The Sony a7R IV Brings the Resolution

There may be a day when resolution doesn’t matter, but until that day comes, die-hard pixel peepers will just have to content themselves with Sony’s latest megapixel monster—the new, 61-megapixel a7R IV.

The company’s newest full-frame mirrorless uses a new back-illuminated CMOS sensor that can deliver 15 stops of dynamic range and a top native ISO of 32,000 (expandable to 102,400 or 50).

As you’d expect, the a7R IV marks the debut of a number of marquee features for a Sony camera:

• It’s the first to incorporate Sony’s Real-Time Eye AF for video.
• It has the highest resolution viewfinder in a Sony camera, with 5.76 million dots and a refresh rate of either 60 or 120 fps.
• It has an updated Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode capable of creating a 240-megapixel image from compositing 16 separate still images.
• It’s the first Sony camera to incorporate a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type C) connection for faster data transfers. Images can also be sent via wireless FTP from the camera.
• It’s the first Alpha camera to have a digital audio interface in the camera’s Multi-Interface Shoe. When paired with two new mics (the ECM-B1M shotgun or the XLR-K3M XLR adapter kit), you’ll enjoy a clean, digital connection between the two devices.

The a7R IV has 567 phase-detect AF points that cover 74 percent of the imaging area and 425 phase detect points to help keep even quickly-moving subjects in focus. It supports the new Real-Time AF tracking mode and Real-Time Eye AF autofocusing capabilities recently introduced into older Sony models via firmware update. The camera can focus in low light down to -3EV.

It’s capable of bursting at speeds up to 10 fps with AF tracking engaged for up to 68 RAW images.

Like other a7 models, the a7R IV has in-camera image stabilization. This system is good for up to 5.5 stops of shake correction, per CIPA testing.

Design-wise, Sony says the a7R IV has improved dust and moisture resistance and a sturdier lens mount. The grip, multi-selector joystick and several other dials and buttons have also been tweaked or enlarged for better operation.

As for video, the a7R IV can record 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30p using the full-width of the sensor with no pixel binning. There are the usual Sony profiles, such as S-Log2 and S-Log3, plus HLG for HDR video. It can output a 4K signal at 8-bit/4:2:2 via HDMI.

Additional features include:

• two UHS-II SD card slots
• 3-inch tilting touch display
• 670 shot battery life
• silent shutter
• Bluetooth, NFC
• full specs here

Look for the camera to ship in September for $3,500.