Your Out-of-Box Experience

Your Sony a7 IV comes in an attractive box filled with stuff, including a multi-purpose USB charging cable, basic instructions, some pamphlets, and a few other items. The most important components are the camera and lens, battery, AC adapter, and, if you’re the nervous type, the neck strap. You’ll also need a CFexpress Type A (CFe Type A) or Secure Digital (SDXC) memory card, as one is not included. I’ll provide tips on selecting a card shortly.

For now, the first thing to do is to carefully unpack the camera and double-check the contents with the checklist below. While this level of setup detail may seem as superfluous as the instructions on a bottle of shampoo, checking the contents first is always a good idea. It’s better to know now that something is missing so you can seek redress immediately.

So, check the box at your earliest convenience, and make sure you have (at least) the following:

• ■Sony a7 IV body. This is hard to miss. The camera is the main reason you laid out the big bucks, and it is tucked away inside a nifty protective envelope you should save for re-use in case the camera needs to be sent in for repair. It almost goes without saying that you should check out the camera immediately, making sure the color LCD on the back isn’t scratched or cracked, the battery compartment, memory card door, and connection port doors open properly, and, when a charged battery is inserted, and lens mounted, the camera powers up and reports for duty. Out-of-the-box defects in these areas are rare, but they can happen. It’s probably more common that your dealer played with the camera or, perhaps, it was a customer return. That’s why it’s best to buy your camera from a retailer you trust to supply a factory-fresh camera.
• ■Lens. Depending on where you live, the Sony a7 IV may be available in several different configurations, often the body alone, or packaged in several different kits that include a lens. The options included an FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens (available separately for about $400), the Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens (about $900), or even the premium Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM (G Master) lens ($2,000). It was also available with the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS lens ($1,400 separately).
  • My recommendation: I already owned the Zeiss Vario-Tessar 24-70mm f/4, so I bought my a7 IV with the 24-105mm zoom. You probably do not need both lenses because the 24-105mm lens completely overlaps the range of the three 24/28-70mm optics. You might make an exception for the 24-70mm f/2.8 G-Master if you do a lot of shooting in the shorter focal length neighborhood and want a super-sharp lens with a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture.
  • As the owner of a 33MP camera, you probably won’t be satisfied with the low-cost 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens, as it’s not the sharpest lens in the drawer. The Zeiss 24-70mm version is a bit better, and its constant maximum aperture gives you f/4 (rather than f/5.6) at the 70mm setting. The f/2.8 G-Master is the best of all, and my guess is that, despite its greater bulk, it will be the preferred lens among those investing in the a7 IV.
  • Owning any lens in this particular zoom range is a matter of personal style and preference. Many shooters tend to “see” images as “wide-angle/perspective distortion/maximum depth-of-field” shots or, conversely, as “longer lens/selective focus” photos. If you are in either camp, eschewing all these lenses and putting the money toward a different lens is a good option. I use my Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS lens quite often and have been relying on the 24-105mm zoom more frequently as a “walk-around” lens.
• ■Info-Lithium NP-FZ100 battery. This is the power source for your Sony camera. Charge yours as soon as possible (as described next).
  • My recommendation: Although the a7 IV’s 2280 mAh battery is more than twice as powerful than the one furnished with Sony’s original full-frame cameras (the company’s consumer-oriented APS-C models), it’s smart, nay, essential to have more than one battery pack. Although relatively small in size, this camera gulps power, and, even with the generous standards Sony cites in its literature, each is likely to last for no more than 520 to 580 still shots or roughly 170 minutes of non-stop video capture. (The figures given vary depending on whether you are using the electronic viewfinder or LCD monitor screen to frame your image, plus other factors.) Buy more, and stick to Sony-brand products—even if third-party batteries appear to be cheaper. Off-brand packs have been known to fail quickly, sometimes in potentially destructive ways.
• ■Sony AC-UUD12 AC Adapter. Sony does not provide an external battery charger with the a7 IV, which means you’ll rejuvenate the battery in the camera using this 1.5A, 7.5W adapter (or equivalent) and the supplied USB Type-C cable.
  • My recommendation: The need to use your camera as your main battery-charging module can be a serious bottleneck, particularly if you don’t have enough extra batteries to continue shooting. I recommend buying an external charger, as I’ll describe in the next section. However, in-camera charging when you have downtime is convenient, and the AC adapter is especially useful while traveling: it eliminates the need to have a computer or laptop powered up to charge the battery.
• ■Micro Type-C cable. Use this USB cable to link your a7 IV to a computer when you need to transfer pictures but don’t have an optional card reader accessory handy. It can also be used to install firmware updates directly from your computer to the a7 IV.
  • While the camera is connected with the cable, the battery inside the body will be charging. The USB cable can also be connected to the AC-UUD12 AC adapter (or virtually any other 5V/2A smart device power cube) if you want to charge the battery using household power.
• ■Shoulder strap. Sony provides a suitable neck or shoulder strap with the Sony logo subtly worked into the design.
  • My recommendation: While I am justifiably proud of owning a fine Sony camera, I never attach the factory strap to my camera, and instead opt for a more serviceable strap from UPstrap (www.upstrap-pro.com). If you carry your camera over one shoulder, as many do, I particularly recommend UPstrap (shown in Figure 1.2). It has a patented non-slip pad that offers reassuring traction and eliminates the contortions we sometimes go through to keep the camera from slipping off. I know several photographers who refuse to use anything else. If you do purchase an UPstrap, be sure to tell photographer-inventor Al Stegmeyer that I sent you hence. There are several different strap models, and Al will help you choose which one is best for you.
• ■Multi-interface shoe cap (attached to camera). This plastic piece slides into the camera’s multi-interface shoe on top of the camera (what we used to call a “hot shoe”) and protects the contacts from dirt, moisture, and damage when you don’t have an electronic flash, microphone, or other accessory attached.
  • My recommendation: If you are very careful about how you insert an external flash or microphone into the multi-interface shoe, and avoid drenching moisture, you can remove this piece and leave it off for the rest of your life. I have lost shots while fumbling with protective covers and manage to lose the shoe cap with alarming frequency. If you misplace yours, USA shooters can get a replacement from www.laserfairepress.com for a few bucks.

