p.1 #1 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
Over time I have made a list of some software features that Sony should implement on their cameras but haven’t (yet). Maybe we can do a consolidation and try to get Sony to implement them
Scope:
1) These features should not already exist on any Sony camera. If Sony wants to withhold features for product segmentation reasons that’s something different
2) The features should be technically possible to implement on existing cameras without new hardware.
My List:
Allow setting the Auto ISO minimum shutter speed in all modes, including Manual and Shutter Priority. Currently, it can only be adjusted in Program (P) or Aperture Priority (A) modes. This limitation causes inconvenience when using Recall Custom Hold (A/P), as users must switch from S/M to A/P just to adjust the Auto ISO minimum shutter speed then switch back.
In Auto ISO mode, allow users to optionally skip some ISO values below 2nd base ISO. For example, on the A9 III the 2nd base ISO is 800, and I want Auto ISO to skip 640 for dynamic range reasons.
Have setting to separate S35 setting for photo and video modes. When shooting in S35 mode for photos, the camera is now also in S35 mode when switching to video and vice versa .
The ISO auto min SS should allow for more precise adjustments. Currently, it jumps directly from 1/250s to 1/500s, skipping 1/320s and 1/400s.
When using adjusting the burst rate with a custom button, the on screen menu should allow setting any available value directly (5/10/15/20/30/60/120 fps) instead of “low, medium, high, hi+”.
When shooting in “F” mode (Flexible Exposure video mode) currently “LPressAV Auto/Manual” cannot be toggled unless the lens aperture ring is set to “A”. This causes a problem when shooting hybrid photo / video, because I may want to set the aperture ring lens to f/1.4 in photo mode, and yet have LPressAV Auto/Manual to be in Auto when switching to video mode for a quick video clip. There should be a setting that allows this.
Allow toggle dynamic active stabilization on/off to while video is being recorded
When the flash zoom setting is not as wide as the lens focal length, draw a box on screen indicating which part of the image will be illuminated by the flash.
Currently the widest zoom setting is only available when using stabilization set to standard or off. Instead, when using Active or Dynamic Active stabilization with a power zoom lens, include a setting that automatically and smoothly transitions stabilization modes — from Dynamic → Active → Standard when zooming out, and the reverse (Standard → Active → Dynamic) when zooming in. This allows users to keep Dynamic Active stabilization enabled while still taking full advantage of the lens’s widest zoom range when needed.
Clear image zoom in FF video mode zooms in to 1.5x. Clear image zoom in APSC mode zooms to 1.5 (APSC) * 1.5 = 2.25x. Instead allow clear image zoom in FF mode to achieve 2.25x
Currently, when saving MR settings the UI always defaults to MR slot 1 regardless of the selected MR mode. This should be updated so that when the user is in MR 2 and attempts to save MR settings, the UI selector automatically defaults to slot 2 and so on.
It should be made possible to set shutter release mode to “AF priority” when pre-capture is turned on. Currently this is not possible.
Currently when “AF Frame Move Amt” is set to “large”, it may not be possible to move the focus area back to the centre with the joystick. Instead the “Focus Standard” custom button setting has to be used to do this. Change this so it’s always possible to move the focus area back to the centre point with just the joystick. This way users can still access the centre point even when the joystick centre button press is set to something other than “Focus Standard”
When using “Multi-Shot NR” allow the camera to shoot at its maximum burst rate. Currently it shoots are a rather slow burst rate.
When using “Multi-Shot NR”, have a setting to produce a jpeg
With NR applied in-camera. Otherwise the user does not know if the multiple images were aligned properly.
p.1 #2 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
My list based on A7RV:
1) There is a long exposure option for M mode that goes beyond 30s, but it does not work with internal intervalometer. Make it work. I want that for astrophotography with tracker. I can connect external intervalometer, but that is an annoyance.
2) Exposure bracketing modes do not work with intervalometer. Make it work. I want that for hdr timelapses.
3) I often switch between EFCS and full mechanical shutter. Add an Auto option to switch at speeds faster than 1/1000s to full mechanical to protect bokeh but keep EFCS for lower speeds because of lower shutter delay (and noise). I want that for portraits.
p.1 #4 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
Dual display mode for MF, shows both the whole frame and a magnified view to the right which allows for precise manual focus while still being able to see the whole view for composition. My GFX has this.
p.1 #5 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
@aCuria on your own list, the first two feature requests are not compatible with each other. If you tell the camera to skip a stop around ISO 640, but also have it enabled in manual mode, you are making it impossible for the camera to set the correct exposure.
Back to your question: I want better MF assist. Just clone what Nikon or Canon are doing. Quick and precise manual focusing should be possible without magnification.
p.1 #6 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
old-gregg wrote:
@aCuria@ on your own list, the first two feature requests are not compatible with each other. If you tell the camera to skip a stop around ISO 640, but also have it enabled in manual mode, you are making it impossible for the camera to set the correct exposure.
Back to your question: I want better MF assist. Just clone what Nikon or Canon are doing. Quick and precise manual focusing should be possible without magnification.
Agree, all that I want is better manual focus assist features.
p.1 #7 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
old-gregg wrote:
@aCuria@ on your own list, the first two feature requests are not compatible with each other. If you tell the camera to skip a stop around ISO 640, but also have it enabled in manual mode, you are making it impossible for the camera to set the correct exposure.
Back to your question: I want better MF assist. Just clone what Nikon or Canon are doing. Quick and precise manual focusing should be possible without magnification.
