Sony·camera
Sony A7 IV
Based on 66 credible posts from Hacker News, YouTube & Bluesky. 34 filtered out as bot-like or off-topic.
High confidenceA large sample of owners; this score is stable. How we score
Scored September 27, 2026
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Owner reviews
Overall owner mood
Most owners are happy with it: 67% of 66 reviews are positive and 6% negative. Praise centers on camera and price & value. The most common complaint is camera (9 owners). Owners with 6+ months of use are more positive (83%), which suggests it holds up well.
What owners like
Camera praised by 26 owners
“Got the camera also since day 1 of release and really love it.”
Price & value praised by 7 owners
“Having upgrading from the A7II, this is certainly a upgrade that was worth the money.”
Battery & charging praised by 3 owners
“First, my sony camera (and all sony cameras released in the last 3+ years) support USB video streaming out of the box, with no drivers.”
Display praised by 2 owners
“It is hands down the best way to have a screen.”
What owners complain about
Camera raised by 9 owners
“The camera is buffering but never running out of shots, even when I shoot RAW for difficult lighting.”
Price & value raised by 4 owners
“You could say “shot on the product,” and you’d still need very expensive lenses, lighting, and other gear Not really.”
Performance raised by 2 owners
“When i got the A7 II I wasn't shooting that much video so i brushed off the autofocus being pretty slow on the a7ii.”
What owners talk about
- Camera26 praise · 9 complain
- Price & value7 praise · 4 complain
- Battery & charging3 praise · 0 complain
- Display2 praise · 1 complain
- Performance1 praise · 2 complain
Built from the reviews themselves — every quote links to the owner who wrote it.
Full text of every credible post we scored. Bot-like and off-topic comments are hidden.
[...] I’ve been getting into photography over the last 9 months or so. I got a Sony a7iv and an increasing pile of lenses for it. It’s making me a huge camera snob. The truth is that nothing a phone can do can come close to the image quality of a proper modern camera. [...] Photos from phones look like they’ve been passed through stable diffusion or something. They just look wrong in comparison to a real camera with real lenses and real lights. [...] And cameras have teeny tiny lenses and sensors. It’s impressive how good the photos are given the hardware, but the hardware is very very bad in comparison to a dedicated camera with replaceable lenses.
[...] First, my sony camera (and all sony cameras released in the last 3+ years) support USB video streaming out of the box, with no drivers. [...] They also support remote camera control over USB, and all sorts of other things. [...] I have several devices which can control the camera over the USB connection - so it can't be that hard. Second, are you sure your android phone takes better photos? What camera & lens do you have on your digital camera? [...] I got a sony a7iv last year. If I take the same photo with my a7 and my iphone, the photos are wildly different. The iphone's photos are lovely, but they have this very slightly AI generated gloss about them. [...] In comparison, The photos from my sony camera feel like real photos. [...] If I crank the ISO at night, the photos are noisy. [...] The photos look like what I pointed my camera at. In short, I massively prefer the photos I get from my dedicated camera. [...]
I've had this baby for 5 years and I still haven't had a reason to upgrade.
This was just over a year ago after I got my Sony A7 IV. I was surprised I could get a photo like this with the kit lens. Photography Minneapolis
[...] It’s an incredible camera, and I couldn’t be happier with the 50mm 1.2 GM, 35mm 1.4 GM, and 24mm 1.4 GM. Away from weddings I’m using my Leica Q3, which is my fave camera ever, and I’m now integrating that into weddings too.
[...] Killer setup for the price. [...]
[...] I bought my A7IV in September, so I've not really had a lot of shooting time with it, but for the shoots I have done, I agree with you, about the auto focus, its like its learning as you shoot, so it knows what you want in focus. Having upgrading from the A7II, this is certainly a upgrade that was worth the money. I'll hopefully get some time away from the club in January, so I'll be heading out to use my A7IV and create some fresh imagery for 2023. [...]
