Sony A1 Firmware coming

[Brownie]

Not happy about this so far. Unless there's a lot more than what he mentions, this is all video crap. There is not a single mention of anything for photographers. I'll just keep hoping that he's only talking about the 'most exciting' stuff for the unwashed masses and there's something neat like precapture or whatever in the actual update.

Hot rumors: New Sony A1 firmware update is coming soon and will have some new “Burano” features! – sonyalpharumors

www.sonyalpharumors.com

 

[pointreyes]

It would be nice to see some of the A9III feature sets coming to the A1.
Smaller focusing point
Pre-capture (raw files)
Focus bracketing
Bulb Timer

If that does not come to the A1 then guess I will wait next year for the mark II. Might finally be able to consolidate the A7Rv/A1 into the "one" camera.

 

[iamdlewis]

Not happy about this so far. Unless there's a lot more than what he mentions, this is all video crap. There is not a single mention of anything for photographers. I'll just keep hoping that he's only talking about the 'most exciting' stuff for the unwashed masses and there's something neat like precapture or whatever in the actual update.

Why I've been saying that I have low expectations for the update. The new bodies all have a new chip dedicated to AF so it is unlikely that anything that chip does would make it into the update, which really limits what we might get. Don't see why precature can't happen though.

It would be nice to see some of the A9III feature sets coming to the A1.
Smaller focusing point

The A1 has 759 focus points covering 92% of the frame and the A9iii has 759 focus points covering 95.6% of the frame, this would lead me to believe that the A1 has smaller focus points. Do you have anything showing what the smaller focus points are?

 

[pointreyes]

The A1 has 759 focus points covering 92% of the frame and the A9iii has 759 focus points covering 95.6% of the frame, this would lead me to believe that the A1 has smaller focus points. Do you have anything showing what the smaller focus points are?

Haven't found an example of the extra small focus point. It is mentioned in the manual at least.

ILCE-9M3 | Help Guide | Selecting the focus area (Focus Area)

 

[Brownie]

Why I've been saying that I have low expectations for the update. The new bodies all have a new chip dedicated to AF so it is unlikely that anything that chip does would make it into the update, which really limits what we might get. Don't see why precature can't happen though.

The A1 has 759 focus points covering 92% of the frame and the A9iii has 759 focus points covering 95.6% of the frame, this would lead me to believe that the A1 has smaller focus points. Do you have anything showing what the smaller focus points are?

Don't want or need the AI AF stuff. There are other features they could incorporate/improve without that chip.

 

[iamdlewis]

Don't want or need the AI AF stuff. There are other features they could incorporate/improve without that chip.

You've start taking photos of owls.
I am not disagreeing with you that there are still stuff they can add but probably anything around AF won't happen, even like a general improvement in what the A1 already has, since they are now pushing the AF to that dedicated chip (last 4 camera bodies all have it). I always want a firmware feature update to include "general improvement to AF" even if that general improvement is a 0.01% improvement.
I don't see why the list pointreyes has can't be added. Precapture would be awesome but it hasn't made the rumor list which doesn't give me much hope.

 

[Brownie]

You've start taking photos of owls.
I am not disagreeing with you that there are still stuff they can add but probably anything around AF won't happen, even like a general improvement in what the A1 already has, since they are now pushing the AF to that dedicated chip (last 4 camera bodies all have it). I always want a firmware feature update to include "general improvement to AF" even if that general improvement is a 0.01% improvement.
I don't see why the list pointreyes has can't be added. Precapture would be awesome but it hasn't made the rumor list which doesn't give me much hope.

Hardly. I ran across an owl by accident.

When Sony introduced the A7 IV it had AF features that the A1 didn't. Sony updated the A1.

And STOP PEEING IN MY CORNFLAKES!

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Don't want or need the AI AF stuff

It includes recognising things with wheels!

Oh wait, I guess you can do that by yourself

 

[Brownie]

It includes recognising things with wheels!

Oh wait, I guess you can do that by yourself

I will miss train recognition, for sure...

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I will miss train recognition

You'll have to stick to the buses.

Seriously, I wonder what is the point of car autofocus. I don't much photograph vehicles, but would guess that where to focus on a car would be a shot by shot decision. Can you enlighten me?

 

[Brownie]

You'll have to stick to the buses.

Seriously, I wonder what is the point of car autofocus. I don't much photograph vehicles, but would guess that where to focus on a car would be a shot by shot decision. Can you enlighten me?

