Sony A7 IV Accessories Guide

Whether you are still thinking about purchasing the Sony a7 IV or have already placed your order, my accessories guide will help you to find the best accessories available for this popular mirrorless camera.

Screen Protectors

If you want to protect your LCD from scratches and potential further damage like cracking then I’d strongly recommending installing a reliable screen protector to your a7 IV’s display.

Sony PCK-LG2 Screen Protector

The Sony PCK-LG2 screen protector is a hard glass screen protector that helps to protect the LCD on your a7 IV against drops and knocks.

I’ve been using the Sony PCK-LG1 version of this screen protector on my a7 III for years and so far it hasn’t fallen off or broken, which tends to happen with the cheaper third-party screen protectors.

Therefore one of the first accessories I’ll be ordering for my new a7 IV is the Sony PCK-LG2 screen protector. Unfortunately none the shops here in the UK seem to be stocking it yet.

Memory Cards

Please refer to my Sony a7 IV Memory Card Guide for a more detailed look at all of the memory card options, but here’s a quick overview:

The Sony a7 IV features two memory card slots, here are the cards that each slot supports:

• Slot 1: CFexpress Type A and UHS-I and UHS-II (SDHC/SDXC) SD cards
• Slot 2: Only UHS-I and UHS-II (SDHC/SDXC) SD cards

CFexpress Type A Cards

If you shoot a lot of continuous bursts and require the fastest buffer clearing time possible, then you’ll probably want to purchase the faster CFexpress Type-A Cards. If you don’t shoot many continuous bursts and don’t require the fastest possible buffer clearing times, then the much cheaper UHS-II cards will meet your needs.

At this time only Sony and ProGrade are manufacturing these cards, so unfortunately they are not cheap!

Important Note: Please also don’t confuse these cards with CFexpress Type-B Cards, these are much larger and are not compatible with the a7 IV. Only Type-A Cards are supported in the a7 IV.

Important Note 2: If you want to shoot simultaneously to both memory card slots then you will be limited to the maximum speed of the UHS-II/I card in slot 2. So it’s not really worth using a CFexpress Type-A card in slot 1, I’d recommend using UHS-II cards in both slots for this shooting scenario.

Important note 3: If you want to shoot in S&Q Mode with the file format XAVC S-I 4k, a record frame rate of 25p / 30p and a frame rate of 50fps /60fps (2x slow motion) then you will need a CFexpress Type A card. The a7 IV will not let you record in this specific format with a V90 card.

1. Sony CEA-G CFexpress Type-A (800/700)

The Sony CEA-G Series CFexpress Type A memory cards can write up to 700MB/s and read up to 800MB/s. This Tough version has been rigidity tested to 150 newtons to protect your card data during drops from up to 7.5 meters, this is 5 times what the CFexpress Type A standard requires. They are also IP57 rated for dust and moisture protection. They are available in both 80GB and 160GB versions.

2. ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Cobalt (800/700)

The ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Cobalt Memory Card can write up 700MB/s and read up to 800MB/s just like the Sony cards. Although not as tough as the Sony cards the metal enclosure/encasement has been designed to endure high temperatures while providing better thermal conductivity. The only capacity available is currently 160GB.

UHS-II SD Cards

If your shooting doesn’t demand that the buffer clears in the fastest time possible, then you can save yourself some money by using UHS-II cards, these are also the only cards supported in slot 2 along with the slower UHS-I cards.

Here are my recommendations for UHS-II SD cards for the a7 IV based on my in-camera speed tests using 64GB cards.

1. Kingston Canvas React Plus UHS-II SDXC Memory Card (300/260)

Kingston have been in the memory business since 1987, so it’s safe to say they know a thing or two about memory!

Their Canvas React Plus UHS-II SDXC cards have a claimed read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 290MB/s. They are only a fraction slower in-camera than the Sony SF-G cards (246 MB/s vs 247 MB/s) but they are typically priced around 40% less for a 64GB card and also currently include a UHS-II card reader.

They receive very positive reviews and appear to be just as reliable as the Sony and SanDisk cards. They are V90 rated and available in 32GB (SDHC), 64GB, 128GB and 256GB sizes.