• ■FDA-EP19 eyepiece cup. This rubber accessory is already installed on the electronic viewfinder eyepiece when you receive the camera; if you want to remove it, pry the two sides of the bottom edge apart and slide it up. It’s not easily lost, but you can pick up a replacement for about $12. Note: This is not the same as the venerable FDA-EP18 eyepiece Sony has used for nearly all of its full-frame mirrorless cameras in the past, so don’t expect one of the aftermarket “enhanced” eyepieces to fit. The previous version had an opening for the eye sensor above the viewfinder window, while the one for newer models, like the a7 IV and al, accommodate the eye sensor located below the window.
• ■Application software. The first time you power up the camera, it will display the current URL for your country where you can download imaging software for the a7 IV. Be sure to get the new, free Imaging Edge software. It’s a great RAW processor and editor and has a Remote application for tethered shooting (with your a7 IV connected to a laptop or other computer). The Imaging Edge Webcam application, as well as Catalyst Browse (free) and Catalyst Prepare ($150-$200 per year subscription) for video production are also available.
• ■Instructions. The camera comes with nothing more than a setup leaflet that includes a QR code that directs you to a 496-page Help Guide to the camera’s operation accessed online in HTML format or downloaded as a more useful PDF file from Sony’s esupport.sony.com website. The box will also contain warranty and registration information.
• ■Body cap/rear lens cap. These accessories will probably already be attached to the camera body and rear of your lens (if included).
  • My recommendation: Purchase extra body and lens caps. With mirrorless cameras like the a7 IV, it is especially important not to leave the sensor unprotected. If you lose your body cap, mount a lens as a “body cap” until you purchase spares. A body cap is essential when packing your camera for compact travel. I don’t use the gray Sony caps, but instead prefer a Sony red cap that’s easier to spot in the dark confines of a camera bag. Owners in the USA will find cheap gray and red body and rear lens caps at www.laserfairepress.com, too. I imported a bunch of these after the previous distributor went out of business and offer them to readers at minimal cost.

Initial Setup

The initial setup of your Sony is fast and easy. You just need to charge the battery, attach a lens (if that hasn’t already been done), and insert a memory card. I’ll address each of these steps separately, but if you already feel you can manage these setup tasks without further instructions, feel free to skip this section entirely. You should probably at least skim its contents, however, because I’m going to list a few options that you might not be aware of.

Battery Included

Your Sony a7 IV is a sophisticated hunk of machinery and electronics, but it needs a charged battery to function, so rejuvenating the NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery pack should be your first step. A fully charged power source should theoretically be good for 520 shots (when using the power-hungry viewfinder) or 580 shots (when working with the more juice-frugal LCD monitor screen). Expect 100 minutes (or more) of typical video capture, which includes standby time, zooming, and turning the camera on or off from time to time. When shooting continuously, you may be able to stretch a single battery for as much as 175 minutes of continual video capture. Theoretically. I frequently (always) deplete my batteries more quickly than that. Sony’s estimates are based on standard tests defined by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA). If you often use the camera’s Wi-Fi feature (discussed later), you can expect to take even fewer shots before it’s time for a recharge. This is an Info-Lithium battery, so the camera can display the approximate power remaining with a graphic indicator.

Remember that all rechargeable batteries undergo some degree of self-discharge just sitting idle in the camera or in the original packaging. Lithium-ion power packs of this type typically lose a small amount of their charge every day, even when the camera isn’t turned on. Li-ion cells lose their power through a chemical reaction that continues when the camera is switched off. So, it’s very likely that the battery purchased with your camera, even if charged at the factory, has begun to poop out after the long sea voyage on a banana boat (or, more likely, a trip by jet plane followed by a sojourn in a warehouse), so you’ll want to revive it before going out for some serious shooting.

My recommendation: You really need the optional Sony BC-QZ1 external charger. This handy device (see Figure 1.3, upper left) allows you to recharge one battery while another is ensconced in your camera as you continue shooting. I strongly prefer this fast external charger to the alternative cable charging method, accomplished by plugging a USB cable into an AC adapter or computer.

At roughly $400, the NPA-MQZ1K Multi-Battery Adapter Kit sounds pricey (it is!). However, it comes with two NP-FZ100 batteries (normally about $80 each), which means that, effectively, you’re paying “only” $240 for the charger itself. The charger is extremely versatile: it can charge up to four NP-FZ100 batteries simultaneously but can be converted to a compact two-battery charger for use while traveling. (See Figure 1.3, right.)

Even better, the charger can serve as a power pack when outfitted with fully charged batteries. A dummy battery plugs into the battery compartment of the a7 IV (or, with a supplied adapter, into any E-mount camera that uses the puny NP-FW50 batteries). Two USB ports allow rejuvenating other devices that use USB cable charging (including your smartphone!). It has six standard 1/4”-20 mounting sockets so it can be mounted to support systems (like the cages videographers use to attach external viewfinders and other accessories).

I own eight NP-FZ100 batteries (so far). You won’t need that many, but in addition to my a7 IV, I also own other cameras that use the same battery, including the a1, a6600, and a9 II. I keep a fresh battery in the camera at all times. Nevertheless, I always check battery status before I go out to shoot, as some juice may have been siphoned off while the camera sat idle. I go to the Network > Network Option > Airplane Mode entry and turn it on when I don’t need Wi-Fi features.

