Sony A7IV review after 4 months- Slightly crippled but it doesn't matter... 

I just purchased my first full frame camera. Sony a7Rii. Open box for $800. Landscape, car photography, and some portrait. I'm happy with the purchase.

Man, this is probably one of my favorite style reviews. You have outdone yourself with the B Roll shots, color grading and audio editing too. I literally fell in love with how you made this video. Slog 3 is amazing to color grade in with this camera as one can see in this video btw.

For me the most important thing a7 IV got right is its color finally is up to my taste. Whether it's with camera matching profile, or using color fidelity's profile(which I highly recommend anyone with a sony A7 IV to trying out.) Sony's got color right on track, updating its flagship zoom lenses. Everything I had asked for when I compared my CaNikon to my sony 1 year ago is getting into our hands and it's the best time to have this in your kit, or soon to be.

The reason the IV has breathing compensation while the FX3/A7Siii do not is likely for technical reasons. Specifically, the IV is oversampling the 33MP sensor to achieve a 4K image and does so via a crop so they can use the extra pixel bins to correct for the breathing (whereas the 12MP sensor in the FX3A7Siii does not have a crop in 4k and doesn't have those extra pixels to compensate for the breathing).

Sony A7 IV user since December '21. I agree with you that it's one of the best hybrid cameras ever!

Thank you for doing a follow up. You have no idea how many RU-vidrs do a quick review on day one saying they will do a full review later and never do. Once the hype dies down they know they wont get as many clicks so they blow off the full review / follow up.

I appreciate camera reviews even if its not a camera I have operated yet. I am rocking Panasonic camera gear right now. The Panasonic Lumix S5 has treated me well thus far for my youtube content but I am always interested in other people's gear and perspective. Appreciate the info brotha!

Been following you for years, and your production value has increased beyond words man. Crushing it! So dope to see people grow!

I freaking love the bloopers at the end. It shows that your human after producing such high quality content. I appreciate everything you do and it helps me so much on my journey to learn this stuff from the ground up. Keep it up my guy

Love my A7iv. Such a great upgrade from the A7iii.

Yeah im trying to switch from Nikon to Sony and have an old D7200 so honestly anything is really an upgrade by now. Looking at getting this.

May seem like an odd comment, but I appreciate you putting in those bloopers at the end; I struggle a lot with my speech and take lots of takes, so to know I'm the the only one, makes me feel better 😅

Your suggestion to use focus mapping for group photos is genius!

I switch from photo to video on the a7iii and never have to adjust my settings. I programmed my video settings on 1 and 2 so when I switch back and forth all my settings are there.

I sincerely hope that, as a photography first camera, the A7RV doesn't go down the flippy screen route. I get that a lot of hybrid and video creators love it, but having used it on the X-T4 and X-S10, I hate it. When shooting below waist height having to fold it out like origami every time i want to look down at my screen, it's just slow. Embracing the tilt on 2 axes approach of the Fuji X-T2/3 and it looks like the new Nikon Z9 would be my preferred route.

You killed this video bro. Production value is crazy

That end reel was hilarious. Thanks for this review Manny. And of course Diana and Kayla being a part of it.

Hi Manny, thanks for this awesome review. Really enjoy your reviews and tutorial videos, it is never bias at all. It's just honest, real, and calming. Keep doing what you do, and keep inspiring!

One of the most crucial thing I loved about the a7iv is the colors

Manny are you joking? What about Eyes af issues?

I don't believe those bloopers at the end, I call fake bloopers. Super man, Manny, has no flaws!

Am with Sebastian PB, I really like your style of review Manny. The production value, the clarity ... you really help us make an informed decision based off of your real world experience with the gear. Plus your camera presence is authentic...you're not trying to imitate another reviewers style that's not you. I see a number of newbie reviewers who try to imitate Peter McKinnons amped on coffee pizzazz and it goes flatline, they lose me even if they have good or even great content. Thanks for making this review ! Don't miss my time near Chicago some years ago when was in Navy boot and school during winter....frosty...reeeally frosty. Brrrrr!

Manny, you are one of a kind. Your vids are so simple and down to earth in the good way....

I am very happy with the a7IV. Focus breathing comp and focus map are definitely coming to the A1 and A7SIII, just a matter of time for a firmware update.

I’d love to hear why you still stick with Sony vs. Canon. I know you had a lot of love for the R5, but haven’t heard you talk about it since.

Very interesting on the ISO effecting heat, I've never seen that mentioned in other videos. Do you think 10 bit vs 8bit matters for heat too?

Alright man. We are definitely gonna need you to make a video on that crazy helmet camera rig. That thing was awesome lol.

Initially I wanted to buy the A7IV, but when it came out, I was a little disappointed, mainly because of the price. So I picked up the Canon EOS R6 instead and I'm loving it!

