Should Sony make an a7S IV? Because I respect your time like that, I’m gonna spoil my conclusion right now: not only do I think Sony should make an a7S IV, I’m betting that they will. The Sony FX5 is an incredible cinema camera, but it took away a feature filmmakers have been using for years, and I think that decision showed us exactly what Sony is gonna do next, right down to a Sony a7S IV price of about $4,500.
Below I’ll walk through why I think it’s coming, what it’s gonna look like, whether it will record raw video internally, and how much I think Sony will charge for it. Of course, I don’t know anything for sure, just like you, so treat all of this as my bet and not a leak.
How One Sensor Ended Up In Four Sony Cameras
Since the very beginning of the Alpha line, Sony has made multiple versions of their cameras. You have the a7, an all around good camera that doesn’t excel in any one department. You have the a7R, with a very high resolution sensor. And you have the a7S, which is more video focused with incredible low light performance. Those three models ran through three generations and many years.
Then Sony switched things up with the Sony a7S III. That sensor didn’t just go into the a7S III, it also went into not one but two cinema line cameras, the Sony FX6 and the Sony FX3, plus a vlog camera version in the Sony ZV-E1. All of them share a virtually identical 12 megapixel sensor with dual base ISO that hits 12,800. People love it!
The FX3 in particular was so successful that a lot of filmmakers moved on from the a7S III entirely, and it became the default cinema camera for a lot of people. That led me, and plenty of others, to wonder if the a7S III would ever get a successor at all. I asked that exact question about a year ago, before the FX5 was ever announced, in a7S IV Canceled?! Why Sony May Say Goodbye To This Camera Line, and my bet back then was that they would make one. Consider this the sequel, because now that the FX5 is here, I think Sony has given us even more clues.
Does Sony Even Need An a7S IV?
With the FX3 doing so well, does Sony even have a reason to make an a7S IV? I think there are multiple reasons pointing that direction, so let’s dive into them.
The FX5 Can’t Take Photos
This is one of the most compelling reasons, in my opinion. The FX5 is incapable of taking photos, and that has annoyed a lot of filmmakers. I’ve seen so many comments from people upset about it, because the FX3 could take photos and now that capability is gone on Sony’s latest cinema camera.
Why? My assumption is that Sony wanted the FX5 to be a cinema camera in the purest sense of the word. The Sony VENICE 2 and Sony BURANO that Sony modeled the FX5 after don’t have a photo mode, so neither does the FX5.
That’s still annoying, because the FX5’s design is very similar to the FX3. It’s held kind of like a photo camera, with a grip and a big button on the top that would normally take a photo, and on the FX5 that button is relegated to being just another custom button.
I, as well as others, have asked Sony to add photos with a firmware update, but I don’t think they’re gonna do it. Instead, I think the most logical move is this: Sony releases an a7S IV that takes the same sensor as the FX5, puts it in a more hybrid body, and adds photo capability.
What Will The a7S IV Look Like?
Here’s where things get really crazy. Little side tangent, but the FX5 doesn’t actually use a brand new sensor. It uses a modified version of the 66.8 megapixel sensor in the Sony a7R VI. I’m grossly simplifying things here, but in essence, Sony took that sensor and modified it to read out at only 16 megapixels for the FX5, and in the process it got a much faster readout speed, better low light performance, and a triple base ISO.
That matters, because it means there’s already a precedent for Sony putting this sensor family into a photo body. So if you ask me, “Matt, what is the a7S IV gonna look like?”, I’d bet it looks pretty darn similar to an a7R VI. Sony loves reusing their body styles with minimal modifications, which saves on R&D costs.
An a7S IV with the FX5 sensor that can also take photos makes a lot of sense, because Sony wants to hit that hybrid market of filmmakers who also take photos.
Why 16 Megapixels Matters For Photographers
One of the biggest complaints photographers had about the a7S III and FX3 was that 12 megapixels is not that great for photography. It’s fine for things like family portraits, which I’ve taken plenty of times with my a7S III, but if you’re doing larger prints you really want more resolution.
The FX5 sensor is 16 megapixels, noticeably higher than the a7S III. It’s still nowhere near something like the Sony a7 V or the a7R VI, but I think that bump makes it a much more compelling photo camera, and photographers would be a lot happier with it. Let me know in the comments on the video if you agree!
The FX5 Has No Built-In Viewfinder
Speaking of the body, what does the a7R VI (and every other Sony photo camera) have that the FX5 doesn’t? A built-in viewfinder. The FX5 has a modular, detachable Sony FX5 electronic viewfinder, which I think is very cool, but I’m really curious how many filmmakers actually buy it.
