Fred Miranda wrote:
Do you see any possibility for the in-camera 'apps' to be used from the PlayMemories 'Mobile' app instead? (through wifi or bluetooth)
Like that, Sony could continue the development of apps for our devices to be used with all Sony cameras.
Everyone has a phone in their pocket. Problem solved!
I've done some work with the WiFi API Sony offers to Smartphone developers. It's rather limited in its current form and doesn't offer the functionality needed to implement an advanced app like Smooth Reflections. It offers basic primitives such as changing the exposures, specifying a focus point, taking an exposure, etc...
snapsy wrote:
I've done some work with the WiFi API Sony offers to Smartphone developers. It's rather limited in its current form and doesn't offer the functionality needed to implement an advanced app like Smooth Reflections. It offers basic primitives such as changing the exposures, specifying a focus point, taking an exposure, etc...
What I meant is for Sony (not developers) to port their current in-camera apps to run from the Playmemories mobile app instead. (Like they do with the Smart Remote).
Eventually they could update their API for third-party development.
Faulta wrote:
(some rumors say, Sony cameras used to use an old ancient Android version as their base)
Android 4.4 kitkat to be precise. Not a rumor, demonstrable fact. The Sony sdk is the android sdk.
thrice wrote:
Android 4.4 kitkat to be precise. Not a rumor, demonstrable fact. The Sony sdk is the android sdk.
Very interesting. I think the future is PlayMemories Mobile though. I don't care about downloading apps onto the camera as that has proven to be a bad idea in terms of functionality and speed.
If Sony develops photography tools like bracketing, stacking, intervalometer forsmart devices, it would be a great alternative although I still think this should be built-in to the main firmware.
I feel like a kid that knows what they are getting for Christmas but have to wait. And to think I was a little sad the other day when I traded in my Galen Rowell ND filters. I am all in with Sony and no going back due to the expense ..... and it has been fun reading and looking at all the stellar photos, ..... and now reading about Sky HDR, Smooth Reflection, in camera applications that work on raw files, ...
Fred Miranda wrote:
Very interesting. I think the future is PlayMemories Mobile though. I don't care about downloading apps onto the camera as that has proven to be a bad idea in terms of functionality and speed.
If Sony develops photography tools like bracketing, stacking, intervalometer forsmart devices, it would be a great alternative although I still think this should be built-in to the main firmware.
This makes sense to me, too. There's a natural division between the devices, and the mobile phone platform is already designed to support secure, 3rd party development. Functions that involve intelligent, automated control of existing camera functions (e.g. bracketing and stacking) can be readily offloaded to a mobile software controller whereas firmware level features (e.g. pixel shift) need to be handled onboard the camera. This approach provides the most features for the least problems. There is still a design question over the point at which Sony will force us to take out our phones to run the camera. The camera still needs to function fully without an adjacent phone and compete with competitors so we won't see existing simple exposure bracketing moved out of the camera, but fancier functions that are used less frequently and/or strain the camera's user interface or processor aren't likely to appear onboard. Hopefully, Sony will support third party development of mobile apps instead of stifling new feature development by trying to lock down the mobile app market.
moosehead222 wrote:
I feel like a kid that knows what they are getting for Christmas but have to wait. And to think I was a little sad the other day when I traded in my Galen Rowell ND filters. I am all in with Sony and no going back due to the expense ..... and it has been fun reading and looking at all the stellar photos, ..... and now reading about Sky HDR, Smooth Reflection, in camera applications that work on raw files, ...
I think that I feel more like a kid who is offered a great new toy but only if I agree to handing back the best parts of my favorite toy from last Christmas - night-sky images that retain all their stars, and now the in-camera apps. This Santa certainly has some funny quirks...
rji2goleez wrote:
Fred, did you preorder Arsenal? It gives us some hope for a SR app replacement. If it works as advertised, it should be a useful tool.
I will be testing it for the developer. Hopefully it will work great!
Fred Miranda wrote:
Yeap, we are putting all our hope on it.
For me, I want (1) something similar like the Smooth Reflection app, (2） focus stacking that give me one finished raw file in the camera, and (3) In device creation of a raw HDR file. I wouldn't think any of these are hard for Sony to build them in the cameras if they want to.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I will be testing it for the developer. Hopefully it will work great!
Just looked it up on kickstarter. Looks promising. I am curious how it would combine raw files into a single exposure for you, though, as it seems it is advertised to do. Does it write applications onto the camera similar to playmemories did? Or can that all really be done simply from a device that is plugged into the usb port of the camera?
sullivanrp wrote:
Just looked it up on kickstarter. Looks promising. I am curious how it would combine raw files into a single exposure for you, though, as it seems it is advertised to do. Does it write applications onto the camera similar to playmemories did? Or can that all really be done simply from a device that is plugged into the usb port of the camera?
It's all done on the smart device and then the resulting file (RAW) is sent to the camera. It does image averaging similarly to how smooth reflections did, averaging one image at every capture.
sullivanrp wrote:
Just looked it up on kickstarter. Looks promising. I am curious how it would combine raw files into a single exposure for you, though, as it seems it is advertised to do. Does it write applications onto the camera similar to playmemories did? Or can that all really be done simply from a device that is plugged into the usb port of the camera?
The processing will be done in that little device and the file will be saved in the card in the camera, that's what I was told by them.
kdrk888 wrote:
The processing will be done in that little device and the file will be saved in the card in the camera, that's what I was told by them.
Fascinating. I really am interested to see how those files turn out and their size when combining uncompressed raw 42mp files from an A7RIII, Smooth reflection was pretty killer. The cost may be my only deterrent as SR was $5.
sullivanrp wrote:
Fascinating. I really am interested to see how those files turn out and their size when combining uncompressed raw 42mp files from an A7RIII, Smooth reflection was pretty killer. The cost may be my only deterrent as SR was $5.
yes, it's pricey and a PITA to carry/connect another piece of device. But if It can deliver what they are claiming, I am ok with that.
kdrk888 wrote:
yes, it's pricey and a PITA to carry/connect another piece of device. But if It can deliver what they are claiming, I am ok with that.
that PITA is nothing compared to stacking those files yourself in photoshop
I know my post-production could use some refinement and more practice when focus stacking, but if I was shooting this style often enough and this device doesn't take too long to process the files while being used it would seem worth it.
