Best ND Filters for Sony a7 IV
The Sony a7 IV is a 33 MP Exmor R hybrid with no internal ND. Movie ISO starts at 100. 4K/30 is full-frame and 7K-oversampled; 4K/60 is Super 35 only. 180° shutter at f/2.8 still raises the speed until 24p looks like a slideshow. Electronic stills stop at 1/8000 — there is no 1/16000 escape hatch. Sony does not sell an a7 IV ND. The 2026 filter that matches this body is the PolarPro Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II 82 mm 2–5 stop. It is not the FX3’s 6–9 LOG default, and it is not a no-hard-stop 1–10 ring.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Updated September 2026 · a7 IV · ILCE-7M4 · 33 MP · no internal ND · 4K30 FF 7K · 4K60 Super 35 · S-Log ISO 800 · XAVC S-I 600 Mbps · 82 mm first
82-2/5-VND-ED2. Hard-stop 2–5. PolarPro: general photo / video. Zero vignette to 16 mm.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓NIR-TCVND0.3-1.5-82. True Color, hard stops. Swift ND16 expands to 5–9.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓KF01.1805V1. 82 mm, 1–5 stops, no-X claim. Not the ND2–400.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Comparison Table
| Product | Stops | On an a7 IV | Thread / note | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PolarPro PM II 2–5 | 2–5 (ND4–ND32) | Default ISO 100 hybrid | 82 mm · hard stops · to 16 mm | ~$250 | Check |
| NiSi True Color 1–5 | 1–5 (+ Swift ND16 = 5–9) | True Color; expand for LOG noon | 82 mm · 86 mm front | ~$180–$220 | Check |
| K&F Nano-X ND2–32 | 1–5 | Budget hard-stop 1–5 | KF01.1805V1 · 82 mm | ~$70–$90 | Check |
| PolarPro PM II 6–9 | 6–9 (ND64–ND512) | S-Log3 ISO 800 — Layer 2 | 82-6/9-VND-ED2 · to 16 mm | ~$250 | Check |
| ND2–400 / 1–10 VND | ~1–8.6, no hard stop | X-pattern — skip | Wide-range two-polarizer junk | ~$30–$50 | Check |
Street prices move. PolarPro’s 82 mm Edition II often sits around $250; NiSi True Color 1–5 around $180–$220; K&F Nano-X ND2–32 around $70–$90. ND4 is 2 stops, ND32 is 5, ND64 is 6, ND512 is 9. 180-degree shutter is ≈ 2× fps: ~1/48 at 24, ~1/50 at 25, ~1/60 at 30, ~1/120 at 60. S-Cinetone at ISO 100 / f/2.8 / 1/48 is about six stops — 2–5, or f/4 inside that range. Sony’s S-Log native ISO is 800 (Sony: can drop to 200–640). That is three more stops and the 6–9 ring, not the first hybrid buy. Sony does not sell a circular ND for this body. Buy 82 mm first (FE 24–70 mm GM II and FE 16–35 mm GM II are 82 mm); step-up rings cover 77 / 72 / 67. XAVC S-I 4K 59.94p is 600 Mbps — that is a CFexpress Type A / V90 problem, not an ND problem. Do not stack two variable NDs.
How We Picked These Filters
- What Sony published for this body: ILCE-7M4 spec sheet: E-mount. 35.9 × 23.9 mm Exmor R CMOS (back-illuminated, not stacked). Approx. 34.1 MP total; 33.0 MP effective. BIONZ XR. Stills ISO 100–51200, expandable 50–204800. Movies ISO 100–51200 equivalent, expandable to 102400. Shutter: stills 1/8000–30 s, Bulb (mechanical and electronic — no 1/16000). Movies 1/8000–1/4. Flash sync 1/250 FF / 1/320 APS-C. 4K 24p/30p full-frame with 7K oversampling (Sony: 7032 × 3958). 4K 60p/50p Super 35 only, full pixel readout, no binning. XAVC S-I 4K 59.94p 600 Mbps / 50p 500 / 29.97p 300 / 23.98p 240, 10-bit 4:2:2. XAVC HS 4K and XAVC S 4K also on the sheet. S&Q shooting frame rates to 120 fps (NTSC) / 100 fps (PAL). Picture profiles: S-Cinetone, S-Log2, S-Log3 (Sony: 15+ stops), HLG. Sony UK: native S-Log sensitivity ISO 800; can be lowered two stops to ISO 200–640. HDMI Type A (4K 10-bit 4:2:2) — no 16-bit RAW output. Slot 1: CFexpress Type A / SD; Slot 2: SD only. IBIS 5.5 stops (CIPA, FE 50 mm F1.4 ZA). Active Mode for movies. EVF 3.69 M dots; 3.0-type 1.04 M-dot vari-angle LCD. Weight approx. 658 g with battery and card. Body 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8 mm. NP-FZ100. 10 fps Hi+. No Pixel Shift. No Dual Gain. No 8K. Sony does not sell an a7 IV ND set. There is no built-in ND, unlike the FX6.
