A7riii vs A7riv for large prints?

[JPTahoe]

Hi All,

I am looking to add a mirrorless full frame camera to my bag for my landscape photography. I’ve shot LF for 25 years and want to add digital for occasions I can’t bring a big kit. As an end result, I print very large for galleries and collectors. Given this, would I regret saving money with an A7riii as opposed to buying an A7riv?

Thank you in advance for your input!

JP

Edited May 15, 2023 by JPTahoe
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[Monochrome]

Part of the money considerations also include lenses good enough to take full advantage of the higher resolution sensors. Depending upon the type of landscape, both bodies offer pixel-shifted higher resolution modes, although the a7r4 has a 16-shot shift mode in addition to the a7r3 4-shot mode. Both are only really suitable for truly static scences, so a landscape with only rocks might work but one with trees and wind will not.

Reviews of the second generation of several of the Sony lenses indicate they are, unsurprisingly, significantly better than the first generation. Also more expensive. You may well spend more on lenses than differences in the cost of the bodies.

As you probably know, processing also make a difference. Topaz Gigapixel is currently about the best for upscaling but Photoshop has some capabilities. Noise reduction has likewise made strides with Lightroom finally getting nearly as good as Topaz's products or DxO's Prime.

[thebeardedgroundsman]

I jumped from the A7Rii to the A7Riv. I understand that the A7Riii  is like the 7Rii but with most of the small faults removed.

The A7Riv, I am finding is significantly better, not just the more powerful sensor, but the AF is vastly better than the Rii and the dynamic range is brilliant - allowing me to pick up cloud formations and colour in what appears to be a flat grey sky.

It would seem that the A7Rv is even better (particularly if you don't want to have massive files all the time. (but then, it is extra expensive - which is why I can't justify it to myself).

Really good lenses are needed to get the best out of the camera, but if you're doing landscapes, like me, high quality manual primes can keep the expense from getting too silly. The Sony environment is great for manual focussing.

The extra mega pixels allow for really severe cropping, which I find great for distant wildlife.

I think the A7Riv will give you shots more satisfying for you - much closer to LF quality than the A7Riii

Edited May 23, 2023 by thebeardedgroundsman