Sony A7 IV Beginners Guide - Set-Up, Menus, & How-To Use the Camera 

I agree with you, the a7 IV is my first interchangeable lens camera and all the tutorials I had seen, had me overwhelmed because I'm a beginner; all I've had before were point and shoot cameras, like my Sony RX100 M5, that I would only use in auto. Now that I've seen your video, I feel confident enough to get the camera out of the box, where it's been sitting since December 23rd, along with the 70-200 GM M2 lens, and finally switch from my RX100 to my new a7 IV. Thank you for this beginners tutorial 👍 You were right, beginners, sometimes actually do, start with advanced cameras like this one 👌

Jason, How do you thank a person who shares so much knowledge with others for free? I think I can't enough. The real power of this platform is people like you. cheers.

After dreaming of this camera for two full years, I finally ordered it yesterday, and I can't tell you HOW MUCH I love this guide. It's so clear, easy to understand, so positive and open-minded! Usually, these guides are full of technical jargon, go way too fast and make me feel really stupid. Yours is borderline therapeutic. :D So thank you so, so much for making this! I can't wait to get started with my dream camera.

Amazing! The a7IV is my first camera and you helped me go from feeling powerless and nervous to powerful and calm. Thank you Jay!

Not a beginner to photo/ film, but my first time owning a Sony from a Canon user for many years. So thank you!

Very articulate, a treasure for beginners entering the beautiful field of photography. Thank you Mr.Hermann for your valuable guidance. All the way from India. 🇮🇳

Just bought this camera today and I am a total beginner to photography in general. Thank you for explaining each and every feature that's on this camera, it has seriously saved me so much time guessing what does what.

just upgraded from my a6000 to A7IV yesterday , totally overwelmed with the new functionalities and design, so very happy with this 'beginner guide' thanks!

Thank you so much for this beginner guide, now it's my third week of getting this camera, and I am still replaying your video again & again. It's SO USEFUL. I love how you construct your video into different parts, so that I can learn a bit and then practise in real life, and then go back to continue.

You r the real MVP. I’m a seasoned photographer/videographer and just switched from Nikon to Sony. This Vid lister ally has given me everything I need to feel confident with the switch. I can hit the ground running! I’m not even finished watching yet…

Ive spent 2 weeks learning how to use this camera from other sources. Some were great! But this!!!! OMG...I wish this was the first video I found 2 weeks ago! Brilliant. Thanks so much Jason.

Just switched from a Nikon to the a7iv and this was easily the best video I've found to walk through this. Well done.

Great guide! Jumping up from Sony a6100 to A7 IV, getting all these new features is crazy. The guide gave me excellent overview of the functions and being already familiar with sony, I got my camera pretty much setup watching the guide.

Hi Jason, I bought the ZV-1 after watching your excellent beginners guide on it, I am now stepping up to the A7 iv. Once again you've produced a FANTASTIC beginner's guide video. The way you explain things for people like me who are in no way "professional" photographer's is absolutely brilliant. Thank you very much for taking the time to make this video, not just for experienced photographer's but for us beginner's as well. Wonderfully explained as always. Now subscribed !! Thanks again from London UK

Whew! A little fast, but extremely helpful...especially for people like me who are totally converting from YEARS of exclusive Canon use to all Sony. Great vid and answered a LOT of my confusion!👍!

I am now retired and thought I would take up birdwatching. I have had SLR cameras from Canon and Nikon before, but the programmable options from my Sony A7Riv I find REALLY INTIMIDATING! The plethora of programmable options isn't helped by the fact there isn't a manual with the camera that I can leaf through. I have looked at Amazon for Sony A7iv camera manuals, but the choice is very limited right now, July 2022. Additionally, the online tutorials for birdwatching settings are done mainly through the MENU, rather than through a mode specific dial. With my Nikon or Canon SLRs, I could easily set ISO, aperture, shutter speed. However, as I mentioned, with the Sony A7iv, I have to go into settings and or remember what I have done in the menu. I am now 76 and this camera is really making me feel my age!

