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Archive 2021Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
p.8 #1Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
TX-Photog wrote:
Do you not run yours with the EVF showing real time exposure? I have been and not sure I like it. If you aren't how do you set the EVF brightness? Auto, manual?
Yes I run mine showing the exposure I will get. WYSIWYG. EVF brightness is set to Auto. I set Monitor brightness to Sunny Weather so I can see it in bright outdoor conditions when I shoot with camera at ground level.
What I liked on the A9II/A7RIV (and all previous Sony cameras) is that if I was running in Monitor Off mode I could still scroll my Shutter speed, aperture or ISO wheels and it would show me just the numbers on the rear screen. This is the same reason I like top LCD screens.
Do you not run yours with the EVF showing real time exposure? I have been and not sure I like it. If you aren't how do you set the EVF brightness? Auto, manual?
Yes I run mine showing the exposure I will get. WYSIWYG. EVF brightness is set to Auto. I set Monitor brightness to Sunny Weather so I can see it in bright outdoor conditions when I shoot with camera at ground level.
What I liked on the A9II/A7RIV (and all previous Sony cameras) is that if I was running in Monitor Off mode I could still scroll my Shutter speed, aperture or ISO wheels and it would show me just the numbers on the rear screen. This is the same reason I like top LCD screens.
Mar 17, 2021 at 02:32 PM
p.8 #2Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
Interesting. I didn't know you could do that with the other cameras. I wonder why they took that feature away?
Mar 22, 2021 at 02:00 PM
p.8 #3Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.
Mar 23, 2021 at 01:22 PM
p.8 #4Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
multibit wrote:
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be...Show more →
The V90 prograde would be similar speed to your Sandisk ones. The V60 will be noticeably slower to write. If you aren't shooting 100+ shots at a time you may be okay even with a V60. I haven't tried a V60 but my V90 cards are all I need right now. I don't have much desire to spend $ on CFe-A even if prices come down as so far the V90 SD cards haven't hindered me in any way. Same thing I found on the Canon R5, V90 SD was all you really needed and CFe-B was overkill. Of course there are use cases where the CFe-A cards will make sense. If you want to shoot backup RAW to both slots then CFe-A is a better choice as things get a lot slower with 2 SD cards writing at the same time.
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be...Show more →
The V90 prograde would be similar speed to your Sandisk ones. The V60 will be noticeably slower to write. If you aren't shooting 100+ shots at a time you may be okay even with a V60. I haven't tried a V60 but my V90 cards are all I need right now. I don't have much desire to spend $ on CFe-A even if prices come down as so far the V90 SD cards haven't hindered me in any way. Same thing I found on the Canon R5, V90 SD was all you really needed and CFe-B was overkill. Of course there are use cases where the CFe-A cards will make sense. If you want to shoot backup RAW to both slots then CFe-A is a better choice as things get a lot slower with 2 SD cards writing at the same time.
Mar 23, 2021 at 01:28 PM
p.8 #5Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
arbitrage wrote:
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.The V90 prograde would be similar speed to your Sandisk ones. The V60 will be noticeably slower to write. If you aren't shooting 100+ shots at a time you may be okay even with a V60. I haven't tried a V60 but my V90 cards are all I need right now. I don't have much desire to spend $ on CFe-A even if prices come down as so far the V90 SD cards haven't hindered me in any way. Same thing I found on the Canon R5, V90 SD was all you really needed and CFe-B was overkill. Of course...Show more →
Thanks for the quick reply, I'll get the V90 ones then , I suppose its nice they added the CF cards as an option although it makes sense to use the SD cards if they do the job .
You noticing this camera is noticeably quicker to use than the A9ii ? I'm finding just going through the menus, wake up etc feels quicker
multibit wrote
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.
Thanks for the quick reply, I'll get the V90 ones then , I suppose its nice they added the CF cards as an option although it makes sense to use the SD cards if they do the job .
