honestly, 10-bit is the single biggest reason to make the jump if youre serious about video. i spent years struggling with the a7 iii and s-log3... it just didnt have the data to hold up. as soon as i got my hands on the Sony a7 IV Body, the difference in color grading was night and day. you can actually push your shadows and fix skin tones without everything falling apart into messy blocks of noise or banding in the sky. like someone mentioned, it really is a massive leap for enthusiasts. in my experience, the flexibility you get in post-production with 4:2:2 is what makes your footage look professional rather than just hobbyist. if youre shooting slog, you absolutely need that extra info. just a heads up tho, you might want to grab some faster media like the Sony TOUGH 160GB CFexpress Type A to handle the higher bitrates without any hiccups. let me know if you want to know about the heat management too, i've pushed mine pretty hard.

If youre still weighing the upgrade, its basically a choice between staying in the ecosystem or looking at better video specs elsewhere. 10-bit is essential if you want to push your grades at all.

• Sony a7 IV Mirrorless Camera: The logical jump. You get 10-bit 4:2:2 which makes S-Log3 actually usable compared to the mess on the a7 iii. Just be ready for the 1.5x crop if you shoot 60p and some rolling shutter issues.
• Panasonic Lumix S5II: Better image stabilization and active cooling. Their 10-bit implementation is stellar, though youd obviously have to swap all your glass.
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II: No 4k60 crop and the autofocus is top tier. 10-bit C-Log3 holds up well, tho the file sizes are pretty beefy. If you stay with Sony, the 10-bit alone makes it worth the cash. You wont miss the banding and blocky shadows of the old 8-bit files... honestly, that stuff was a nightmare to fix in post.

Just catching up on this thread and wow, I totally agree with everyone here! Going from 8-bit to 10-bit is honestly a massive leap forward if you want your footage to look professional. Like someone mentioned, the difference in grading is just night and day and it makes everything so much easier.

• the extra color data is a total lifesaver for log footage
• skin tones look absolutely amazing compared to the older tech
• you wont have to deal with that annoying banding in clear skies anymore Honestly, if you can swing it, just get any of the newer mirrorless setups from Sony. You really cant go wrong with their current lineup! Its a fantastic investment for your workflow and will save you so much headache in post-production. Definitely check out some used options or trade-in deals to keep the costs down tho, there are always some great bargains if you look around. You're gonna love the upgrade, its seriously such a huge quality of life improvement!

> Trying to decide if it's worth the cost to upgrade from my A7 III. Honestly, i gotta play devils advocate here. While the 10-bit sounds great on paper, ive had issues with the a7 iv overheating during longer shoots which makes it way less reliable than my old a7 iii ever was. It really wasnt as good as i expected for the price. Plus the 4k60 crop is super annoying and might mess with your lens choices. Before you jump in, what kind of stuff are you actually shooting? Are we talking short social clips or hour-long interviews? If you need reliability for long takes, this might not be the massive leap everyone else says it is. It kinda feels like paying a premium for features that come with a lot of baggage.

if you’re looking for a versatile camera that excels in both photography and video, the Sony A7 IV is a worthy upgrade. Its improved features, including 10-bit video, make it a compelling choice for enthusiasts and professionals alike.