mco_970 wrote:
Dunno, 7D & 5D2 don't seem to do it.
I would have used that feature on 5N this weekend if I could have. I had the camera on a tripod, people were on stage and not moving, and I was pulling focus with 50/1.2. I did try to magnify to check focus before figuring out I couldn't do that. It was very contrasty (people wearing black and white and partially in the sun), and peaking wasn't showing up well.
So yeah, I personally can see a good use for the feature.
Maybe next time try focusing before you start shooting, since they're not moving and all.
wfrank wrote:
Well I'd argue that the EVF is what I am most doubtful about regarding this camera - and what I am hoping (/hoped) to see positive reviews on. I only do MF, today with a fast matte/OVF.
LV, peaking, magnification and all that is fine if you shoot landscape and tripoding stuff. But that's not for all and is the reason my NEX 5N stays home and I still bring the 5D2-giant around. It's so much quicker for what I do.
When I occasionally do landscaping or similar I can use LV, nowadays pimped by Magic Lantern even. And that's enough. But I want that Sony sensor for sure, but apparently not the EVF in it's current shape as it looks. Unfortunatly.
freaklikeme wrote:
Maybe next time try focusing before you start shooting, since they're not moving and all.
Yeah, I was refocusing from one performer to the next as they took their turn on different mics - next time I'll just take the 50/1.8 OSS instead of a MF lens.
Touch the screen, it focuses, done! The NEX's really were a pretty awesome setup for video, even for a total videotard like me. I was impressed. And the real video guys there came over and looked over my setup and didn't roll their eyes.
I'm sure the EVF is fine and this is a case of chicken little.
I don't think Sony is going after Canikon shooters anyway. They're too heavily entrenched. They're probably targeting DSLR Video shooters and mirrorless upgraders who don't have a huge lens/service anchor.
mco_970 wrote:
Yeah, I was refocusing from one performer to the next as they took their turn on different mics - next time I'll just take the 50/1.8 OSS instead of a MF lens.
Touch the screen, it focuses, done! The NEX's really were a pretty awesome setup for video, even for a total videotard like me. I was impressed. And the real video guys there came over and looked over my setup and didn't roll their eyes.
It's all the facial hair on cowboy poets. Throws the contrast right off on the peaking.
That's one of the things I love about the NEXs in general. No one takes them seriously. "Oh, look at you and your little camera. Aren't you cute?"
So, videotard, are you a little more excited about the prospects of the Zeiss 12 with video? God knows you live in the right area for sweeping panoramic vistas with trains and goats and all sorts of things that move.
freaklikeme wrote:
It's all the facial hair on cowboy poets. Throws the contrast right off on the peaking.
That's one of the things I love about the NEXs in general. No one takes them seriously. "Oh, look at you and your little camera. Aren't you cute?"
So, videotard, are you a little more excited about the prospects of the Zeiss 12 with video? God knows you live in the right area for sweeping panoramic vistas with trains and goats and all sorts of things that move.
Oh, I was already stoked about the 12. I am just wondering how many NEX bodies will eventually be in my camera bag on all these great lenses.
The cowGIRL poet was a lady from a pioneer family that lives near mine, she was one of my grandma's BFF's growing up and our families are still close. I didn't know she was performing until last minute - it was REALLY cool to get video footage of the whole thing. I looked for Baxter Black so I could tell him what a d*** he is, but I didn't see him.
In another posting the photographer which made those images readily admits to not being a "pro"; he was staying out of their way.
Not sure who the "pros" were that were more focussed on the A99 over the RX1 at this event but probably we'll see the usual photo media organs churn out something a little more slowly after the event while the web-focussed guys rush to "print" with whatever.
FlyPenFly wrote:
I'm sure the EVF is fine and this is a case of chicken little.
I don't think Sony is going after Canikon shooters anyway. They're too heavily entrenched. They're probably targeting DSLR Video shooters and mirrorless upgraders who don't have a huge lens/service anchor.
Servicing is actually a fairly important consideration if you rely on your equipment either being fixed quickly, or having access to equivalent loaners while it's in for servicing.
Lensrentals posted some interesting repair stats, including turnaround times (about 3/4 of the way down). Sony's 31 days is simply unacceptable. Over the past few years Canon has significantly restructured and dramatically improved their service system, including CPS. While it's certainly not the main consideration for what system to invest in, it's definitely an important consideration for many. If Sony were to set up an 'SPS' type service and flesh out their lens lineup somewhat, then I think they would be in a much better position to make serious inroads with 'pro' shooters. But, it's a fairly small market relative to the general consumer one, so understandably they're going after the bigger piece of the pie at the moment.
