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Camera FTP guide

Sony a7 IV FTP setup, step by step

Send every shot from a Sony α7 IV (ILCE-7M4) to a live SnapMila gallery over Wi-Fi. The α7 IV has FTP built in — no transmitter and no Sony app needed.

By Bijay Kanshi · Written from Sony's Help Guides, not yet tested on an α7 IV · Updated

We wrote this guide from Sony's α7 IV Help Guide and its FTP Help Guide on . We have not yet tested it on a real α7 IV; our camera test so far was on a Nikon Z50 II. If a menu name differs on your camera, tell us and we will correct the page.

Before you start

  • An event in the SnapMila app. Open its Camera setup screen: it shows the server address, the port, your 6-character user name and your 6-character camera password, the same for every event.
  • A Wi-Fi network the camera can join — the venue's, or your phone's hotspot. Networks with a sign-in web page do not work for cameras. Which to choose: Camera FTP over Wi-Fi or a hotspot.
  • The latest firmware. Sony's newest for the α7 IV is Ver. 6.02 (May 2026). Ver. 6.00 added FTP options such as sending protected images only; the basic FTP transfer below does not need them.
  • [Airplane Mode] set to [Off] (MENU › Network › [Network Option]), and a charged battery.

Check the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz question once: the name plate under the camera shows its wireless module. Model WW734234 joins both bands; model WW454361 joins 2.4 GHz only, so set your hotspot to 2.4 GHz for it.

1. Join the Wi-Fi network

  1. Press MENU and open the Network menu. Under [Wi-Fi], choose [Access Point Set.] and pick the venue network or your hotspot by its name.
  2. Enter the Wi-Fi password. Leave [IP Address Setting] (under the [Detail] button) at [Auto].
  3. Set [Wi-Fi Connect] to [On].

Instead of Wi-Fi, the α7 IV can also use your phone's mobile data over a USB cable: Network › [USB-LAN/Tethering] › [Tethering Connection], with USB tethering (Android) or Personal Hotspot (iPhone) on. The camera's Wi-Fi is not used while it is tethered.

2. Enter the SnapMila server

Go to MENU › Network › [FTP Transfer] › [FTP Transfer Func.] › [Server Setting] and pick [Server 1] (or any free one of the nine).

SettingEnter
Display NameAnything up to 8 characters, for example SnapMila.
Destination Settings › Host NameThe server address exactly as the SnapMila app shows it, without "ftp://" or a port.
Destination Settings › Secure ProtocolOn for FTPS (encrypted), or Off for plain FTP — see step 3.
Destination Settings › PortThe port shown in the app.
Directory Settings › Specify DirectoryLeave it empty.
Directory Settings › Directory HierarchyStandard (either choice works).
User Info Settings › UserThe 6-character user name shown in the app; capital or small letters both work.
User Info Settings › PasswordYour 6-character camera password.

The α7 IV has no passive-mode setting: it always uses passive mode, which is what SnapMila needs.

3. FTPS or plain FTP

  • Sony recommends [Secure Protocol] [On], so your login and photos travel encrypted. SnapMila supports it.
  • Keep [Root Certificate Error] at [Does Not Connect]. If the camera then refuses to connect, import the root certificate: SnapMila's certificate comes from Let's Encrypt, whose root is ISRG Root X1. Download it from Let's Encrypt's certificates page (the PEM file), save it as cacert.pem in the top folder of the card in slot 1, then choose Network › [Network Option] › [Import Root Certificate] › [FTP Function].
  • We have not yet tried FTPS on a Sony. If it still won't connect, set [Secure Protocol] to [Off] and use your phone's hotspot — never open venue Wi-Fi.

4. Turn FTP on

In [FTP Transfer Func.]:

OptionSet toWhy
Server Settingthe SnapMila serverThe camera sends to the server picked here.
FTP FunctionOnConnects to the server.
Auto FTP TransferOnSends each photo while you shoot.
Auto FTP Target › Still ImageAllEvery photo goes, not only protected ones.
RAW+J/H Transfer TargetJPEG & HEIFSnapMila builds galleries from JPEGs and does not accept ARW (RAW) files. Shoot JPEG, not HEIF: Shooting › [Image Quality] › [JPEG/HEIF Switch] › [JPEG].
FTP Power SaveOffWith [On], a quiet camera drops the network between bursts. Carry a spare battery.

SnapMila galleries show photos only, and the server refuses video files; set [Auto FTP Target] › Movie to [Only Shot Mark] so the camera tries fewer of them. Each JPEG can be up to 60 MB.

5. Take a test shot

  1. When the camera is connected, an FTP icon shows on the screen; an FTP error icon means it is not.
  2. Take one photo.
  3. Open the event in the SnapMila app or scan its QR: the photo appears within about half a minute.
  4. If it doesn't, open [FTP Transfer Func.] › [Display FTP Error Info.] and use the table below. [Display FTP Result] counts the photos sent and the ones that failed.

Photos that were not sent

  • With [Auto FTP Transfer] on, photos waiting to go are sent once the connection is back, and when you next switch the camera on. Taking out the card or the battery cancels them.
  • To send earlier or failed photos by hand, open [FTP Transfer Func.] › [FTP Transfer], set [Target Group] (for example [This Date]) and [Transfer Status] › [Only Non-transfer], which takes in the failed ones too, then start the transfer.
  • The SnapMila app names any missing file numbers, so you know what to resend.

For your next event

Change nothing in the camera. Each photo goes to the event that began last: its day, one of its functions, or the event you chose. The banner at the top of the app and the dashboard shows which one, and its Change sends the next photo to another event.

Troubleshooting

What you seeWhat to check
Failed to acquire an IP address.The Wi-Fi network didn't give the camera an address, or can't look up the server name. Join the network again, or switch to your phone's hotspot.
Failed to connect to an FTP server.The [Host Name] and the [Port], exactly as the app shows them. With [Secure Protocol] on, see step 3. If the network blocks FTP, switch to the hotspot.
Still no photo arrivesThe user name and the camera password. After five wrong tries SnapMila pauses sign-ins from that network for a few minutes — wait, fix the password, and connect again.
Cannot transfer to the FTP server.The camera sent a file SnapMila doesn't take — RAW, HEIF or a video (see step 4) — or your plan's storage is full. The storage meter in the app shows it.
Connection ErrorThe Wi-Fi was lost. Move closer to the router or the phone, or switch to the hotspot.
A photo is missing in the galleryThe SnapMila app names missing file numbers. Send them with [FTP Transfer] › [Only Non-transfer].

How we made this page

On we went through Sony's α7 IV Help Guide and FTP Help Guide and matched each setting to SnapMila's FTP server: port 21, passive mode, FTP or FTPS, any folder, JPEG files only, up to 60 MB each. The same server settings work with the Nikon Z50 II we tested on. We will add the result of an α7 IV test to this page.

Sources

Using SnapMila at your events