Started by rjhowell, 2 Dec 2025. 32 replies, 661 views
Gear in this topic: Sony A7 IV, Sony A7 V, FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II
noisyshadows said:if sony's subject detection actually holds a face with a mic in front of it that's a real feature
I do some band nights at a local venue for a friend. I will try it in January and tell you. It's a small dark room with red lights, so it will be a fair test.
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Some early raw samples are up now, so I spent an evening with them. Method, for what it's worth: downloaded the ISO series from two sources, resampled both those and my own A7 IV files to the same 24MP output, same Lightroom settings with noise reduction off, same lens class.
At ISO 6400 I honestly can't separate them. At 12800 the A7 V might be very slightly cleaner in the deep shadows, but that's within what I'd put down to different raw processing. Base ISO looks very close as well, and pushing shadows four stops I couldn't see a difference either.
That's about what I expected from a sensor designed around readout speed rather than noise. Nobody should buy this for image quality. If you shoot things that move, the readout and AF are the reason. If you shoot stars, keep your money. I'll revisit when someone with proper test gear publishes read noise numbers.
so it's a camera for people who photograph things that move. who would've thought lol
OneMoreLens said:so it's a camera for people who photograph things that move
Ie kids and dogs, which is about 90% of the people who'll buy one to be fair
Question for the experts. Is the phone app any better with this one or is it STILL the same Creators' App? I gave up trying to get pictures off my a6400 onto the iPad.
Steve
steve_m_1962 said:Is the phone app any better with this one
Same app. Buy a card reader for the iPad. Takes ten seconds and never drops. I gave up on wireless transfer years ago, on every brand, not just Sony.
Small update since a few people asked by message. Mine arrived on Friday and I shot two indoor football sessions with it. Tracking holds on small players much better than the IV, when two kids cross it mostly stays on the one I chose. Battery about the same as the IV. I have not used the mechanical shutter once.
The band night is next month so I can't answer the mic stand question yet, sorry noisyshadows. What I can say: under the sports hall LEDs I saw no banding at 1/1000 on electronic shutter, which on the IV I would get sometimes. The kit 28-70 II I did not buy, I'm using the 24-70 GM II and the 85 1.8. The menu is the same as the IV, as I said, so set up took me ten minutes by copying the settings across. The grip is very slightly deeper I think, but I could be imagining it. Files at ISO 6400 look like the IV to me, rjhowell is right.
I'll write a proper thread when I've had it longer. Happy to answer questions.
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dmitri_k said:when two kids cross it mostly stays on the one I chose
ok that's the bit i wanted. thanks
dmitri_k said:Tracking holds on small players much better than the IV
Fair enough, that's a genuine improvement for anyone with kids that run about. I'll stick my neck out and say nobody shooting a landscape will see a difference though.
tomthurlow said:nobody shooting a landscape will see a difference though
Agreed. For the record I'm not buying one. The money's going on a dark-sky trip to southern Utah instead. Bortle 1 skies will do more for my pictures than any sensor update.
Late to this. Anybody running one alongside an A7 IV for real estate interiors? Was thinking about it as a second body but the IV does everything I need for brackets, so probably not. The drones are the bigger worry for me right now anyway.
skyward_tx said:the IV does everything I need for brackets, so probably not
Then keep the IV. On a tripod for brackets you gain nothing. Spend the money on a better wide lens or a second IV body if you need a backup, a used one costs a lot less than the V.