I've shot a bit of action with an a77 and what turned me off from it wasn't so much the fact the viewfinder was EVF, but that when shooting at 10fps the viewfinder image had a slideshow effect. If they can make it 100% fluid and in as realtime as the electronics allow, it would be a much more viable system for action-type photography. I guess this will be just a matter of time until the tech reaches that point. For the time being, DSLRs with OVFs shooting at 10-12fps are better but the mirror blackout can be a bit annoying. Back in the 90s I really enjoyed shooting with the Canon EOS-1N RS... kind of a pity it never materialized in a DSLR.
michaelwatkins wrote:
In another posting the photographer which made those images readily admits to not being a "pro"; he was staying out of their way.
Not sure who the "pros" were that were more focussed on the A99 over the RX1 at this event but probably we'll see the usual photo media organs churn out something a little more slowly after the event while the web-focussed guys rush to "print" with whatever.
Good to know that is the case! The early bad samples really do a disservice to the camera... I really want to want it, but so far, the A99 samples are giving me cold feet.
I guess I am waiting for some good raw files to play with, shot in good light, with good technique. Some of the others I've downloaded have been high ISO, not good light, mushy details, OOF, etc. Nothing so far that has knocked my socks off. And I want them knocked off, dammit!!
Maybe it is the rush to publish which causes the earliest review samples to often leave us cold. I remember when the NEX-7 came out there was all sorts of moaning over IQ based on early experience samples but you don't hear the same cries now that the camera has long since shipped. The same scenario appears to be playing out with the RX1 right now. Only 11 cameras exist on the planet and 4 of them are being shared by and drooled on by a pool of 20+ photographers of wildly varying abilities during the Sony event in San Francisco this week. Predictably early images are OK. As the days march on better samples are emerging. Probably the A99 will follow the same trajectory.
There'll also no doubt be talk about the RX1 vs A99, with respect to the light path being direct to sensor in one vs SLT in the other. This was a big point of discussion for the NEX-7 vs A77 and already there are some comments on noise performance at high sensitivity between the two.
In case this hasn't been linked up-thread - New Zealand landscape photographer Tony Bridge rather likes the A99 he recently used for 3 days:
Good thing for Sony, the enthusiast and consumer market absolutely dwarfs the professional market.
In the several years I've been reading about gear online... most often the people who write and cover photography news are themselves pretty poor photographers even on a basic level. Exceptions of course but maybe just 1 or 2.
Ming Thein is consistently good and so is bythom but that's about all I can think of. This isn't to say thought that they aren't helpful to have diggilloyd do his tests. I find that he is often reliable in finding faults in systems that affect usability or ultimate IQ..
mco_970 wrote:
Oh, I was already stoked about the 12. I am just wondering how many NEX bodies will eventually be in my camera bag on all these great lenses.
The cowGIRL poet was a lady from a pioneer family that lives near mine, she was one of my grandma's BFF's growing up and our families are still close. I didn't know she was performing until last minute - it was REALLY cool to get video footage of the whole thing. I looked for Baxter Black so I could tell him what a d*** he is, but I didn't see him. ...Show more →
FlyPenFly wrote:
Good thing for Sony, the enthusiast and consumer market absolutely dwarfs the professional market.
yeah, but owning the professional market helps sell a lot of cameras to the enthusiast market. there's lots of people that would have no problem with the statement "canon/nikon are for serious photographers".
FlyPenFly wrote:
Nikon's consumer camera sales department would disagree! It is of course a dying segment though...
i said enthusiasts, people buying p&s cameras could for the most part careless. given how comparatively poor nikons p&s cameras are the fact that they sell any cameras is probably due to the trusted nikon name.
mco_970 wrote:
Also it seems like several of the model shots I've seen with A99 so far miss critical focus on the eyes. Maybe I have peeped too many pixels...
wfrank wrote:
The beauty of AF or (much worse) that astonishing EVF. Dont give much cred to IR regardless. I mean, these guys are in THE pixel-peeping business (!).
yeah, that looks like a lot of missed autofocus to me.
It was very contrasty (people wearing black and white and partially in the sun), and peaking wasn't showing up well. 
I think we're jumping ahead of ourselves…