- Why ISO 100 still needs glass — and why 2–5 is Overall here: Movie shutter on this body goes to 1/4, not 1/16000. 180° at 24p is ~1/48. Sunny-16 at ISO 100 / f/2.8 / 1/48 is ~6 stops; at f/4 it falls inside 2–5. PolarPro prints 2–5 for general photo / video and 6–9 for LOG / ISO over 400. That split matches this hybrid: S-Cinetone and Creative Look live at ISO 100; S-Log3 is native ISO 800 per Sony. 33 MP stills can use 1/8000 instead of ND for a frozen portrait; 2–30 s water and clouds cannot. 4K/60 Super 35 still wants ~1/120 and still has no iris inside the body. Active Mode is stabilization, not an ND. A no-hard-stop 1–10 VND draws an X — worse on 7K-oversampled 4K30 than on an 8-bit proxy. This is not the a7 V (FF 4K60, 1/16000 electronic stills) and not the FX3 (Cine EI 800 / 12800, HDMI RAW).
- 82 mm, the Super 35 trap, and the cheap-VND trap: Standardize on 82 mm: FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM II and FE 16–35 mm F2.8 GM II are 82 mm. FE 24–105 mm G and FE 70–200 mm GM II are 77 mm — use a step-up ring, not a second 77 mm VND as the default. PolarPro Edition II claims zero vignetting to 16 mm and uses hard stops; the front is unthreaded. NiSi True Color 1–5 uses an 86 mm front thread and a Swift ND16 press-on for 5–9. K&F’s hard-stop 1–5 is KF01.1805V1; KF01.1393V1 / Nano-Klear ND2–400 is the wide-range skip. 4K/60 Super 35 crops the angle of view — it does not add internal ND. The kit 28–70 mm is 55 mm; do not buy a 55 mm VND as the only filter if a GM zoom is coming. The older Camera Review “best filter” page for this body is a mixed UV / CPL / ND roundup. This URL is ND only.
Best ND Filters for Sony a7 IV: Detailed Reviews
PolarPro Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II 82mm 2–5 Stop View on Amazon View on B&H
| SKU | MFR 82-2/5-VND-ED2 · PolarPro SG-EDll-82-2/5 · UPC 817465026007. 82 mm rear thread. Density 0.6–1.5 (ND4–ND32). CinemaSeries / fused quartz. Haptic clicks. Defender360 case. Street ~$250. |
|---|---|
| On a7 IV | PolarPro: 2–5 for general photo / video. Printed zero vignetting to 16 mm — that is the 16–35 GM II wide end on a 7K-oversampled 4K30 frame. Front is unthreaded; do not plan to stack a second screw-in. 1/8000 stills can freeze a portrait. They cannot hold 180° at ISO 100. |
| Not the LOG ring | Sony: S-Log native ISO 800. That is PolarPro’s 6–9 sentence (LOG / ISO over 400), Layer 2 on this page. Do not buy 6–9 first because an FX3 or a7R VI article did. |
| SKU trap | Edition II 6–9 (same $250, wrong first range for ISO 100 S-Cinetone). Helix MagLock 2–5 (different system). 77 mm when the kit zoom is 82 mm. Peter McKinnon Edition I. |
Why it fits the a7 IV. This body is a 33 MP hybrid, not a Cine EI cinema camera. ISO 100 S-Cinetone at a cinematic shutter is a 2–5-stop problem most weeks, and PolarPro built this ring for that sentence. Hard stops are why it is Overall and a $40 ND2–400 is not — 7K-oversampled 4K30 will show an X that an 8-bit proxy hid. Buy 82 mm once; step-up the 77 mm and 67 mm primes. Buy NiSi first if you want a True Color 1–5 you can Swift-expand when S-Log3 noon shows up. 600 Mbps XAVC S-I is a card choice, not a reason to skip ND.
Skip this if the week is S-Log3 parking-lot noon or 10-second water — PolarPro 6–9 or NiSi 1–5 plus Swift ND16. Skip a 77 mm copy when the 24–70 GM II is 82 mm.
