New firmware with Focus Peaking

[douglasf13]

Well, it's official! Focus peaking is coming to NEX-3/5 in a couple of weeks. This should make manual focusing very quick and easy. I found this video illustrating it:

http://vimeo.com/24821210

This is a huge development, IMO.

 

[uhoh7]

Well, it's official! Focus peaking is coming to NEX-3/5 in a couple of weeks. This should make manual focusing very quick and easy. I found this video illustrating it:

http://vimeo.com/24821210

This is a huge development, IMO.

Are we sure this is not a feature just for the C3?

🙂

 

[tic]

Great! So looking forward to that. Now a full frame sensor and this focus mechanism in an EVF and its bye bye M9... 🙂

 

[douglasf13]

Are we sure this is not a feature just for the C3?

🙂

Yes: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1042&thread=38618021

 

[wintoid]

Wow! I'm interested in a digital camera for the first time in ages!

 

[kshapero]

Are we sure this is not a feature just for the C3?

🙂

This feature is also for the NEX 3-5. It will be released on June 20th.

 

[flip]

Great! So looking forward to that. Now a full frame sensor and this focus mechanism in an EVF and its bye bye M9... 🙂

Tongue in cheek, I'm sure. However, this is big hit on the M8. I simultaneously want a better way to focus and an external viewfinder. If only they could set this up in the accessory slot, it would be fantastic. Otherwise, I'm juggling between peaking and http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...562957&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3755wt_752

 

[douglasf13]

Tongue in cheek, I'm sure. However, this is big hit on the M8. I simultaneously want a better way to focus and an external viewfinder. If only they could set this up in the accessory slot, it would be fantastic. Otherwise, I'm juggling between peaking and http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...562957&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3755wt_752

This will solve your problem, and it folds down smaller than an add-on EVF:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1042&message=38124924&changemode=1

 

[flip]

This will solve your problem, and it folds down smaller than an add-on EVF:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1042&message=38124924&changemode=1

I have seen this. I'm unsure if the ergonomics and speed of deployment are what I'm going for, though. I'm also hoping that an EVF solution would be less of a battery drain than the built-in screen.

Cheers,
P

 

[kshapero]

June 20th Firmware 4.0 is available for download.

 

[flip]

It is now...http://www.sony.jp/ichigan/info2/20110620_02.html

 

[user237428934]

This will solve your problem, and it folds down smaller than an add-on EVF:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1042&message=38124924&changemode=1

Focussing without a real viewfinder looks already awkward. Not speaking of this. Perhaps they should add a tripod and a some cloth so that it looks like using a large format camera.

 

[River Dog]

It is now...http://www.sony.jp/ichigan/info2/20110620_02.html

Thanks a lot! I downloaded it and installed onto my NEX-3, using Google translator. The installer and firmware is multi-lingual and works just great. I set it to yellow-medium peaking.

This is straight out of the camera with a Zeiss 50mm ZM wide open at f2. It peaked on the cat's left ear, whiskers and left side of the collar - a very tight DOF.

It seems to work on contrast boundaries so expect it to be poor in low light and/or low contrast situations.

Still, this is like a whole new camera for me now. Quick, accurate focus was a real pain before. It also acts as a rather neat DOF preview i.e. more peaking as you close the aperture.

Just in time for my trip to Venice 🙂

 

[flip]

If only I could get it to work :-( The firmware upgrader has problems seeing my camera through the whole process....

 

[River Dog]

Me too, at first. Wasn't reading the instructions properly. You have to start the installer program without the camera plugged in and switched off or it cannot initialise. Then plug it in and turn it on at the next step. Did you do that?

 

[River Dog]

Trying out the new picture modes. The "toy" setting just seems to pop the contrast and colours with a bit of a vignette then saves to JPEG. Quite a nice effect that I will not be using, as I always shoot RAW in A mode. The cat is getting the run around today 😎 f2 again.

 

[rxmd]

Well, it's official! Focus peaking is coming to NEX-3/5 in a couple of weeks. This should make manual focusing very quick and easy. I found this video illustrating it:

http://vimeo.com/24821210

This is a huge development, IMO.

This looks really nice!

I still prefer to look through a viewfinder. It could be a nice addition to EVFs, though. No EVFs in the NEX series, but I could imagine this in the Ricoh GXR with the forthcoming M-mount module.

 

[River Dog]

OK I just got the V4.0 upgrade for my first Nex-3 Body. I also selected "yellow" for "peaking color", and "high" for "peaking level".

What do you guys think the "peaking level" setting refers to?

My guess is that it just draws more pixels. I am now using "High" as well, much better in bright light. Worked great outside in bright sun, just now. Recommended.

 

[flip]

It was a battery power issue. Gotta be over 50% to do the drill.

Seems to work really well with 1.2 lenses. Macro is iffy this evening.

The artistic stuff is interesting. In low light, red is not well-detected (but who cares! 🙂

 

[Nokton48]

Foggy Morning in My Backyard.

Foggy Morning in My Backyard.

135mm F3.5 Canon RF wide-open.

Focus assist from V4 Focus-Peaking.

Foggy morning and shot through screen door besides.

"Breakfast"