The Sony A7IV is an incredibly versatile camera and can be adapted to so many different situations allowing for so many different types of accessories.
I test a lot of different camera accessories for various cameras and here are all my favorite brands and what I think are the best accessories for hybrid cameras like the Sony A7IV.
Table Of Contents
1. Batteries For Sony A7IV
Battery life with Sony cameras is generally pretty good, but you’ll still want at least one backup. I typically only use one battery throughout the day and will have a third-party battery as a backup which I generally never need to use. However, if you go through a lot of batteries shooting important work, it might be a good idea to have two official Sony batteries as sometimes the third-party batteries have issues or sometimes Sony will release a new firmware that affects compatibility. Currently, RavPowers batteries are working fine with Sony cameras.
Official Battery Sony NPFZ100
Available At: Amazon / Adorama / B&H The Sony NPFZ100 batteries run at 7.2V with a 2280mAh. They are a little heavy at around 3.0 ounces to be mindful of that if you are on the fence about using a vertical grip, but are really high-quality batteries. These batteries have iNFOlithium which can communicate with the camera how many charges the battery is good for. |
Third-Party Batteries For Sony A7IV
Sometimes using third-party batteries for Sony can be a little dicey as they have a fairly strict firmware they look for, and if the camera does not see them as compatible, you will constantly get an alert letting you know they are not compatible. I’ve spent a lot of money on third-party batteries for Sony only to have them later be rejected by firmware updates. But for now, here is currently what’s working for the Sony A7IV.
Wasabi Third-Party Battery
Wasabi is a great third-party battery company based out of California. These are rated at 7.2V and 2000mAh so slightly less than the official battery but at a fourth of the price. These are also decoded like the Sony iNFOlithium to show the remaining battery charges. They include a 3-year warranty, and their batteries are now assembled in China. |
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2. Memory Cards
I have run the Sony A7IV through my benchmarks and you should check that out if you’re considering buying v90 cards since not all the brands are performing the same.
You also have the option to use CFexpress Type-A memory cards with the Sony A7IV, but for most photographers, it will be difficult to justify the price.
3. Screen Protectors
There are a lot of different types of screen protectors, crystal clear, glass, or anti-reflection. I’ve used the Glass on my Sony cameras for years, the only thing that you might not like about Glass, is they do chip and crack over time and it’s very difficult to get them off. You heat them to peel them off which is a crackling shattered mess. Replacing crystal clear or anti-reflection screen protectors is much easier. Now that you can fold the Sony screen back into the body of the camera, you won’t have to worry about the screen getting damaged when the camera is packed away or when carried around, so the need for a glass screen protector on this camera might not be necessary.
Currently, all that’s really available that I’m seeing are glass screen protectors. I’ll update you when more come to the market.
PCTC Glass Screen ProtectorI’ve used PCTC a few times and they are a solid product. For those that aren’t comfortable with putting on a screen protector, PCTC gives you a few to use. If you get it right the first time you can save the extra for later. Available At: Amazon |
4. Body Cases For Sony A7IV
There are a lot of third-party leather cases and half cases for the Sony A7IV. Sometimes I use these sometimes I don’t, they can help protect the bottom of the camera, help to extend the grip, or just add some cool aesthetic.
My favorite half-cases that are priced well are Lim’s Genuine Leather cases. If those are out of stock the Gariz cases are nice as well. And Kaza cases generally are really nice but are not available yet.
Lim’s Half Leather Cases
Available At: Amazon |
Gariz Half Leather Case
Available At: Amazon |
KazaKaza Deluxe Handmade cases are the nicest of the bunch. I’ve owned several of them over the years and love them for my rangefinder-style cameras. They are also really high quality and do recommend them. At the time of publishing this article, they were not available yet for Sony but, check to see if they are ready or not. Their straps are also nice and I own a few of them. Available At: Kaza |
Lim’s makes my favorite style of case for mirrorless cameras like the A7IV. I’m currently using them on my Z6 and used them on my A7rII. The base plate works with an arca swiss tripod which is very handy.
If you don’t need a base plate that has a built-in Arca Swiss tripod mount like the Lim’s case, say you use a Peak Design clutch, then the Gariz cases are pretty cool. But I would take these as a second choice over Lim’s simply because I’ve they feel like they are built a little better, but the difference isn’t huge. Buy a Gariz if you see a color you like more or if can’t get the Lim’s.
5. Camera Straps
There are so many great straps out there now that it’s hard to decide what to go with. Personally, with my mirrorless hybrid cameras, I’m using a Peak design setup, because the system is somewhat modular and allows you to quickly change out straps, or hand grips on the fly without any headache.