I personally really like having a viewfinder on my camera. It makes filming on a bright, sunny day so much easier, because I can just bring the camera up to my eye. So I can’t help but feel there’s a desire from creators for a camera with a viewfinder that’s permanently attached. An a7S IV would give you the capabilities of the FX5 plus an EVF that’s always there, and a hot shoe on top that can take an XLR adapter with 32-bit float audio.
Will The a7S IV Record Internal Raw?
Now for the things that add a wrinkle. Here’s the big question: would Sony let this camera record internal raw video? One of the flagship features of the FX5 is recording X-OCN internally with very efficient file sizes. I would love to think the a7S IV gets that too, but I see two limitations, one firmware and one hardware.
The firmware limitation: recording X-OCN on the FX5 requires Cine EI mode, which is a way to record more easily in S-Log3 as well as raw (my Cine EI explained guide goes deep on it). Up until now, Sony has only enabled Cine EI on their cinema cameras, like the Sony FX30, FX3, FX6 and BURANO. So for the a7S IV to record internal X-OCN, it would also need Cine EI, and it would be the first Sony photo camera ever to get it. I’m not saying they won’t do it, and I’m definitely not saying they can’t, but Sony would have to break their own precedent.
No Fan, No Raw? The Overheating Question
The hardware limitation is simple: no Sony photo camera has ever had a fan, and I doubt they’ll start with the a7S IV. Unlike their competition, Sony seems very happy keeping the a7 series passively cooled and saving fans for the cinema line. So without a fan, and with how much data X-OCN records, is a passively cooled a7S IV more likely to overheat? I don’t know. Sony has gotten incredibly good at passive cooling and none of their newer cameras have had overheating issues, but none of them have recorded internal raw either. (If you want to see how the FX5 itself holds up, I tested it in 5K open gate raw in the Texas sun.)
Why Sony Can’t Afford To Skip Raw
That said, the argument for internal raw is an easy one to make: all of Sony’s competition offers it in the vast majority of their cameras. Nikon has internal N-RAW even in their cheaper photo cameras. Canon has raw in almost everything at this point. Panasonic has ProRes RAW. You see what I’m saying. Honestly, I’d be more concerned if Sony didn’t include internal raw in the a7S IV, because they don’t want to fall behind.
The Biggest Reason: Sony Sells Sensors
Anyways, here’s the last and, in my opinion, most obvious reason Sony is gonna make an a7S IV: Sony is incentivized to sell as many cameras and sensors as possible. Notice I said sensors, not just cameras.
Sony as a company has multiple product divisions. There’s the Alpha division that sells cameras like the a7S III, the cinema division that sells the FX5, and most importantly a sensor manufacturing division that makes the sensors for all of those cameras, for plenty of their competitors’ cameras, and even for smartphones like the iPhone. I dug into how that structure works in Where Is the FX3 II?! The Truth Behind Sony’s Silence.
In short, more camera variants means more sensors sold, which is exactly why the same sensor went into the a7S III, FX3, FX6 and ZV-E1. Look at it through that lens (pun intended, because this is a post about cameras) and it’s not a question of if Sony makes an a7S IV, but when. Now that the FX5 is out, I’m betting it’s coming at some point.
Why Not Just Make An FX3 II?
I know some of you are thinking, “Matt, why wouldn’t Sony just put this sensor in an FX3 Mark II and call it a day?” And here’s the thing, I fully expect an FX3 Mark II at some point too (here are my Sony FX3 II predictions), because that product line is pretty legendary at this point!
But even if it comes out, it still won’t take photos and it still won’t have a built-in viewfinder, because Sony will want it to be a cinema camera just like the FX5. That means the exact gap we’ve been talking about would still be there. And remember, the sensor division wants this sensor in as many bodies as possible. So this isn’t an either or situation. I think we’re gonna get both!
My Sony a7S IV Price Prediction
That brings us to the very last question I promised you at the beginning. Whenever Sony does make an a7S IV, what will they charge? Once again, I think Sony has already shown us their hand.
Look at the last generation. The a7S III and FX3 share the same sensor, but the a7S III launched at $3,500 while the FX3 launched at $3,900. Sony priced the Alpha version a few hundred dollars below the cinema version. Apply that same logic to the FX5 at $5,000, and I’m betting the a7S IV comes in right around $4,500, about $500 less than the FX5. That would make it the cheapest way to get this incredible new sensor into your hands, and at that price, I think Sony would sell a ton of them, since they’re already selling a lot of FX5s.
Would You Buy One?
I’d love to hear what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? And would you actually buy an a7S IV if Sony made one? Maybe you like taking photos and it makes sense for you. Let me know in the comments on the video.
If you already own one of these cameras, my Sony a7S III Pro Video Guide and Sony FX3 Pro Video Guide will teach you the absolute best settings for your camera. And if you want a head start right now, I made a free Sony Filmmaker Settings cheat sheet that covers the most important settings for all Sony cameras in just a few pages.