- Hard-stop 2–5 matches ISO 100 hybrid weeks
- PolarPro prints zero vignette to 16 mm
- Haptic stops; Defender360
- Front unthreaded — no screw-in stack
- 6–9 is a second $250 if the week is actually S-Log3 noon
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
NiSi True Color ND-VARIO Pro Nano 1–5 Stop 82mm View on Amazon View on B&H
| SKU | NIR-TCVND0.3-1.5-82 · EAN 6972949372941. 1–5 stops (0.3–1.5). Nano coat. Removable lever. 86 mm front thread. Street ~$180–$220. Swift 1–9 kit is NIR-TCVNDSWIFT-KIT0.3-2.7-82 (~$309–$339) if you want the ND16 in the same box. |
|---|---|
| On a7 IV | Hard stops, True Color claim, useful from ISO 100 interiors to open shade. Five stops covers most S-Cinetone noon if you can sit near f/4. S-Log3 at ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/48 still wants more — that is the Swift ND16 (4 stops) press-on, which NiSi says turns this ring into 5–9 without an X. |
| Wide glass | NiSi / B&H language on this 1–5 is conservative on ultra-wide. PolarPro is the ring that prints 16 mm. On a 16–35 GM II at 16 mm, treat PolarPro 2–5 as the safer wide claim. |
| SKU trap | Older NiSi ND-VARIO 5–9 Enhanced (NIR-VND1.5-2.7-82) — not True Color, and NiSi recommended 35 mm+. Swift add-on kits that are Black Mist only. 77 mm when the zoom is 82 mm. |
Why it is Value, not Overall. It is the cheaper True Color hard-stop VND, and the Swift ND16 is a real 5–9 path. It is not the one-ring ISO 100 default PolarPro already cut as 2–5. Buy this if S-Cinetone / mixed interiors are the week and S-Log3 noon is the exception you expand for. Buy PolarPro if the job starts at ISO 100 and the 16–35 stays at 16 mm.
Skip this if every setup is ISO 100 S-Cinetone and you do not want a second piece of glass — PolarPro 2–5.
- True Color + hard stops under PolarPro money
- Swift ND16 expands to 5–9 for S-Log3 noon
- 86 mm front thread if you must stack a fixed
- 1–5 alone is short for S-Log3 ISO 800 at f/2.8
- 16 mm claim is PolarPro’s, not this page’s
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
K&F Concept Nano-X ND2–32 Variable ND 82mm View on Amazon View on B&H
| SKU | K&F CONCEPT Nano-X / Nano-Xcel ND2–32 82 mm KF01.1805V1. 1–5 stops (0.3–1.5). Japanese AGC glass, 28-layer coat, ~7.3 mm ring. K&F: no X-cross in this range. Street ~$70–$90. Use an 86 mm cap. |
|---|---|
| On a7 IV | Same 1–5 math as NiSi without the True Color / Swift sentence. Fine for S-Cinetone and overcast. S-Log3 ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/48 in sun still needs more — stop down, raise frame rate, or add a fixed ND64, do not buy ND2–400 to “get nine stops” on a 7K-oversampled file. |
| SKU trap | KF01.1393V1 / SKU.0887V1 ND2–400 (1–9-ish, no hard stop). KF01.1466 1–9 Nano-X. ND2–32 + Black Mist / CPL 2-in-1 as the first a7 IV ND. 77 mm on an 82 mm zoom. A 55 mm ring sized only for the kit 28–70. |
Why it is Budget. Hard-stop 1–5, 82 mm, one cheap invoice, a printed SKU. You give up CinemaSeries, True Color branding, and PolarPro’s 16 mm print. The only way this pick fails is Amazon merging it with ND2–400. If the week is S-Log3 parking-lot noon, spend the extra on PolarPro 6–9 (Layer 2), not on a wider-range cheap VND.
Skip this if the listing says ND2–400, 1–9, or 1–10 with no hard stops.
- Named 1–5 SKU under $90
- K&F no-X claim in the ND2–32 range
- Not enough for noon S-Log3 at ISO 800 / f/2.8
- Amazon will also show ND2–400
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
If You Need Something Else
These two are not cheaper versions of the Top 3. One is PolarPro’s LOG / long-exposure ring. One is the wide-range VND Amazon will try to sell next to the Nano-X.
PolarPro Peter McKinnon Signature Edition II 82mm 6–9 Stop View on Amazon View on B&H
| What it is | MFR 82-6/9-VND-ED2 · SG-EDll-82-6/9 · UPC 817465026038. 6–9 stops (ND64–ND512, 1.8–2.7). Same CinemaSeries, haptic, Defender360, 16 mm claim, unthreaded front, ~$250 as the 2–5. |
|---|---|
| When it wins | PolarPro: 6–9 is LOG / ISO over 400 / long exposure. Sony’s S-Log native ISO 800 in hard sun at f/2.8 / 1/48. 2–30 s water and clouds at ISO 100. Pair with the 2–5 if the a7 IV does both S-Cinetone weeks and one S-Log3 commercial. Not the first buy if the job is ISO 100 stills and S-Cinetone. |
| Helix sibling | PolarPro Helix MagLock 6–9 stays off the Top 3 — different base rings, more money. Freewell FW-82-MAGVND (~$400) is a 2–5 + 6–9 magnetic kit, not this page’s Value row. |
Buy this after 2–5 is already in the pouch, or when S-Log3 noon / long stills are the look. Do not buy it as a substitute for the hybrid default.