You noticing this camera is noticeably quicker to use than the A9ii ? I'm finding just going through the menus, wake up etc feels quicker
Mar 23, 2021 at 02:10 PM
p.8 #6Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
multibit wrote:
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be...Show more →
Congrats, Leon! You will enjoy the camera a lot and to a certain degree even more so than the A9 II, I believe. Not only the AF performance of the camera but the crop-ability of the sensor is simply great.
Edited on Mar 23, 2021 at 02:15 PM · View previous versions
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be...Show more →
Congrats, Leon! You will enjoy the camera a lot and to a certain degree even more so than the A9 II, I believe. Not only the AF performance of the camera but the crop-ability of the sensor is simply great.
Edited on Mar 23, 2021 at 02:15 PM · View previous versions
Mar 23, 2021 at 02:13 PM
p.8 #7Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
Very suitable forum name for what I am about to post here. I am no BIF expert, it is not a skill set that I can brag about. But the A1makes it possible for me to actually shoot birds as they are flying. A few from this morning, some animal must have died because there were a lot of turkey vultures circling around.
The camera had to acquire focus while the birds were in flight, evidently BEAF worked!
First shot is cropped.
The camera had to acquire focus while the birds were in flight, evidently BEAF worked!
First shot is cropped.
© dallvr 2021
Mar 23, 2021 at 02:14 PM
p.8 #8Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
Turkey Vultures circle when there's a good updraft. If something had died they'd be on the ground with it.
Mar 23, 2021 at 02:49 PM
p.8 #9Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
multibit wrote:
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.The V90 prograde would be similar speed to your Sandisk ones. The V60 will be noticeably slower to write. If you aren't shooting 100+ shots at a time you may be okay even with a V60. I haven't tried a V60 but my V90 cards are all I need right now. I don't have much desire to spend $ on CFe-A even if prices come down as so far the V90 SD cards haven't hindered me in any way. Same thing I found on the Canon R5, V90 SD was all you really needed and CFe-B was overkill. Of course there are use cases where the CFe-A cards will make sense. If you want to shoot backup RAW to both slots then CFe-A is a better choice as things get a lot slower with 2 SD cards writing at the same time.Thanks for the quick reply, I'll get the V90 ones then , I suppose its nice they added the CF cards as an option although it makes sense to use the SD cards if they do the job .
You noticing this camera is noticeably quicker to use than the A9ii ? I'm finding just going through the menus, wake up etc feels quicker
Yes everything is quick. The use of an SD card feels like even less of a burden than with the A9II (even with double the files size) as everything is snappy while it is still writing to card. You can move through menus, review images at 100% and just do anything and nothing feels laggy.
arbitrage wrote
multibit wrote
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.
You noticing this camera is noticeably quicker to use than the A9ii ? I'm finding just going through the menus, wake up etc feels quicker
Yes everything is quick. The use of an SD card feels like even less of a burden than with the A9II (even with double the files size) as everything is snappy while it is still writing to card. You can move through menus, review images at 100% and just do anything and nothing feels laggy.
Mar 23, 2021 at 03:16 PM
p.8 #10Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
AGeoJO wrote:
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.Congrats, Leon! You will enjoy the camera a lot and to a certain degree even more so than the A9 II, I believe. Not only the AF performance of the camera but the crop-ability of the sensor is simply great.
Thank you , I'm just hoping the high ISO isn't too noisy , the A9ii is pretty decent
multibit wrote
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.
Thank you , I'm just hoping the high ISO isn't too noisy , the A9ii is pretty decent
Mar 23, 2021 at 05:29 PM
p.8 #11Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
multibit wrote:
I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.Congrats, Leon! You will enjoy the camera a lot and to a certain degree even more so than the A9 II, I believe. Not only the AF performance of the camera but the crop-ability of the sensor is simply great.Thank you , I'm just hoping the high ISO isn't too noisy , the A9ii is pretty decent
The way you need to look at the situation is to resize up the file from the A9 II up to the size of the A1 or the other way around, you need to resize down the file from the A1 to the same size of the A9 II, then the noise characteristics of files from both are similar to each other.