Charging the Battery

While the optional Sony BC-QZ1 external charger or NPA-MQZ1K multi-battery adapters are my first choice, you have multiple other options, including charging the battery while it’s still in the camera (best done when the camera is idle and not needed for shooting). In addition to the supplied AC adapter, you probably already own other suitable AC adapter/chargers, in the form of any charging device you use for your smartphone, tablet, Kindle, or other electronic product. Their typical 5V/2A output will work fine. I also use a 22,000 mAh lithium-ion power “brick,” which also can recharge my phone, my tablet, and, in a pinch (using an included cable) jump start a car. The brick comes with its own 12V DC charger, so I can keep it topped up using my vehicle’s accessory outlet (what we used to call a “cigarette lighter” socket). I also have a more compact 5,000 mAh pack, about the size of a roll of quarters, that I keep in my camera bag.

When you’re ready to charge the battery internally, turn the camera Off. Then, plug one end of the USB cable (with the smaller connector) into the USB Type-C port under the bottom port cover on the left side of the camera. It’s shown to the right of the yellow Charge light at lower right in Figure 1.4. Plug the other end of either cable (with the familiar USB Type-A connector) into a computer’s USB port, AC adapter, or battery-powered recharging device. Turn the camera On and you’ll see a “plug” icon appear at upper right in the viewfinder and monitor next to the battery status icon, confirming that the connection has been made.

The Charge light next to the camera’s USB/charging port glows yellow, without flashing. It continues to glow until the battery completes the charge and the lamp turns off. In truth, the full charge is complete about one hour after the charging lamp turns off, so if your battery was really dead, don’t stop charging until the additional time has elapsed. Be sure to plan for charging time before your shooting sessions because it takes several hours in a warm environment to fully restore a completely depleted battery.

If the charging lamp flashes after you insert an externally charged battery into the camera, that indicates an error condition. Remove it and re-insert it. To insert/remove it, slide the latch on the bottom of the camera, open the battery door, and press a blue lever in the battery compartment that prevents the pack from slipping out when the door is opened; then, ease the battery out. To insert it, do so with the contact openings facing into the compartment (see Figure 1.5).

Fast flashing that can’t be stopped by re-inserting the battery indicates a problem with the battery. Slow flashing (about 1.5 seconds between flashes) means the ambient temperature is too high or low for charging to take place.

Charging the battery with the optional BC-QZ1 external charger is even easier; just slide the battery in, connect to AC power, and the charger’s yellow status light will begin to glow, accompanied by three green LEDs that illuminate progressively as charging proceeds, to let you know when the battery is fully charged. The yellow LED will extinguish when the cycle is over.

Final Initial Steps

Your Sony a7 IV is almost ready to fire up and shoot. You’ll need to select and mount a lens (if not previously done) and insert a memory card. Each of these steps is easy, and if you’ve used any similar camera in the past, such as a Sony or other model, you already know exactly what to do. I’m going to provide a little extra detail for those of you who are new to the Sony or interchangeable-lens camera worlds.

Mounting the Lens

My recommended lens mounting procedure emphasizes protecting your equipment from accidental damage and minimizing the intrusion of dust. Select the lens you want to use and loosen (but do not remove) the rear lens cap. I generally place the lens I am planning to mount vertically in a slot in my camera bag, where it’s protected from mishaps but ready to pick up quickly. By loosening the rear lens cap, you’ll be able to lift it off the back of the lens at the last instant, so the rear element of the lens is covered until then.

After that, remove the body cap that protects the camera’s exposed sensor by rotating the cap toward the shutter release button. You should always mount the body cap when there is no lens on the camera because it helps keep dust out of the interior of the camera. Unlike traditional dSLRs, these cameras have no mirror or closed shutter to protect the sensor.

Once the body cap has been removed, remove the rear lens cap from the lens, set the cap aside, and then mount the lens on the camera by matching the raised white alignment indicator on the lens barrel with the white dot on the camera’s lens mount. Rotate the lens away from the shutter release side of the camera until it seats securely and clicks into place. (Don’t press the lens release button during mounting.) Some lenses ship with a hood. If that accessory is included, and if it’s bayoneted on the lens in the reversed position (which makes the lens/hood combination more compact for transport), twist it off and remount with the rim facing outward. A lens hood protects the front of the lens from accidental bumps, and reduces flare caused by extraneous light arriving at the front element of the lens from outside the picture area.

Inserting a Memory Card

You can’t take actual photos without at least one memory card inserted in your Sony camera, although if you have the Release without Card entry in the Shooting > Shutter/Silent menu page set to Enable, you can pretend to shoot. In that case, if you don’t have a card installed, the camera will sound as if it’s taking a photo (when using the mechanical shutter, of course), and it will display that “photo.” However, the image is only in temporary memory and not actually stored; you’ll get a reminder about that with a flashing orange NO CARD warning at the upper left of the LCD. If you go back later and try to view that image, it will not be there. So, be sure you have inserted a compatible card with adequate capacity before you start shooting stills or videos.

The memory card slots are located beneath a door on the right side of the camera. Slide the door open, revealing two slots (see Figure 1.6). If you use only one memory card, you must insert it in the camera’s primary slot, which, by default is the upper slot (Slot 1). (I’ll show you how to make Slot 2 the main slot in Chapter 6.)

PLAYING THE SLOTS

The ability to use hyper-fast CFexpress Type A memory cards is one of the most significant upgrades Sony has applied to the a7 IV. However, it’s easy to become confused when choosing a card, because there are three different types (A, B, and C), with only the first two currently in use by camera manufacturers.

All three use a faster interface that is much speedier than was possible with previous XQD and SDXC cards. The fastest of the earlier media topped out at around 440 MB/second (for UHS-II) or, theoretically, 600 MB/second (for UHS-III). In contrast, CFexpress Type A cards (which the a7 IV uses) employs one data “lane” and can reach transfer speeds of up to 1000 MB/ second. Type B cards, used by Nikon, Canon, and Panasonic in their mirrorless models use two lanes for up to 2000 MB/second. The larger Type C cards may be used in the future for video can transfer data at up to 4000 MB/second.

