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A900/A850 firmware 2.0 is out!

Cerebus

New member
Darn, I wish they had fixed the bug when you use the rear button to focus. If you choose Local mode, where you can select the focus point to us, you can select the point, but you can't activate it! I wish they had just followed the setup on the Maxxum 7D. Granted, the points are too close to the center, but I'd rather have the option instead of being restricted to the center point.
 

BackToSlr

New member
Darn, I wish they had fixed the bug when you use the rear button to focus. If you choose Local mode, where you can select the focus point to us, you can select the point, but you can't activate it! I wish they had just followed the setup on the Maxxum 7D. Granted, the points are too close to the center, but I'd rather have the option instead of being restricted to the center point.
I am not certain what you are saying, but it is intended to work like that and is not a bug. The center button is not just focus, it resets the focus mode to spot focusing on center point (regards less of chosen focus mode) so you can be in wide are focus mode, or local focus mode with focus on one of the external points you can Quickly use the center spot focus. Works great while birding. I guess what I am saying is that the current implementation is intentional and useful for many scenarios.

Cheers,

N
 

dhsimmonds

New member
Well so far I really like the new firmware. It really is much faster to AF with the longer lenses. My 70-400G is now incredibly fast and I thought that it was quick before! Also this improvement in AF speed is not at the expense of AF accuracy, it is spot on every time.

Just another note on loading the new firmware in camera.....it takes rather a long time to update once you have pressed the OK button! I was beginning to think that the camera had "frozen" but hold on in there, that re-assuring message will eventually come up on the LCD "Update is completed".

Don't forget to re-format the card again afterwards though!
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Thanks guys! I had never seen a file like that before and was reluctant to install it on my A900s ... especially just before a job tomorrow.

Very interested in Guy's feedback on his gig.

-Marc
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I can't post a real image from the shoot folks because it is a government thing. Let me see if i can post a crapola image that was a test. God i hate posting bad images. Give me a minute. I had major system problems last night which finally getting my head out of the sand on.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Okay hate to do this but I had to black out some things to be legal for ME. LOL

First thing first. I LOVE this cam on the ergos alone and I will say this maybe the best shooting ergos I have held in my hand. Love the rear focus button , manual focus button on the lens and a whole host over other things. Now please you have to understand what I just said I never will say to that conviction on any cam. But this damn thing is a shooters heaven to work.

Okay the firmware no doubt improved the AF and things just get in focus quickly and have not tried the 135 but I'm sure the same.

Noise lets face it the Sony was not supposed to do ISO 1600 really well but have to say it is pretty dang good. Mostly I am at ISO 800 and I thought the Sony would be good but I'm a little happier than that so that is great. This was ISO 1600 at 1/20 th of a second in the worst looking light on the planet. I mean **** light . Florescent lighting at it's worst. I did set the cam for it though and have to say the noise may have improved with the firmware. This ain't bad and perfectly deliverable . Well not this image but the real ones. LOL



I will try and do some more real testing today with my usual setup that i do for noise. Give us a better idea.

BTW processed in C1 at its Sony defaults. No user work on it

Now I did tell my client not to go big with these and they do really really big. I shot my Phase kit with lights for those images. They just wanted grab shots while they where doing video at the same time. They perfectly understood my dilemma on high ISO work and going really really big. These folks talk in feet not inches. LOL
 

dhsimmonds

New member
Not much wrong with that for ISO 1600 apart from the obvious deliberate dust spot!!

Was this image processed with the new C1 Pro 6 Guy? I have upgraded to Pro 6 and it's a real winner IMHO. It makes the A900 shots really sing.

Your comments on the ergo's of these cams is bang on, and coming straight from the R9/DMR 2 years ago it just seemed so right to me. Suffice to say I've still got it and added the A700 as a back up and which handles exactly the same way.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Your comments on the ergo's of these cams is bang on, and coming straight from the R9/DMR 2 years ago it just seemed so right to me. Suffice to say I've still got it and added the A700 as a back up and which handles exactly the same way.
I'd like to add my +1 to that. It really is such a nice camera to use, even the ISO button too near the strap seems okay . .
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Not much wrong with that for ISO 1600 apart from the obvious deliberate dust spot!!

Was this image processed with the new C1 Pro 6 Guy? I have upgraded to Pro 6 and it's a real winner IMHO. It makes the A900 shots really sing.

Your comments on the ergo's of these cams is bang on, and coming straight from the R9/DMR 2 years ago it just seemed so right to me. Suffice to say I've still got it and added the A700 as a back up and which handles exactly the same way.
I'll add my +2 to that!

IMO, this was a direct evolution from the Contax N/ND in terms of handling and Zeiss AF lenses ... That was the first thing that came to mind when I picked up the A900.

-Marc
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I know Jack is laughing at me since I go through 35mm systems like running water but I do really like this one. Honestly less work in post and that makes me feel like I am in a candy store.

Yes David new Version 6 .
 

fotografz

Well-known member
I don't know guys ... it seems the higher ISOs are improved. If this holds true in other shooting conditions this is a real winner here.

May be wishful thinking on my part, but I just did something I'd never have considered before ... ISO 100 verses 6400: (see attached 24mm @ f/2 handheld available light, no sharpening applied ... slight adjust of color in 6400 file to more closely mimic the ISO 100 file) The usual differences in color and contrast, but look at the noise ratio between the two. Seems a lot better than before at these extremes. LR3 BTW.

-Marc
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Here's ISO 1600 verses 100. Less color shift and a bit more shadow detail @ 1600 compared to the 6400. But look at the noise comparison to 100 even after I lifted the 1600 shot's exposure a stop or so to be brighter.

Hope I'm right on this ... we'll see tomorrow on my location shoot.

-Marc
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
That looks nice and i should point out in good light like this 1600 will probably shine. My situation i would not wish upon my worst enemy. That was horrible light to deal with, maybe worse than tungsten.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts Marc
 

fotografz

Well-known member
That looks nice and i should point out in good light like this 1600 will probably shine. My situation i would not wish upon my worst enemy. That was horrible light to deal with, maybe worse than tungsten.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts Marc
Well, 1600 didn't exactly "shine" even in decent light if I recall ... and 6400 was unusable in any light ... but you're right ... the acid test will be crap light.

I wish there was a one button manual WB solution for this camera like on my H4D/40.

-Marc
 

Cerebus

New member
BacktoSLR, set your A900 to use the rear button for focusing. Set Local focusing mode where you can choose one of the focusing points with the rear button. Now how do you actually activate the AF if you choose any point other than the center point?

You can't.

Local mode seems designed to use the shutter release to focus. The Maxxum 7D had the right idea, when you choose the focusing point, the camera automatically focused on that point.

Its a bug I wished had been fixed. The mandatory workaround is to always use the central point for focusing if AF with the shutter is set to Off.
 

MoJo

Registred Users
Guy, sorry you had to black out the military photos of the UFO's........

that comparison looks awesome of 6400 vs. 100...... that is really encouraging! If it is better at 800 and 1600 than it was, than i am delighted.

-Josef
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
Updated. Used an 8GB card. AF seems better even with the 100/2.8 macro.

Easier than changing sensors (as Jono will remember with the Kodak 14n - 14nx upgrade some years back...)
 
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