Owned the A7IV for about 6 months, wasn't the hugest fan of the camera due to the 1.5x crop in 4k 60. Don't get me wrong its a great camera but justifying the full-frame price for all the lenses and accessories etc isn't up to my liking. So in replacement I ended up buying the XH2s with similar lenses and found myself saving around 2k+ on lenses and who wouldnt want that, on top of that I get great ISO performance, great photo and video performance and uncropped 4k 60 and 6.2k Opengate! I did find that the A7IV has a bit of a cripple hammer when it comes to specs and i'm really set in a bad mood by that, lower quality screens and evfs at a $2500 price point. I am no means a sony hater having previously owned the A7III, A6400 and A7S2 but I find more price to performance a HUGE difference in the XH2s compared to the A7IV. As when it comes to autofocus the AF has really caught up and in video it has outperformed my A7IV in certain scenarios in Video but when it comes to photo Sony has nailed the accurate focus on the Eye and find myself with more keepers than leavers on the Sony. [...] In certain scenarios the XH2s actually outperforms the A7IV in dynamic range!? [...]
Image quality holds up really well and this beast can certainly handle 10 more years of professional photo work. [...] Why even my Fuji XS20 can film 6K Open Gate with external BRAW and ProRes RAW while Sony doesn't while being 1000USD more expensive? [...]
[...] I also got a Sony A7 IV camera a few days ago. [...]
[...] Windows does not natively support rendering thumbnails for 10-bit videos, which are commonly produced by cameras like the Sony A7IV. [...] I'm also building other utilities with similar purpose.
[...] I did both myself, as I was using old cameras that I had hanging around and if I sent them for conversion it would be more expensive than the cost of the camera. Conversions done in places like Kolari or Spencer run about $300-500 depending on the camera model. If I were to buy a brand new A7 IV or something like that, I would of course ask one of those shops to do it for me.
I use my Sony a7iv as a webcam. Plug the USB C in and it is recognized as a webcam. I got asked a lot im teams calls what webcam I use
a7iv + 70-200 GM II shooter myself too, I feel you! Even in my day to day travel photography with my partner I'll still drag that combo with me. It's the one range that you just can't easily replicate with a phone and it looks totally magical, whereas things like wide angle photo and your regular 35mm are "close enough" that often I'll just use my phone instead.
Don't be afraid of Iso, you might want manual focus, mirrorless cameras even as good as the R5 have a hard time focusing on "nothing at infinity". Largest aperture your lens can do (biggest hole, smallest f number) and the recommended shutter speeds. I had luck with iso 3200, f1.4 and 1/6s shutter handheld on a sony a7iv with a 35mm f1.4 GM.
A Sony A7iv has threads for attaching lenses. [...] "Shot on Sony A7iv", on the other hand, is pretty obvious to anyone at all familiar with photography that it is only telling you what camera body was used. In fact, people with any level of familiarity would respond with "ok, what's your point?" because the model of camera body is a relatively small detail if you're trying to describe what you used to make an image. [...]
You could say “shot on Sony A7iv,” and you’d still need very expensive lenses, lighting, and other gear Not really. [...] I own a 70-200 ƒ/2.8 myself. [...]
I got this camera at Best Buy used in excellent condition for $1300
[...] It’s my clearest comet photo yet! Stacked in DSS, processed in @siril.org, refined in Affinity. [...] I got the best results by throwing out about 80% of my data. [...] Sony a7 IV & Zenithstar 61 II.
I tried to wait for the A7V but got tired. I got the A7iv recently
[...] I have the a7IV, FX-6, FX-3 and FX-30. [...] They are all very capable tools that help me get the job done and charge money to my clients. [...] I don’t need the newest bells and whistles (unless it helps me make more money) and by doing so pays for itself.
Video stabilization is bad on that camera. I have tamron lens 28-75 F2.8. Which lens should I use to shoot smooth video outside and inside when moving camera?
I just got second A7IV and I could not be happier with it😊 of course when FX3 MK2 or A7V comes out I will add them to my arsenal 😁
began my photography journey about a month ago and the A7IV is my first camera. [...]
[...] I also have zve1 and a7iii and while i did have multiple a7iii, i replaced them with a7iv as there are numerous upgrades like hdmi out with face detect af when recording on sd and sending video over hdmi, 10bit video, also hevc format, especially in 24fps that is just perfect for podcasts as even on 30mbps 4:2:0 10bit in slog3 it looks superb! [...]
I sold my A7IV a couple months ago. [...] Because all I found was camera's that IMO don't measure up. [...] But the build quality and what you can get in the systems? [...] So when B&H dropped the price again, I nabbed it again. For $200 more than I just sold my other Sony A7IV lol Win win for me.
