curmudgeonly rant about Sony software

[madNbad]

The new A7II arrived yesterday. I've known about the shortcomings with Sony software for quite sometime but it's still annoyingly antique. First of all, I realize that Sony is primarily a consumer electronics and entertainment conglomerate, not a camera company with their aim to sell new widgets while leaving the old ones in the dust. Still, when you're sold a new model of a six year old design, an option should exist to at least make the camera somewhat compatible with the latest release. Having abandoned Play Memories and moved on to Imaging Edge without any backward compatibility is not going to encourage me to run out and drop money on the A7IV. I bought the camera primarily for scanning, plesently surprised at its capabilities in many other areas. The Imaging Edge is slow and requires the newest cameras to connect wirelessly with a desktop so there is no great loss to my workflow. The A7II will spend most of its' time on the copy stand while the M4 is actually used for photography.

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

I've never found a problem with the Sony software. I don't use it.
Never had a problem with the pictures I get from my cameras.


[Should add I have both an A7ii and iii.]

 

[Michael Markey]

Don`t see the problem .
I use an A7R2 and once had the A7S .
The menu system could be simplified but I open up in Sony software then export to Photoshop Elements .
What do you want to do that's different ?

 

[Emile de Leon]

A72 comes w/zoom 28mm to 70mm...
Full frame for $998- brand spankin new.....
Thats enough...lol..

 

[madNbad]

When using the A6000 on a copy stand for negative scanning,connecting with the iPad through Imaging Edge Mobile gave full access to many of the controls without having to change them from the camera. White balance, image quality, shutter speed plus shutter release. It connected easily by scanning a QR code with the larger screen of the iPad making focusing on the negative easier. The A5100 offered a more limited menu but it was still better than the connectivity of the A7II. After connecting wirelessly, which took several tries, I have the image from the camera and a remote shutter release. Any other changes must be made on the camera. I was hopping that for the price, Sony would offer the same connectivity as a five year old A6000. I love the size and light weight. The few images I taken so far with the adapted lenses look good and I am not at all disappointed with the camera itself. I feel Sony could have offered a little more compatibility with their current imaging software to make a great camera even better.

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

If I'm not mistaken, the A72 is an older model than the A6000. I could be wrong on that though.

 

[jarski]

Agreed Sony could do better but so could many other camera maker. I was once frustrated about similar issues (abandoning software support to older models) with Canon.

If I'm not mistaken, the A72 is an older model than the A6000. I could be wrong on that though.

A6000 is 2014 model. A72 from year later.

 

[madNbad]

Both the A6000 and the A7II were released in 2014. The A6000 in February and the A7II in November. There have been a number of firmware updates for the A6000 series of cameras but the A7II had one minor update in 2016. The caveat is, do your research. Just because a camera of the same age from the same company has undateable features doesn't necessarily transmit to other models.
On the positive side, it about the same size as the M4!

 

[Mark C]

Nice try, but it is not really a curmudgeonly rant unless you bring Ansel Adams into it somehow. Or at least Joel Meyerowitz.

 

[madNbad]

Nice try, but it is not really a curmudgeonly rant unless you bring Ansel Adams into it somehow. Or at least Joel Meyerowitz.

[/url]AB7CB7F0-338A-4F78-8D47-D515A3100AF7 by Michael DeLuca, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[Mark C]

You're good.

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

 

[css9450]

Nice try, but it is not really a curmudgeonly rant unless you bring Ansel Adams into it somehow. Or at least Joel Meyerowitz.

No, no, no. A true RFF-style rant includes sprinklings of GW and HCB name droppings. And something totally unrelated about Fuji Instax.

 

[Godfrey]

Will an InstaKon RF70 do for the Instax?

The Egyptian Museum - San Jose 2020
InstaKon RF70 by MiNT, Fuji B&W Instax Wide film
ND 4x filter, f/8 @ 1/250​

I like how you got AA in there. 🙂

I had the Sony A7. Their software was awful with that too; didn't bother with it after trying it out, just bought a simple remote release and used that instead. The camera was okay for copy work. Hated the shutter in particular, the rest of it was "Meh." at best.

G

 

[madNbad]

After only a day, I really like this camera, it’s actually restored my appreciation for digital. The M4 is at DAG for a few updates so I’ve been using a cheap adapter for the M mount lenses and playing around. The 21 Voigtlander smears purple all over the corners but the 35 Ultron ASPH is stellar. Later this week I’ll have a credit with KEH for the A5100 and A6000, might end up with a Zeiss 35 Loxia.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

[/url]AB7CB7F0-338A-4F78-8D47-D515A3100AF7 by Michael DeLuca, on Flickr[/IMG]

Too good! Too Funny! LMAO!

All the best,
Mike

 

[joe bosak]

Pretty sure I used my A7 a few months back on a copy stand with Sony software on my Windows PC and had control over settings and could fire the shutter and save direct to PC. Don't think it's playmemories I was using.

I use an old version of Playmemories to pull in DV tape video from an old Sony camcorder, only irritation there is that the software keeps asking to update [and apparently the next version removes the ability to talk to tape camcorders]. Minor issue for me. Again on a Windows PC.

The Sony A7 itself I'm more used to now - I didn't like the horizontal menus at first. The problem is more that all camera makes seem to have different menu structures. I loved Fuji for a long time but that seems irksome now I've returned to an XPro1.

Maybe the problem is with using an ipad - does that force you to use the latest versions in some way. I know I have lost apps over the years on that system, things no longer supported or removed from the app store. I always see tablets as best for shopping and communication these days.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Even Statler and Waldorf have learned to live with Sony software. Time to move on to another rant.