The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

snerkler said:

DxOmark tested the Sony A1 sensor: “highly attractive option for professionals working in a wide range of genres and markets” | sonyalpharumors

Sony A1 at BHphoto. Adorama. Amazon. Focuscamera. FotoErhardt DE. Calumet DE. Fotokoch DE. Park UK. WexUK. DxOmark published the full Sony A1 sensor review and concluded: After the introduction of the Sony A9 it seemed that Sony had established a flagship series; with the appearance of the Sony...
www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com
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Dxo still putting out their b*****ks :LOL:
 
nandbytes said:
Dxo still putting out their b*****ks :LOL:
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I still find it useful as a comparison tool even if their figures aren’t deadly accurate.
 
snerkler said:
I still find it useful as a comparison tool even if their figures aren’t deadly accurate.
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There is a difference in "not deadly accurate" and horribly inconsistent and hence untrustworthy ;)

my recent favourite is A7III vs A7C. both use the same sensor and processor yet A7III is somehow better.
Also according to DXO there is no dual gain in A7III which it does have.
Look on photonstophotos and both their dynamic ranges are exactly the same.

so I will stand by my comment of them being b*****ks and basically useless.
 
nandbytes said:
There is a difference in "not deadly accurate" and horribly inconsistent and hence untrustworthy ;)

my recent favourite is A7III vs A7C. both use the same sensor and processor yet A7III is somehow better.
Also according to DXO there is no dual gain in A7III which it does have.
Look on photonstophotos and both their dynamic ranges are exactly the same.

so I will stand by my comment of them being b*****ks and basically useless.
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Just had a look at that and it makes me feel a bit better about later Sony cameras v my old A7 after looking at DXO and seeing less difference.
 
When viewing images in camera is there a way to set the display so it shows where the AF point was? I thought I’d had it set previously but I can’t find it in the settings so am wondering if I’m confusing it with Nikon? I know you can set the magnification to the AF point.

I took some shots of some stone piles whilst out walking Betty today and they’re completely OOF. I’ve tested the lens when I’ve got home so it’s obviously user/setting error, just not sure what. I’m now even questioning whether I pressed the BBF button :banghead: :LOL:
 
The luxury of breakfast outside :D and in the UK too! :D Enjoy while we can :D

Afjvutu.jpg
 
snerkler said:
When viewing images in camera is there a way to set the display so it shows where the AF point was? I thought I’d had it set previously but I can’t find it in the settings so am wondering if I’m confusing it with Nikon? I know you can set the magnification to the AF point.

I took some shots of some stone piles whilst out walking Betty today and they’re completely OOF. I’ve tested the lens when I’ve got home so it’s obviously user/setting error, just not sure what. I’m now even questioning whether I pressed the BBF button :banghead: :LOL:
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That's a great question. I'd love to know how to do that too
as I've often looked at my photos and wondered where I placed my focus point. But I don't suppose it's a feature on my camera, probably on yours though.
 
The only time I've been able to do that was in my Canon DSLR days with Canons free raw processor.
 
snerkler said:
When viewing images in camera is there a way to set the display so it shows where the AF point was? I thought I’d had it set previously but I can’t find it in the settings so am wondering if I’m confusing it with Nikon? I know you can set the magnification to the AF point.

I took some shots of some stone piles whilst out walking Betty today and they’re completely OOF. I’ve tested the lens when I’ve got home so it’s obviously user/setting error, just not sure what. I’m now even questioning whether I pressed the BBF button :banghead: :LOL:
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Merlin5 said:
That's a great question. I'd love to know how to do that too
as I've often looked at my photos and wondered where I placed my focus point. But I don't suppose it's a feature on my camera, probably on yours though.
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pretty sure all recent Sony cameras do this by default!
All mine have done since the A7RIII IIRC.
 
nandbytes said:
pretty sure all recent Sony cameras do this by default!
All mine have done since the A7RIII IIRC.
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Really? When looking through the EVF and viewing a photo would it show up as a green square or something?
 
