Updated Sony a7R IV A is Now Available to Order - For $500 Extra!

[Tim Mayo]

You can now pre-order the Sony a7R IV A version from Focus Camera (affiliate link) in the US, it should also be available at other retailers shortly.

However, it will cost you an extra $500 over the price of the Sony a7R IV (none A version) which has been discounted from $3,498.00 to $2,998.00 for quite some time already.

So what does the extra $500 get you?

1. LCD resolution has changed from 1.44 million dots to 2,359,296 dots
2. USB 3.2.
3. The Sony logo under LCD monitor has been removed
4. Very small reduction in battery life when using the LCD. 660 instead of 670 (CIPA standard)

I expect the older model will most likely go out of stock at some point and then you'll have no choice but to purchase the updated model. But knowing Sony it won't be very long before this is discounted as well, especially if we see the a7R V in the next 12 months.

Although I use the LCD occasionally I use the EVF a lot more, and I don't really make much use of the USB connection. So if I was buying new today I'd probably pick up the older model and save myself $500 at current prices.

Do you think it's worth the extra $500?

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I used to think I wanted the A7RIV, but the more I've used my a6400, the more I realize I am not the target audience for that camera. The A7RIV is an amazing camera though and I think the incremental upgrade is good, but pity it costs $500 more. IMO they should have put the "A-spec" model out at the "regular" model's MSRP and then just discounted the regular one. This cuts into their profits, but would help in sales volumes. If I ever had a chance to peak under the hood of the machine that is Sony electronics, I'd be curious to see what percentage of their camera sales are attributed to the different models, that would be interesting!

 

[Paul stuart]

yep its coming A7R IV pretty sure the high mp race is still in the eye of camera companies ,canon want to make something better/bigger than sony a7r4 and sony will not keep still if canon apply pressure ,and it sells cameras high specs mega pixels or fast frame rate it makes for new releases if we need it is another point ,I expect 80-100mp in next addition ,m43 will reach this pixel density with gh6 and we know that is a sony sensor ,apsc will reach over 30mp in next generation cameras .to be honest it is more the video race that is keeping high mp sensors with 8k and 6k more apparent .
The £500 increase for well just a lcd bump resolution is just folly ,i would rather save £500 and put it towards a new lens or something but sony lcd have a poor reputation why the a1 did not see this addition is beyond me.

 

[AlphaWorld]

I used to think I wanted the A7RIV, but the more I've used my a6400, the more I realize I am not the target audience for that camera. The A7RIV is an amazing camera though and I think the incremental upgrade is good, but pity it costs $500 more. IMO they should have put the "A-spec" model out at the "regular" model's MSRP and then just discounted the regular one. This cuts into their profits, but would help in sales volumes. If I ever had a chance to peak under the hood of the machine that is Sony electronics, I'd be curious to see what percentage of their camera sales are attributed to the different models, that would be interesting!

If you read what Tim said, the A7RIV is indeed being sold for the MSRP, and the old one is being discounted by $500.

I’m not sure that Sony is chasing sales volumes on the A7RIVa at the moment. They may well be keeping the supply going until they surprise us with the A7RV and its scary spec (whatever that may be).

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

If you read what Tim said, the A7RIV is indeed being sold for the MSRP, and the old one is being discounted by $500.

I’m not sure that Sony is chasing sales volumes on the A7RIVa at the moment. They may well be keeping the supply going until they surprise us with the A7RV and its scary spec (whatever that may be).

ahh, good catch Tony, my bad!

 

[Lake Travis Doug]

You can now pre-order the Sony a7R IV A version from Focus Camera (affiliate link) in the US, it should also be available at other retailers shortly.

However, it will cost you an extra $500 over the price of the Sony a7R IV (none A version) which has been discounted from $3,498.00 to $2,998.00 for quite some time already.

So what does the extra $500 get you?

1. LCD resolution has changed from 1.44 million dots to 2,359,296 dots
2. USB 3.2.
3. The Sony logo under LCD monitor has been removed
4. Very small reduction in battery life when using the LCD. 660 instead of 670 (CIPA standard)

I expect the older model will most likely go out of stock at some point and then you'll have no choice but to purchase the updated model. But knowing Sony it won't be very long before this is discounted as well, especially if we see the a7R V in the next 12 months.