All CFexpress form factors are fast enough for the most demanding high-speed still and high-res video shooting, so Sony opted for the most compact Type A configuration. The smaller size means that your a7 IV can accept old-style SDXC memory cards in either Slot 1 or Slot 2 for fast UHS-II transfer (insert with the label facing away from you), or, in Slot 1 only, CFexpress Type A cards (insert with the label facing you). When you want to remove the memory card later, just press down on the card edge that protrudes from the slot, and the card will pop right out.

Because CFexpress media are so new, it’s easy to get them confused. Figure 1.7 pictures some of the memory cards I use with my Sony a7 IV and Sony a1: two CFe Type A (top left and center) and an SDXC card (top right). Media that will not work in the a7 IV are shown within the red box at the bottom of the figure, and include three CFe Type B cards and an XQD card.

NOTE If you are upgrading from an earlier Sony full-frame interchangeable-lens camera, you’ll want to know that the company switched the position of Slots 1 and 2 for its most recent full-frame cameras. In previous models, the lower slot was Slot 1, and offered the fastest UHS-II transfer speeds. The upper slot, Slot 2, provided only UHS I transfer. With the a7 IV, both Slot 1 and Slot 2 support UHS-II speeds. Unlike some earlier models, the a7 IV does not support any type of Sony Memory Stick cards, including the Pro Duo or Pro-HG Duo cards.

Turning on the Power

Locate the On/Off switch that is wrapped around the shutter release button and rotate it to the On position. The LCD display will be illuminated. If you bring the viewfinder up to your eye, a sensor will detect that action and switch the display to the built-in electronic viewfinder instead. You can disable this automatic switching using the Select Finder/Monitor entry in the Finder/Monitor group of the Setup menu tab. I’ll show you how to navigate the new Sony menu system to find this setting in the section that follows this one. After one minute of idling (the default), the a7 IV goes into standby mode to save battery power. Just tap the shutter release button to bring it back to life. (You can select a longer time using the Power Save Start Time option in the Setup menu, as I discuss in Chapter 9.)

When the camera first powers up, you may be asked to set the date and time. The procedure is self-explanatory (although I’ll explain it in detail in Chapter 9). You can use the left/right directional buttons to navigate among the date, year, time, date format, and daylight savings time indicator, and use the up/down buttons to enter the correct settings.

Once the Sony a7 IV is satisfied that it knows what time it is, you will be viewing a live view of the scene in front of the lens—on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder when that is held up to your eye—whenever you turn the camera on. The view is superimposed with many items of data over the display; these provide a quick method for checking many current camera settings, including current shutter speed and aperture (f/stop), shooting mode, ISO sensitivity, and other parameters.

Adjusting the Diopter Setting

The a7 IV is equipped with a built-in electronic viewfinder or EVF, a small, high-resolution (3,686,400 dots) OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen that can be used instead of the LCD screen for framing your photos or movies. A sensor located under the viewfinder window detects when your eye is at the viewfinder and shuts off power to the LCD when you are using the EVF. Usually, when you’re learning to use the camera’s many features, you’ll rely on the LCD screen’s display, but when you’re actually taking photos, you’ll sometimes want to use the EVF instead. You can also use it to review your photos or video clips and navigate menu selections.

If you wear glasses and want to use the EVF without them, or if you find the viewfinder needs a bit of correction, rotate the diopter adjustment dial located to the right of the viewfinder window (and shown in Figure 1.8). Adjust the dial while looking through the viewfinder until the image appears sharpest.

Menu Navigation Quick Start

Recent Sony cameras, including the a7 IV, have converted to an entirely new menu system that’s more logically arranged by function, and easier to navigate once you get used to it. Owners of previous Sony full-frame cameras may be lost at first, so I’m including this menu navigation quick start. I’m going to provide just the basics: keep in mind that Sony gives you multiple controls for navigation, including the touch screen and multi-selector joystick, but I’ll keep things simple for now. Figure 1.9 shows the basic components of a typical menu screen. They are as follows:

• ■Menu tabs. The column at far left displays the top-level menu tabs, which each contain groups with associated entries. There are seven individual tabs, which are, starting at the top:
  • •My Menu (Gray). You can set up your own customized menus to reside here, installing the entries from any of the other tabs for quick access. The tab has just one group: My Menu Setting, with options that allow you to add/delete, sort, and arrange pages of favorite entries. I’ll explain every entry for this tab in Chapter 6.
  • •Shooting (Red/Orange). This tab includes commands for handling image quality, recording media and files, shooting modes, USB streaming, drive modes, shutter option, image stabilization, optical/digital zoom, and shooting display. This tab is also covered in Chapter 6.
  • •Exposure/Color (Magenta). This tab includes groups with options for exposure, metering, flash, white balance, color rendition, and overexposure warnings. You’ll learn about exposure and color control in Chapters 3 and 7.
  • •AF/MF (Violet). Here you’ll find groups with all the controls you need to set focus parameters, and the aids built-into the a7 IV to make focusing more accurate and convenient. Chapters 4 and 8 explain all the focus options you’ll need to operate your a7 IV.
  • •Playback (Blue). This tab has entries that will enable you to review, manage, edit, and delete the photos you’ve taken. These are all explained in Chapter 8.
  • •Network (Green). The a7 IV includes a broad range of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and wired LAN options, all controlled through this tab.
  • •Setup (Yellow). This tab has a host of options you may not use on an everyday basis—such as Area/Date settings, custom control definitions for various dials and buttons, USB connectivity, and output to external monitors and recorders.
• ■Tab/group name/number. The top line of the screen displays the name of the current tab and group, such as Shooting > Image Quality, shown at top left in Figure 1.9. You start with 53 groups in all, and the “page” of the current group is shown at top, far right.
• ■Menu groups. After you’ve highlighted a top-level menu tab, you can use the directional controls (explained next) to gain access to all the menu groups available for that tab. Each group will have its own number, which will appear as you scroll among the groups.