Merlin5 said:
Really? When looking through the EVF and viewing a photo would it show up as a green square or something?
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no when you "zoom in", it should automatically zoom into where the focus point was.
Ok there is no visual aid to show where it was.
 
nandbytes said:
no when you "zoom in", it should automatically zoom into where the focus point was.
Ok there is no visual aid to show where it was.
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That's what I said ;) I know the zoom takes you to the focus point but it's not foolproof as sometimes the AF square can overlap a near subject and distance one and so if you can see the focus area itself then it might help understand better why it's missed focus.

Must've been Nikon then where you can actually bring up the AF square when reviewing the image (y)
 
Ok, decent morning so down to the local beach/pond to give the A9 it's first decent workout on BIF.
There were some terns flying in and out and to be honest I am lucky to get one in about 30 in focus with my Pentax kit and i 1 in 10 with the 7D MKII ... the A9 ran at about 90% and that was with the Canon 400mm f/5.6L and 1.4x.




DSC01108_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr


DSC01208_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr


DSC00841_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr

And one of a large boat going past the Needles, bit of haze there.


DSC01342_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr
 
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snerkler said:
That's what I said ;) I know the zoom takes you to the focus point but it's not foolproof as sometimes the AF square can overlap a near subject and distance one and so if you can see the focus area itself then it might help understand better why it's missed focus.

Must've been Nikon then where you can actually bring up the AF square when reviewing the image (y)
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Sony doesn't do that.
Could be a nice feature I guess but seriously there are many more good features that are missing.... focus stacking/bracketing, long exposure live view, etc.
 
snerkler said:
That's what I said ;) I know the zoom takes you to the focus point but it's not foolproof as sometimes the AF square can overlap a near subject and distance one and so if you can see the focus area itself then it might help understand better why it's missed focus.

Must've been Nikon then where you can actually bring up the AF square when reviewing the image (y)
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Both Canon and Nikon do it.
 
Mike.P said:
Ok, decent morning so down to the local beach/pond to give the A9 it's first decent workout on BIF.
There were some terns flying in and out and to be honest I am lucky to get one in about 30 in focus with my Pentax kit and i 1 in 10 with the 7D MKII ... the A9 ran at about 90% and that was with the Canon 400mm f/5.6L and 1.4x.
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Golly. That's quite a jump in hit rate and quite an improvement by modern tech.
 
nandbytes said:
no when you "zoom in", it should automatically zoom into where the focus point was.
Ok there is no visual aid to show where it was.
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I've just tested that. I viewed a photo I took of a woman holding a small dog. I pressed zoom just once and it zoomed in on her arm. So that's where I placed focus, right?
 
Mike.P said:
Ok, decent morning so down to the local beach/pond to give the A9 it's first decent workout on BIF.
There were some terns flying in and out and to be honest I am lucky to get one in about 30 in focus with my Pentax kit and i 1 in 10 with the 7D MKII ... the A9 ran at about 90% and that was with the Canon 400mm f/5.6L and 1.4x.

I really do need more MP a lot of the time though .... these are 80% plus crops.


DSC01108_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr


DSC01208_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr


DSC00841_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr

And one of a large boat going past the Needles, bit of haze there.


DSC01342_Jpg by Michael Pursey, on Flickr
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that a pretty good performance for adapted EF glass. wouldn't have expected it to do that well.
Mike.P said:
Both Canon and Nikon do it.
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right now this is the main issue with Sony. Their sensor, IQ and AF tech is great. but they severely lack in terms of in camera features that improve its usability, eg:
- in camera stacking or focus bracketing
- composite live view for long exposures
- a better IBIS
etc etc
 
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nandbytes said:
that a pretty good performance for adapted EF glass. wouldn't have expected it to that well.

right now this is the main issue with Sony. Their sensor, IQ and AF tech is great. but they severely lack in terms of in camera features that improve its usability, eg:
- in camera stacking or focus bracketing
- composite live view for long exposures
- a better IBIS
etc etc
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The only feature missing from my A7 I can think of is being able to link spot metering to the focus point but I think you can do that with later cameras.

One think I'd like to disable once selected is selecting the size of focus point as sometimes when I'm moving the focus point I find myself toggling through the various focus box size options, a PITA.
 
woof woof said:
The only feature missing from my A7 I can think of is being able to link spot metering to the focus point but I think you can do that with later cameras.

