Is the Sony A7IV a Pro Video Camera?
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- Опубліковано 22 бер 2022
- After owning the Sony A74 for 3 months, it has become unreliable for me as a professional video camera. I explain the reasoning behind this and get the opinion of two other professionals.
Sony A7IV is Better Video - • Video
@chrisbrockhurst - / chrisbrockhurst
@JasonMorrisphotocinema - / jasonmorrisphotocinema
Twitter @jsattin - / jsattin
Instagram @josh.sattin - / josh.sattin
Website - www.joshsattin.com/
Farming Channel - / joshsattin
CAMERA GEAR:
Sony FX3 - geni.us/OzfFsow
Sony A7IV - geni.us/5XRgFkA
Sony 16-35 F2.8 - geni.us/ih5XCL
Sony 24-70 F2.8 - geni.us/9ykd
Sony 24 F1.4 - geni.us/vM84
AUDIO GEAR:
Sennheiser MKH50 - geni.us/ukZjif
Rode Videomic Pro Plus - geni.us/zrg4N0
Sennheiser AVX MKE2 Wireless Mic - geni.us/KtpofQK
Rode NTG5 - geni.us/Yi7A5S
Shure SM7B - geni.us/glU0h
Cloudlifter Mic Activator - geni.us/ZhxR2
OTHER GEAR:
NiSi Tru Color Variable ND Filter - geni.us/hvFBj
Prograde V90 256GB SD Cards - geni.us/2n7XYa
Aputure 120D II - geni.us/mAskT6T
Aputure Light Dome II - geni.us/CjHV
Aputure Light Dome Mini II - geni.us/70sFQBq
DJI Mavic Air 2S - geni.us/4BsywSF
Sachtler Flowtech 75 Tripod - geni.us/Ey3Bh
Sirui ST-124 Tripod - geni.us/Ftt8oc
Gray Card - geni.us/7M2nA
Color Checker - geni.us/NQP8Aj
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#sonya7iv #a7iv #sonya74
Thanks for having me on Josh. Always keen to chat cameras and tech!
You're welcome Jason! It was great to collaborate with you on this!
@@Josh_Sattin What would be a good sony B-camera under $1,000 for interviews? I also want to say thanks for your informative videos and knowledge.
Excellent video Josh and great insight from the guests ;) If a camera overheats on me while doing professional work, I would say that is not a professional camera for me. However, it could still be a professional camera for others though I would imagine... All the best, Jay
Thanks Jay! I agree.
Great vid as always! I really like my A7iv and it is hard to put down but, it definitely gets warmer than my A7siii…thankfully no overheating yet….uh oh, now I did it
Thanks. Haha, that's kind of how it went for me.
Which mattebox is that for that
non-pro A7IV
Great run though, Josh! Sounds like I won't be picking up the A74 any time soon.
Thanks Dylan! I love this camera, but it just isn't reliable for me.
Great breakdown! I’ve been working on a review for the FX3, and while I love my a7IV, wow the FX3 absolutely kills it for video!
Thanks Tom! I agree, the FX3 is a workhorse for video. I should probably make a review on that camera too. I've used it a lot. Looking forward to seeing your review!
Could it be, as odd as it sounds, the external monitor addition is causing overheating for some reason?
No waveforms, no vector scope, no luminance spot meter, overheating, a screen that would have been sub par years ago ... This camera drove me crazy. It's SO not a pro video camera, inspite of the specs that might you lead to that conclusion. It's not even a great hybrid camera (just a goodish one) with 6 raw pics per second MAX and the price tag... Don't fall for the hype (I returned mine because I DID fall for the hype). You get very detailed 4k (24p) footage which most videographers will probably smoothen out with mist filters and in post - except if you really want to see every blemish and pore on your subjects and really dig a digitally sharp picture.
