A7/A7R - Suggestions for Improvements

[Vivek]

(SR5) Sony sensor revolution: First “non-Bayer” sensors coming in 2015. | sonyalpharumors

This would indicate that such sensors will be available in a Nikon cam next year. We will be very lucky if that can be seen in an A7 type cam in 2016.

One has to keep in mind that the A7/7R are barely a month old.

Is there any chance in hell that I would buy any FE lenses based on the A7 or A7R?

I would like to see compact, yet more powerful flashes for the A7/7R. The HVL-20 has its limits.

 

[fotografz]

(SR5) Sony sensor revolution: First “non-Bayer” sensors coming in 2015. | sonyalpharumors

This would indicate that such sensors will be available in a Nikon cam next year. We will be very lucky if that can be seen in an A7 type cam in 2016.

One has to keep in mind that the A7/7R are barely a month old.

Is there any chance in hell that I would buy any FE lenses based on the A7 or A7R?

I would like to see compact, yet more powerful flashes for the A7/7R. The HVL-20 has its limits.

Yep, we need a compact, fully articulated bounce flash for this camera ... one with the current hot-shoe mount to eliminate the adapter. The HVL-F60M is bigger than the camera :facesmack:.

- Marc

 

[iiiNelson]

(SR5) Sony sensor revolution: First “non-Bayer” sensors coming in 2015. | sonyalpharumors

This would indicate that such sensors will be available in a Nikon cam next year. We will be very lucky if that can be seen in an A7 type cam in 2016.

One has to keep in mind that the A7/7R are barely a month old.

Is there any chance in hell that I would buy any FE lenses based on the A7 or A7R?

I would like to see compact, yet more powerful flashes for the A7/7R. The HVL-20 has its limits.

I was thinking they had the Hasselblad more in mind for that sensor...

 

[jagsiva]

I'll make a start:

I think it would be great if the A7/A7R would be supplied with a 'My Menu' screen, to which any existing menu item could be assigned (e.g. memory card formatting, date and time settings, etc.). It would be great if the 'Fn' button could be configured to bring this customized menu up by default.

I thought I saw a menu choice for Settings 1 and 2. It looked like preferred memory settings. Will look at it again

 

[Ron Pfister]

The warning when no card is inserted in the camera should be more obvious (e.g. big flashing warning in the center of the screen). In addition, it would be nice to have the option in the menu system to enable or disable an 'Exposure Without Card' setting.

From Ben Rubinstein's posts in a different thread:
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/555887-post79.html
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/555906-post82.html

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Shutter lag needs to be reduced, I lost shots tonight shooting a model, freezing that perfect expression is really difficult with this camera, never had this kind of problem before with any non P&S camera, whether built 50 years ago or today, however cheap. Give us first curtain exposure and I think that most of the problem will be gone. That really is firmware.

As Marc and others have said, instant review and zoom review urgently need to be rethought. Review on rear screen only as an option, ability to map zoom during review to another button, sticky zoom percentage amounts, ability to switch off rear screen for everything but review, ability to make switching off rear screen sticky. Again all firmware.

Faster start up times.

Again as noted by others, make cancel zoom during focusing less sensitive.

Menu option to disable shooting without card.

Menu option for 'safety shift' during auto iso if light levels drop too low.

Min and max shutter speeds for Auto ISO.

Would love a 'My menu' setting. Finding format for example is a pain.

 

[Ron Pfister]

Give us first curtain exposure and I think that most of the problem will be gone. That really is firmware.

Ben, if you mean an electronic first shutter curtain, I believe there are sensor-specific technical reasons why this can't be implemented (the D800 does not feature an EFC in live view, either).

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Hey if it gets too much it won't be hard to trade down to an A7, there will be enough who will jump at the chance. I do think they will be able to do software stuff though.

 

[Mark Gowin]

I would like the ability to select the minimum shutter speed and aperture that is used in Aperture Priority mode and Shutter Priority mode. In A mode the shutter speed goes down 1/80 sec before kicking in the auto ISO. I would like to be able to set that as 1/125 sec for example. In S mode the aperture goes to f4.0 before increasing he auto ISO.

As it is, I have shoot in manual mode and the let auto ISO do its thing. However, this workaround is less than ideal due to the need to set bot aperture and shutter speed. I would expect that this change could be addressed in firmware.

 

[Ron Pfister]

It should be possible to re-map playback magnification from C2 to other buttons (center of the scroll wheel on the back of the camera as in NEX-6 and 7 was perfect, IMO).

From this post in a different thread: http://www.getdpi.com/forum/556688-post15.html

 

[jafleming3]

Have only used my A7r for one day, and am still learning how to set it up and use it properly; also, no lenses, so am using Zeiss (Leica M-mount) primes. I really like this camera. Some of what follows can be fixed in the next version, some in firmware update, some quibbles. Here goes, in random order:

1. Manual / guide is the worst I seen - borderline useless.

2. Shutter is loud (next version fix?)

3. Menu is much better than the confusing NEX-7's, but not as good as the RX-1. For example, Format (card) should have its own top icon and be easy to find.

4. Add two or three custom settings (MY Menu 1 / 2/ 3)

5. In manual focus, I love pressing C1 twice to magnify the scene and obtain critical focus. I would love to do the same with Autofocus.

6. A separate ISO button (next version?). Perhaps there's a work around in Settings that I haven't figured out yet (I don't want to accidentally trigger a change in ISO).

I've tried my NEX lenses on this camera, and the focus appears quite fast and accurate. Don't know if there's a decent scale for manual focus. I like a feature in my Ricoh GR - set Aperture and Shutter Speed and the camera sets the proper ISO (and one can set upper and lower bands for ISO) - don't know if that's possible here (but I would love it - especially for street shooting).

Those are my preliminary thoughts on a very, very fine camera! Sorry, in advance, if some of my ideas are due to my ignorance (it always takes a while to become familiar with high-end camers!)

cheers,
john

 

[jfirneno]

On the A7 use the PDAF to control a new A-mount adapter that controls screw drive lenses without an SLT mirror. Sure it won't be as fast as the LAEA4 but it would allow the better Minolta and Sony screw drive lenses to AF. Probably won't happen because the firmware would need two sets of algorithms. But I'd love to AF the 135 f1.8 without an SLT.

 

[Shane Phillips]

1. Focus Magnifier / Zoom in one button press like NEX. An additional menu option would be to have the option to change the behavior of the one click, where one click can equal any of these 3 user pref. Maximum magnification first, Minimum magnification first or the current style framing mode.

2. Startup times need improved to feel like a pro tool. Currently the camera is inconsistent here. Agreed that major work is needed on power management, start-up/wake-from-sleep times, and lag when changing settings.

3. Buggy system. For example, when ISO is mapped to default wheel location, sometimes it simply does not work when wheel is turned. This is not acceptable, as I’ve had to map a backup button for ISO for when this bug happens. It happens often.

4. Fix the auto sensor so that it doesn't mistake the shirt/belly as an eyeball and switch to the viewfinder...even though one is shooting with the screen. An option to adjust the sensitivity of the back screen in proximity to the body/eye before switching would be nice.

5. Option to completely turn off LCD (not just turn display black
INCLUDING the backlight.)

6. Manual lens data entry, room for at least 10 lenses.