In camera speed test results (64GB card): 246 MB/s (uncompressed raw). You will hit the buffer after 26 continuous shots but it clears in only 3.85 seconds so it’s rarely an issue. If you shoot JPEG (Extra Fine) you will never hit the buffer.

For the price and performance these are the UHS-II cards that I would recommend for the a7 IV unless you need the toughness of the Sony SF-G cards.

2. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II (300/299)

The Sony SF-G Tough cards have a claimed read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 299MB/s. They are rated v90 for video and are available in sizes from 32GB up to 256GB.

The Sony Tough series of memory cards are 18 times stronger than traditional SD cards, bend proof to 180N, drop-proof to 5 meters, waterproof to a depth of 5 meters for up to 72 hours (IPX8 rating) and dust proof with an IP6X rating.

Tough cards feature a one-piece ribless structure and don’t have the common lock switch, they are also X-ray proof, magnet proof, anti-static and temperature proof.

I’ve tested these cards in my a7 IV and although newer versions work fine, there are issues with some older versions. Please read the following important note:

Very Important Note: Old versions of these cards do not work with the a7 IV. I get a message that says: “Unable to use Memory Card. Slot 1″. Sony has a replacement program for older versions of these cards due to VSC mode (Video Speed Class) issues where recorded footage on the card may be damaged or may not be recorded optimally. I have three cards that I never got around to sending back that don’t work at all in the a7 IV, but work fine in all of my other Sony cameras. New cards purchased from the second half of 2020 should not be affected, and my cards purchased this year work fine. You can find out if your cards are affected by checking this article.

In camera speed test results (64GB card): 247 MB/s (uncompressed raw). You will hit the buffer after 26 continuous shots but it clears in only 3.65 seconds so it’s rarely an issue. If you shoot JPEG (Extra Fine) you will never hit the buffer.

3. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II (300/260)

The SanDisk Extreme Pro cards have a claimed read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 260MB/s. They are V90 rated and available in sizes from 32GB up to 256GB.

In camera speed test results (64GB card): 244 MB/s (uncompressed raw). You will hit the buffer after 26 continuous shots but it clears in only 4.00 seconds so it’s rarely an issue. If you shoot JPEG (Extra Fine) you will never hit the buffer.

Very Important Note: Older versions of this card are not V90 rated and therefore will not work in certain video modes. See the video section of this guide for details on which video file formats require V90 rated cards.

For additional memory card suggestions please refer to my Sony a7 IV Memory Card Guide.

Memory Card Readers

You can transfer files directly to your computer via USB-C, but if you prefer to use a card reader as I do then here are your options.

Sony MRW-G2 CFExpress Type-A Card Reader

The Sony MRW-G2 support CFexpress Type A cards and also SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. It’s capable of transferring data at up to 10 Gb/s via USB 3.1 Gen 2. In the box you’ll find USB Type-C to Type-C and USB Type-C to Type-A cables.

ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader

The ProGrade Digital reader has basically the same specs as the Sony reader but for a little less money. There’s one CFexpress Type A slot and one UHS-II SDXC slot, and data transfer speeds up to 10 Gb/s via USB 3.2 Gen 2. It also includes USB Type-C to Type-C and Type-C to Type-A cables.

Sony MRW-S1 UHS-II USB Memory Card Reader/Writer

If you don’t plan to use CFexpress Type A cards then all you really need is Sony’s MRW-S1 UHS-II USB SD Card Reader/Writer. It can read/write to UHS-II SD Cards via a USB 3.1 interface and is backward compatible with UHS-I SD cards. The MRW-S1 together with Sony SF-G UHS-II SD cards can transfer files to and from your computer around 2.6x faster than the standard UHS-I SD cards.

Batteries and Chargers

The Sony a7 IV supports the Sony NP-FZ100 battery and I’d really recommend that you stick to the official Sony batteries. Yes you can save a few dollars by purchasing third-party batteries, but this is a big risk with a $2,500.00 camera!