AGeoJO wrote
multibit wrote
Mine arrived late this afternoon , typical UK weather dark clouds and just the odd Sparrow in the Garden so looking forward to trying this camera out properly . Quick test with 200-600 acquisition does seem faster than my A9ii , menu and set up looks quite a bit different too, seems to be quite a few more options in the custom reg settings I'll need to look up .I'll get some of the CF cards when prices are a little more sane , just looking at some Prograde UHS-ii cards , theres V60 and V90 . Would it be worth getting the V90 ones over the V60 ? I won't be bothering with video . I use those Sandisk 300mbs with the A9ii but never hit the buffer yet.
The way you need to look at the situation is to resize up the file from the A9 II up to the size of the A1 or the other way around, you need to resize down the file from the A1 to the same size of the A9 II, then the noise characteristics of files from both are similar to each other.
Mar 23, 2021 at 05:34 PM
p.8 #12Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
I used my A1 yesterday with my existing 64GB sd cards and, shooting mostly at 15 frames per second, I think I only noticed the buffer clearing once. For about a second. I have bought a 160GB Cfexpress card but mainly because I though I would need more capacity. It didn't seem sensible to put more money into slower cards. But if I hadn't needed more space, I would be very happy to use sd cards.
The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II but still not instant.
I used tracking modes all afternoon yesterday and I think they will probably become my usual AF area choice. Initial lock is instant and tracking works well. I hope to do some experiments today to woprk out how BEAF interacts with smaller AF areas. If I find out anything interesting, I'll report back.
I can't imagine needing any other camera for a while. It's completely amazing!
The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II but still not instant.
I used tracking modes all afternoon yesterday and I think they will probably become my usual AF area choice. Initial lock is instant and tracking works well. I hope to do some experiments today to woprk out how BEAF interacts with smaller AF areas. If I find out anything interesting, I'll report back.
I can't imagine needing any other camera for a while. It's completely amazing!
Mar 24, 2021 at 04:18 AM
p.8 #13Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
somersettr wrote:
I used my A1 yesterday with my existing 64GB sd cards and, shooting mostly at 15 frames per second, I think I only noticed the buffer clearing once. For about a second. I have bought a 160GB Cfexpress card but mainly because I though I would need more capacity. It didn't seem sensible to put more money into slower cards. But if I hadn't needed more space, I would be very happy to use sd cards.
The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II...Show more →
As far as BEAF and smaller AF areas, the main thing one needs to know is that if you are in a non-tracking mode it will only find the eye within the smaller AF area and if you move that AF area off of the eye then it stops. If you are in a tracking mode then it will only find the eye (or look for the eye) within the smaller AF area BUT you can then move off of the eye and it continues to track the eye over the entire frame.
The technique I've been using sometimes for small birds in messy surroundings is I use my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot (non-tracking versions) and get that onto the head. If the eye-AF icon (tiny square) lights up then I hold in my Tracking ON button and that switches into Tracking and I can recompose or if the bird moves too quickly for me to keep the Flex Spot on the bird it still keeps tracking the eye.
If its not finding the eye then I just keep using my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot to keep the focus point on the head as best as I can. I find that if it doesn't find the eye and I'm in tracking then it may just start tracking a branch or something and I loose control of the situation. Therefore I reserve Tracking for when I know it sees the eye.
I used my A1 yesterday with my existing 64GB sd cards and, shooting mostly at 15 frames per second, I think I only noticed the buffer clearing once. For about a second. I have bought a 160GB Cfexpress card but mainly because I though I would need more capacity. It didn't seem sensible to put more money into slower cards. But if I hadn't needed more space, I would be very happy to use sd cards.