• ■Group entries. The remainder of the screen shows the available entries for the currently highlighted group, with their current settings.
• ■General controls. Near the bottom of the screen you’ll find a downward-pointing triangle indicating that this particular group has additional entries beyond those shown, accessed by scrolling down. The Trash icon can be pressed to retrieve some Help for the highlighted entry. Press the MENU button to back out of the menu system.

As mentioned earlier, you can use a variety of controls to navigate your Sony a7 IV, whether you’re wending your way through the menu system or specifying a particular AF point or zone within a frame. I’ll give you a complete guide to using the multi-selector joystick, and control dials, and control wheel in Chapter 2. For this quick start, all you’ll need is the MENU button, located to the immediate left of the viewfinder window, shown earlier in Figure 1.8, and the directional buttons located on the control wheel in the lower right of the back of the camera, as seen in Figure 1.10. The figure shows a “flow chart” of the menu system at far right, accompanied by images of the control wheel up/down “buttons” (the top and bottom edges of the wheel, marked with green triangles), and the right directional “button” (the right edge of the wheel, marked with a yellow triangle).

Starting at the top of the figure, here’s your roadmap:

• ■Top row. Use the up/down buttons to scroll within the seven Menu tabs. The Shooting tab is highlighted. You can press the right directional button to move from the Menu tab list into the list of groups available within the highlighted tab group.
• ■Second row. Use the up/down buttons to highlight the group you want to work with. The Image Quality group is highlighted. The available groups are shown, each assigned a number. You may have to scroll down to see all of them available in the Shooting and Setup groups. Press the right directional button to access one of the numbered groups.

• ■Third row. The up/down buttons can be used to scroll among the entries found within the group you’ve selected. In this case, the JPEG/HEIF Switch entry is highlighted. Press the right button to see the options available with the highlighted entry.
• ■Bottom row. Several options are shown. For some entries, the options may include additional screens of sub-options within that setting. Use the up/down button to highlight the radio button for the option you want to activate, or, if sub-options are offered, use the right button to navigate to the additional choices. When the setting you want is highlighted, press the control wheel’s center button to confirm.
• ■Exiting. For each of these levels, pressing the MENU button will Close/Exit the screen.

Formatting a Memory Card

There are three ways to create a blank memory card for your Sony a7 IV, and two of them are at least partially wrong. Here are your options, both correct and incorrect:

• ■Transfer (move) files to your computer. You’ll sometimes decide to transfer (rather than copy) all the image files to your computer from the memory card (either using a direct USB cable transfer or with a card reader and appropriate software, as described later in this chapter). When you do so, the image files on the card can be erased leaving the card blank. Theoretically. This method does not remove files that you’ve labeled as Protected (by choosing Protect from the Playback > Selection/Memo > Protect menu during review), nor does it identify and lock out parts of your card that have become corrupted or unusable since the last time you formatted the card. Therefore, I recommend always formatting the card, rather than simply moving the image files. The only exception is when you want to leave the protected/unerased images on the card for a while longer, say, to share with friends, family, and colleagues.
• ■(Don’t) Format in your computer. With the memory card inserted in a card reader or card slot in your computer, you can use Windows or Mac OS to reformat the memory card. Don’t even think of doing this! The operating system won’t necessarily arrange the structure of the card the way the camera likes to see it (in computer terms, an incorrect file system may be installed). In particular, cards larger than 32GB must be initialized using the exFAT format, and while your computer may offer exFAT as an option, it may default to a different scheme. The only way to ensure that the card has been properly formatted for your camera is to perform the format in the camera itself. The only exception to this rule is when you have a seriously corrupted memory card that your camera refuses to format. Sometimes it is possible to revive such a corrupted card by allowing the operating system to reformat it first, then trying again in the camera to restore the proper exFAT system.
• ■Shooting menu format. Use the recommended method to format a memory card in the camera, with the Shooting > Media > Format entry, as described next.

To format a memory card, just follow these steps, using the menu system I just described above.

• 1.Press MENU. When you press the MENU button, the menu screens shown earlier will appear on the LCD monitor or electronic viewfinder. If you’ve previously selected a menu entry, the a7 IV will remember that and return to that menu screen with the most recently used item highlighted with an orange bar.
• 2.Navigate to Shooting > Media > Format. The screen you want is shown at top in Figure 1.11.
• 3.Select Media. From the Format screen, press the right directional button to produce the Select Media display (see Figure 1.11, middle). Press up/down to highlight Slot 1 or Slot 2. Press the control wheel center button to confirm your choice.
• 4.Proceed/Cancel/Switch to Full Format. When the screen shown at the bottom of the figure appears, you have three choices:
  • •Enter (default). Then press the control wheel center button to proceed with a Quick Format, which will zero out the memory card’s pointers to any files stored on the memory card. The data itself is not erased; only the “table of contents” is removed. Note that after a Quick Format, the process can sometimes be reversed using special recovery software (available online via Google) if you have not written any additional information to the card.
  • •Cancel. If you change your mind, highlight Cancel and press the center button.
  • •Switch Full Format. Press the Trash button to perform a Full Format instead of the Quick Format. This process takes a bit longer and cannot be undone, but it can make the memory card work faster and more efficiently by eliminating the odd gaps (fragmentation) in the file structure that builds up when multiple Quick Formats allow the camera’s operating system to write new photos into the gaps rather than in contiguous sectors of the media. A Full Format can lock out defective sectors, as well.
• 5.Format. After the formatting process is completed, you can format the other card (if any) or stop using the menu system.