I think it's the same as any of the other recognitions. Pretty much useless in most situations, but once in a while it pays off. I don't think bird recognition does much for you when the bird is in the open, but if it's obscured by something else it helps, as demonstrated in a recent post by a few of our members.

I was once shooting an air show using a camera that didn't have airplane recognition. When an airplane would fly behind the stand that the announcers were set up on, the camera would lose the airplane and lock onto someone on the stand. I probably could've just shut off tracking and kept it on center spot.

In the image below, the car is in focus. I have shot these before where the camera locks on to the Christmas Tree or something else that the car passes behind, and the camera will grab the other object. I was able to improve the hit rate by lowering the sensitivity of the tracking lock so it didn't change so easily. Would car recognition help here, or should I just shut off tracking?

DSC06033 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

The nice thing about tracking is that even if I get behind or in front of a moving subject the camera will stay with it. I think they're neat features and can be useful under the right circumstances. Except for train. I joke about train recognition all the time. I cannot sort out a single instance that anyone would need it.

 

[pointreyes]

I honestly don't know if the firmware update will be relevant for me. I might go down to just one Sony camera - the RX10iv.
Not to bore everyone with my reasoning but I might replace all the rest of my Sony gear with the Z9/Z8/X100VI. A huge gear consolidation for me.
Yesterday, I checked out the Z9 with the Tamron 35-150 and it might really make more sense for me. I'm already talking with the owner at the local camera store to see what they can do for me.

 

[Landshark99]

For me if it adds something I can use fine other wise I am happy with the camera as is. On that note have used all sorts of stuff in the past I can not see myself totally switching out camera systems at this point, again for me with the depth of the Sony system I can not see any one feature that make me want to start all over again with something else. Small chance I might add a medium format with just one lens, but I doubt that

 

[Brownie]

I can not see myself totally switching out camera systems at this point, again for me with the depth of the Sony system I can not see any one feature that make me want to start all over again with something else.

That's what I was thinking. I can't imagine what feature or set of feature would be attractive enough to make me want to start over. The cost alone makes shudder.

 

[iamdlewis]

Hardly. I ran across an owl by accident.

When Sony introduced the A7 IV it had AF features that the A1 didn't. Sony updated the A1.

And STOP PEEING IN MY CORNFLAKES!

That's how it starts.
A7iv = 5 bodies ago
Think of it as preventative disappointment and eat better cereal.

 

[Brownie]

That's how it starts.
A7iv = 5 bodies ago
Think of it as preventative disappointment and eat better cereal.

I am confident they aren't going to drop a crap-ton of video features and leave stills people out in the cold.

 

[pointreyes]

That's what I was thinking. I can't imagine what feature or set of feature would be attractive enough to make me want to start over. The cost alone makes shudder.

I shudder at the cost of my gear.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

It's not encouraging me to take the plunge...

 

[spudhead]

Not happy about this so far. Unless there's a lot more than what he mentions, this is all video crap. There is not a single mention of anything for photographers. I'll just keep hoping that he's only talking about the 'most exciting' stuff for the unwashed masses and there's something neat like precapture or whatever in the actual update.

Hot rumors: New Sony A1 firmware update is coming soon and will have some new “Burano” features! – sonyalpharumors

www.sonyalpharumors.com

This is one of the problems with todays cameras Sony and others put video function in most cameras , but many buy them for stills mainly. And yet Sony do make cameras mainly aimed at video anyway, for me and others as stated many times before I really don`t want or need video in the many Sony cameras I have. I would rather have a stills based camera that is the best at guess what still shots, and how knows may be the cost of a stills only camera might be less don`t think so really. As usual Sony will let people down in terms of after sales back up and updates to the existing camera line up and save real advances to the new models as per, we should know by now, buy a Sony knowing the only updates you will get are fixes for issues that might become apparent after release

 

[Brownie]

I shudder at the cost of my gear.

This is incongruous with changing your complete system.

 

[Brownie]

If we want to be realistic about this, the truth is that no one should ever buy a camera and expect the manufacturer to make it better for free as it ages. No one does that. They don't do it for your car, they don't do it for your refrigerator, your lawn mower, your television, or anything else. What's happened over the years is that some manufacturers have added features to an existing model to keep it relevant with newer cameras from their competitors. This is most likely due to the shrinking market.

For me, it was the Panasonic G9. Panny put a lot of effort into improving the action AF on that camera, and it received several feature-driven updates. I came to expect it, and now I become slightly irritated when all Sony does is "Improve Camera Stability" with fixes. Honestly, that's pretty normal.