The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II...Show more →
As far as BEAF and smaller AF areas, the main thing one needs to know is that if you are in a non-tracking mode it will only find the eye within the smaller AF area and if you move that AF area off of the eye then it stops. If you are in a tracking mode then it will only find the eye (or look for the eye) within the smaller AF area BUT you can then move off of the eye and it continues to track the eye over the entire frame.
The technique I've been using sometimes for small birds in messy surroundings is I use my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot (non-tracking versions) and get that onto the head. If the eye-AF icon (tiny square) lights up then I hold in my Tracking ON button and that switches into Tracking and I can recompose or if the bird moves too quickly for me to keep the Flex Spot on the bird it still keeps tracking the eye.
If its not finding the eye then I just keep using my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot to keep the focus point on the head as best as I can. I find that if it doesn't find the eye and I'm in tracking then it may just start tracking a branch or something and I loose control of the situation. Therefore I reserve Tracking for when I know it sees the eye.
Mar 24, 2021 at 06:06 AM
p.8 #14Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
arbitrage wrote:
The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II but still not instant.
I used tracking modes all afternoon yesterday and I think they will probably become my usual AF area choice. Initial lock is instant and tracking works well. I hope to do some experiments today to woprk out how BEAF interacts with smaller AF areas. If I find out anything interesting, I'll report back.
I can't imagine needing any other camera for a while. It's completely amazing!
As far as BEAF and smaller AF areas, the main thing one needs to know is that if you are in a non-tracking mode it will only find the eye within the smaller AF area and if you move that AF area off of the eye then it stops. If you are in a tracking mode then it will only find the eye (or look for the eye) within the smaller AF area BUT you can then move off of the eye and it continues to track the eye over the entire frame.
The technique I've been using sometimes for small...Show more →
Thanks, that's useful. I confirmed myself this morning that in tracking modes, BEAF will continue to find eyes outside of the original focus area. I was really hoping that was the way it would work. I've now found a use for smaller focus areas like Centre!
I like your idea of adding tracking to small flexible spot if it sees the eye. The tracking box can be a bit large if it does not so this is a good workaround. However, I have my small flexible spot on a Recall Custom Hold so I'm guessing I can't add tracking to a vanilla focus area in that case? I'll have to check.
somersettr wrote
I used my A1 yesterday with my existing 64GB sd cards and, shooting mostly at 15 frames per second, I think I only noticed the buffer clearing once. For about a second. I have bought a 160GB Cfexpress card but mainly because I though I would need more capacity. It didn't seem sensible to put more money into slower cards. But if I hadn't needed more space, I would be very happy to use sd cards.The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II but still not instant.
I used tracking modes all afternoon yesterday and I think they will probably become my usual AF area choice. Initial lock is instant and tracking works well. I hope to do some experiments today to woprk out how BEAF interacts with smaller AF areas. If I find out anything interesting, I'll report back.
I can't imagine needing any other camera for a while. It's completely amazing!
The technique I've been using sometimes for small...Show more →
Thanks, that's useful. I confirmed myself this morning that in tracking modes, BEAF will continue to find eyes outside of the original focus area. I was really hoping that was the way it would work. I've now found a use for smaller focus areas like Centre!
I like your idea of adding tracking to small flexible spot if it sees the eye. The tracking box can be a bit large if it does not so this is a good workaround. However, I have my small flexible spot on a Recall Custom Hold so I'm guessing I can't add tracking to a vanilla focus area in that case? I'll have to check.
Mar 24, 2021 at 10:10 AM
p.8 #15Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
somersettr wrote:
The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II but still not instant.
I used tracking modes all afternoon yesterday and I think they will probably become my usual AF area choice. Initial lock is instant and tracking works well. I hope to do some experiments today to woprk out how BEAF interacts with smaller AF areas. If I find out anything interesting, I'll report back.
I can't imagine needing any other camera for a while. It's completely amazing!