Selecting a Shooting Mode

When it comes time to select the shooting mode and other settings on the a7 IV camera, you may start to fully experience the “feel” of the user interface. Thanks to the mode dial shown earlier in Figure 1.1, it’s simple and quick to set a shooting mode. Rotate the mode dial to the position you want, such as P (Program Auto).

Hidden Scenes

There is a fully automatic shooting mode, Intelligent Auto, indicated by the green AUTO position on the mode dial. In that mode, the camera makes most of the decisions for you (except when to press the shutter). Note that the a7 IV does not have a dedicated Scene position on the mode dial, but does resort to these Scene-style settings when you use Intelligent Auto. Although you can’t specify most settings on your own in Intelligent Auto mode, the a7 IV will evaluate your scene and switch to Portrait, Infant, Night Portrait, Night Scene, Backlight Portrait, Backlight, Landscape, Macro, Spotlight, Low Light, and Night Scene (Tripod) modes. (If you’ve disabled Face Detection, as described in Chapter 8, Portrait, Infant, Night Portrait, and Backlight Portrait scene modes are not available.) The scenes listed may be activated in Still, Movie, and S&Q (Slow and Quick) modes.

Scene detection may be incorrect if you’re using the a7 IV’s digital zoom feature, discussed in Chapter 4. The available scene modes the camera may choose from are listed next. When a particular scene mode is active, an icon similar to those shown in Figure 1.12 is shown in green in the top-left corner of the display.

• ■Portrait. With the Portrait setting, the camera uses settings to blur the background and sharpen the view of the subject, while using soft skin tones. External flash will fire in low light if you have attached it and powered it up.
• ■Infant. Optimizes settings for photographing small children, using bright, vivid colors.

• ■Night Portrait. Choose this mode when you want to illuminate a subject in the foreground with flash, but still allow the background to be exposed properly by the available light. Be prepared to use a tripod or to rely on the SteadyShot feature to reduce the effects of camera shake. If there is no foreground subject that needs to be illuminated by the flash, you may do better by using the Night Scene mode, discussed next. Remember that you must attach and power up the external flash before taking a shot if you want the flash to fire.
• ■Night Scene. This mode uses slower shutter speeds to provide a useful exposure, but without using flash. You should use a tripod to avoid the effects of camera shake that can be problematic with a slow shutter speed.
• ■Backlight Portrait. This is like the Portrait setting but compensates exposure for lighting coming from the rear.
• ■Backlight. Provides exposure compensation for backlight for subjects that are not portraits.
• ■Landscape. Select this scene mode when you want a maximum range of sharpness (instead of a blurred background) as well as vivid colors of distant scenes. External flash will never fire in this mode.
• ■Macro. This mode is helpful when you are shooting close-up pictures of a subject such as a flower, insect, or other small object. External flash will fire in low light if you have powered it up, but the flash may be too bright for a subject that’s very close to the camera.
• ■Spotlight. This setting compensates for subjects that are illuminated by a small, direct light source, as in stage performances and concerts.
• ■Low Light. This special mode is designed for use in low light. The camera will set a high ISO (sensitivity) level to enable it to use a fast shutter speed to minimize the risk of blurring caused by camera shake.
• ■Night Scene (Tripod). This mode also uses slower shutter speeds, including those long enough to make use of a tripod mandatory.

Choosing a Metering Mode

You might want to select a particular exposure metering mode for your first shots, although the default high-tech Multi (short for multi-zone or multi-segment) metering is probably the best choice while getting to know your camera. If you want to select a different metering pattern, you must not be using Intelligent Auto; in that mode, the camera uses Multi metering and that cannot be changed.

To change the metering mode, press the Fn button, located to the upper left of the control wheel I showed you earlier, as seen at left in Figure 1.13. The Function menu screen, shown at upper right in the figure, appears. Use the up/down (green triangles at left in the figure) and left/right (yellow triangles) controls to highlight the Metering Mode icon in the Function menu. Then, press the center button to produce the screen shown at lower right in the figure. Use the up/down buttons to reach Multi, Center (for center weighted), Spot, Entire Screen Averaging, and Highlight metering selections. Press the center button to confirm your choice and return the camera to shooting mode.

The metering options are as follows:

• ■Multi metering. In this standard metering mode, the camera attempts to intelligently classify your image and choose the best exposure based on readings from 1,200 different zones or segments of the scene. You can read about this so-called “evaluative” metering concept, as well as the other four options, in Chapter 3.
• ■Center metering. The camera meters the entire scene but gives the most emphasis (or weighting) to the central area of the frame.
• ■Spot metering. The camera considers only the brightness in a very small central spot, so the exposure is calculated only based on that area. You can set the size of the metering circle to Standard or Large (press the left/right buttons to switch when Spot is highlighted), and either link the spot to a focusing point or fix it to the center position, as I’ll explain in Chapter 3.
• ■Entire Screen Averaging. This mode sets exposure based on the mean value (in the arithmetic, rather than vengeful sense) of all the tones in the frame, which means the exposure will remain constant even if your subject moves around within the frame.
• ■Highlight metering. Emphasizes preserving tones in the highlights of an image to avoid overexposure, possibly at the expense of shadow detail. I’ll show you how to balance exposures for lighter and darker images in Chapter 3.