Now Sony is promising a nice update to keep the A1 ahead of the Z's and R's of the world while they work on the A1MII. It appears (at least for now) as though the majority of the upgrades will be connectivity and video, with the new authentication (anti AI) feature included. That doesn't mean there won't be some neat photo-centric improvements, I think there will be for the reasons stated, but we really have no right to expect anything, we bought the camera we bought for the features it had, not with the hope they'd add more.

/The realist in me.

 

[spudhead]

Well only had the A1 a couple of weeks and it seems pretty sorted to me for what I want right now and I don`t care about much of what people are asking for on a wish list anyway

 

[Brownie]

Well only had the A1 a couple of weeks and it seems pretty sorted to me for what I want right now and I don`t care about much of what people are asking for on a wish list anyway

That's it. I bought the A1 for what it does. It is fully capable and still the best overall camera on the market. I knew the firmware update was coming and just decided if it got some new stuff it'd be more icing on an already well-iced cake.

Still, it's fun to speculate. You would love the pre-capture on the A9III for what you shoot. I am hoping to see it, and of course, train recognition.

 

[iamdlewis]

If we want to be realistic about this, the truth is that no one should ever buy a camera and expect the manufacturer to make it better for free as it ages. No one does that. They don't do it for your car, they don't do it for your refrigerator, your lawn mower, your television, or anything else. What's happened over the years is that some manufacturers have added features to an existing model to keep it relevant with newer cameras from their competitors. This is most likely due to the shrinking market.

For me, it was the Panasonic G9. Panny put a lot of effort into improving the action AF on that camera, and it received several feature-driven updates. I came to expect it, and now I become slightly irritated when all Sony does is "Improve Camera Stability" with fixes. Honestly, that's pretty normal.

Now Sony is promising a nice update to keep the A1 ahead of the Z's and R's of the world while they work on the A1MII. It appears (at least for now) as though the majority of the upgrades will be connectivity and video, with the new authentication (anti AI) feature included. That doesn't mean there won't be some neat photo-centric improvements, I think there will be for the reasons stated, but we really have no right to expect anything, we bought the camera we bought for the features it had, not with the hope they'd add more.

/The realist in me.

I knew we were at the same place. I am just trying to not get any hope up so I can be really happy for any feature we do get.

 

[pointreyes]

This is incongruous with changing your complete system.

Sorry. I was not relating this to a system switch. Since I keep an inventory of my gear for insurance with replacement value cost it is a little shocking to me when I see the total cost.

I'm just exploring the option of switching because my photography requirements have changed as well as the gear options available for me. More than likely, I will probably not do anything so that I don't have to deal with a learning curve. The A1 has been good to me. I am curious to see what the firmware provides because if it gives more features like I listed to the A1 then it means that I can push it further and use it in more ways than I currently do. However, I will not be surprised if I need to wait for the A1 II.

 

[Angus Cameron]

For me, my complaint with the A1 has been that you can select animal face/eye tracking in video mode and it does nothing. If Sony didn't intend it to be an operational function it should not have been selectable (it makes me feel cheated ).
I enjoy both photography and video, I'm pleased they are sorting out the focus breathing, it is fairly dreadful.

I use an app for focus bracketing, it would be nice to have it in the camera.
I'm curious when using focus bracketing if focus breathing works at the same time when shooting a stack with the Sony macro lenses.

Bulb timer would be useful, Pre-capture (raw) would be a great addition.

 

[Brownie]

I use an app for focus bracketing, it would be nice to have it in the camera.

I suspect the reason bracketing is in-camera for OM is file size. It must take a lot more processor to stack 50-60MP images than it does 20MP. It would be nice if they could at least offer it with a limit on how many frames.

 

[Angus Cameron]

I suspect the reason bracketing is in-camera for OM is file size. It must take a lot more processor to stack 50-60MP images than it does 20MP. It would be nice if they could at least offer it with a limit on how many frames.

I thought it would bracket shots building a series of focused stacked images. These to be used in focus stacking software once on computer.

 

[Brownie]

I thought it would bracket shots building a series of focused stacked images. These to be used in focus stacking software once on computer.

I thought you were referring to stacking in-camera like OM does. I think it'd take a lot more power to stack the larger files in-camera.

 

[Brownie]

I knew we were at the same place. I am just trying to not get any hope up so I can be really happy for any feature we do get.

Ah yes, my own cynicism has served me well in the past under similar circumstances!