I use even older Sony cameras and they have fullfilled all my needs: good autoficus, small and lightweight, image quality aplenty and reliable. Never a glitch or a hiccup. Why ditch what works soooo well?
I was a little bored, so I used the first DSLR I bought (a Canon T3i) to take a few self-portraits. I did use my strobe flashes to show that lighting can make a 14 year old camera look as good as my more powerful Sony a7 IV. 😅 selfportrait photography fun
Just got one with a Tamron 35-150 as an all-around lens. You just restored my faith in my own judgment. [...]
[...] I have indeed been using my smartphone camera. The one I purchased is a Sony A7 IV. [...]
[...] I debated between the A7S iii which is excellent for video but i had to go with the IV for its excellent hybrid ability and for the black friday price you can't beat it.
What about the colours? I switched from a canon 250D to a sony ZVE 10 and the colours are terrible.i really regret my decisions😢
I own both A73 and A74, the value of both is amazing. For corporate client work as well as short films, I’ve been completely satisfied 🙌🏾
For me rolling shutter isn’t such a big deal to be honest. In fact there are so many Oscar winning films that have rolling shutter. It’s crazy but you hardly notice it because the film is so entertaining. But I guess each to his own 🙂
[...] Visited Iceland a couple of months ago and got some amazing pictures and videos with my A7IV 😎
I have a canon r6 mark ii so it’s quite similar to the a7 iv, love the camera and its hybrid capabilities. I think that you can’t go wrong with any camera in that price range. Regardless of the brand, Canon/Sony/Nikon
My shutter has a hole in it due to it being used as a dust free.
[...] It's a near perfect camera! [...]
The most expensive piece of hardware I ever bought and will ever buy. Worth it.
I love my a7iv, use it mostly for video and my a7riv for photo.
I am about 100 wedding in with my a7iv’s. So true about the shutter sound. [...] The shutter and bulb sounds were definitely distracting 😂 One of the few times I truly felt intrusive while working.
[...] Lately I’ve been almost upset with what the a7IV offers for video with all the new updates and the 4K 60p crop, but after seeing this you reminded me that it is a beast of a photo camera and that’s half the reason I got it to begin with lol. Lately I’ve just done more video so I tend to forget how great it is
I have two. big leap from my old Nikon z5, which is basically a mirrorless d750. I hope to simply change the shutter when it gets too high, and keep it going for many, many years
When I started with Sony, I did it with the A mount cameras in 2010 I think, and those were cameras that I still love to this date if I have to be very honest. The ergonomics, the grip was absolutely stellar....but the BEST DETAIL they had, was the screen, not the resolution or brightness, but the way it articulates its movement. [...] It is hands down the best way to have a screen.
I switched from the nikon D850 which was a great camera. I only switched to Sony because Nikon were nowhere near in the mirrorless at the time. I couldn't be happier with the switch.
FWIW, I've been using dual ProGrade Digital 256GB UHS-II SDXC (250MB/s read) memory cards in a a7RIV for cheer competitions. [...] The camera is buffering but never running out of shots, even when I shoot RAW for difficult lighting. The next team comes quickly and the camera is back to zero.
I recently bought the a7iv and i see the body mirror is not stable, it is totally shaking. [...]
[...] 😊 I also use the A7IV, and it's an incredible camera. [...]
It was my most used camera of 2022 and this year will be no different, I sold my A7riii and A6000s cameras to get a second A7iv, the reasons I did that was alot of jobs like football charity tournaments, music gigs and local events, I always feel the need for a backup especially for big jobs.
Got the camera also since day 1 of release and really love it. I think the 4k 60 crop is because of overheating and also marketing reason to make the a7sIII more appealing for dedicated video users.
Sony A7 IV long-term: how it holds up
Owners like it more the longer they have it (+10 points after 1 year or more).
- First months90% recommend · 5 owners
- 1 year or more100% recommend · 4 owners
When problems show up
- Price & valuetypically around 4 months · 3 reports
- Cameratypically around 11 months · 2 reports
The claims, and the evidence
Owners push back on 1 of 8 marketing claims.