The overheating thing nearly made me send it back.... But thankfully you can change it in the menu not to shut off at low temps and it seems fine .. goes for a long time then. After a while of using it my only downside was the viewfinder lowers Res when you are tracking with a half press.... So annoying... And the back screen as tradition has it is horrible so I barely use it. That aside though, I love the camera. I would have preferred to get an A1 but I need my kidneys (it is 10 grand in Australia)

I love the outtakes ☺️...thanks a lot for youre great content...i switched from A7 iii to A7R IV back to A7 IV...

Wow Manny, this video is on a new level, the strobes and all, perfectly done! I just got the a7IV to pair with the a7sIII and I'm loving it!

The production on this video/camera-review is outstanding! Keep killing it bro.

Always great when Manny Ortiz drops a video 👍🏾

great review! i really appreciate you adding the outtakes in the end!

That Sony cripple hammer though. One of the things I hate the most are their dated LCDs, even on their $5000 and $7000 A7SIII and A1. I do like the 30 MP sensor. I shot that on the 5DIV and EOS-R for many years and it's almost the perfect resolution. That overheating problem is something that many of the paid youtubers try to hide on the Sonys. It's good to see that Manny tells the truth all the time.

What about all the complaints in the Sony groups about it missing eye focus? Did you notice any of that?

I like how I was looking for reviews of this camera just today, right now when you posted this! Thanks!

2:00 so relatable, so relatable. i am not even an enthusiastic, not even an amateur. I just shoot as hobby. so many time I switch back and forth end up in the wrong setting, and having own A7 a72 a73, finally had enough. the software alone worth the upgrade.

Would love to see a video from you going over all your camera settings and custom keys for the a7iv!!

Manny, I been following you for years now. I got to a point where I just didn't care about this camera life. Now that I am back at it, I go to you for the videos for my new A74. First, it is hard not to like you as a person. Such a cool, REAL, dude man. As for your videos, damn they are so good. A1 Dude, A1 RU-vidr, A1 Photographer and Videographer... Abrasos!!!!!

I've been looking for this comparison for months, the way you laid it out was perfect!! 👌🏼 Thank you! 🙏 FYI, love the outtakes at the end! You ARE human! 👍🏼😂

Have a A/IV myself, tried with 35mm f/1.4, 55mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.8, 90mm f2.8 and there are definitely focus-issues. The camera is not permanently front- or back focusing, but even with Eye-AF and AF-C, the selection-algorithm fails. As soon as there are strong (often vertical) contrast areas, or lines the AF prefers to focus on those parts in the frame even with the green focus frame clearly being on the eye. So, the camera is dead sharp, but it "internally" selects wrong parts for adjusting rather than the one in the focus frame. Took some selfies on a tripod, focus clearly on the eye, but often "real internal" focus was on the the black and white hairs of my beard, sometimes back focusing, sometimes front focusing. Hairs distract the camera, but also gray lines on buildings, or vertical borders of doors or windows. It's clearly a flaw in the internal focus selection logic. Had lots of portraits with different very good lenses with slightly blurry eyes but only with this camera (others work fine with same lenses). Hope they come up with a firmware upgrade soon

I don’t know why these gear reviews are so endlessly satisfying. Nice work.

I just switched from an older cannon to this camera. It hasn’t come in yet. Selling all my old canon glass and looking forward to the change. My daughter is about to release her first single, and I want to be able to help her with her music career by creating some cool videos and pictures. Love the lighting setup you have btw. Thank you

Loving those moments where you recording and speech does goes as planned… Nice informative video.. even I own 74 but good to hear yours opinion

Enjoyed the review. These camera manufactures play annoying games to differentiate their many models by removing and adding features so no one camera can do everything you want. You have to decide what features are most important to the work. Whether that's 120fps, cropped 4k60, or low resolution LCD it's all planned out so they can sell you more cameras.

That helmet rig to mount a full frame camera like a go pro at 1:12 is just awesome

Props to Diana for being able to keep a str8 face and model with you wearing the helmet cam

I have an A7Siii and A7iii. I have a wedding videography business and do some photography work for clients on the side. Im so torn on what to get for my secondary camera for my videography biz, another Siii (my fave), an FX3, or an A7iv. There are a handful of pros and cons for each

I love how you keep it real with the bloopers man. Massive props.

Saving up for a a7iv right now. Pairing it with a sigma 24-70 f2.8 after. Pretty expensive for my first camera. But i think its probably gonna be worth it rather than buying a 4 year old a7iii because i intend to use the iv upto more than 5 years.

Another awesome vid, Manny. Your production values have gotten insane. 👍Love the outtakes at the end!!

I love to see you how your video style improves.

Had to come back and watch this one. Thanks Manny.

I connected the HDMI port from my Sony A7 IV to a 4K TV, i see it well, everything all ok. But if I shoot myself eg. Vlog I have everything reversed on the TV screen. This it a big problem for me. I have to discover out how the 'mirror' + 'reverse' mode so that i can see the movements in the correct direction on the TV.

This guy has the best reviews ever

Great video with clear explanation.. Endless thank you for your effort, Manny..

I love that you added those clips at the end

@1:10 so we not gonna talk about manny having this helmet on with a mouth cam attached to it... up here like "i EAT photography!"