Choosing a Focus Mode

The focus mode can be selected using the same Function menu you used to specify the metering mode. It’s located second from the left in the top row of the Function menu. Press the center button, and a screen similar to Figure 1.14 pops up. Focus mode determines when focus is established. The choices that are available when using P, A, S, or M mode are as follows:

• ■Single-shot AF (AF-S). This mode, sometimes called single autofocus, sets focus after you touch the shutter release button and the camera beeps to confirm focus (unless you’ve turned the beeps off). The active focus point(s) is shown in green on the screen and a green dot appears in the bottom-left corner of the display. The focus will remain locked as long as you maintain contact with the shutter release button, or until you take the picture. If the autofocus system is unable to achieve sharp focus (because the subject is too close to the camera, for example), the focus confirmation circle will blink. This mode is best when your subject is relatively motionless as when you’re taking a portrait or landscape photo.
• ■Continuous AF (AF-C). This mode, sometimes called continuous servo or continuous tracking focus by photographers, sets focus when you partially depress the shutter button, but continues to monitor the frame and refocuses if the distance between the camera and the subject changes. (This allows it to continuously focus on a person walking toward you, for example.) No beep sound is provided. A green dot surrounded by two brackets (curved lines) appears to indicate that the camera is not having a problem achieving and maintaining focus. The brackets disappear when focus is achieved, leaving only the green dot. If the camera should fail to acquire focus, the green dot disappears, and the brackets remain. Continuous AF is a useful mode for photographing moving subjects.
• ■Automatic AF (AF-A). When using AF-A the a7 IV will switch between AF-S and AF-C to account for a subject that is moving intermittently. When shooting continuously, even if AF-A is set the camera will automatically shift into AF-C mode after the first exposure in the series.
• ■DMF (Direct Manual Focus). This setting allows you to manually adjust focus after autofocus has been confirmed, using the focus ring on the lens.
• ■Manual Focus. This mode allows you to focus by rotating the focus ring on the lens. The a7 IV offers magnification and Focus Peaking as aids to manual focus. I’ll describe their use in Chapter 4.

Selecting a Focus Area

The Sony a7 IV is equipped with an advanced hybrid autofocus system using both phase detection and contrast detection. I’ll explain what those are and how they work in detail in Chapter 4. In Intelligent Auto mode, the focus area that will set focus is selected automatically by the camera; in other words, the AF system decides which part of the scene will be in sharpest focus. In the semiautomatic P, A, and S mode, and in the manual M exposure modes, you can allow the camera to select the focus point automatically, or you can specify which focus point should be used with the Focus Area feature.

You can set the camera to one of the focus read modes using the Function menu, as described earlier. The Focus Area icon is third from the left in the top row. When you press the center button, the screen shown in Figure 1.14 appears. By default, Focus Area will be set to Wide (multi-point autofocus). Scroll up/down until you reach the option you want to use and press the center button to confirm your selection. (The button is located in the middle of the control wheel that resides to the immediate right of the LCD screen.) There are six autofocus area options, described in detail in Chapter 4. Here’s a brief overview of the options:

• ■Wide. The a7 IV automatically chooses the appropriate focus area or areas; often several subjects will be the same distance from the camera as the primary subject. The active AF area or areas are then displayed in green on the LCD monitor or in the viewfinder, depending on which display you’re using.
• ■Zone. In this mode, a frame that encompasses nine focus areas appears on the LCD while you’re shooting. You can move this grid around the frame with the multi-selector joystick controller shown in Figure 1.15 (not the directional buttons), and the camera will select which of the focus areas to use to focus within the zone you specify.
• ■Center Fix. The camera always uses the focus area in the center of the frame, so it will focus on the subject that’s closest to the center in your composition. If you have owned a previous Sony model, this mode was called simply Center.
• ■Spot. After you select this option from Focus Area, you can use the multi-selector joystick or left / right directional buttons to specify Small, Medium, or Large focus areas. Then, while viewing your subject, you can move the focus frame (rectangle) around the screen to your desired location, using the multi-selector joystick. (But not the directional buttons.) This was called Flexible Spot in previous Sony cameras. Adjust the focus frame so it covers the most important subject in the scene; I’ll discuss this topic in more detail in Chapter 4, where I’ll cover many aspects of autofocus (as well as manual focus), including some not covered in this Quick Start chapter.

• ■Expand Spot. Like standard Spot, in this mode, if the camera is unable to lock in focus using the selected focus point, it will also use the eight adjacent points to try to achieve focus. Sony previously labeled this mode as Expand Flexible Spot.
• ■Tracking. In this mode, the camera locks focus onto the subject area that is under the selected focus spot when the shutter button is depressed halfway. Then, if the subject moves (or you change the framing in the camera), the camera will continue to refocus on that subject. You can select this mode only when the focus mode is set to Continuous AF (AF-C). You can activate it for any of the five focus area options described above. That is, once you’ve highlighted Tracking on the selection screen, you can then press the left/right directional buttons and choose Wide, Zone, Center Fix, Spot, or Expand Spot.

Other Settings

There are a few other settings you can make if you’re feeling ambitious, but don’t feel bad if you postpone using these features until you’ve racked up a little more experience with your Sony a7 IV. By default, these camera features will be at Auto, so the camera will make a suitable setting.

Quick Start to Movie Making

I’m going to talk in more detail about your movie-making options with the a7 IV in Chapters 10 and 11. For now, though, I’ll give you enough information to get started, in case a cinematic subject wanders into your field of view before you get to that chapter. The overrides you have set for certain aspects while shooting still photos will apply to the video clip that you’ll record; these include exposure compensation, White Balance, any Creative Style, Metering Mode, Face Detection, D-Range Optimizer, and Lens Compensation. You’ll even retain your aperture setting if the camera is in A mode or the shutter speed if it’s in S mode. You also get access to the settings for the movie file formats (XAVC S HD and XAVC S 4K modes we’ll explore later in this book) and the resolution in the Record Setting item of the Shooting > Image Quality > Movie Settings section of the menu.

After you start recording, you can change the aperture or the shutter speed; either step will make your movie brighter or darker as you’ll notice while viewing on the EVF or LCD while making the adjustments. However, you can also set plus or minus exposure compensation for that purpose while filming. The a7 IV provides an effective Continuous Autofocus in Movie mode and sound is recorded in stereo with the built-in mics located on the viewfinder housing on top of the camera.

