Sony A7 IV + 16-35mm f4 G PZ

Sony A7 IV + 16-35mm f4 G PZ

An all-rounder that goes beyond the basics, the SONY Alpha a7 IV does double duty with solid stills and video performance. An advanced mirrorless hybrid camera, the a7 IV has the resolution and AF performance that appeal to photographers along with solid 4K 60p video recording for filmmakers and content creators.

The newly developed 33MP Exmor R CMOS sensor is paired with Alpha 1's BIONZ XR processor to achieve fast shooting up to 10fps and 4K 60p video recording, along with wide sensitivity up to ISO 51200 and a wide dynamic range of over 15 stops. Beyond image quality, the sensor and processor also contribute to an advanced AI-based AF system that supports Real-Time Eye AF and Real-Time Tracking for intuitive AF control and subject tracking.

This fourth-generation a7 camera also has an updated body design that houses a higher-resolution 3.68m dot EVF, vari-angle touchscreen LCD and dual memory card slots, including a dual CFexpress Type A/SD UHS-II slot. Connectivity and streaming are also a key attribute of this camera, and it supports a simple plug-and-play design for live streaming directly from the camera when connected to a computer via USB.

• 33MP BSI Exmor R CMOS sensor 

The newly developed 33MP Exmor R full-frame sensor features a backlit design that promotes high clarity, low noise, and vivid color reproduction. This design benefits working in low light conditions and works in conjunction with a wide sensitivity range of ISO 100-51200. The sensor design also achieves an impressive dynamic range of approximately 15 stops and files can be recorded in 10-bit RAW, JPEG or HEIF format.

• BIONZ XR Processor

With the flagship-class BIONZ XR engine, high-speed image processing capabilities are available for fast continuous shooting, 4K video recording, and advanced AF tracking performance. Fast processing also helps reduce roller shutters and other motion distortions for clean reproduction of moving subjects.

In terms of shooting speeds, the sensor and processor allow shots of up to 10fps, using the mechanical or electronic shutter and with AF/AE enabled. In addition, the buffer allows recording up to 828 consecutive uncompressed RAW + JPEG frames when using a CFexpress Type A card.

• Advanced external flash control

Suitable for working with flash while photographing fast-moving subjects, P-TTL flash metering is possible between each exposure when working with low, medium or even high-speed continuous shooting modes. This helps maintain stable lighting if low-light bursts are made and greatly benefits work in changing light or low-light conditions. The updated flash control system also helps reduce flash trigger delay, uses the camera's AWB information for natural color reproduction, and supports adjustment of selected flash and transmitter units directly from the camera interface.

• 4K 60p 10-bit video recording

1. Taking full advantage of the high-resolution 33MP sensor and fast processing capabilities, 10-bit XAVC HS 4K UHD recording is possible using the sensor's full width, which offers 7K oversampling for impressive sharpness and realism.
2. There's also oversampled 4K recording, via a 4.6K capture area, with Super 35 cropping, offering 4K UHD output up to 60p in 10-bit.
3. No recording time limit allows unlimited clip lengths and the camera's physical design features an improved heat dissipation structure to promote longer recording times; more than an hour of continuous 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 recording, for example.
4. The a7 IV employs a pair of codecs to suit different workflows: XAVC HS, which uses HEVC/H.265 encoding to retain more detail at smaller bit rates and XAVC SI, which is an intraframe codec for consistent performance and quality at bitrates up to 600 Mb/s.

• S-Cinetone, S-Log3 and other color and gamma controls

1. S-Cinetone can be used to deliver distinct colours and healthy-looking skin tone reproduction to match FX9 and FX6 cameras, along with a1 and a7S III cameras, and is based on Cinema Line professional camera technology such as VENICE. This colour profile offers natural mid-tones, soft colours and particularly well-controlled highlights.
2. HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) support allows recording within a wide color gamut to produce HDR-ready content directly from the camera.
3. S-Log3 is also available to produce a dynamic range of more than 15 stops with greater gradation control in the shadow to mid-tone regions of the image.