Although I use the LCD occasionally I use the EVF a lot more, and I don't really make much use of the USB connection. So if I was buying new today I'd probably pick up the older model and save myself $500 at current prices.

Do you think it's worth the extra $500?

I was holding off on the a7r IV and glad I was... ordered the a7r IVA last Friday

 

[Reynolds]

Received one from the Sony Store yesterday....wonderful machine. First Sony in a long time.

 

[PimVer]

All the same price here, old and new model

 

[Lake Travis Doug]

I ordered one of the first a7r IVa models from B&H (waited several weeks for it) and received it on July 6th. I paid $3,498. A week later they had it on sale for $500 off so I called them and with no hesitation they credited my Payboo card for the $500 difference. It's now back to $3,498 on B&H. I've been shopping with them since the 80s (before the Internet) and they've always treated me right.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Not really any differences to shout about then!

 

[Paul stuart]

Not really any differences to shout about then!

But you can show people your images in more detail on the back of your camera ,why they never put the higher resolution screen on the A1 is beyond me ,they have even updated the a7r3 lcd and that is a generation old camera. Still if you are getting a A7r4 no reason not to get the latest A version and existing users carry on not worth exchanging for a higher res lcd ,unless there is more to it than the LCD .

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

But you can show people your images in more detail on the back of your camera ,why they never put the higher resolution screen on the A1 is beyond me ,they have even updated the a7r3 lcd and that is a generation old camera. Still if you are getting a A7r4 no reason not to get the latest A version and existing users carry on not worth exchanging for a higher res lcd ,unless there is more to it than the LCD .

Exactly, and I don't really think the higher res LCD makes a difference on this camera. I rarely show anyone on camera anyway.

 

[Paul stuart]

Exactly, and I don't really think the higher res LCD makes a difference on this camera. I rarely show anyone on camera anyway.

So true landscape photographers probably benefit most ,they could of added bif eye af tracking ,that only requires firmware updating be a lot more useful for wildlife photographers not as though i use tracking .In all reality we will have to wait for the 5 for the better improvements ,which we can kind of guess will be the new user interface bigger better evf ,faster refresh larger buffers and new media for card slots ,af improvements with more ai ,maybe more resolution as that is always a selling factor ,most of the a1 juicy bits with out the stacked sensor and 8k 4 k 120fps i guess .

 

[Lake Travis Doug]

I don't generally show clients the back panel often, but on my first shoot of my latest real estate listing with my new a7r IVa the client was present and was quite interested to see the photos and see some of the details zoomed in. It really paid off to have the increased resolution, they were impressed.

 

[AlphaWorld]

So true landscape photographers probably benefit most ,they could of added bif eye af tracking ,that only requires firmware updating be a lot more useful for wildlife photographers not as though i use tracking .In all reality we will have to wait for the 5 for the better improvements ,which we can kind of guess will be the new user interface bigger better evf ,faster refresh larger buffers and new media for card slots ,af improvements with more ai ,maybe more resolution as that is always a selling factor ,most of the a1 juicy bits with out the stacked sensor and 8k 4 k 120fps i guess .

No, they could not have added Bird Eye AF. That requires the new CPU that is in the A1. You are not the first person to say "oh, it's just firmware", but you are just as wrong

 

[Paul stuart]

No, they could not have added Bird Eye AF. That requires the new CPU that is in the A1. You are not the first person to say "oh, it's just firmware", but you are just as wrong

Not sure why when the tracking is just algorithms ok it might not process as quick with a older cpu compared to a new one ,but would still function ,really i believe it sonys way of keeping A1 sales .

 

[AlphaWorld]

Not sure why when the tracking is just algorithms ok it might not process as quick with a older cpu compared to a new one ,but would still function ,really i believe it sonys way of keeping A1 sales .

Did you notice that the A1 CPU is 8 times the speed of the old one? And has additional functionality? I have no difficulty believing that the code that runs the bird eye AF won't run on the old chip.

 

[Paul stuart]

Did you notice that the A1 CPU is 8 times the speed of the old one? And has additional functionality? I have no difficulty believing that the code that runs the bird eye AF won't run on the old chip.