What the brand claims
- 33MP full-frame Exmor R sensorOwners agreeCamera: 26 of 35 positive
- BIONZ XR image processorOwners disagreePerformance: 1 of 3 positive
- 4K 60p videoOwners agreeCamera: 26 of 35 positive
- Real-time Eye AF for humans, animals, and birdsOwners agreeCamera: 26 of 35 positive
- 5.5-stop in-body image stabilizationOwners agreeCamera: 26 of 35 positive
- 10-bit 4:2:2 video recordingOwners agreeCamera: 26 of 35 positive
- 759 phase-detection AF pointsOwners agreeCamera: 26 of 35 positive
- Vari-angle touchscreenFew owner reports
What owners report
“[...] I’ve been getting into photography over the last 9 months or so. I got a Sony a7iv and an increasing pile of lenses for it. It’s making me a huge camera snob. The truth is that nothing a phone can do can come close to the image quality of a proper modern camera. [...] Photos from phones look like they’ve been passed through stable diffusion or something. They just look wrong in comparison to a real camera with real lenses and real lights. [...] And cameras have teeny tiny lenses and sensors. It’s impressive how good the photos are given the hardware, but the hardware is very very bad in comparison to a dedicated camera with replaceable lenses.”
after 9 monthsView on Hacker News“[...] First, my sony camera (and all sony cameras released in the last 3+ years) support USB video streaming out of the box, with no drivers. [...] They also support remote camera control over USB, and all sorts of other things. [...] I have several devices which can control the camera over the USB connection - so it can't be that hard. Second, are you sure your android phone takes better photos? What camera & lens do you have on your digital camera? [...] I got a sony a7iv last year. If I take the same photo with my a7 and my iphone, the photos are wildly different. The iphone's photos are lovely, but they have this very slightly AI generated gloss about them. [...] In comparison, The photos from my sony camera feel like real photos. [...] If I crank the ISO at night, the photos are noisy. [...] The photos look like what I pointed my camera at. In short, I massively prefer the photos I get from my dedicated camera. [...]”
after 1 yearView on Hacker News“Owned the A7IV for about 6 months, wasn't the hugest fan of the camera due to the 1.5x crop in 4k 60. Don't get me wrong its a great camera but justifying the full-frame price for all the lenses and accessories etc isn't up to my liking. So in replacement I ended up buying the XH2s with similar lenses and found myself saving around 2k+ on lenses and who wouldnt want that, on top of that I get great ISO performance, great photo and video performance and uncropped 4k 60 and 6.2k Opengate! I did find that the A7IV has a bit of a cripple hammer when it comes to specs and i'm really set in a bad mood by that, lower quality screens and evfs at a $2500 price point. I am no means a sony hater having previously owned the A7III, A6400 and A7S2 but I find more price to performance a HUGE difference in the XH2s compared to the A7IV. As when it comes to autofocus the AF has really caught up and in video it has outperformed my A7IV in certain scenarios in Video but when it comes to photo Sony has nailed the accurate focus on the Eye and find myself with more keepers than leavers on the Sony. [...] In certain scenarios the XH2s actually outperforms the A7IV in dynamic range!? [...]”
after 6 monthsView on YouTube“Image quality holds up really well and this beast can certainly handle 10 more years of professional photo work. [...] Why even my Fuji XS20 can film 6K Open Gate with external BRAW and ProRes RAW while Sony doesn't while being 1000USD more expensive? [...]”
after 3 monthsView on YouTube
Common Sony A7 IV problems
Issues at least two owners independently report.
- Camera9 mentionsView on YouTube
“Video stabilization is bad on that camera. I have tamron lens 28-75 F2.8. Which lens should I use to shoot smooth video outside and inside when moving camera?”
- Price & value4 mentionsView on YouTube
“Image quality holds up really well and this beast can certainly handle 10 more years of professional photo work. [...] Why even my Fuji XS20 can film 6K Open Gate with external BRAW and ProRes RAW while Sony doesn't while being 1000USD more expensive? [...]”
- Performance2 mentionsView on YouTube
“[...] And honestly, it just means you actually know the camera inside out. [...] This camera is on my radar right now. I currently have the Fujifilm XT4, but the autofocus and low light performance is bothering me a bit. [...] Is this a worthy upgrade from the Fuji ecosystem?”