• AI-based autofocus

Covering approximately 94% of the image area, a fast hybrid AF system incorporates 759 phase detection points for fast and accurate focusing in a variety of lighting conditions with a sensitivity down to -4 EV. This focusing system is available for use in all recording modes, to benefit both video and still image applications.

Real-time tracking and real-time Eye AF

Borrowing from the flagship AF system, the a7 IV has tuned tracking and subject detection capabilities that lock onto subjects quickly and fine-tune focus on subjects' recognized eyes and faces:

Real-time tracking is an AI-based subject recognition system that recognizes the subject's color, pattern, and distance information to achieve high accuracy and focusing speed.

Beyond simply tracking subjects, real-time Eye AF adjusts focus accuracy and recognizes the eyes of humans, animals and birds for critical sharpness. Real-time Eye AF even keeps the focus on a subject's eye when it leaves and re-enters the frame, allowing you to work in more spontaneous shooting situations.

• AF during video recording and additional focus modes

Real-time eye AF is fully supported during video recording, for subject detection and eye tracking of humans, animals and birds while shooting.

For more control over how focus changes appear during recording, seven-stop AF transition speeds and five-stop AF subject shift sensitivity controls allow you to refine how quickly focus shifts from point to point and how smoothly focus changes occur.

A unique solution to compensate for the performance of certain lenses when focusing, focus breath compensation will automatically smooth focus transitions and maintain a constant field of view when changing focus position during a shot. This mode slightly crops the image and corrects any changes detected in the composition when it is being focused.

Focus Map is a unique way to visualize depth of field and works similarly to peak with a color overlay of the scene that indicates which parts of the scene are in front of and behind the focus point based on the chosen aperture.

A function transferred from the FX6 digital cinema camera, AF Assist allows you to intuitively switch to manual focus control to adjust the focus position when working with AF. This is a quick way to change the selective focus between multiple subjects in a scene during recording.

• Viewfinder and LCD screen

An improved Tru-Finder OLED QVGA EVF features a resolution of 3.68 million dots that is about 1.6 times higher in resolution than its predecessor for sharper and clearer viewing. This viewfinder supports standard frame rates of 60fps and 120fps for smooth motion reproduction and its physical design has a 23mm long eye point, 0.78x magnification and 37.3° field of view.

Perfect for vlogs or other self-recording needs, the 3.0" 1.03m dot side-opening vari-angle articulated display can be used in a front orientation or can be tilted up or down to suit work from high or low shooting angles. This LCD is also a touchscreen for intuitive shooting control and menu navigation.

• Hybrid body design

New to the Alpha line, there's a convenient still/movie/S&Q dial, below the shooting mode dial, which allows for quick switching between different recording modes. When switching between still image and movie recording modes, the menu system and custom buttons will change for more intuitive and practical use.

The customizable interface allows you to assign 169 functions via 18 different buttons and the new R rear dial.

Dual memory card slots allow flexible saving and handling of files and can be configured to partition file types or used for overflow recording. One slot is a dual CFexpress Type A and SD slot and the other is only an SD card slot; both are rated to support UHS-II memory cards.

The updated menu structure is more intuitive and complements having different workflows and configuration selections for movie recording and photo taking. The menu system also works in conjunction with the touchscreen design of the rear LCD screen.

It accepts the high-capacity NP-FZ100 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which provides approximately 520 shots per charge when working with the viewfinder or 580 shots when working with the rear LCD screen.

• Ports and interface

The full-size HDMI A port offers a more reliable connection when working with external recorders.

A USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port has been added, in addition to a micro-USB port, for faster and more reliable tethering support. The USB Type-C connection allows the camera to be charged or powered from the host power supply while connected.

Both 3.5mm headphone and external microphone ports provide greater control over audio recording.

The Multi Interface Shoe supports working with the optional ECM-B1M shotgun microphone or XLR-K3M XLR adapter kit, which provide clear and enhanced audio recording sound by sending a digital audio signal to the camera, as opposed to an analog signal.

The USB Type-C port can be paired with an optional Ethernet wired LAN adapter to provide 1000BASE-T connectivity, wired remote shooting, or FTP transfer.