I disagree with your theory. The reason the A7iv has those new features is simply because it's the latest camera, and it takes time to make big firmware updates to update the A1 and A7siii. You said yourself the FX6 got those features too, and it was in a huge firmware update package that Sony has been preparing for a long time. Just give it time, it has nothing to do with product separation and "why not reward those who got the A1?"

7:45 uh what? that's a contrived use of the focus map...that's what depth of field preview feature is for.

Sony did a little upsell trick with the backscreen. I bought it next to my Panasonic G9, cause the a7IV now basically has all the features or a lot of the G9 and a fullframe sensor. Sometimes i look at both and wonder if I need both of them. It's like they both add to each other some features, the other doesn't have. But your point stands. The G9 is from 2017 and has a better backscreen. Shame on Sony for doing the upsell Apple strategy. They could have put in a 1.68 Mil pixel screen with better illumination or even a small OLEDscreen. Guess they are running out of ideas for upcoming releases.

Manny you should probably do a video about how you setup your a7iv for photography and video. That”ll be dope

Dude, first video I see of yours, and I'm impressed with your skills and frankly with your studio. Pretty cool! Congrats

The B roll in the intro!! God damn!

image quality is EVERYTHING!!!!

Loved it and confirmed that I made the right choice buying it. Mine's coming next week! Thanks for another great video.

Fantastic review. Love the group photo hack and the bloopers.

Beautiful shots makes the review interesting. Great video. Like the bloopers in the end 😊

I appreciate your videos my G. You keep everything 💯 through and through.

In 4k 60 crop mode, does it also reduce low light performance?? Wondering if this would be a good wedding camera for the price.

A7IV still suffers from Sony orange skin tones in photos, in video mode it’s much better. Not sure why Sony can’t get skin tones right in photos. I still have Sony cameras for video, but I switched to Nikon for photos because I couldn’t take those crazy orange skintones anymore. I actually had a client that complained about it. And that was the last straw. Anyway great video.

always glad to see you pop up on my notifications. Good video (even though I'm mostly a Nikon shooter)

Your outtakes are hilarious! Diana is like a star and you're so awkward on camera. Ya'll keep up the great work though! You're the reason I bought my A7iii, much appreciated!

I love the a74 but in the studio. I always grab my A1 because the electric shutter doesn’t work with flash.

I’ve been using the a6000 since 2019 now I just ordered the a7iv I can’t wait for the huge improvement on everything lol

The blooper at the end is everything. xo

I initially bought the a7iii 2 years ago just as a photography camera. But since then I have delved into videography and color grading. I was using the ninjaV to bypass the 30min record limit and record in 4:2:2, but a7iii still only output 8-bit. I ended up selling the a7iii for the a7iv and it has been fantastic, especially with improved autofocus. Also thanks for the great tip to use focus mapping if i'm uncertain on group photo focus, i'll have to try that out!

I like your comment about taking a group photo but I wish it had focus mapping in photo mode.

It’s driving me mad trying to decide between the a7 iv and a7r iv, I shoot landscapes and portraits, so 61 mp is tempting but I also want really Good 4k video, the a7iv is better for that, how much better is the autofocus on the a7iv?…. What to buy, idk..

Can you make a video on editing studio photography? something creative like this and even something simple as a white seamless backdrop.

stayed for the outtakes. glad to see I'm not the only one!

Gotta say, I see why it's been 2 weeks since you've uploaded. Wow beautiful videography

Man that Mode dial alone might be worth $1000 and putting crop mode on C1 makes a world of difference for run&gun shooting

Love your video Manny. Keep up the good work.

33mp ain’t that much for landscapes, ( if you crop a lot like me) think I’ll be going for the ar7 iv

Thank you super insightful, im looking to upgrade to either this or the a7s3 and this has answered all my questions :)

The end :D always thought famous youtubers got it all.. but we all have difficulties infront of a camera i quess really inspioring for us newer youtubers thank you!!

I love your videos, I would love you to do a video on the A7R IV vs the A7 IV.

where can I buy that shiny backdrop

Great video 👊 well produced and the sound is crisp as well 👍🏼🔥🔥🔥

I’ve been waiting on you to review this one 📸

Aah the one with the crazy Helmet mounted BTS rig 🤩

The very last moment of the video made me push the like and subscribe button! ❤️

bro, only creators who do talking head know how real the last 15 seconds of this video is lol

I own the a7iv I think at the very least they could reduce the 4K 60 crop to like 1.2x 1.3x or 1.4x instead of 1.5x they did a smaller crop for the a7rv so I don’t see why they couldn’t reduce on the a7iv it’s the very least they could do to help them and there customers or maybe remove or make a mark 2 I reckon if we work together they will have to listen and make a change and with your large platform and influence would really help if you could spread the idea around thx

Hmm I have the A7rIII, shooting mostly photo. I will wait for the next generation. I'm curious what's coming next.

Always appreciate your honest and straight to the point reviews! Where did you get that dual camera plate for your tripod?

Well done. You understood this camera better than most.

Great review. And I liked the bloopers at the end. 👍👍