Also many third-party NP-FZ100 batteries will not work correctly in the a7 IV, and if you find batteries that do work often they will be disabled when Sony releases a new firmware update.

Sony NP-FZ100 Battery

The Sony NP-FZ100 is the official battery for the a7 IV. It’s a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at 2280mAh.

Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger

The official battery charger for the NP-FZ100 battery is the Sony BC-QZ1. Unfortunately unlike Sony’s higher-end Alpha cameras such as the Sony a1, the a7 IV does not include the Sony BC-QZ1 charger in the box. You can still charge the battery when it’s inside the camera via USB-C, but if you wish to charge it externally you’ll need the Sony BC-QZ1.

Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adaptor Kit

The Sony NPA-MQZ1K multi battery kit can charge 4x NP-FZ100 batteries in approximately 480 minutes. It also lets you power two USB devices as well as the camera at the same time. The NPA-MQZ1K comes with two NP-FZ100 batteries, a cable protector and a mounting plate. 

USB Charger

The Sony a7 IV can be charged and also powered (but not at the same time) through its USB Type C Port. You will require a Power Delivery (PD) certified power bank.

ANKER 10,000mAh PowerCore Slim PD

The Anker PowerCore Slim PD is Power Delivery certified. I use this myself and it will comfortable charge the Sony NP-FZ100 battery in camera two times before it needs recharging itself.

Battery Grips

You can double the battery life of the a7 IV and also improve the ergonomics by adding a battery grip. There are third-party battery grips available but so far they have not been confirmed to work with the a7 IV. So your only choice for now is the Sony VG-C4EM battery grip which is the same grip used by the a9II, a7R IV, a1 and the a7S III.

Sony VG-C4EM

The Sony VG-C4EM if the official battery grip for the Sony a7 IV. Since it’s made by Sony it shares a very similar look and feel to the a7 IV and therefore matches the camera body very well, the button on the grip also feel similar to those on the camera body.

The grip holds 2x NP-FZ100 batteries so effectively doubles the battery life of the a7 IV.

On top of the grip there’s a vertical shutter button and a lock switch to prevent accidental use. There are also C1 and C2 custom buttons and a shutter dial on the front. On the rear you’ll find a joystick, an AF-On button, aperture dial and AEL button.

I own this grip myself and although it’s expensive I do prefer it to the cheaper Meike third-party grip that I also own. It matches perfectly with the camera body so if consistency is important to you then this is the battery grip to go for.

L-brackets & Grip Extensions

At present there are no officially supported l-brackets or grip extensions for the a7 IV. Although many of the l-brackets and grip extensions that are supported for the a9II, a7R IV and a7S III will most likely fit the Sony a7 IV, until I can confirm this I won’t be listing them here.

Cages

There are no officially supported cages for the Sony a7 IV at this time, although I expect it won’t be very long before SmallRig has one available to order.

Neck and Wrist Straps

The a7 IV includes a neck/shoulder strap in the box but it’s not particularly comfortable to use. There’s quite some choice when it comes to neck and wrist traps but I personally prefer the ones from Peak Design. They feature an excellent anchor system that makes switching between a wrist and neck strap effortless, or switching straps to another camera.

Peak Design Slide / Slide Lite

The Peak Design Slide is a great match for the a7 IV. It can be worn as a sling, neck, or shoulder strap. The strap has a smooth side that glides effortlessly over clothing when in sling mode and also a grippy side that prevents slipping in shoulder mode. It features Peak Designs anchor system for fast but secure attachment and removal.

Peak Design Cuff

Like the Slide above, the Peak Design Cuff also uses the fast and secure Peak Design anchor system. The strap magnetically locks into place when on your wrist, this does take a little bit of time to get used to but once you do it’s very easy to take on and off.

Remote Controls

If you are wanting to control your a7 IV from a distance then you will find a remote control a very useful accessory to have. Sure, you can use the mobile app Sony Imaging Edge for controlling the camera remotely, but it’s rather basic and the connection isn’t the most reliable, although this should be improved for the a7 IV. Still, personally I’ve also preferred a dedicated remote to using my mobile phone.