Thank you for speaking out in this video, Josh!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
Let me share my results on my long hours overheating test under ambient temperature of about 33 degree Celsius and humidity of 60% (HOT HOT HOT):
Codec: XAVC S, Auto Shut Down Temperature: High, IBIS: Active, Soft Skin: Low, Focus Breathing: On, Picture Profile: PP11 S-Cinetone, Display Screen Flipped Out, Using Dummy Battery, Sony V90 128GB Tough Card, ISO around 500 - 1000, Air Plane Mode, Shutter Priority Mode
Full Frame Mode:
4K 24P : 6 Hours before overheating warning showed up, but can still continue until 10 hours
4K 30P: 1 1/2 Hours before overheat warning showed up, then will shut down before 2 hours
1080p 30p : 10 hours without overheating
1080p 24p : 10 hours without overheating
Crop Mode:
4K 24P : 10 hours without overheating
4K 30P : 10 hours without overheating
4k 60p : 20 minutes before overheating warning showed up, then will shut down before 1 hour (***Worst Performance***)
1080p 30p (cropped mode): 10 hours without overheating
1080p 24p (cropped mode): 10 hours without overheating
To alleviate the overheating problem under certain codec, I find myself a small quiet fan and attach to the back of the camera
Full Frame Mode + Small Fan (7cm x 5cm) Attach to the Back of Camera
4K 24P : 10 hours without overheating
4K 30P: 10 hours without overheating
4k 60p : 1 1/2 hours before overheating warning showed up, then will shut down around 3 1/2 to 4 hours
Can this be used as a work horse? Absolutely yes, provided you use it under cropped mode up to 4K 30P. Under full frame mode, as long as you attached a fan to the back of the camera, you can use it without overheating up to 4K 30P.
For those of you who shoot long 4K60P session, unfortunately, A7IV is not a great camera to be pushed to do the unlimited 4K60P recording.
For those of you who mostly do short burst video shooting, you will not experience overheating in any mode.
Lastly, setting that's can help to reduce the heats under A7IV:
• Use standard IBIS or turn IBIS off
• Turn off focus breathing
• Turn off picture profile and shoot under standard profile
• Turn off soft skin effect
• Shoot at lower ISO
• Use AUTO mode
Hope these info helps, if I have further testing, I will update again.
How did you power the camera for 10 hrs? Did you use usb-c power for these tests?
@@ChrisRamasola Yes, definitely using a usb-c to provide constant power.
@@angwk Thanks!
great job your tests.
I own 2 fx3 and 1 A7iv.
No overheat for the a7iv .
I ve got a fan too.
This camera is great!
Différent of fx...but great
It s my C cam and sometimes my A cam! when i don t want to risk my fx (on boat, planes...)
The crop mode is great, in run and gun situation with my 20-70 f4 , i Can have a great all over.
I wonder if this has something to do with which codec you use - I only shoot H265 and it's never been an issue. Outside, inside, interviews, talking head, short films etc. Just keeps on trucking.
Hey Patrick! I haven't tested this completely, but I don't think H.265 matters. When the camera got released, Chris Brockhurst and I collaborated on some testing (to be able to test more things) and had very similar results. He tested 4K S and I tested 4K SI.
ua-cam.com/video/cR9OD0nFpFE/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/XN4PEqT6jHo/v-deo.html
The two times it overheated on me in my office I was recording in 4K S and the time outside I was in 4K SI. I think it would be cool to try and figure this out, but for me, it overheated three times and now I grab the FX3, which will not overheat. I couldn't figure out a formula to make it overheat, it kind of seems random, but I just can't trust it as a reliable tool. I am glad to hear that it's been working well for you, I absolutely love the A7IV and prefer it's image and some of the new features over the FX3/A7S3.
So strange to read the comments and people not having the A7IV overheat on them.
I shot an interview the other day and after 10-15 mins of the camera recording in 4K 25fps (8-bit) the camera overheated and switched off (auto temp ctrl set to “high”). It actually shocked me because we weren’t in direct sunlight and I live in the UK.
Did you have your screen close to the camera body or open? If you keep it on the side it'll dissipate heat much better. Keeping the battery slot open helps a lot too, both not ideal solutions but they usually work
Josh, you noted you found the a7iv a better video camera than fx3/a7s3.
