Quality

To compare the noise between the Sony A7r III and Sony A7r IV, I photographed the following still life scene with both cameras, moments apart, using the same Sony FE 24-70mm f2.8 G Master lens at 24mm f8, at every sensitivity from 50 ISO to 102400 ISO. I then processed the RAW files using Adobe Camera RAW using sharpening settings of 50 / 0.5 / 36 / 10 and with all noise reduction disabled. This approach wouldn’t be used for normal results, but allows us to really see and compare the actual data which the cameras have to work with. I then took crops from the area marked by the red rectangle below from each processed image and have presented them in the table below at 100% for comparison; the A7r III is in the left column and the A7r IV in the right.

Sony A7r III vs A7r IV noise (RAW no NR)

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 50 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 100 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 200 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 400 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 800 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 1600 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAWs at 3200 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 6400 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 12800 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 25600 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 51200 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r III. Above right: Sony A7r IV. Both 100% crops from RAW (no NR) at 102400 ISO.

Sony A7r IV noise JPEG vs RAW

To compare the noise and image processing between out-of-camera JPEGs and RAW files on the Sony A7r IV, I photographed the following scene at every sensitivity from 50 ISO to 102400 ISO. I then processed the RAW files using Adobe Camera RAW using sharpening settings of 50 / 0.5 / 36 / 10 and with all noise reduction disabled. This approach wouldn’t be used for normal results, but allows us to really see and compare the actual data which the cameras have to work with. I then took crops from the area marked by the red rectangle below from each JPEG and its processed RAW version and have presented them in the table below at 100% for comparison; the out-of-camera JPEGs are on the left and the processed RAW files on the right.

Sony A7r IV noise: JPEG (OOC) vs RAW (no NR)

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 50 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 100 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 200 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 400 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 800 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 1600 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 3200 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 6400 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 12800 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 25600 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 51200 ISO.

Above left: Sony A7r IV JPEG (OOC). Above right: Sony A7r IV RAW (no NR). Both 100% crops at 102400 ISO.