MkIV is selling for $92 per MP at B&H. The Sony is only $57 per MP. Cheap!

[c.d.embrey]

It's all about crop factor. So crow the Full Frame Fetishists. And they are right. The MF look come from crop factor, not megapixels!

The Fuji/Hasselblad/Pentax (43.8mm x 32.9mm sensor) is a 0.79 crop factor. Therefore an XCD 80mm f/1.9 lens is the same as a 63mm f/1.5 Full Frame lens. A 645 MFD has a crop factor of 0.64. A HC 150mm f/3.2 becomes a 96mm f/2.0 FF-Equivalent.

Sorry Sony, no cigar.

Here's the Shutter Muse crop factor chart https://shuttermuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/common-digital-sensor-sizes.jpg

[Joshua Hawkins]

Also eye-popping, and something that I'd guess is unimportant for you, 10 frames per second. That's plenty for many sports photographers. Not many sports shooters need 61mp, but some do. I think this camera could be pretty versatile. It's interesting.

[Dogman]

I swear my 3-year old iMac started slowing down when I read those file sizes. Ouch!

[Gordon Lewis]

I have been feeling particularly inadequate of late. Thank God the Sony A7R IV has arrived to restore my photographic virility -- and trust me: the large aperture tele-zoom I mount onto it will leave nothing to the imagination.

[John Krill]

61MP! That is like buying a 60 foot RV when you only needed a VW.

[David Dyer-Bennet]

$3,500 is a lot, but not so much for these features. The Olympus M1X is $3,000, the Nikon D5 is $6,000, and the Fuji GFX is $10,000.

[Jim Moule]

The question is whether any lenses will have adequate resolution to be effective with 61 MP. Sony will probably say that they have been designing lenses for this model all along.

[Sylvain G.]

Mike,

I have to say the idea of having this body and a small-ish sony GM 24mm 1.4 lens used either in full frame or crop mode is very exciting. This very high pixel count is getting us somewhere :-)

[Larry Gebhardt]

I think the biggest new feature is the improved AF subject tracking. That with the new viewfinder and cropping reach from the resolution bump could make this a fantastic wildlife camera.

The price is about $200 higher than the A7RIII was when it was released. That's a lot, but not surprising given fluctuations in currency rates and maybe tariffs (which I can't tell if they hit this camera).

[T. Edwards]

I cannot wait for this camera. The EVF with magnification in the A7R III was a revelation for me. Actually made me enjoy taking photographs again, esp. since these no longer young eyes need all the help they can get.

Supposedly the EVF has significantly more pixels to peep. Very exciting.

On the downside, the menu structure is apparently pretty much unchanged. After over a year with the III, I am almost comfortable with it so maybe that's not a bad thing.

I'll be interested to see if the IV's user guide weights in at 600 plus pages like the III's did.

[brian]

Well, that update fixed the only thing that really bothered me about the A7R III: my finger contacted the lens release button when I dangled the camera from the grip, as I often do. I'm not sure if the cost of the upgrade is worth it just for the improved grip, since I don't print larger than 24x36 inches, but that's something.

BTW, I recall that you once posted an image of yourself proudly holding a print that Ctein made for you from your fabulous 24mp (!) A900. Do you think that your smile would be even broader if you could use a new camera today?

[Robert Roaldi]

If we reached the point of sufficiency some time ago, where are we now?

[Steve Jacob]

Thank you Sony (and Nikon and Canon). Your recent product strategies are saving me a fortune.

[Sal Santamaura]

...the A7R IV also has Pixel-Shift Multi-Shooting mode for full color information at every pixel site, which reportedly results in the equivalent of 240-megapixel images...

Finally, someone using a good copy stand and light box can digitize an 8x10 negative using "Ctein's criterion" with more than half the resolution needed to do what a darkroom contact print would. :-)

[Oleg Shpak]

As I read this I had to google how many megapixels my camera has...

[terence morrissey]

The new EyeAF looks interesting.

[Trevor Johnson]

Interestingly, the new Sony is the same projected UK price as the new Leica ME (240).

Depending on your needs, one may be better value than the other.

[Paul McEvoy]

Seems like digital cameras have eclipsed large format cameras in all ways except charm and in that sense they haven't made any progress at all.

[Steve Higgins]

So, £3,500 (UK price) is expensive? Yet the general opinion seems to be that the same price for the 'entry level' Leica M-E is reasonable?

You probably won't be surprised that I find all this hand-wringing over prices, that put the items in question well out of my reach, a bit of a joke.

The price will drop after a while, anyway. Well, for the Sony it will...

[JG]

Alas, the Jimmy Durante-sized gripola Sony hung on this camera makes it a non-starter for my purposes because it'll be impossible to mount it on either of my FrankenKameras and continue to use the same 35 mm format lenses I know and love.

But I can't help but salivate at the prospect of a 61MP RX1RIII ... what are the odds Sony will update this classic one more time?

[Richard Parkin]

Yes, but does it it make phone calls? Or is it, you know ... just a camera?

[Freddy Schiller]

In my opinion, a far more interesting camera is the Sigma fp announced last week:

https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fp-series/

Very small, full frame Bayer sensor and Sigma color science:

https://camerasize.com/compare/#825,679

Here is a picture with the 45mm lens:

https://cdn.pocket-lint.com/r/s/660x/assets/images/148627-cameras-news-sigma-fp-image1-yjpwyexmhk.jpg

[It's a video camera for modular rigs, isn't it? I tend to ignore most things videocentric. --Mike]

[longviewer]

Wow, 40Mpxl jpegs. Storage companies must invest their pension funds in companies like Sony.

[Stefan]

Well... not sure if any problem is solved by this camera or rather created? This thing totally overwhelms me. Bought a tiny GR IV last week with whooping 10MP. I felt the urge to have lesser specs. And now this!

[Paul Richardson]

This won’t improve anyone’s photography if they don’t already have any talent. Or chops. Or whatever you want to call it.
But put a Holga in the right hands...

[Gerard Geradts]

Status aside, what photography will benefit from this new camera?

[Peter Barnes]

"...what photography will benefit from this new camera?" Hopefully mine. As a professional working mainly with architecture the ability to extract well composed, interesting, high resolution crops from my mediocre 'full frames' is what I like about the 41Mp Sonys. More is more with a jump to 61Mp. And clients wanting to turn my stuff into murals would be happier too.

[Matt]

What is so exciting about this? I dont see anyone suddenly taking better pictures with it.

Fuji covers a larger AF area than what sony offers. And the jump from 40 to 60 mpx is meaningless. You need to quadruple or at least double the pixel amount to have a tangible printing advantage.

As to eye AF, it's useless whenever there is more than one face in the viewfinder because it is likely to focus on the wrong person. Nikon had magical eye AF in the film era which focused on what you were looking at. Now that was some useful eye AF!