• 5-axis SteadyShot INSIDE image stabilization

The enhanced 5-axis, 5-stop SteadyShot INSIDE image stabilization system compensates for the five different types of camera shake encountered during manual photo and video shooting and allows users to confidently use any lens, even adapted lenses, for critical shots without encountering camera blur shaking.

For long focal lengths, the system will correct the pitch and yaw settings. Macro and high-magnification images, on the other hand, will benefit from the inclusion of horizontal and vertical scroll compensation. All shooting styles will take advantage of roll compensation. The 5-axis stabilization will work at all times, even when used with third-party lenses and adapters or lenses with built-in optical stabilization.

In addition, specifically for video, there is also an active IS mode that adds even more precise stabilization methods for even smoother images directly from the camera.

• Streaming and wireless connectivity

Built-in Wi-Fi enables remote camera control and instant sharing of images to mobile devices for direct online sharing, and support for the 2.4 and 5GHz bands also enables wireless shooting support. This connectivity also provides remote control of the camera.

Using the Imaging Edge mobile app benefits from Bluetooth to maintain a reliable connection between the camera and the mobile device.

Live streaming is possible directly from the camera by simply connecting the camera to a compatible computer or mobile device via USB, allowing the camera's video and audio capabilities to be used for live social networking and video conferencing.

4K 15p, FHD 60p/30p and HD 30p recording settings are available and there are also Creative Look and Soft Skin internal effects for refined image quality directly from the camera.

Internal recording is supported by a memory card during live streaming.

UVC and UAC standards are supported to improve image and sound quality during transmission.

Supports Visual Story for easy delivery of cloud-based photos and videos immediately after shooting.

Features of the SONY 16-35mm G lens

A compact design with excellent optics and a motorized zoom function make the SONY PZ 16-35mm f/4 G an ideal choice for all types of creators, whether shooting videos, stills, or both. This ultra-wide-angle lens is among the lightest in its class and the constant f/4 aperture strikes an ideal balance that's bright enough to shoot in available light while remaining portable for all-day shots.

Optimized for video

A perfect companion for content creators, this lens' key features are ideal for video applications, including Power Zoom, suppressed focus breathing, and versatile focus handling, along with a well-balanced design that works well when mounted on a gimbal or drone or used wearable device:

The electronically controlled Power Zoom mechanism allows smooth zooms during shooting, with control possible through the lens body or selected camera bodies.

The Power Zoom mechanism uses four XD linear motors for precise, fast and quiet zoom movement.

Power Zoom can be used in conjunction with the SONY camera's Clear Image Zoom feature, which can further extend the effective range up to 2x while maintaining image quality close to the original. If the zoom speed of the lens is set to Slow and zoom control is done remotely from the camera body, the zoom transition will be seamless from optical zoom to Sharp Image Zoom.

Internal zoom and internal focus design maintain the full length of the lens during operation.

Smooth Motion Optics (SMO) suppresses focus breathing to help maintain composition accuracy when changing focus. In addition, this lens also supports the breath compensation function on selected Alpha cameras.

Optical Design

The wide-angle zoom design covers ultra-wide to standard wide focal lengths and a constant maximum aperture of f/4 offers consistency and a solid balance between brightness and a compact design.

Two advanced aspherical elements (AA) and one aspherical element help achieve great sharpness and suppress distortion and spherical aberrations.

Super ED and ED elements promote greater clarity and color accuracy by reducing chromatic aberrations.

An ED aspherical element further contributes to impressive image quality by correcting a variety of aberrations.

Special attention has been paid to achieve consistent and sharp performance in all zoom and focus ranges for maximum versatility.

The rounded seven-blade diaphragm contributes to a smooth bokeh quality.

Versatile focus performance

An XD linear motor system uses two independent motors to provide fast, quiet and accurate autofocus and tracking performance. This design also contributes to more natural and intuitive linear-response manual focus control and an AF/MF switch is located on the lens cylinder to quickly change the focus mode.

The internal focus design offers more responsive focusing performance and maintains a constant overall lens length during operation.

Suitable for close-ups, the minimum focusing distance in the 16mm position is 11" and in the 35mm position it is 9.4" at a maximum magnification of 0.23x.