It seems like just yesterday that Sony introduced its full-frame mirrorless system which began with the A7 and A7R. More than five years later, we’ve arrived at the fourth generation of a series that has grown significantly in terms of popularity and performance.
The “R” segment used to place image quality and high resolution at the top of the priority chain, but the introduction of the A7R II changed that. On this model, not only was image quality of the highest priority but so was speed.
The Sony A7R mark IV inaugurates the fourth generation in the A7 series. It is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 61MP full frame sensor (a world’s first at that resolution).
The A7R IV has an advanced autofocus system with 567 phase detection points and 425 contrast detection areas, Real-Time Tracking, Eye AF for stills and video (works with animals too!). But that is not all: you will find 5-axis stabilisation, Pixel Shift Multi shooting with 240MP output, 4K video with advanced settings (including Log and HLG profiles), the highest resolution viewfinder seen on a Sony camera and a touch sensitive LCD screen.
Over the years we’ve seen a progressive decrease in the price of full frame cameras. Following the first double-grip bodies released in early 2000 that cost in excess of $5k, Canon introduced the first serious price drop with the original 5D which was launched at around $3300. Lower end models such as the Nikon D600 and Canon 6D followed later, bringing the average price down to the $2000 mark.
This year, Canon has pushed the price down further by introducing the EOS RP to the mirrorless segment, but they aren’t the only ones ready to play the affordable camera card.
Updated on: March 4th, 2020
The Sony A7 III is the most popular full frame camera on the market, and it has been since its release. As I’ve explained in other articles, it checks all the boxes and is competitively priced. In fact, camera stores often have to back-order it.
In the mirrorless segment, Sony was the only brand to offer 35mm format products until Nikon, Canon and Panasonic decided to compete in the same arena. Among the various models now on sale, the Nikon Z6 feels like the most direct rival. The size is similar and the specs match the E-mount camera on many fronts.
After seeing a pre-production version during the launch event in Spain, I was able to get my hands on the Panasonic S1R a second time just before heading off on a trip to Scotland.
Being able to use a brand new camera in an inspiring location like the Scottish Highlands was a great opportunity, but it wasn’t possible to keep it for much longer after my return. Sadly this meant that I didn’t have time to produce a full comparison with another product.
That being said, I still wanted to write about the camera and one of its main competitors, the Sony A7R mark III. So in the little time I had, I took some quick side-by-side shots to show you the basic differences in image quality.