One think I'd like to disable once selected is selecting the size of focus point as sometimes when I'm moving the focus point I find myself toggling through the various focus box size options, a PITA.
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Yes the latest cameras do that indeed. but if you get a camera with real time tracking then there is almost no reason to be moving focus points anyway.
having said that its still useful for MF.
 
Merlin5 said:
I've just tested that. I viewed a photo I took of a woman holding a small dog. I pressed zoom just once and it zoomed in on her arm. So that's where I placed focus, right?
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Depends, you can set it to zoom where the AF point was or zoom to the centre of the frame.
 
And if by some strange reason you are using single shot focus and you focus and recompose it won't zoom to where you initially grabbed focus.
 
Barrysprout said:
And if by some strange reason you are using single shot focus and you focus and recompose it won't zoom to where you initially grabbed focus.
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Good point. I haven't done much recompose yet tbh but I do use single shot focus mostly unless I'm tracking something or fishing for someone to walk into a position.

snerkler said:
Depends, you can set it to zoom where the AF point was or zoom to the centre of the frame.
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How do I set it to zoom where the AF point was? Oh, do you mean what I already did?
 
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nandbytes said:
Yes the latest cameras do that indeed. but if you get a camera with real time tracking then there is almost no reason to be moving focus points anyway.
having said that its still useful for MF.
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My A7 has focus lock on but sadly it's a lottery if it works or not. Often it looks to be on target but it'll drift and stubbornly focus on something else as I move and often it'll just ignore what's smack in the middle of the square and focus on something else from the off. I assume this works better on later bodies.
 
Two pictures from today, A7 and Sony 35mm f1.8.

The usual path but this time not to the shops but in the other direction.

1b1kL8i.jpg


I was born in a house not far from this church.

dysuK45.jpg


The house which was one of many built to house industrial workers is gone and it's just a field now. Strange that it's not a landscape of houses prompting "I remember when all this was fields" but a landscape of fields prompting "I remember when all this was houses."

Despite appearances the church is still in use.
 
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Merlin5 said:
Good point. I haven't done much recompose yet tbh but I do use single shot focus mostly unless I'm tracking something or fishing for someone to walk into a position.



How do I set it to zoom where the AF point was? Oh, do you mean what I already did?
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If you go to the playback options in the menu then you can choose whether it zooms into the AF point or the centre of the frame (y)
 
mav said:
there is a utility to show. where the focus was on sony cameras some guy created it . cant remember what its called
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Thanks, yeah I’ve had something similar in the past for LR which I’ll look into doing again, but I just thought it was available in camera but obviously I was getting confused with Nikon (y)
 
Does anyone know what the display phase AF is? You can turn it on/off and the manual just says when in it displays the PDAF points so I assumed there’s be some sort of grid, especially considering it’s not available with all lenses such as adapted and third party but I’ve tried it with the Tamron 70-180mm, 24-105mm G and 100-400mm GM and it appears to do nothing.

If selected to ON does it mean that you can only select PDAF points and not the wider CDAF ones? I wish manuals were clearer :mad::banghead::LOL:
 
snerkler said:
Does anyone know what the display phase AF is? You can turn it on/off and the manual just says when in it displays the PDAF points so I assumed there’s be some sort of grid, especially considering it’s not available with all lenses such as adapted and third party but I’ve tried it with the Tamron 70-180mm, 24-105mm G and 100-400mm GM and it appears to do nothing.

If selected to ON does it mean that you can only select PDAF points and not the wider CDAF ones? I wish manuals were clearer :mad::banghead::LOL:
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I wonder if its the option to show the area where PDAF points are available. I did have something like this turned on in the A7RIII and A7RIV where it made sense since the PDAF points didn't cover the entire frame.
In case of A9 it covers most of the frame anyway so not sure there is any point in turning on this option if it indeed does what I think it does.
 
nandbytes said:
I wonder if its the option to show the area where PDAF points are available. I did have something like this turned on in the A7RIII and A7RIV where it made sense since the PDAF points didn't cover the entire frame.
In case of A9 it covers most of the frame anyway so not sure there is any point in turning on this option if it indeed does what I think it does.
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Maybe it’s a left over option that does nothing on the A9ii then, wouldn’t be the first one :rolleyes:
 
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