I grabbed the a7iv v2 a few weeks ago, switching from Nikon. Even though I've been a pro for years, I still appreciated this guide.

hi im a camera noob i have been working with a canon 600d on full auto for 6 years now and i just think the quality doesnt always do justice to my creativity so i really look forward to buying this camera with the sigma 24-70 lenses and start a video journey also photographs and with this camera i will obviously learn how to operate iso aperture and all that, im gonna watch this video now, im still saving for it but im gonna get it! i fell in love with the fx3 but this also creates good image and its also more suitable for pictures thanks a lot!

Jason, What a great guide for the A7iv. Just spend this afternoon working my way through every setting with your kind assistance. I really appreciated your pace, detailed explanations and approach. many thanks.

My Master Teacher, thanks so much for this guide. I just bought A7 iv and I'm also novice in photography. This will help me so much.

As a beginner to photography who recently purchased this camera, I want to thank you! Your tutorial was exceptional, and I've gained a lot of knowledge from it!

I got my A7IV today, this video has been so useful, thanks 😁😁

This is exactly what I was looking for. Just got my A7iv yesterday, first new camera in about 10 years after using a Canon and a Sony Handycam. So even though I'm not a total newb to cameras, I'm a newb to this camera. I wish I'd watched it before doing anything because the charging port was not obvious. Going to watch every second, follow along, and probably watch again. Thank you!

i read a whole 400 sheet book about this camera and watched a lot of videos. but in your video i found still some aha moments and not know tricks! just great!

This camera is AMAZING, I'm loving it! I am typically an Auto Video shooter and looking to get more into all the features so I love hearing all the info!

Just bought my a7iv and i just love how much I've learn about this particular camera and general photography works. Thank you so much.

Thank you, really great video. I appreciate you treating it like a beginners guide because I bought this camera for business but learned what aperture was in this video lol

And you are right! I've been using Canon 70D since 2013 and I've been faithful... until yesteday... which in case I bought that lil' monster A7iv. But I know nothing about Sony, and it was very hard to find videos like this in Brazilian Portuguese (where I am from)... thank you a lot!!!! God bless you!!!

As an almost absolute beginner , thank you for making this :)

Thanks a lot for the tutorial. I am buying Sony A7 IV and it is my first camera.

Thanks for your effort... this is very helpful. I am a photography mentor. This video had refreshed my understanding about Sony Camera settings and menus.

I’m a beginner . First camera ever so I do appreciate this video 😃

I bought the Sony A7R5 and I appreciate this video. I'm new to digital cameras.

Thank you for this video, thinking of getting this camera and felt a little intimidated on all its features. You explained it all so well and at a great pace, thought an hour long video was going to be lots of info to process but you made it really easy to understand and grasp.

thank you, thank you, thank you. I own the A7ii and A7riii and know how to do all of the settings. I rented an A7iv for the holidays. I've had it 24 hours now and could NOT figure out how to make it use the SD cards in both slots, like my A7riii. I had no problem setting up RAW on card 1, but I could not get the slot 2 card to show up in this 'new' menu. With my personal cameras it was easy to do with the 'old' menu system. I was so frustrated. Simply in just doing a simple google search, instead of specifically going to you tube, your video showed up. With camera in hand, I followed your video and you did exactly what I wanted. So now I have slot one for RAW and Slot 2 for jpeg, which is how I have my A7riii. I've played with the camera today and the tracking is so much better (I like to photo commercial jets taking off and landing at the local airports), than my A7riii and totally superior to the A7ii. The other you tube videos I saw, did not go into any detail when it came to programming both slots, in sequence. Thank you, again. I know it is a new menu system, but it seems more complicated than the old one to me. On the Christmas holidays, my camera rental store, Aperturent, let's you rent for 3 days and keep the equipment for about 10 days, until they return to their office in January. WOW! I may actually treat myself and trade in both of the cameras for this A7iv. I just subscribed to your channel as a thank you. Have a good day.

