Home / Compare / Sony a7R IV vs a7 IV
Sony a7R IV vs a7 IV
Sony's 61MP high-resolution body from 2019 against its 33MP all-rounder from 2021. Both have 5-axis stabilization rated at 5.5 stops, up to 10 fps, the NP-FZ100 battery and two card slots, and they weigh within 7 g of each other. The a7R IV has far more resolution, a 5.76M-dot finder and Pixel Shift Multi Shooting; the a7 IV adds the newer BIONZ XR engine, Eye AF for birds, 10-bit 4K/60p (Super 35) and a fully articulating screen.
Side-by-side specs
| Sony a7R IV | Sony a7 IV | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 61.0MP full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS; 26.2MP in APS-C crop mode | 33MP full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS |
| Processor | BIONZ X | BIONZ XR |
| Autofocus | 567 phase-detection points (about 74% coverage) + 425 contrast points; Real-time Eye AF for people and animals | 759 phase-detection points (about 94% coverage); Real-time Eye AF for humans, animals and birds, stills and movies |
| ISO | 100–32000; expandable to 50–102400 | 100–51200; expandable to 50–204800 |
| Stabilization | 5-axis in-body, 5.5 stops (CIPA) | Same |
| Bursts | Up to 10 fps (Hi+) with AF/AE tracking | Same |
| Pixel Shift | 16 frames composited into a 240.8MP image (Imaging Edge) | Not listed in our sources |
| Video | 4K from the full sensor width, or Super 35 with full pixel readout; S-Log2, S-Log3, HLG; Full HD up to 120 fps | 4K up to 30p full width, oversampled from 7K; 4K/60 in Super 35; 10-bit 4:2:2; S-Cinetone, S-Log3 |
| Viewfinder | OLED, 5.76M dots, 0.78x | OLED, 3.69M dots, 0.78x |
| Screen | 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen, about 1.44M dots | 3.0-inch fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Card slots | Two SD (both UHS-II) | Two: CFexpress Type A / SD (UHS-II) + SD (UHS-II) |
| USB | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1) | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps) |
| Battery (CIPA, LCD) | NP-FZ100; about 670 shots | NP-FZ100; 580 shots |
| Weight (with battery and card) | About 665 g | About 658 g |
| Launch price | Jul 16, 2019; $3,500 body-only (US) | Oct 21, 2021; $2,500 body-only (US) |
a7R IV specs from Sony Electronics' July 16, 2019 release and Sony's ILCE-7RM4 Help Guide, as cited in our a7R IV review; a7 IV specs from Sony Electronics' October 21, 2021 release, Sony's ILCE-7M4 Help Guide specifications (including the 658 g weight with battery and SD card) and the figures cited in our a7 IV guide. US launch prices from Sony. Battery figures are CIPA, LCD. ✓ = advantage; blank = tie or not directly comparable.
Sample photos
Four photos taken with the Sony a7R IV and four with the Sony a7 IV, shared on Wikimedia Commons under open licenses.
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Who should buy which
Buy the a7R IV if…
- You shoot landscapes, architecture, studio or crop-heavy wildlife and want 61MP files, or 26.2MP in APS-C crop mode.
- You want the 5.76M-dot finder and Pixel Shift Multi Shooting for 240.8MP still-life composites.
- You want more shots per charge: about 670 vs 580 (CIPA, LCD).
Buy the a7 IV if…
- You want the newer BIONZ XR engine, 759-point AF and Eye AF for birds in stills and video.
- You shoot video: 10-bit 4:2:2, 4K/60 in Super 35 and a fully articulating screen.
- You want smaller files and a CFexpress Type A slot.
Both bodies have 5.5-stop in-body stabilization, up to 10 fps, the NP-FZ100, two card slots and nearly the same weight, so the choice is resolution, the finder and Pixel Shift versus newer autofocus, 10-bit video and the articulating screen. See our full a7R IV review and a7 IV guide, or all comparisons.
Where to buy
Sony a7R IV
Sony a7R IV: Launched at $3,500 in 2019 (Sony's US launch price, July 16, 2019).
Check priceRead the full Sony a7R IV review
Sony a7 IV
Sony a7 IV: Launched at $2,500 in 2021 (Sony's US launch price, October 21, 2021).
Check priceRead the full Sony a7 IV guide
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