As far as BEAF and smaller AF areas, the main thing one needs to know is that if you are in a non-tracking mode it will only find the eye within the smaller AF area and if you move that AF area off of the eye then it stops. If you are in a tracking mode then it will only find the eye (or look for the eye) within the smaller AF area BUT you can then move off of the eye and it continues to track the eye over the entire frame.
The technique I've been using sometimes for small birds in messy surroundings is I use my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot (non-tracking versions) and get that onto the head. If the eye-AF icon (tiny square) lights up then I hold in my Tracking ON button and that switches into Tracking and I can recompose or if the bird moves too quickly for me to keep the Flex Spot on the bird it still keeps tracking the eye.
If its not finding the eye then I just keep using my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot to keep the focus point on the head as best as I can. I find that if it doesn't find the eye and I'm in tracking then it may just start tracking a branch or something and I loose control of the situation. Therefore I reserve Tracking for when I know it sees the eye.Thanks, that's useful. I confirmed myself this morning that in tracking modes, BEAF will continue to find eyes outside of the original focus area. I was really hoping that was the way it would work. I've now found a use for smaller focus areas like Centre!
I like your idea of adding tracking to small flexible spot if it sees the eye. The tracking box can be a bit large if it does not so this is a good workaround. However, I have my small flexible spot on a Recall Custom Hold so I'm guessing I can't add tracking to a...Show more →
Unfortunately you can't switch a Recall Custom Hold into a tracking if it is set for a non-tracking. What you used to be able to do on previous Sony cameras is set a Registered AF Area (via long press of Fn). You could then set a button to Toggle into that Registered area. You could then hold down a back button set to Tracking On and it would switch that Registered AF Area you had toggled over to into Tracking if you wanted it to. However, for whatever reason the A1 broke that functionality.
So what I used to do on my A9II/A7RIV was set my Registered AF Area to be Small Flex Spot. I had C2 toggle into it (I typically would be using Wide or Zone as my main AF mode). Once I had toggled into Small Flex Spot I could hold in a button to switch it to Tracking Small Flex Spot (I was using the button on the lens to do that). Alternatively I could set a back button (say AEL) to do Recall Registered AF Area HOLD and hold in that button and then also hold in the lens button set to Tracking On to switch into Tracking Small Flex Spot. But all of that is broken on the A1.
On the A1 what I've settled on doing is having my Rec button toggle through only four possible AF modes (Wide, Zone, S Flex Spot and Expand Flex Spot) all non-tracking versions. Then my AF-ON button is set to Tracking On to turn those into Tracking versions if I so choose. But I use shutter button AF which makes all of that feasible. If you are a back button focus user you could set AEL to be Tracking On + AF On (a new feature to the A7C and now A1) and your AF-ON would remain your main back button AF button.
arbitrage wrote
somersettr wrote
I used my A1 yesterday with my existing 64GB sd cards and, shooting mostly at 15 frames per second, I think I only noticed the buffer clearing once. For about a second. I have bought a 160GB Cfexpress card but mainly because I though I would need more capacity. It didn't seem sensible to put more money into slower cards. But if I hadn't needed more space, I would be very happy to use sd cards.The only thing that I have found still (slightly laggy) on the A1 is scrolling through images while zoomed in. It's better than the A9II but still not instant.
I used tracking modes all afternoon yesterday and I think they will probably become my usual AF area choice. Initial lock is instant and tracking works well. I hope to do some experiments today to woprk out how BEAF interacts with smaller AF areas. If I find out anything interesting, I'll report back.
I can't imagine needing any other camera for a while. It's completely amazing!
The technique I've been using sometimes for small birds in messy surroundings is I use my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot (non-tracking versions) and get that onto the head. If the eye-AF icon (tiny square) lights up then I hold in my Tracking ON button and that switches into Tracking and I can recompose or if the bird moves too quickly for me to keep the Flex Spot on the bird it still keeps tracking the eye.