Because of your ability to explain everything in such an easy way and to put it in context with examples, this was not just a Sony A7 IV beginners guide but also a photography beginners guide! :) Thank you for that. I'll be coming back to this video for sure.

all you need to know in one place. awesome job........i will be coming back to this video maybe 100 times :)

Whew!! Although I have been a Canon (EOS 7D) user for many years and never experienced so many settings (options) this is a bit overwhelming! Appreciate your very thorough and comprehensive tutorial. Actually for the type of subjects I normally shoot (mostly classic cars and antique houses), I probably wouldn't be using all these "bouncing" flexible shot focus and metering.............but nice to know about all the features and settings.

BIG THANKS for this tutorial, I just got today the a7iv and I am an absolute beginner so this was SO helpful! I am not even half done with the tutorial and just wanted to pause it for a second and leave a comment about how happy and how much valuable info you provided with this video! big fan of your channel already

Great tutorial! Just recently picked up the A7IV after coming from Canon. Thoroughly and clearly explained.

Wow, this video is a treasure!

Honestly, this is the best video Ive seen on the A7iv. And ive watched tons this week, just got the camera 📸

Thank you for this useful video . It’s another world for me after years of being a cannon user .

I bought one and I’m not a professional.

I got a lot out of this video, having just bought an A7iv. Thanks a lot for the clear explanation and for breaking things down. I've changed a lot of the settings based on your recommendations 😊

We went straight from iPhone streaming to this camera. So you’re correct. Complete beginner here.

It’s me. I’m beginner. Thank you!

Wow, remembering all these functions and how to change them when needed requires a brilliant brain which I don’t have. Thank you so much any way.

This is my first camera ever... Bought it yesterday

Thank you very much Jason, your calm voice and so pedagogic approach are a pleasure to learn!!

im a begginer and I needed a beginner oriented video on this camera. thank you so much

Jason you are the BEST. I am a Professional Photographer and I spent over a hour watching your video. I stopped and replay. Thank you very much for your excellent and detailed explanation. Thanks thanks again. Bobby from BOBBY'S PHOTOGRAPHY-Canada

Best introduction to the camera on the Internet.. thank you

It’s ppl like you who are the most awesome thanks so much for this video

Best tutorial, i will save it for the future, thank you so much for putting this together

I am not a begginer, But I have had Nikon and Fujifilm for long years and I am transfering to this camera, so thank you for introduction video, because I needed the settings etc 😄❤

appreciate the video, have never had a nice camera, just picked this one up today. have no idea how to use it

Thank you a lot sir, after filming and photographing with my iPhone I bought this as my first camera ever and its overwhelming and expensive so I wanna be cautious as possible and you helping me a lot as a noowbie

Finally found the best explanation video for beginners. Thank you.

Super knowledgeable and in depth review for beginners, I 100% agree with other comments saying good things about you and this video, thank you and I am happy to subscribe and looking forward for more content.

So good. Thanks for the quick, lengthy tutorial. Got a used camera and have never used a mirrorless camera so this was super helpful to bring me up to speed with a new system.

Just got 1 today for a great deal. My first camera 😊

Many thanks from sweden! This is my first full frame hybrid camera, i was used to my older canon Dlsr so i hade lots of questions about the settings, now i can enjoy going out with my new camera! Thank you for making it easy to learn!

WOW.. Just WOW!!! Thank you so much for this video, it really helped. I’m not a beginner and by no means a professional, I just love photography. This is my 2nd camera, my first was also a Sony (15 yrs old) and I seriously didn’t think I was going to buy another one but I did a lot of research and landed on this amazing camera. I was a little worried at first but now I know I definitely made the right choice. Thanks again.

Feel so relieved that this video is out here for a beginner like me. Thank you for the effort made in to creating this video….👏👏👏

Best tutorial on this camera I’ve found for a true beginner. Subbed👍🏼

Outstanding report. You have a wonderful knack for making the difficult manageable. I applaud you for that. Thank you for the tutorial on this amazing camera.

Wow, thank you so much for this tutorial. I always forget all the options available on my camera.