Sony RMT-P1BT Remote Commander

The RMT-P1BT uses Bluetooth to connect with the a7 IV and provides a reliable connection up to around 18m or 60 feet away from the camera body.

Essential camera controls are covered including releasing the shutter, a focus button, a lock switch that prevents accidental operation during transport, movie recording start/stop and power/digital zoom. There are also two custom buttons that mirror the functions of the C1 and AF-ON buttons on the camera body.

The remote features a very fast 0.05 seconds release time which is helpful for catching fast action shots like the one above. My a9 was mounted on a gimbal for this shot whilst I was a few meters away in a hide.

The RMT-P1BT also supports continuous shooting, you can simply hold down the shutter button to shoot continuously.

It’s important to note that you can’t link location information with a smartphone when the [Bluetooth Rmt Ctrl] is set to [On]. Also if you want to manually control the focus using this remote, you need to switch the camera into MF mode using the camera’s menu, and not the MF/AF switch on the lens, if you use the lens AF/MF switch then the remote won’t work.

Flashes

If you need to add some extra light to your scene then you might want to invest in a flash. For the time being I’ve only included Sony flashes here since I know these will work and are fully supported with the a7 IV. I expect that cheaper third-party options like Godox may soon be supported with the a7 IV as well, I’ll update this list as soon as they are.

Sony’s latest flash units communicate fully with the a7 IV and can now be controlled directly from the camera body. Their latest GN46 and GN60 flashes that were announced alongside the a7 IV deliver precise white balance synchronisation and P-TTL metering, at up to the ‘Hi’ level of continuous-burst speeds, helping you to reliably expose for even fast-moving subjects.

Sony’s promo video for these two flashes is worth a quick watch:

Sony GN46 / HVL-F46RM

The Sony GN46 flash which confusingly also has the product name HVL-F46RM offers reliable flash at high continuous shooting speeds and sync at shutter speeds up to 1/400 sec. However, please note that the a7 IV only supports a mechanical shutter sync speed of up to 1/250 sec in full-frame mode and 1/320 sec in APS-C mode.

The flash illumination angle is automatically adjusted to match the focal length of the lens used over a 24-105mm range. Light distribution is also adjusted for optimum illumination with full-frame or APS-C format.

The HVL-F46RM can continuously provide flash for up to 60 frames in high-speed bursts at up to 10 fps. A set of four Ni-MH batteries can power the GN46 for more than 320 flashes with a 2.0 second recycle time.

Flash compensation, ratio, and other parameters can be controlled directly from the a7 IV. A custom key can be used to call up the flash display for easy adjustment while looking through the viewfinder.

Stable wireless radio communication is supported at distances of up to 30 m / 98.4 feet and you can control up to 15 flash and/or receiver units in 5 groups in group mode or 3 groups in TTL mode.

Sony GN60 / HVL-F60RM2

The Sony GN60 flash which also confusingly has the product name HVL-F60RM2 offers pretty much identical features to the GN46 above but with additional power output. A wider focal range of 20-200mm is supported and the GN60 can continuously provide flash for up to 200 frames in high-speed bursts at up to 10 fps. 

Microphones

If you are serious about video and audio recording then the internal mic on the a7 IV probably isn’t going to cut the mustard. So here are some external microphone options that you might want to consider.

Sony ECM-B1M Digital Shotgun Microphone

The Sony ECM-B1M is a compact digital shotgun microphone. It features a built-in Digital Audio Interface that delivers a digital audio stream directly to the a7 IV through the Multi Interface Shoe without the need for cables or batteries.

To learn more about this microphone I’d recommend watching this promo video from Sony:

Rode VideoMic Pro R

The Rode VideoMic Pro R includes Rycote’s Lyre suspension system to isolate your microphone from vibrations or rumbling when operating the camera. It connects to the a7 IV using the 3.5mm input and provides a dual mono signal.

Rode Wireless Go

The Wireless GO can transmit up to 230 feet and uses the same 2.4 GHz frequency band as the RodeLink.

Its compact design offers a simple receiver and transmitter with microphone built in. You simply clip the transmitter-microphone to your subject then attach the receiver to the hotshoe on the a7 IV and the 3.5mm mic input.

