Full-size mirrorless single-lens camera “α7 IV”, flash “HVL-F60RM2”, “HVL-F46RM”, etc. were announced on Sony’s overseas site Sony Asia Pacific’s YouTube channel. The body is priced at US$2,500 and will be available in December. These products are also being considered for sale in Japan.
Equipped with a newly developed sensor with around 33 million effective pixels. It is a back-illuminated sensor with an extended ISO sensitivity of 50 to 204800, and has achieved a wide dynamic range of 15 steps. Still image shooting in 10-bit HEIF format is also possible.
The image processing engine is the latest “BIONZ XR”. It is also equipped with the latest image processing algorithms developed for the flagship model “α1”.
In addition to using skin-beautifying textures, there are 10 types of presets available for creative looks. You can customize your own as well. Creative look is also available in the video.
It also features powerful AF performance, with an image flat phase difference AF point of 759 points, covering 94%. Focus speed and accuracy have also been improved in AF-S mode, and AF is effective even in the dark EV-4’s low-light environments.
The function of detecting the pupil of IAF has also evolved. Unclear faces can also be detected. Eye AF is also effective for animals, and it focuses even if the face moves left, right, up and down. Bird’s eyes are also found. It is said that it can handle the peculiar movements of birds which are difficult to follow.
It also has a real-time tracking function, and when you press the AF-ON button, tracking starts immediately regardless of the camera’s AF settings. Seamless fusion with real-time student AF enables more accurate tracking. Real-time tracking can be used during continuous shooting up to an aperture value of F22. Continuous shooting performance is enhanced when using the teleconverter.
The buffer memory has also increased, enabling longer continuous shooting. The appropriate flash level is calculated by pre-flashing each frame in association with an external flash. It also supports high-speed continuous shooting and situations where the brightness changes. Using the camera’s face recognition, the optimum amount of light and white balance can be adjusted to achieve optimum brightness and color for portrait photography.
Video has also evolved. Like the α1 and α7S III, several video formats are available. Also supports XAVC HS (MPEG-H HEVC / H.265). With 10bit 4:2:2 All-Intra XAVC SI, you can shoot with high image quality at up to 600 Mbps.
When recording 4K video at 30p, 7K oversampling of all pixel readouts can output 4K video with even higher resolution. Shooting is also possible in 4K/60p and Full HD/120p.
The S-Cinetone, which is rated highly by Cinema Line cameras, is also available. Movie-like expressions can be used easily. In addition, the S-Log3, which has a dynamic range of 10 bit 15+ stops, is compatible with professional cinema cameras, making editing tasks easier when shooting with multiple cameras.
Real-time Eye AF can also be used for movies. Animal Eye AF and Bird Eye AF can also be used in movies.
The new Focus Map is a function that allows you to visually calibrate the focus area, which is convenient when using manual focus or when using AF with a gimbal.
The new AF Assist feature seamlessly switches from AF mode to manual mode, allowing the user to change the speed of the transition for a rack focus-like effect that naturally manipulates the viewer’s perspective. If you rotate the focus ring by hand, you can also make adjustments in AF mode, and if you stop rotating the ring, AF will resume seamlessly.
Furthermore, it is the first in the α series to have an angle fluctuation (focus breathing) correction function during focusing. Angle fluctuations are corrected on the side of the camera by understanding in advance the amount of angle of view fluctuation correction required for a genuine Sony lens. A consistent angle of view can be maintained in real time. This function can only be used with genuine Sony lenses.
Equipped with an optical 5-axis in-body image stabilization function. Active mode Optical image stabilization is available when shooting movies. Gyro sensor information can also be recorded as metadata in a video file, and it is also possible to correct camera shake after shooting using that data with Catalyst Browse or Catalyst Ready.
Equipped with a dial that switches between still image and video operation, assuming it will be used not only as a still image camera but also as a dedicated camera for video recording. When this dial is switched, the content of the menu screen also switches between still images and content for movies. The function that appears when you press the function switch can also be switched between video and still images. “A camera dedicated to still images and a camera dedicated to video are integrated.”
Also equipped with quad VGA viewfinder. The rear monitor is a variable-angle monitor, and the monitor is a touch panel. The body uses a magnesium alloy.
You can transfer still images and videos to your smartphone at high speeds by linking them wirelessly to your smartphone via 5GHz Wi-Fi. High-speed transfer is also possible by connecting to a PC with a USB cable. It can be used as a webcam and a camera for video distribution.
It is also possible to record video to the storage inside the camera while live-streaming with the support of a smartphone or PC. Creative looks and skin-beautifying effects can also be used during live video distribution.
As a post-shooting service, we also launched a service called “AI Video Editing Studio” that uses the cloud and AI. When you upload a video to the cloud, the AI will do the initial editing of the video, allowing creators to focus on their creative work.