I am moving from Nikon DSLR to mirrorless for the first time. Excellent, excellent tutorial exactly what i was looking for. I know nothing about Sony setup and menus (I understand they have been improved with the A7 IV). Cant wait for camera and Sigma 24-70 art lens delivery next week! Nice job Jason - I am a subscriber now also. :-)

Finally found the instruction for the beginners! Thank you Jason from a subscriber. Would be better if the video started from 1. plugging all the cables, 2. showing 2-3 main buttons: how to turn it on, what to press to take a picture, how to find the screen option to send it by wifi. All in the first 2 minutes in the video. And then - go into details and options on the second round, and then - third round of explanation. Thanks again for your work.

Jason I keep replaying your beginners guide ...sooooooo helpful...I finally understand how to program my lenses...Your description on the elements on the A74 is absolutely """" really powerful""" chuckle chuckle

This is such a good lesson for sbdy like me. I hope that u would make another lesson for Nikon ZFC like this. Thx.

I want to start with this camera and grow into it.

Hey Jason, A7 iV was my first DSLR and you killed it in this video. THANK YOU.

Thanks so much for your effort in explaining and showing me this video. Makes using the A7 IV a lot more easier.

I m a visual learner so thank you for this video. Screw the manual!

Thank you for this helpful video. You’re the best!!

I dont own this camera but i plan to purchase it in the near future. But this video is great for just camera knowledge in general. Thank you

Thanks! Exactly what I was looking for. Comprehensive and straight to the point…

1:20:38 So if you are visually impaired you can go in here, and this is where you'd turn that option on, see that? Right here. Well that was unfortunate :) Great introductory material, thanks. Also the most innovative setting no one talks about is movie mode -> shooting mode -> exposure ctrl type -> flexible exposure mode. You can switch PASM on the go using custom keys and dials, no need to use the mode dial, very powerful. Hope it will trickle down to photo mode as well.

Definitely a beginner & I bought this with a sigma lens. Hoping to grow into it

Thank you so much. I spent 3 almost days to learn the a7iv while watching your well-explained video. Subscribed 😍

Video was good he did help me a lot .I got a case cover for my camera n it was cover some thing I was in the wrong mode n did not know it until I watch this video so thank u still need a lot of help my first camera is overwhelmed but I’m go watch thus video over n over I just wish someone make videos n part not n one big video

First time Sony user here. Awesome tutorial and very helpful. Thank you!!

Thank you Jason. I've watched the 1 and a half hour video in 1x speed and I learnt tons of stuff! I feel like I'm already familiar with the camera while my freshly unpacked A7IV is still charging. Can't wait to try it out now!

Very helpful and easy to watch! Have a blessed day

Thank you! Appreciate you sharing your knowledge as I am new to this. Wanted a camera to grow with and your video helped me get off to a good start.

Every second of this video if so helpful. Thanks a lot!

I will buy one only because of this tutorial. God Damn I’m sold 😅

Jason, this was great! Thank you for taking the time to create this very comprehensive guide. You are incredible. Can't wait to watch more of your incredible videos.

Thank you for this. It really helped a lot getting the hang of the camera

Love you so much my friend i lm form afganistan

Jason, thank you for such a great video. It is a complete encyclopedia of Sony a7 IV

Thank you for the detailed video this helped me to set up my camera, it was worth watching it.

I’m a beginner who recently got an A7C…. I will be getting this as well as my main & the A7C will be a B-cam.

This video is super helpful for a new A7iv user like myself. Thanks a ton!

Thank you for this beginner video. First time with a nice camera- such a dream to have this camera. I have such little experience so I'm looking forward to learning. I hope you continue to make more videos for this camera. You have an awesome voice, wonderful comprehension of this machine and I appreciate learning from you. Thanks

1:21:56 Temp. I actually got a warning this am while shooting a 4k video this am and had to change to high temp As a reminder to others, the menus may be "below the fold" and if you don't know where to look, it may be hard to find. That's where videos like this are so helpful. Thanks

Once again thank you for this we all appreciate it! 🙌🏾💯🙌🏼🎨

So incredibly thorough and helpful for a new photographer. Thank you so much!