If its not finding the eye then I just keep using my Small Flex Spot or Expand Flex Spot to keep the focus point on the head as best as I can. I find that if it doesn't find the eye and I'm in tracking then it may just start tracking a branch or something and I loose control of the situation. Therefore I reserve Tracking for when I know it sees the eye.
I like your idea of adding tracking to small flexible spot if it sees the eye. The tracking box can be a bit large if it does not so this is a good workaround. However, I have my small flexible spot on a Recall Custom Hold so I'm guessing I can't add tracking to a...Show more →
Unfortunately you can't switch a Recall Custom Hold into a tracking if it is set for a non-tracking. What you used to be able to do on previous Sony cameras is set a Registered AF Area (via long press of Fn). You could then set a button to Toggle into that Registered area. You could then hold down a back button set to Tracking On and it would switch that Registered AF Area you had toggled over to into Tracking if you wanted it to. However, for whatever reason the A1 broke that functionality.
So what I used to do on my A9II/A7RIV was set my Registered AF Area to be Small Flex Spot. I had C2 toggle into it (I typically would be using Wide or Zone as my main AF mode). Once I had toggled into Small Flex Spot I could hold in a button to switch it to Tracking Small Flex Spot (I was using the button on the lens to do that). Alternatively I could set a back button (say AEL) to do Recall Registered AF Area HOLD and hold in that button and then also hold in the lens button set to Tracking On to switch into Tracking Small Flex Spot. But all of that is broken on the A1.
On the A1 what I've settled on doing is having my Rec button toggle through only four possible AF modes (Wide, Zone, S Flex Spot and Expand Flex Spot) all non-tracking versions. Then my AF-ON button is set to Tracking On to turn those into Tracking versions if I so choose. But I use shutter button AF which makes all of that feasible. If you are a back button focus user you could set AEL to be Tracking On + AF On (a new feature to the A7C and now A1) and your AF-ON would remain your main back button AF button.
Mar 24, 2021 at 10:37 AM
p.8 #16Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
I see. I'll have a think about all of that.
Mar 24, 2021 at 10:39 AM
p.8 #17Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
Took the A1 out just mainly to test it out, not a lot of interesting subjects to photograph unfortunately .
One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I removed battery and put back in, tracking working again. I had this happen again after looking through the FN menu , after battery out and in it was working again, no problem after that .
Battery power consumption is definitely higher than my A9ii but not as bad as I thought it would be . I've ordered another couple to stick in my bag .
I can't really comment too much on IQ , I had the usual smaller birds requiring cropping because of distance . Soon as travel restrictions are removed I can get some better subjects .
I mainly use DxO PhotoLab for PP but unfortunately its not going to updated until June for the A1 RAW's . I've been trying JPG but don't like them tbh, I'm finding they look a little like paintings when you zoom in , I've tried high ISO NR low and off so may need to have a look at the other settings or look into an alternative software until DXO is updated, I don't have an Adobe account . TBH I've never used JPG out before always RAW
One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I removed battery and put back in, tracking working again. I had this happen again after looking through the FN menu , after battery out and in it was working again, no problem after that .
Battery power consumption is definitely higher than my A9ii but not as bad as I thought it would be . I've ordered another couple to stick in my bag .
I can't really comment too much on IQ , I had the usual smaller birds requiring cropping because of distance . Soon as travel restrictions are removed I can get some better subjects .
I mainly use DxO PhotoLab for PP but unfortunately its not going to updated until June for the A1 RAW's . I've been trying JPG but don't like them tbh, I'm finding they look a little like paintings when you zoom in , I've tried high ISO NR low and off so may need to have a look at the other settings or look into an alternative software until DXO is updated, I don't have an Adobe account . TBH I've never used JPG out before always RAW
Mar 25, 2021 at 12:02 PM
p.8 #18Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
multibit wrote:
Took the A1 out just mainly to test it out, not a lot of interesting subjects to photograph unfortunately .
One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I...Show more →
Which customization did you use on the buttons that were acting up? Recall Custom Hold? Tracking ON? Recall Reg. AF Area Hold? Recall Reg. AF Area Toggle?