The rechargeable battery will last up to around seven hours and both transmitter and receiver can be fully charged via USB-C in just two hours. The transmitter has a built-in pre-polarized omnidirectional microphone with a frequency range of 50 Hz to 20 kHz.

It also has a 3.5mm TRS powered port to support a lavalier microphone.

I use this microphone myself for recording YouTube videos. I prefer it to the shotgun microphones because there is very little reverb when using it indoors. I do use it together with the Rode Lavalier GO because I find this setup more comfortable when clipped to a shirt, although I slightly prefer the audio without the lavalier.

Lens Adapters

If you want to adapt a lens from another camera mount to Sony’s E-mount on the a7 IV, then here are the three best options.

Sony LA-EA5 Adapter

The LA-EA5 adapter provides autofocus support for Sony A-mount SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) lenses, SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor) lenses, and even non-motorized screw-drive lenses in still shooting modes. However, compatibility depends on the lens that you are using. For full lens compatibility details with the a7 IV please see this guide.

Metabones Canon EF to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapter

The Metabones adapter lets you mount Canon EF/EF-S lenses to Sony E-mount cameras like the a7 IV. It retains electronic communication between the camera and lens to provide automatic aperture control, EXIF data, image stabilization and autofocus. Metabones deliver regular firmware updates that helps to improve AF performance with many Canon EF lenses.

Sigma MC-11 Canon EF to Sony E-Mount Lens Adapter

The MC-11 Mount Converter enables the use of Sigma EF-mount lenses on Sony E-mount camera bodies. It supports autofocus and auto-exposure, as well as in-camera image stabilization and full EXIF data transfer. Sigma has a lens compatibility list for this adapter but many Canon lenses also work very well.

Monster Adapter LA-FE1 Nikon F to Sony E

The Monster adapter LA-FE1 adds autofocus capabilities to Nikon AF-I, AF-S and AF-P lenses. For lenses with full support, the adapter will also drive both electromagnetic and mechanical lever aperture diaphragms. Fully-manual lenses and screw-drive lenses don’t get any sort of focus or aperture control, but the adapter will still work passively with them. You can find full camera and lens compatibility information on the Monster Adapter website here.

Replacement Parts

There are only a few parts for the a7 IV that you can replace yourself, here are the ones that you can purchase and easily replace.

Sony FDA-EP19 Eyecup

Eyecups are unfortunately quite easy to lose as they come off far too easily, especially if you catch them on something when removing the camera from a bag. The FDA-EP19 is the correct eyecup for the Sony a7 IV.

Sony ALC-B1EM Mount Cap

The Sony ALC-B1EM Mount Cap protects the sensor on the front of the camera when there is no lens attached. It never hurts to have a spare one of these for transporting the camera without a lens attached, which is the safest way if you are travelling.

Sony FA-SHC1M Hotshoe Cap

Because the multi-interface hotshoe of the a7 IV has electrical contacts, it’s not the best idea to leave this exposed to the elements. This is another little accessory that is easily lost if you often make use of the hotshoe, so keeping a few Sony FA-SHC1M caps spare is always a good idea.

Cleaning

If you are spending $2500 on a camera and probably the same again on lenses, then I really hope that you are also looking after this gear and keeping it in the best possible condition.

VSGO Full-Frame Sensor Cleaning Kit

This full-frame cleaning kit is very helpful for removing unwanted dust particles and more stubborn stains from the sensor.

Rocket Air Blaster

The rocket air blaster is a very useful tool for blowing dust of the camera, out of the viewfinder, off the sensor and off the front of lenses and filters. I’ve always got one of these in my gear and curse myself if I leave home without it.

Zeiss Cleaning Wipes

These lens wipes are very useful for cleaning your camera, lenses and filters. They are mutli-purpose so you can also clean your glasses and mobile devices with them.

MagicFiber Cleaning Cloths

After using the cleaning wipes these microfiber cloths will finish the job.

This article will be updated as more accessories for the a7 IV are released or support confirmed for existing accessories. If you have any recommendations please drop a comment below.

Sony a7 IV Resources