I use the Clutch as a handgrip and to that, I attach the Peak Design camera strap.
Peak Design Clutch
Available At: Amazon |
Peak Design Straps
Their sizes are very confusing so I’ll try to explain it as best as I can here. SL – 45mm wide SSL – 32mm wide L – 19mm wide Available At: Amazon |
This is an adjustable handgrip that connects to a bottom plate that is an arca swiss plate. This is nice since the straps don’t come with this plate, and the plate also has extra loopholes to also attach to a strap. These hand grips are made of fabric material and over the years they do wear out, so don’t expect them to last more than a couple of years without fraying and getting pretty beat up, unlike a good leather strap.
They make a few different size straps in a few different designs which are going to be based on your personal preference. I had the medium thickness strap (SSL) for years and I recently switched to the thinnest star (L) which I now prefer.
6. Best On-Camera Mic For Sony A7IV
There are some Sony microphones, there are very cheap mics out of China, expensive mics out of Germany, and Rode mics out of Australia.
I’ve personally come to love the value of the Rode mics. They are affordable with great sound and features. There are a lot of choices here, between the VideoMic Shotgun, the Video Mic Pro and Pro+ and the Video Mic Go. Another brand I’ve been using is the Diety Mic.
Rode Video Mic Go IIOf the Rode on-camera microphones, the Rode Video Mic Go, both version I or II, are the mics I like the most. To my ears, it has a nice warm sound, whereas the Video Mic Pro+ has a somewhat metallic hollow sound that never resonated well with me. The latest version of this Mic (version II) has USB inputs and you can use it with mobile devices or computers that support the input. Very handy if you also need a mic for your computer. You can still find the older model for a cheap price if you don’t need the USB inputs. |
Deity V-Mic D4 Duo Microphone Mini
Another mic that I’ve really come to like is this Deity 2-way mic. You get a mic for the front of the camera like the Rode Video Mic Go, and it also has a shorter mic on the back if you want to also record audio behind the camera. This is useful if you’re shooting video and want to narrate at the same time but also want to film good audio of what’s in front of the camera. You can turn off the back mic if you want as well. Each audio signal will record to a separate channel so you can balance and mix them later. The sound quality of the mic is also pretty good and the build quality is really nice. I’ve liked this mic a lot and there are not a lot of other mics out there like it. |
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7. Cleaning Accessories
I’ve you need some cleaning accessories here is a full guide for the best accessories for cleaning your camera and sensor.
Here is what I use regularly and keep in my bag.
Air Blasters
Air blasters are one of the best cleaning accessories for any photographer and you absolutely must have one of these as part of your kit.
Rocket Air Blaster
Rocket Air Medium: Amazon Rocket Air makes a few sizes of these. I have had them all and I’ve found the Medium works fine and provides enough air pressure to clean the dust off sensors. |
Rocket Air Small:
Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloths
Micro-Fiber clothes are also a very good accessory for cleaning your camera and your lenses.
Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloths 6-Pack
You’ll likely need a lot of these since they don’t last forever. Once they get enough to build of body oil and dirty they stop being as effective. I typically keep one that I don’t mind if it’s dirty for cleaning my camera, EVF, or LCD screen. I like to use fresh screen protectors when I want to do a thorough cleaning of my lenses, which is why I like to use the 6-pack. |
Available At:
Sensor Brushes
There is a lot of debate about the best way to clean your sensor is. Before you even bother with the wet method or the sensor gel sticks, most of the time you can clean your sensor with a simple good quality sensor brush. After investing in these, I rarely ever use a wet method or gel stick to clean my sensor.
Here is how to properly work them.
First – Never touch the bristles since they need to stay clean, free of oil, and maintain their static attraction to dirt.
Second – Use the rocket air blaster to give the bristles a good cleaning, this also can help add a little static charge if you’re in a dry environment.
Third – brush across the sensor lightly until you remove all the dust and dirt. Some of it can be stubborn but it almost always comes off with this brush.
Fourth – Always pack the brush back into its plastic bag and tube when you’re done.
I love my brush. It’s a must-have and I always keep one in my travel bag. This one here is German-made, it’s the best.
The Sensor Cleaning Brush
Sensor Cleaning Brush Full Frame – Amazon Sensor Cleaning Brush APS-C / All Sizes – Amazon Every so often you’ll get little particles stuck to the sensor that just don’t want to come off. This is when the sensor brush comes in. |
Extras
Lenses For Sony A7IV
I keep a list of all the Sony lenses here.
Must-Have Accessories Sony A7IV
There are a few more brands out there that make some nice accessories that I’m waiting on for the Sony A7IV. As soon as they release their products I’ll update, or if I find any more accessories that I love I’ll add them to the list.
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