Took the A1 out just mainly to test it out, not a lot of interesting subjects to photograph unfortunately .
One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I...Show more →
Which customization did you use on the buttons that were acting up? Recall Custom Hold? Tracking ON? Recall Reg. AF Area Hold? Recall Reg. AF Area Toggle?
Mar 25, 2021 at 12:10 PM
p.8 #19Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
multibit wrote:
Took the A1 out just mainly to test it out, not a lot of interesting subjects to photograph unfortunately .
One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I...Show more →
Have read that there will be a firmware update for the evf problem
Hope it's correct
will certainly be updated for the freezes, etc.
Took the A1 out just mainly to test it out, not a lot of interesting subjects to photograph unfortunately .
One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I...Show more →
Have read that there will be a firmware update for the evf problem
Hope it's correct
will certainly be updated for the freezes, etc.
Mar 25, 2021 at 12:33 PM
p.8 #20Sony A1 - Bird Photography Camera for Dummies
Ronny Olsson wrote:
One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I removed battery and put back in, tracking working again. I had this happen again after looking through the FN menu , after battery out and in it was working again, no problem after that .
Battery power consumption is definitely higher than my A9ii but not as bad as I thought it would be . I've ordered another couple to stick in my bag .
I can't really comment too much on IQ , I had the usual smaller birds requiring cropping because of distance . Soon as travel restrictions are removed I can get some better subjects .
I mainly use DxO PhotoLab for PP but unfortunately its not going to updated until June for the A1 RAW's . I've been trying JPG but don't like them tbh, I'm finding they look a little like paintings when you zoom in , I've tried high ISO NR low and off so may need to have a look at the other settings or look into an alternative software until DXO is updated, I don't have an Adobe account . TBH I've never used JPG out before always RAWHave read that there will be an update in the firmware update for the evf problem
Hope it's correct
will certainly be updated for the freezes, etc.
Hi Ronnie, can you share where you read about a possible EVF FW update? That would be amazing if they could do something via FW for it. This issue has been on all Sony cameras but the new position of the EVF sensor on the A7SIII/A1 seems to make it 10x worse (more frequent). I didn't have much (any) hope FW would fix it because it has always been an issue.
multibit wrote
Took the A1 out just mainly to test it out, not a lot of interesting subjects to photograph unfortunately .One shot I really wanted was a Egret flyby , I got my first EVF not coming on in sunlight so I totally missed the shot, this happened 3 times today so I'm hoping the extended eyecup helps.
Another hiccup I lost tracking I had assigned to couple of my buttons , it just went to normal flex spot . I checked in focus menu and the tracking had disappeared , checked to be sure it was still in AF-C , I removed battery and put back in, tracking working again. I had this happen again after looking through the FN menu , after battery out and in it was working again, no problem after that .
Battery power consumption is definitely higher than my A9ii but not as bad as I thought it would be . I've ordered another couple to stick in my bag .
I can't really comment too much on IQ , I had the usual smaller birds requiring cropping because of distance . Soon as travel restrictions are removed I can get some better subjects .
I mainly use DxO PhotoLab for PP but unfortunately its not going to updated until June for the A1 RAW's . I've been trying JPG but don't like them tbh, I'm finding they look a little like paintings when you zoom in , I've tried high ISO NR low and off so may need to have a look at the other settings or look into an alternative software until DXO is updated, I don't have an Adobe account . TBH I've never used JPG out before always RAW
Hope it's correct
will certainly be updated for the freezes, etc.
Hi Ronnie, can you share where you read about a possible EVF FW update? That would be amazing if they could do something via FW for it. This issue has been on all Sony cameras but the new position of the EVF sensor on the A7SIII/A1 seems to make it 10x worse (more frequent). I didn't have much (any) hope FW would fix it because it has always been an issue.
Mar 25, 2021 at 12:35 PM