Let’s save the discussion of those aspects for Chapters 10 and 11. For the moment, let’s just make a basic movie. With the camera turned on, aim at your subject and locate the red Movie record button located on the top panel to the right and below the shutter button. You don’t have to switch to Movie mode using the Still/Movie/S&Q dial (shown in Figure 1.15); the Movie mode position simply gives you access to more movie-shooting controls, including the ability to adjust shutter speed and aperture.

Compose as you wish and press that button once to start the recording, and again to stop it; don’t hold the button down. The camera will adjust the focus and exposure automatically, and you can zoom while recording, if you have a zoom lens attached to the camera.

After you finish recording a video clip, you can view it by pressing the Playback button at the lower right of the LCD screen, then pressing the center button to start the movie displayed. While a movie is being played back, press the down button to access an operation panel with playback controls. (See Figure 1.16.) Highlight the control you want to use with the multi-selector joystick or directional buttons. I’ll explain the use of these buttons in more detail in Chapter 10. From left to right at the bottom of the figure, they are: Previous Movie File, Fast-Rewind, Pause/Resume, Fast-Forward, Next Movie File, Photo Capture, Sound Volume Adjustment, and Close Operation Panel.

Reviewing the Images You’ve Taken

The Sony a7 IV has a broad range of playback and image review options. I’ll cover them in more detail in Chapter 2. Initially, you’ll want to learn just the basics for viewing still photos, so I’ll assume you have taken only such images. Note that, as always, you have several options—the left/right edges of the control wheel, the multi-selector joystick, and rear control dial can all be used to view the previous or next image. I’ll stick to just one method in the list that follows. After shooting some video or JPEG and/or RAW photos, here’s how to view them, using the controls shown in Figure 1.17:

• ■Playback (Display the most recently taken image). Press the Playback button. (It’s the small button with a > symbol located to the lower right of the LCD monitor screen.) If you have shot both still photos as well as movie clips, the a7 IV will show both in playback mode. Just press the control wheel’s center button to play the movie.
• ■View a previous image. Rotate either rear dial to the left.
• ■View the next image. Rotate either rear dial to the right.
• ■Change information displayed. While viewing a photo, press the DISP button (top directional button) repeatedly to cycle among the available displays: views that have no recording data, full recording data (f/stop, shutter speed, image quality/size, etc.), and a thumbnail image with histogram display. (I’ll explain all these in Chapter 2.)
• ■Delete current image. Press the lower-right button, marked with a C4 (Custom 4) label and trash can icon, to delete the currently displayed image.

• ■Rotate image. While the image is displayed, press the MENU button and choose Playback > Edit > Rotate, select Rotate, followed by pressing the center button, to rotate the image on the screen 90 degrees. Successive presses of the center button rotate the image 90 degrees each time. (You won’t likely need this feature unless you have disabled automatic rotation, which causes the camera to display your vertically oriented pictures already rotated. I’ll explain how to activate/ deactivate automatic rotation in Chapter 8.)
• ■Zoom. Press the AF-ON/Zoom In (Enlarge) button located to the right ofthe viewfinder window to zoom into the image. Press the AEL/Zoom Out (Reduce) button to zoom back out. Rotating the control wheel on the back of the camera also allows you to zoom in and out. You can also scroll around inside the image using the directional buttons. To exit this screen and return to normal view, press the MENU button.
• ■Access thumbnail/calendar view. While in Playback mode, press the AEL/Index button to display an index screen showing either 9 or 25 thumbnail images (select the number using the Image Index option in the Playback > Playback Option > Image Index entry). Keep scrolling downward to view the thumbnails of the next images (assuming you have shot lots of photos). Scroll to the thumbnail of the photo you want to view and press the center button; the photo will then fill the screen. In default Date View mode, the a7 IV arranges index images by date shot, and includes a calendar view you can use to look for pictures taken on a specific date. (See Figure 1.18.) (When the left bar of the playback screen is highlighted, press the center button to toggle between Calendar and Date View modes.) You can also choose to play back images using Folder View, or display only specific video file formats. I’ll explain those options in more detail in Chapter 8.

Transferring Files to Your Computer

The final step in your picture-taking session will be to transfer the photos and/or movies you’ve taken to your computer for printing, further review, or editing. (You can also take your memory card to a retailer for printing if you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route.) Your a7 IV allows you to print directly to PictBridge-compatible printers, without downloading the photos to a computer and to create print orders right in the camera. It also offers an option for selecting which images to transfer to your computer.

For now, you’ll probably want to transfer your images by either using the USB cable from the camera to the computer or by removing the memory card from the a7 IV and transferring the images with a card reader. The latter option is ordinarily the best because it’s usually much faster and doesn’t deplete the camera’s battery. However, you might need to use a cable transfer when you have the cable and a computer but no card reader. (You might be using the computer at a friend’s home or the one at an Internet café, for example.)

Here’s how to transfer images from a memory card to the computer using a card reader:

• 1.Turn off the camera.
• 2.Slide open the memory card compartment door and press on the card in Slot 1 or Slot 2, which causes it to pop up, so it can be removed from the slot.
• 3.Insert the memory card into a memory card reader accessory that is plugged into your computer. Your installed software detects the files on the card and offers to transfer them. The card can also appear as a mass storage device on your desktop; in that case, you can open that and then drag and drop the files to your computer.

To transfer images from the camera to a Mac or PC computer using the USB cable:

• 1.Turn off the camera.
• 2.Open the lower port door on the left side of the camera (the upper door, marked with the candelabra-like USB symbol) and plug the USB cable furnished with the camera into the USB port inside that door. (See Figure 1.4, shown earlier in this chapter.)
• 3.Connect the other end of the USB cable to a USB port on your computer.
• 4.Turn on the camera. From this point on, the method is the same as in entry 3 in the card reader list above.