Do you think that’s due to the image? If so, what aspect of image?
Also do you then think the a7c2 is better video image than zve1 based on the sensors used in each?
Their are pros and cons of all of these cameras. There are things in the A74/A7CII image that I like better than the ZV-E1/A7S3/FX3 image and vice versa. That being said, I would personally go for the A7S3 or FX3 in most situations because of reliability (no overheating) and uncropped 4K60.
@@Josh_Sattin Josh, always appreciate you taking time to respond and your thoughtful ideas. That said, this was a Trojan horse question because my budget puts me in the a7c2 (a7iv sensor) vs. zve1 (fx3) sensor category. Given this two, would you also choose the image from the zve1 over a7c2 and choose that as the body if you had to pick one for all purpose travel, UA-cam camera ?
You're welcome. To keep the cost down, I'd probably try to find a deal on used A7SIII if you are mostly doing video. If you are doing some stills, then a A7CII or A7IV is a good hybrid.
If you aren't doing long form video or worried about overheating than you can go with any of these cameras. It will ultimately come down to personal preference in terms of the image between the two sensors. I like them both for different reasons. Main downsides of the A7CII/A7IV is bad rolling shutter, cropped 4K60 and no 4K120.
In the end, any of these cameras will do a great job.
@@Josh_Sattin Thanks, i'm biased toward paralysis when it comes to making a decision and the sad reality is i'm using this to make mini documentaries for my teaching/coaching, podcasting, and travel video with some photo ( I use my Ricoh Gr3x for photos or iPhone 14) so i'm hoping to minimize compromise on ease of LUT import and video in all lighting conditions since I won't be lighting. I'd definitely want a smaller form factor for ease of use/travel.
I don’t get it. If a camera isn’t a cinema camera then it’s not pro. I use my camera to get paid doing wedding photography etc as well as paid video gigs. Is that not pro. I could technically say the a7siii or a red isn’t pro for me because I can’t photograph a wedding. It’s a dumb thing in my opinion to say about cameras folk use to make a living.
I think you actually do get it. You need the right tool (camera) for your job. The A74 is not a professional video tool for me for what I do because it isn't reliable and inhibits me from doing my job.
You can do amazing professional work with non-professional tools, such as filming a full movie or advertisement on a smartphone. The thing is, the actual tool is not built to cover the needs of most professionals, which means they'll have to adapt a lot to the capabilities of that specific consumer tool. With such great prosumer cameras the difference is smaller but it's still there.
100% with you Josh, the camera needs to work every time as designed.
Yes! Good way to put it simply!
A camera that overheats is similar to a handgun that jams. Just can't trust it when you need it. NOPE. That's why I got rid of my R6 & R5. But I love the Canon C70. Always on time.
Agreed Scottie! I couldn’t deal with the overheating on the R5. C70 is a workhorse!
@@Josh_Sattin c70 is a workhorse indeed with no overheating issues at all, without forgetting to remember the c70 is still a super 35mm sensor format with a big mechanic fan though.
The A7 IV doesn’t overheat and is a pro camera especially after the last updates.
Totally agree, Josh. Rented two A74's for an event today. So bummed to have to troubleshoot overheating when my A-cam went down after 30 minutes of initial operation. Nothing is more frustrating than "Googling" this issue in real time.
Oh man. That sounds like a bummer. That’s why I wanted to make this video and let people know. I love the camera though.
Now maybe Sony will attempt to address the issue. When the normal consumer mentions the over heating nothing is done but it a content creator calls it out maybe, just maybe they may look into it.
Who knows, but hey, let's keep talking about it and bringing it up. I absolutely love the A7IV and want to use it.
@@Josh_Sattin same here Sir. I had a A7iii before and gave it to my son as a gift. It never overheated or gave me any issues it just worked. This A7IV has been a fire cracker right out the gate and I have to be mindful of the over heating and shoot in spurts. I shot my son's basketball game this past weekend and it made it through but it was burning up. I set the temp to high, but I know something is off. If Sony is listening, how about having the camera throttle back or not do whatever it's doing to build up heat when you're not recording!!! Having the camera on, while in movie mode but not recording should not cause it to heat up but my copy sure does. Just a thought Sony, love the camera and I work around the issue but th A7III I gave to my son is calling my name.