8x faster and added functionality big deal it needs to be faster for other things not algorithms .It does needs to be 8x faster for eye af ,human eye af does not ,neither does animal ,as i said it is more like sony protecting sales of A1

 

[AlphaWorld]

8x faster and added functionality big deal it needs to be faster for other things not algorithms .It does needs to be 8x faster for eye af ,human eye af does not ,neither does animal ,as i said it is more like sony protecting sales of A1

Do you write computer software? You use the term "algorithms", but I don't think you fully understand what's involved.

Autofocus on moving objects has to be fast enough to keep up with the movement. Imagine an AF system that could focus on where something was a second ago - things can move a long way in a second - it would be useless for anything that was moving. It's bad enough for things that are on the ground, but when they are moving in three dimensions through the air, it's worse.

So yes, 8x faster is a big deal.

I suspect the big difference, though, is that they have added instructions to the new chip. If the new AF uses those instructions, then the code simply won't run on a chip without them.

 

[Paul stuart]

Do you write computer software? You use the term "algorithms", but I don't think you fully understand what's involved.

Autofocus on moving objects has to be fast enough to keep up with the movement. Imagine an AF system that could focus on where something was a second ago - things can move a long way in a second - it would be useless for anything that was moving. It's bad enough for things that are on the ground, but when they are moving in three dimensions through the air, it's worse.

So yes, 8x faster is a big deal.

I suspect the big difference, though, is that they have added instructions to the new chip. If the new AF uses those instructions, then the code simply won't run on a chip without them.

No i do not write computer software ,well everything moves in three dimensions on ground or in the air ,even just walking ,yes birds fly quicker ,but movement of mammals certainly head movements can be just as quick ,well now your getting to the point the new chip has new code ,and simple the code probably does work only on the new a1 chip ,the way sony intended ,i bet when the new a74 comes it has bird eye af and i doubt the chip in that will be the same as the A1 and 8x faster than the previous ,just saying it is sony protecting there flagship camera sales

 

[AlphaWorld]

No i do not write computer software ,well everything moves in three dimensions on ground or in the air ,even just walking ,yes birds fly quicker ,but movement of mammals certainly head movements can be just as quick ,well now your getting to the point the new chip has new code ,and simple the code probably does work only on the new a1 chip ,the way sony intended ,i bet when the new a74 comes it has bird eye af and i doubt the chip in that will be the same as the A1 and 8x faster than the previous ,just saying it is sony protecting there flagship camera sales

Actually, I do expect all of the next generation cameras to come with the new chips. They may be different speeds, but I expect them all to support the same instruction set. I expect them to all support the new menu system, too. They may or may not come with the dual format card slots, but I will be surprised if any of them pause user input while writing to the card.

Will the A7 IV come with bird eye AF? Maybe, maybe not. I won’t be surprised either way.

I think we are in the middle of a change in chip architecture in Sony cameras, and some things will only be available in cameras with the new chip (new menus, for example). Some things require a new chip to run, sometimes for performance reasons, sometimes for architectural reasons, sometimes because they wrote the code for the new chip and don’t see a good enough reason to port it back to an older chip. Which of those applies here? I do not know, but I would guess there could be a bit of one and a bit of another.

 

[Paul stuart]

Actually, I do expect all of the next generation cameras to come with the new chips. They may be different speeds, but I expect them all to support the same instruction set. I expect them to all support the new menu system, too. They may or may not come with the dual format card slots, but I will be surprised if any of them pause user input while writing to the card.

Will the A7 IV come with bird eye AF? Maybe, maybe not. I won’t be surprised either way.

I think we are in the middle of a change in chip architecture in Sony cameras, and some things will only be available in cameras with the new chip (new menus, for example). Some things require a new chip to run, sometimes for performance reasons, sometimes for architectural reasons, sometimes because they wrote the code for the new chip and don’t see a good enough reason to port it back to an older chip. Which of those applies here? I do not know, but I would guess there could be a bit of one and a bit of another.

Sony would be making a mistake not to implement bird eye af across the board of new camera releases ,canon will be putting bird eye af in there non flagship cameras ,i suspect nikon will to if they can. I think it would be a shame if they can not stretch to other cameras in the line up .