Sony A7/r Lens Compensation app

[funkydog]

Has anyone tried the $9.99 downloadable Lens Compensation in-camera app for the Sony A7/r ? The spec sheet vaguely suggests that it works on RAW files. Can anyone verify this and perhaps post their opinion on how well this app works overall?

Users in the US, Canada, Mexico, Aust., NZ, & UK can purchase the apps but it seems to be a crapshoot for others. The paid apps are randomly available for some EU and Asian countries yet not for others in the same region.

Will I miss anything by not using the app?

 

[YYV_146]

The lens compensation app can do little more than approximate a level of corner color shift or vignetting. The app cannot read an adapted lens, and therefore cannot determine the actual amount there is. Most lenses that do have color issues often display rather complex color shift patterns, which cannot be corrected via the app. Also, I don't think it writes to raw, at least not yet.

If you want to critically correct for color shift, I suggest checking out the software "Cornerfix" or Lightroom's flat field plugin. Both offer the possibility of creating your own lens/body specific profiles. However as most manual lenses (All SLR glass, most RF lenses longer than 35mm) do not display corner shift, so you might not have to go through the hassle at all...

 

[YYV_146]

If you are shooting with FE lenses, the JPEG correction is on by default. You will need to correct raw files manually in post processing.

 

[funkydog]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to respond. It's good to know that the app isn't a must-have for adapted rf and slr lenses. I've yet to try my rf lenses on the A7 as the adapters I ordered are still in the mail somewhere.

 

[geek]

I was intrigued by the app, and despite the difficulties I had to get through to obtain it, at least for me I think it was worth it.

It will work both on RAWs and on Jpegs, and I found the app to work quite well. I got most of the color shift on my 21mm out on the first try, and I'm sure I can do more with further refining the settings. I wrote a quick comment about it including some samples, but again its just after the first estimate: panotopia.org/trying-out-sonys-lens-compensation-app/

While it can't read what lens is on, you can nicely write in Lens name, focal lenght and aperture (and yet sony dosn't use that for exif *rant*). And since it costs less than 1% of the body, I'm ok with buying it. If sony would add the feature to fill the exif with the data you enter, I would be very happy about buying it.