Skip this if the week is ISO 100 S-Cinetone — PolarPro 2–5.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
ND2–400 / “1–10 stop” variable NDs View on Amazon View on B&H
| Why it shows up | Amazon titles say “82mm Variable ND” next to the Nano-X. K&F Nano-Klear / Nano-Basic ND2–400 is KF01.1393V1 / SKU.0887V1, about $30–$50. One ring claims ~1–9 stops. There are no hard stops at 5 or 6. That is where the X-pattern lives — worst on a 16–35 at 16 mm in 7K-oversampled 4K30, which is exactly the a7 IV run-and-gun wide end. |
|---|---|
| On a7 IV | 33 MP stills and 10-bit 4:2:2 will show the color cast and the X. Buy KF01.1805V1 (1–5) or PolarPro 2–5. Same skip: generic 1–10 VNDs, stacking two variables, a 55 mm filter as the only size on a 28–70 kit that will be replaced by an 82 mm zoom, and any listing that implies the a7 IV has built-in ND like the FX6. |
A $40 1–10 is not a 2–5 with haptic clicks. If the camera in the bag is an a7 IV, the cart says 82-2/5-VND-ED2, NIR-TCVND0.3-1.5-82, or KF01.1805V1.
Skip this if the body is an a7 IV and the lens is wider than 35 mm. Buy PolarPro 2–5, NiSi True Color 1–5, or K&F ND2–32.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Frequently Asked Questions
What ND strength the a7 IV needs
There is no internal ND. Movie ISO starts at 100. 180-degree shutter is ≈ 2× fps: about 1/48 at 24p, 1/60 at 30p, 1/120 at 4K/60 Super 35. Sunny-16 at ISO 100, f/2.8, and 1/48 is ~6 stops — 2–5 covers it if you can sit at f/4 in the hardest sun. Sony’s S-Log native ISO is 800 (about three more stops) — that is PolarPro 6–9 or NiSi 1–5 plus Swift ND16. Electronic stills stop at 1/8000, same as mechanical. They can replace ND for a frozen portrait. They cannot replace ND for video or for a 2–30 s still.
4K/60 Super 35 vs 4K/30 full-frame
Sony: 4K 24p/30p is full-frame 7K-oversampled (7032 × 3958). 4K 60p/50p is Super 35 only. The crop changes angle of view. It does not add an iris ND. 180° at 60p is ~1/120, so you need fewer stops than at 24p — still a filter, not a menu. Do not buy a smaller-thread VND “because Super 35 crops.” The lens thread is still 82 mm on the GM zooms.
82 mm vs buying one filter per lens
Buy 82 mm first. FE 24–70 mm F2.8 GM II and FE 16–35 mm F2.8 GM II are 82 mm. Step-up rings take 77 mm (24–105 G, 70–200 GM II) and 67 mm (35 / 50 GM) up to that one VND. The kit 28–70 mm is 55 mm — a 55 mm filter will not mount on the 24–70. PolarPro Edition II’s front is unthreaded; NiSi True Color 1–5 has an 86 mm front if a cap or a second filter matters.
a7 IV vs a7 V vs FX3 glass
Same E-mount, same 82 mm recommendation. a7 IV 4K/60 is Super 35; a7 V 4K/60 is full-frame 7K-oversampled and electronic stills go to 1/16000. FX3 has no 33 MP stills, Cine EI 800 / 12800, and HDMI 16-bit RAW — its Overall ND is 6–9. This page is ILCE-7M4. Sony does not put electronic ND in any of these three. The FX6 (1/4–1/128) is a different body.
The 600 Mbps codec, 1/8000 shutter, and ND
XAVC S-I 4K 59.94p is 600 Mbps; Slot 1 takes CFexpress Type A, Slot 2 is SD only. That does not change f/2.8 or 1/48. Stills and movies both top out at 1/8000. Active Mode is stabilization. ND is for 180° video and for long stills. No HDMI RAW on this body — do not buy an ND “for external RAW.”
Final Verdict
For most Sony a7 IV kits, buy PolarPro 82-2/5-VND-ED2, shoot 82 mm with step-up rings, and keep 180° shutter at ISO 100 without raising the movie speed. There is no internal ND. 1/8000 stills are not a video ND. S-Log3 at Sony’s native ISO 800 in noon sun is PolarPro 6–9 (or NiSi 1–5 plus Swift ND16). Same 1–5 cheaper? K&F KF01.1805V1. Skip ND2–400, skip stacking two VNDs, skip the FX3 6–9 cart unless the week is actually LOG. 600 Mbps is a card. 4K/60 is Super 35, not an a7 V full-frame mode. This page is the a7 IV, not the a7 V, not the FX3, and not the older mixed-filter roundup.