Hi Greg,
It’s ok if the iso skipping only happens if the camera is able to set the correct exposure by other means.
p.1 #8 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
tsdevine wrote:
Dual display mode for MF, shows both the whole frame and a magnified view to the right which allows for precise manual focus while still being able to see the whole view for composition. My GFX has this.
p.1 #11 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
I hope Fuji provide the opposite arrangement for the EVF magnified crop/full image view. At the point of focus verification, you need a large enough image to achieve this, and it has your immediate attention; the full composition is therefore background at this stage, so I'd not enjoy or use this setup. Focus verification and final composition are two quite distinct operations, each is best handled shown large.
The working part of the display (the crop) here occupies only around 10-15% of the EVF given over to the full image display, which is itself occupies a lower than ideal percentage of overall EVF surface area. Maybe 65-70%.
It's a horrible display, if I many say so. Different fonts and sizes are used, text fields are placed seemingly at random, some bolded and colored, others are white. Text leading is mixed and confusing. SS works as well as S.S. All this creates a lot of superfluous eye movement, when you really need separation between:
. working controls (exposure, histo, aperture, s/speed, ISO); and
. information fields (MF, shot count left, battery%, A mode, WB-AV-DR).
They have simply placed these fields on all four sides of the reduced main image, stealing video real estate from all directions. (I never use the focus distance scales, so that can go, back as a fast menu option.)
I'd put the working tools across the bottom edge, the info tools across the top, and the full image below the histo and superimposed over the crop. I'm really surprised at this incoherent effort by Fuji, for something as important as an EVF display in an EVF camera. Coherent tool placement encourages efficient use. They have wasted so much space! Sony would never allow themselves to do that.
PS I found a video showing that one can swap the positions of the focus mag crop and the full image - good. But see how the crop window is square shaped, not the rectangular shape of the image crop. Why?
(One thing I would like: a live R-G-B cursor-driven info field to assess WB, BP/WP, light temp, and highlights > exposure setting. They could run it off the centre pixel in the display.)
p.1 #12 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
old-gregg wrote:
@aCuria@ on your own list, the first two feature requests are not compatible with each other. If you tell the camera to skip a stop around ISO 640, but also have it enabled in manual mode, you are making it impossible for the camera to set the correct exposure.
Back to your question: I want better MF assist. Just clone what Nikon or Canon are doing. Quick and precise manual focusing should be possible without magnification.
I’m familiar with Nikon’s, and they’ve even improved it recently. I became aware of Canon’s awhile back as well, and that seemed helpful, and before I got back into digital, I assumed most cameras would still have that style of focus assist, assumed it wasn’t possible until I saw Canon doing it. However, I read this is only possible with Canon lenses, maybe even just RF, not sure about adapted EF, and not on just any adapted MF lenses, which would be my main desire, is that information incorrect? Sure, better MF aids for even our modern AF native lenses is welcomed, but the main draw would be for vintage glass or newer “vintage type” glass.
Odd that Sony has ignored this as their early adoption of mirrorless made them the go to that started the vast interest in vintage glass.
As for a general wish list. I agree with much of everyone else’s thoughts, especially things that other cameras in their lineup receive and they simply ignore it for other cameras. They’re famous for this, and with the shrinking market for cameras in general you’d think there’d be enough pressure to do it, like Nikon seems to be embracing in a major way, as well as Panasonic.
It’s pretty cynical for the market leaders to do much less of these kinds of updates, and it will come back to bite them eventually. I’m starting to regret my Sony decision, and hope they start changing this soon. They seem to show strides towards it, but never a full commitment.
Sorry for the rant, but as usual, the camera industry is lagging behind reality. These are largely computers, and companies willing to cannibalize their own products have proven time and time again in this digital era that that is usually the right move.
Japanese companies can often be very conservative, and stuck in the ways of the past, let’s hope this continues to change.
p.1 #13 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
For me personally, even just lifting the 30 second exposure limit on my A7Riv the way they did on the Rv would be a real world improvement that I’d appreciate. I resent the idea that I have to buy Rv just for that because Sony have zero concern about their products or customers the second after purchase.
If Sony took a leaf out of e.g. Apple’s book and treat their camera bodies as computing hardware that’ll continue to receive updates for a reasonably long time, it would make the decision to buy more hardware a lot easier.
I think they underestimate the long term value of good customer relations. Brands taking care of people create loyal customers, brands making disposable appliances are disposable to customers.
p.1 #15 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
1. Make possible changing from A to S to P mode in the settings. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe there's no "soft" way of doing this now. There's only the "hard" way, by turning the PASM dial, correct?
2. Related to the above (and not expected to be popular among the "old guard" and retro-look lovers): remove the A, S, and P from the PASM dial, and replace these by additional C (C5, C6, C7) options for custom saved settings.
3) ALL relevant shooting settings, not just a few select ones, should be saved when saving to those Cn custom sets.
p.1 #18 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
I want my JPEG's to be automatically synced to my (Android) phone, without a manual step like opening the Creators' App. My phone can take care of backing up to the cloud so I don't have to use that terrible Sony Creators' Cloud.
Being able to lock both exposure and focus for panoramic shots.
Resizing the focus area would be a very easy and intuitive one seen in other brands.
Being able to save a combination of creative styles and white balance without using the memory recall functions.
p.1 #19 · Missing but Possible: Software Features Sony Cameras Should Already Have
moncho wrote:
I want my JPEG's to be automatically synced to my (Android) phone, without a manual step like opening the Creators' App. My phone can take care of backing up to the cloud so I don't have to use that terrible Sony Creators' Cloud.
Being able to lock both exposure and focus for panoramic shots.
Resizing the focus area would be a very easy and intuitive one seen in other brands.
Being able to save a combination of creative styles and white balance without using the memory recall functions.
Probably possible to sync to a phone by using a desktop script pointing at your photo library
If the phone is connected via usb and it’s just some standard file transfer I probably could hack this up in a couple hours
