Apple support for Sony RAW formats from A7IV cameras

No one outside of Apple knows when - or even if - raw support will be added for any particular model camera. They don't announce in advance. So your alternatives are do as you're doing or use an app that doesn't relay on Apple's raw deciding such as the Adobe apps.

You can obtain a trial of Affinity Photo from their website before a final decision to purchase it from the Mac App Store. The Buy Now button has the trial download on it. I own the product.

I'll need to use a DAM instead of Finder, curse and blast.

No, you can use any editor that doesn't use Apple's raw support. Photoshop Elements, for instance.

RAW support for a new camera model will usually be released by Apple within half a year to a year after the camera has been released, as a part of a new system update. If there is no RAW support after a year, it will probably never supported at all. As your camera has been announced in December last year, there is still hope, that it will be supported by one of the next system updates.

Talyessin wrote:

XnView certainly looks worthwhile to look at.

I guess I should mention, XnView does conversions including batch conversions to many graphics formats. And of course it is free.

I should also mention I have both Pixelmator Pro and Affinity Photo.

My guess is that Sony fit a new RAW format to their top tier cameras and then they get used in the lower cameras

The Raw format for every individual model of camera Is specific and unique to that model. While capabilities may migrate down a product line (improved autofocus, for instance) the raw definitions is always unique. It's one of the things that defines a model of camera. The raw decoder for the A7iv will not, for instance, also decode the A7iii, or any other model of Sony camera, even if they use the same sensor.

It appears that w e are looking at several years of inattentiveness on Apple’s part.

It's clear that this is not a priority for Apple. Third party developers add raw support much faster as it is vital for their business model.

Point of order:

The raw file is not unique. A Canon .cr2/3 is a very well defined format. What is unique is that each sensor records colors and dynamic range in a slightly different way and must be profiled. This profile lives in the RAW developer, not the raw file itself.

DNG's have the profile info in the file itself, which is why they can be "universal".

FWIW, XnViewMP can preview the files and Affinity Photo can edit them.

Actually Sony has to supply Apple with the specs.

Note, that to get support you will have to keep totally up to date with the operating system and updates.

Great, it used to be that you could get RAW updates that were standalone and worked with various OS's. Now they are all rolled up into OS updates.