Oh damn! That’s rough. At least it didn’t shut down on you yet. I am bummed about this issue to say the least. I’m going back to using the FX3 for most things now.
The experiences are all over the place, some people dont experience overheating, others did but after setting to high no longer did, others do everything they can and it still overheats after 15 minutes.
@andrademeza I have even heard a person say it overheated when they tried setting it up for the first time. Wild!
@@mnkwazi i heard that too, just flipping through the menus fresh out the box right? fucking insane.
Here's a tip for everyone getting into photography: If it costs 1,000 EUR or more - it's a professional camera! Friend of mine does weddings and social events with two Canon R's! Canon EOS R is a camera that costs 899 EUR! He generates income in higher five digit sums with two 900 EUR cameras! And his lenses are no more expensive than that! He always buys and uses the cheapest possible cameras that have everything he needs! Personally, I am a gear snob and I ''need'' a little better gear, so I'm usually shopping for cameras in the 2,500-3,000 EUR range and buying even more expensive glass - but - I'm commenting this to let everyone getting into photography that any camera that costs as much as 1,000 EUR or more - is a professional camera. The a7IV here, is a complete overkill for most of photography work, so are most of the more expensive cameras. If you do portraits, shoot events, weddings or do simple studio work for individuals, you don't need the a1, Z9, R3 or whatever, even 2,000 EUR cameras are overkill for these jobs! Just find the cheapest camera you can, that does everything you need it to as good as the more expensive cameras and then buy that!
how come you are the ONLY ones taleoing about "overhetaing, " when all over , all other youtubers say its not a prblem, when viewfinder os open and set to proper setting in cam ??
I have no idea. I am just sharing my experiences with the A74. I love the camera, but it overheated on me 3 times in a few weeks. I don't see a lot of A74 content out there in general. I will assume that most UA-camrs are not recording for long periods of time with their A74. I don't know. I wish this camera didn't overheat on me.
@@Josh_Sattin ok, I shot even a full feature, movie, with FX9, and the max shotting, cont. time was probably about 4 minutes ( later cut in edit. ) many yars ago, yes, I shot a student play, it was 2x 45 minutes. I shot in HD, with SOny a7 sII. but I am curios, what job did you shot, over 26 minues continuos? It must be a very special job. Or you just do UA-cam work? evne then you dont talk 30 minuttes wituout a stop ?You jsut said in another vid , about 30 min, i 4k 60, and did you shoot a football game in 60 fps. it maskes sens but, just curious
@@orangerecords_studio I explained the situations where the camera overheated in this video.
I couldn't help but laugh out loud at Chris Brockhurst comment. Dude argues that the A7IV is not a pro camera because it can't live up to the same standards as the A7SIII in terms of heating during long operations and the 4K60FPS crop. It's not that I wouldn't agree with the assertion that these mirrorless cameras aren't in the same league as professional gear (Blackmagic Ursa, Red, ARRI, etc.) but he's comparing it to another mirrorless camera that delivers the exact same internal video quality or worse in some cases.
The A7IV is a hybrid monstrosity that can do two things (photo and video) exceptionally well, so it's hilarious to me to hear the guy argue that a A7SIII is more "pro" just because it can do ONE of those things a bit better while sucking at the other. Literally EVERY single drawback the A7IV presents in comparison to it's S counterpart (heat, rolling shutter, 4k60 crop) is due to it's larger sensor that facilitates the photo side of the equation. Not to mention that you essentially lose APSC mode on the A7SIII, and that could be a huge drawback for some videographers who need the extra versatility.
My points are valid for MY Useage. There’s a ton of people out there using this camera for exactly the same things as I do, thus why I say what I say - to HELP people and spread awareness. I’m really excited to watch the video you put out about it and help people too, let me know when it’s up and out, I’ll be the first to come say hi 👋
agree 100%. none of these cameras are pro at all